The Holy Grail of home coffee has for the longest time been the perfect shot of espresso. Crema, tiger striping, all that, entire coffee forums and blogs have been dedicated to the singular task of chasing “The God Shot” from the confines of one’s own kitchen. Nowadays, though, cafe-quality espresso is attainable at home without the need of a multi-thousand dollar espresso machine (or any espresso machine at all for that matter). Properly steamed milk, on the other hand, well that’s a different story.
Sure there are frothers, aerators, heaters, even a cheeky little French press hack, the perfectly textured—and temperature—milk has yet to be cracked in the same way that espresso has; it’s the new Holy Grail. Enter the NanoFoamer Pro. It heats, it aerates, it microfoams, and it’s live on Kickstarter now.
Created by the brand Subminimal, the NanoFoamer Pro builds on the company’s previous handheld NanoFoamer Lithium but is going all-in-one for a “first-of-its-kind appliance,” per the Kickstarter. Taking aesthetic cues from electric pour-over kettles like the Fellow Stagg EKG, the NanoFoamer Pro promises “cafe-quality premium microfoam” in a minute’s time, regardless of your choice of milk.
Creating cafe-quality microfoam is a three-stage process for the NanoFoamer Pro. First it pre-heats and mixes the milk, then it aerates, before finally “pulverizing the incorporated bubbles” via a spinning “nanoscreen.” It also incorporates magnets, a precision-angled impellor, and variable internal flow controllers—depending on your choice of either cow’s or alternative milk—to create the desired microfoam.
The NanoFoamer Pro also comes with five different modes for users to choose from, depending upon drink size and preferred foam density. It can even make cold foam. It can bring milk up to temperatures ranging between 55°C and 65°C (131°F to 149°F).
With just under four weeks left on the campaign, the NanoFoamer Pro has already smashed its $9,600 goal, raising an astounding $425,000. Would-be backers are still able to snag a NanoFoamer Pro of their own for $109, about 32% of the suggested retail price. To sweeten the pot, backers also earn themselves access to the company’s latte art master class, led by muti-time latte art champion, Lance Hedrick of Onyx Coffee Lab. Per the Kickstarter, rewards are scheduled to begin shipping out in September of this year.
It’s truly a great time to be a home espresso drinker. Burr grinders are better (and cheaper) than they have ever been, espresso maker options need not cost thousands or even hundreds of dollars, and with the potential of the one-stop-shop NanoFoamer Pro, the last piece of the home cappuccino nut may have just been cracked. Honestly, I’m here for it.
For more information or to back the campaign, visit NanoFoamer Pro’s Kickstarter page.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
