Subminimal Nanofoamer Go: So much more than a coffee accessory
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Subminimal is one of the most “Oooh! Aaah!”-inducing names in the coffee world, and the new Subminimal Nanofoamer Go is no different. Ever looked at a milk frother and thought, “Damn, I wish that came with a carry case?” Well, your calls have been answered — the Nanofoamer Go comes with three impellers, ten color options, and, yes, a carry case.
If you’re the kind of coffee drinker who takes your whole setup to a campsite, Airbnb, or simply to the office, this will be ideal for you. While I struggled to achieve the same velvety microfoam I can make on the Subminimal Nanofoamer Pro, the Go can also whisk cream and eggs, so I guess it wins there.
So, is this the handheld milk frother for you? If you value affordability, fancy colors, and portability, I’m leaning towards yes. Are you a coffee snob? Hm… you might want to splurge on the $159 Nanofoamer Pro instead. To find out the full story, keep reading this Subminimal Nanofoamer Go review.
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Subminimal Nanofoamer Go review: Specs
Subminimal Nanofoamer Go review: Price & availability
The Subminimal Nanofoamer Go is considerably cheaper than the brand’s other milk frothers — just $37 from Subminimal U.S. and £34 from Subminimal U.K. On Amazon, it’s $34.
Subminimal’s Nanofoamer Lithium is $57, while the Subminimal Nanofoamer Pro (my personal milk frother) is $159. While both of these models are better at making straight-up cold foam and microfoam, if you prioritize budget and portability over pure functionality, you’d likely be better off with the Nanofoamer Go. Personally, I prefer the Nanofoamer Pro — it’s much better at making honest-to-God microfoam than the Go, as I’ll get into later.
Subminimal Nanofoamer Go review: Design
As with everything else made by Subminimal, the Nanofoamer Go looks and feels awesome. Alright, the body is quite plasticky, but I don’t mind because it means it’s relatively lightweight and affordable.
But the best part? The colors. While the Subminimal Nanofoamer Lithium and Pro are both available solely in minimalist black, the Go comes in a huge ten colors. And every single one of them looks gorgeous. As you can see from the images in this review, I tested the sky blue version. Had I chosen the color for myself, I would have picked the terracotta or sage shades. Both are pretty enough to win a beauty pageant.
You also get a carry case! The clue’s in the name, but the Nanofoamer Go is intended to be portable. You’re supposed to take it on trips with you. AeroPress with foamed milk at the campsite? Yes, please. As expected, the carry case is the same lovely blue shade, and all the attachments click nicely into place. It’s satisfying to hold and use. I have nothing bad to say about the design here.
Of course, you get three impeller attachments. One is a whisk for thicker ingredients like cream and eggs. One is for mix-ins, like hot chocolate powder, matcha, so on and so forth, and the third is Subminimal’s patent-pending nanofoam mesh. Now, this is supposed to be the “secret” to barista-quality microfoam… but more on that later.
Subminimal Nanofoamer Go review: Performance
I’m just going to rip the Band-Aid off: I didn’t get microfoam with the Nanofoamer Go at all. I tried with dairy and non-dairy milk, heated to varying temperatures, frothed in various ways. I tried on full power, low power; I tried for ten seconds, thirty seconds, two minutes, five minutes, one minute, everything. Did I achieve microfoam? No. No, I did not. Here’s a photo of the closest I got.
As you can see, there are some relatively large bubbles. This is after banging and swirling the milk as you’re supposed to. I was quite disappointed by this. As mentioned earlier, my Subminimal Nanofoamer Pro can make microfoam, so I expected the same of the Go.
I also struggled to achieve velvety cold foam. I frothed this milk for over two minutes and this is the thickest it got. Of course, I was using the microfoam attachment.
However, I was able to get delicious, perfect sweet cream cold foam in just forty seconds.
As you can see, the texture is thick, fluffy, and creamy. This is perfect, Starbucks-approved sweet cream cold foam. My colleagues and I literally ate this with a spoon.
According to Subminimal’s website, you can actually whisk eggs with the Nanofoamer Go… so of course I had to try it out. For science.
Yes, that’s an egg whisked by a milk frother. I don’t eat eggs, so this is a little gross to me, but great if you’re a regular egg whipper.
Subminimal Nanofoamer Go review: Storage & maintenance
As it’s a tiny milk frother — 1 inch by 8 inches — you’ll have no trouble fitting it in your cutlery drawer. This model comes with a handy carry case, which measures 2.1 x 6 x 1.3 inches, perfect for throwing in a camping backpack or keeping in a cupboard. If you’re short on space, I’d go for this model over the Nanofoamer Pro, which is shaped like a jug.
The Go is not dishwasher safe, and you obviously shouldn’t get the body wet. I cleaned it by simply rinsing it under warm water.
Of course, should your cleaning be sub-minimal (see what I did there? No?), you can buy replacement impellers directly from Subminimal for $6.
In terms of longevity, Subminimal offers a standard warranty of one year, which is a little shorter than I’d like. However, this is pretty standard with other $10-$20 milk frothers on Amazon.
Subminimal Nanofoamer Go review: Verdict
The Nanofoamer Go is more than just a milk frother — it can be a pretty little kitchen assistant, too. While this makes it more versatile than the Subminimal Nanofoamer Pro, it’s also not as coffee-snob-friendly. Even though it uses the same micro-mesh as other Nanofoamer products, it doesn’t seem to be able to achieve the same barista-smooth microfoam.
For $37, this is a neat little frother. I’d recommend it for casual coffee drinkers rather than those practising for the World Barista Championships. I would personally save up for the Subminimal Nanofoamer Pro or Lithium over the Go, but that’s because I take my cold foam seriously — and the Pro is much better at making it.
For generic froth, though, the Nanofoamer Go is great. Obviously, you have to heat your milk separately — microwave, stovetop — but if you want a one-stop for whisking eggs, cream cold foam, and milk, I’d go for the Go.
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