NanoFoamer Go

A wire-whisk frother beats air into milk and then leaves it there, which is why the foam sits on top in a visible crust of bubbles. That foam is not wrong, exactly. It is just a separate substance from the milk underneath it.

The Subminimal NanoFoamer Go is the travel size of the brand's handheld foamer, spinning a submerged impeller at 5,300 rpm and then driving the aerated milk through a perforated screen, the patented NanoScreen, which shears the bubbles down until the milk pours as one glossy body. The Go ships with the Superfine screen, the finest in the range. A second speed of 4,200 rpm when submerged sets how hard it works for anything that does not want the full treatment.

Technique matters as much as the tool here, and Subminimal is specific about it. The impeller wants to sit at least 3.8 centimetres under the surface: three to twenty seconds held high to pull air in, then deeper and slightly off centre so the milk turns over in a whirlpool.

Three heads travel in the case. The mesh and classic impeller together make microfoam, the impeller on its own works as a mixer for powders, and a third impeller whisks from the centre for eggs, cream or a mousse. Impellers are food-safe POM, while the shaft, the cap and the NanoScreen mesh are 304 stainless steel. There is no cable in the box, which sounds mean until you notice the reasoning: any USB-C cable and a 5 volt, 2 amp charger will do the job, and a fast charger is safe without being any faster.