Chef’s Star MF-2 Automatic Milk Frother Review

Welcome to our review of the Chef’s Star MF-2 automatic milk frother! On this post, we’re going to go through the ups and downs of this particular appliance. But to sum it up, it’s a nice and flexible automatic that lets you select multiple frothing settings. Aside from the usual automatic’s fire and forget solution, this is also for someone who wants a bit more variety in the results of their frothing, without having to resort to getting a handheld device and heating their dairy in the microwave.

So what are these settings? You can check the Amazon page to find out, then come back here for the rest of the review.

 

But What Does It Do?

Let’s go over the Chef’s Star’s details one by one, and find out what makes it tick. Sure, Amazon lists a bunch of features, but we’re gonna go a little bit deeper than that. You can see the table of contents on the right to give you an overview of what we’ll be tackling at length.

Heating Element

The MF-2 heats your milk using the heating ring – the little coil that goes around around the whisk. The manual states that it heats up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65.5 C for you metric people). That’s a long way from the boiling point, so don’t expect it to be able to heat water for steeping tea or coffee in. On the other hand, it gives you some nice warm froth.

It takes 80 seconds – about a minute and a half – to go from cold to warm. As I usually say, automatics are a fire and forget system, for the busy multitasker who wants to be able to do other things while preparing his coffee.

On the other hand, not everyone might not want a hot froth. Press the button four times, and the Chef’s Star will whip up a head of froth without heating it.

If you need the heating element replaced, then all you have to do is give them a call to claim your warranty.

Composition

The MF-2’s housing is made of high quality stainless steel. This is par for the course for most kitchen utensils. It’s light and durable, with a nice reflective sheen to it. Just don’t expect it to survive being thrown around on purpose.

On the other hand, the inside is coated with a Teflon-type non-stick coating, making cleaning a snap. More on that later.

Vacuum Insulation

This appliance comes with vacuum insulation, a mechanism intended to retain the temperature of the device’s contents, whether hot or cold, for longer periods of time. It gets its name from having a vacuum (an empty space) in between the inner container, where the liquids are stored, and the outer housing. This vacuum minimizes the transfer of heat from the inside to the outside and vice versa.

Basically it acts like a thermos. Warm liquid stays warmer longer, and cold liquid stays cool for a while more. Let’s say you wanted to prepare your froth in advance, while you set up your coffee maker. You wouldn’t have to worry about your froth going cold on you if you decided to do that.

It’s also probably the reason why only the liquid inside heats up, rather than the whole pitcher. Convenient for people who don’t want to have to worry about accidentally burning themselves on a hot appliance.

Detachable Base

The MF-2 comes equipped with a detachable base, which houses the motor, and connects to the socket. As it is detachable, you don’t have to unplug the appliance to pour out your finished product, allowing for easy serving.

It’s also very handy for someone who doesn’t want to worry about burning themselves when pouring the foam out. Suffice it to say, a detachable base like this is an excellent quality of life feature, providing many convenient benefits, like the two mentioned.

Capacity (oz and ml)

Capacity is of course an important point. If you know how much your carafe can hold, you can tell if you’ll be able to froth enough for several people at once, or just enough for yourself.

The MF-2 has a capacity of 250ml or 8.5 oz for storage and heating. If you want to heat your dairy, it’s very important never to go over 250ml, unless you want to turn your kitchen into an overheated overflowing mess.  For frothing purposes, the minimum is 125ml or 4.5 oz. You don’t want to froth more than 150ml.

It’s perfect for young couples, people with one roommate, or someone who lives alone. Depending on how much froth you like to put in your latte, 150ml of foam is either good enough for two people, or one, if you really like that stuff.

Unfortunately, this also means that if you have guests, or a bigger family, it might take more than one batch to put a head of foam in everyone’s cuppa.

Warranty

According to customer service, the Chef’s Star MF-2 boasts a 1-year no questions asked warranty. If something goes wrong, just give them a call and they’ll take care of your problem. This is rather odd, considering the Amazon page says the warranty is 2 years long, but I called up the manufacturer, and that’s what they told me.

All being said, one year isn’t a bad amount of time, given how long most appliances in this price range last. Based on my research, it looks like the average lifespan for such products is a couple of months. There was even one reported instance of an MF-2 breaking after one use. Whether this is a result of poor handling or a quality control issue, we aren’t certain. But it seems a lot of people are satisfied with what they get, regardless.

Frothing Time

Some people want their froth fast. Really fast. For those kinds of people, you’re going to want a handheld device, although that would come at the cost of heating. The MF-2 takes about 80 seconds to froth your dairy, pretty much the same amount of time it takes to heat it. So if 80 seconds is fine with you, then this is probably the better choice.

Again, this sort of frothing time is for multi-taskers who want to be able to do something else while their dairy is getting a good whipping. If you want to deal with the frothing yourself, you’re better off with a different type of appliance entirely, like a handheld. Heating is then usually done with the microwave.

Presence of Minmax Level indicators

The MF-2 does come with some level indicators, but this doesn’t include any warning system or alerts, in case you put too much liquid in it. Presumably, the makers expect you to do your research and find out what the indicators mean. That’s either reading about it online, like you’re doing now, or opening up the manual.

The minimum amount is just a little above the whisk, while the safe level should be between 125 to 150 ml.

Buyer be warned: If the amount you put in goes over the maximum frothing capacity, it will overflow and cause a mess on your counter. So be careful to keep it under that indicator!

Voltage

The MF-2 runs on 120 Volts, 60 Hertz, and 500 watts, as indicated in the manual. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with any other voltage. As such, you’ll have to plug it into a transformer to keep it from burning up, if you live in a country where 220V is the norm.

The appliance can also be used with extension cords, fortunately.

Lid and Sealing

The lid is made out of transparent plastic, so you’ll be able to see what’s going on inside. It should keep a good foam in place, but if you put in too much, it won’t protect your counter from overflow, so be careful. It’s also very helpful to see if your device is still running, since the motor is so quiet, it’s hard to tell once it’s finished.

Cleaning and Caring for Your Chef’s Star MF-2

The MF-2 is very easy to clean. Just rinse the interior of the pitcher, before wiping everything out. That’s it. It comes with a non-stick coating on the inside, so cleaning it up should be a cinch.

The appliance contains some pretty sensitive electronic components, so whatever you do, DO NOT submerge it. Both the base and pitcher should be kept dry. The base, of course, contains the power cord and motor.

While the pitcher’s interior can be rinsed in sink, the exterior should be wiped with a damp cloth. The bottom shouldn’t be allowed to get wet, as it has a slot with electrical components that connects to the base.

In order to completely clean up the interior, it’s important to remove the whisk, in order to clean out the entire bottom. All you have to do is pull up the little plastic ring on top of the whisk. A little bit of warning, though. Fattier milks tend to leave some caramelized film at the bottom, so you’d first want to put in some hot water to soften it up, if that happens to you.

Dishwasher Safety

It should be pretty clear by now that this product is not dishwasher safe.

Extra Functions

The MF-2’s most striking feature is the Froth Density Selection, allowing you to choose between multiple settings, depending on how many times you press the button. One press sets it to a ‘hot dense’ froth, perfect for lattes. Two sets it to ‘hot and airy’, which gives you a nice foam for your cappuccinos, or hot chocolate, if you like. Three presses forgoes frothing altogether, and just heats your dairy, while pressing it four times will have it froth without heating it.

The heavy duty motor allows it to froth everything from full cream, to low fat, to non-dairy milks like almond and soy, although the results for the latter are somewhat inconsistent. Based on my research, I’d have to say that it’s dependent on the brand of non-dairy. Some are better at frothing up than others, so there’s a bit of trial and error involved. Do some experimentation and find a brand that whips up just right.

It is said to come with two whisks, one capable of frothing and heating, and one just for frothing. There have been instances of the product being shipped with only one whisk, but answering a survey that comes with the package entitles you to more whisks.

It also automatically shuts off, so you don’t have to worry about overbeating your milk or heating it too much. Also, it’s quiet. Almost too quiet. You could switch it on and leave the room. If you didn’t count the seconds, you could come back unsure if it’s still running. That’s how quiet it is. Which means, of course, that you could watch TV while your appliance is whipping you up a nice head of foam.

All these little extra niceties add up to make it a good appliance. The Froth Density feature, specifically, makes it a solid choice for flexibility.

So What’s the Good News?

So let’s summarize. The good points of the Chef’s Star are as follows:

• The Big One: It has multiple settings that let you choose the kind of froth you want.
• It’s cheap for an automatic. Others could cost up to ten times as much.
• It’s easy to use. Just press the button a certain number of times to fit your needs, and leave it.
• It’s easy to clean. The non-stick interior helps out. Just make sure not to get the outside and base wet.
• It’s so quiet you wouldn’t know if it was still running or not.
• It’s fast.

What About the Bad News?

I’m laying it down here now. This product isn’t perfect. So what’s the bad news?

• The Big One: Non-dairy milk frothing is inconsistent. Trial and error is necessary to find a brand that works.
• 125ml of froth per batch, 150, if you’re stretching it, isn’t a lot, and would only cover one to two people. So if you’ve got a big family, or plan to use it for guests, you’re better off getting a bigger device.
• Based on collated user experience, it’s got a short lifespan, so expect to use that 1-year warranty.
• Higher-fat milks leave a caramelized – maybe even burnt – film at the bottom of the pitcher, which would complicate the cleaning process.

Consumer Feedback on the Chef’s Star MF-2 Frother

The MF-2 has a great rating on Amazon, which isn’t surprising, given its current spot in the top ten.

Customer reviews indicate they’ve had good experiences with this product compared to others in its category. It’s usually taken as a cheaper replacement for other brands, and they’ve expressed their satisfaction over these competing products. Not in all cases, though. Someone have said that the Chef’s Star MF-2 was flimsier than the previous model, and that it was damaged during cleaning.

For the most part, I’d say this rating is pretty accurate. Most of the problems aren’t serious, with the exception of the longevity. Even then, it’s covered by a warranty.

Pricing for the Chef’s Star MF-2 Frother

The appliance is on the very low end of pricing for automatics. It costs less than one tenth of the most expensive devices. Few other automatic frothers can be considered cheaper. Any lower than those, and you’ll be entering handheld territory. In short, it’s really cheap for its category. There are a bunch of automatics at this price point, though.

You might have to buy extra whisks when the ones you get break down. If you’re lucky, though, you might get some free replacements when you answer the survey that comes with the package.

Suffice it to say, this is very cost-effective. Even given its problems, it’s covered by a one-year warranty.

Check out the Amazon page for its current price:

Sum It Up for Me

In summation, you get what you pay for. The Chef’s Star might not last forever, but it works great while it runs. It’s cheap, froths well, and is relatively easy to clean.

If you’re going to get it for anything, though, get it for the flexibility of multiple froth density settings. It’ll give you a bit more control of the kind of foam you want.

Other automatics at this price point include the VAVA, MIRA, Epica, and the Vivreal, which has similar multiple settings.

Get it if you’re in the market for “cheap if effective”, and want multiple settings. If you just want to entirely fire and forget, though, get something with less options. Or if you’re someone who wants to do the frothing yourself, get a handheld.

Overall, we give this one eight and a half Sombreros.