To explore the process of building a milk frother, my partner Maddy and I built a prototype milk frother. Then, we tested our milk frother along with two others: a cheap milk frother from Ikea, and a higher-end frother/coffee whisk. We tested all three for fifteen seconds to compare results. The Ikea milk frother gave 1 inch of froth while the coffee whisk gave around 2 inches and our “milk frother” gave an impressive amount of bubbles, but unfortunately not a significant amount of froth. From that point on, we called our milk contraption the “Milk Bubbler.”
This “Milk Bubbler” consisted of a plastic pitcher with a plastic cup on the inside. We would put the milk in the plastic cup, and pour hot water in the pitcher around the cup to increase the milk temperature, making it easier to froth. We would then stir the milk with our whisk and lego mixer and simultaneously blow into our straw. The whisk was ingeniously designed by taping four forks together while the lego mixer consisted of a straw attached to a lego pole with strung through it. These wheels had small holes for better milk mixing. We found out that rubbing the lego mixer in between our palms produced more heat and froth. However, our invention was not the most durable, as the straw fell off in the middle of our milk frothing. In addition, the multiple parts of the frother did not work well together, as it was hard to stir the whisk, use the lego mixer, and blow into the straw at the same time. Without directions, consumers may also misinterpret the function of o
ur device. For instance, they might stir the lego mixer instead of rubbing it in between their palms, or pour the milk in the pitcher instead of into the cup, so there is not much affordance. I believe our “Milk Bubbler” will need much improvement, more simplification, specifically in the number of parts to increase function. For instance, instead of using a vertical pitcher, we could create a horizontal container which would increase the surface area, allowing faster frothing.
Next up was the simple Ikea frother powered by a motorized whisk. With only one switch, this frother was the most easy to use. Made of plastic and steel, this frother was cheap at only $2.49, but not aesthetically pleasing, and having the loudest noise out of all the frothers. As the designer, I would add a rubber sole to the handle for comfort and aesthetic purposes. Lastly, the $4.99 coffee whisk gave the most froth, nearly doubling the original amount of milk.
Like the Ikea frother, this one was also made of steel and plastic components, only this frother had a more powerful motor. Although powerful and aesthetically pleasing with its green handle, its handle was too bulky and had too much vibration. This would be especially negative for users with arthritis. And even though this frother had three buttons, only one of them worked. Even this button was hard to turn off, and resulted in splash-prone situations. However, I would personally choose this frother out of all the others for its cheap price, power, and because the vibration does not bother me. However, I would change the design to one button, and make the handle less bulky for children and people like me who have small hands.
