The Difference Between Nespresso's Aeroccino 4 And XL Milk Frothers

When you're shopping for a milk frother, there are seemingly endless options to choose from — in both the types and the brands that make them. You can keep things simple with a handheld frother, which is also the cheapest option (although it will not heat your milk) or you could go ahead and invest in an espresso machine with a frothing wand, which is undoubtedly the most costly route. However, right there in the sweet spot, are hands-free, countertop milk-frothing machines. These babies are compact and easy to use, but more importantly, they'll heat and froth your milk just as well as the wand on an espresso machine would, without breaking the bank.

There are a number of brands making these styles of machines, ranging from pricier retro Smegs to not-quite-as-stylish, but more approachable Bodums. But if you're looking for something that strikes the perfect balance between quality and affordability, you're likely to end up choosing between one Nespresso milk frother and another. The Aeroccino 4 and the XL are both designed to match Nespresso coffee makers. These two offer multiple preparations, giving you the option to create different textures and degrees of foaminess for a variety of coffee drinks. But there are some key differences to consider before you commit to one.

While it might be the smaller of the two machines, the Nespresso Aeroccino 4 offers more styles of milk preparation compared to the Aeroccino XL. Just as the name suggests, the Aeroccino 4 is designed to produce four different types of milk, including hot milk foam for a cappuccino, latte, and macchiato, and a cold foam — allowing you to give texture to iced coffee drinks without watering them down. Not to mention, all of this is done at the touch of a button.

At under two pounds, the Aeroccino 4 is small enough to keep on your countertop and light enough to move from inside of your cupboard and back if you're short of work space. The milk jug itself has a capacity of 8 ounces of hot milk, or 4 ounces to account for milk foam. This makes it ideal for someone who lives alone, perhaps in a small apartment with limited kitchen and counter space. But it also comes with some drawbacks — a major one being that it doesn't allow you to prepare milk for multiple coffee drinks at a time. Rather, you'll need to froth the milk for one drink, pour, and then froth the milk for the next, and so on.

With all the spacial and preparation style advantages, the size of Aeroccino 4 can come at the cost of your time if you're preparing drinks for a group. That's where the Aeroccino XL offers a solution.

Being the larger of the two machines, a major advantage that the Nespresso Aeroccino XL offers is its sheer size — although, for the wrong person, it could also end up being a hindrance. This machine has a higher jug capacity than the Aeroccino 4, with 13.5 ounces for hot milk and 7.6 ounces for hot and cold milk foam. However, with the larger jug size, the machine ends up measuring in at 4.6 by 8 inches. While that does come with advantages, such as being able to prepare the milk for multiple drinks at a time, it also brings disadvantages that you may want to consider.

First things first, the obvious drawback of this machine is the very fact it takes up more space — which means it might not be the ideal option for those with limited storage and counter space in their kitchens. But, interestingly enough, despite being a larger machine, it also doesn't offer as many milk preparation styles as the Aeroccino 4. The XL machine prepares three different styles of milk, compared to the Aeroccino's four, including hot milk foam, hot milk, and cold milk foam. Still, with the push of the button, you can have frothed milk for two drinks in the same amount of time it takes the Aeroccino 4 to make one.