Your Milk Frother Has A Secret Superpower That Makes Salads Better

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If you have ever tried to make a vinaigrette by stirring together all of the ingredients in a jar or bowl, you know the fight that the oil and vinegar put up against combining. The two simply don't mix. Instead, you either have to shake them up vigorously (easy to do in a jar, not so much in a bowl) or slowly pour the oil into the vinegar while constantly whisking. You're better off grabbing your trusty milk frother.

While this handy little gadget is intended to zhuzh up the milk for your coffee drinks, it's also perfect for effortlessly emulsifying salad dressings. When you press the button on a milk frother, the tiny whisk at the end of the wand begins to rapidly spin, essentially recreating (or even improving) the motion of a hand working a whisk. Your dressings will come together beautifully in seconds with no sore arms and decreased chances of oil splatter getting on your clothes or counter. 

For an even more seamless salad dressing emulsion, consider adding mustard, a touch of mayonnaise, an egg yolk, honey, or a little tomato paste to your dressing. These everyday pantry ingredients help to bridge the gap between liquids and oils, essentially helping them to combine. If you're making a large batch of salad dressing, you can employ your blender or food processor to do the job, but remember that these bulky appliances are more of a pain to clean. With a milk frother like this one from Bonsenkitchen, just dip the wand in some warm, soapy water and press the button so the gadget spins itself clean.

It's not often you can find a small kitchen gadget that's quite as useful as a milk frother. This tiny but mighty device whips up salad dressing like an old pro, and you can use it for many other culinary tasks. In the morning, use it to beat eggs. The quick whisk will incorporate lots of air into your eggs, making them exceptionally well suited for fluffy scrambled eggs. If you add foamy eggs to three-ingredient morning pancakes, it helps the batter become light and airy as well, resulting in fluffier flapjacks.

I love homemade whipped cream because it comes together with just some heavy cream, a little powdered sugar, and a touch of vanilla, but I don't love having to clean my heavy stand mixer afterwards. Instead, use your milk frother to do the job. It will whip up a perfect amount of whipped cream for your hot chocolate or ice cream sundae.

Another kitchen task that isn't always so easy is making hollandaise sauce, which requires constant whisking while you slowly drizzle in melted butter. A milk frother is perfect for this use and might have you making eggs Benedict a little more often. Finally, many may not realize that, instead of letting wines breathe in a decanter, you can quickly introduce oxygen to your favorite cabernet by aerating your glass of wine with a milk frother. Just make sure it's spotlessly clean and definitely free from any lingering salad dressing you previously might have made. No one wants the essence of olive oil in their malbec.