Ok, this is yet another greatest thing since sliced bread and tool “must have” that I had no idea I needed.
What’s funny is I don’t even like latte’s.
I first ran into this little gizmo in the Seattle Food Geeks tut on making cotton candy
….I’d argue that this tool is one of the most versatile and convenient pieces of gear in a Modernist home kitchen. The Aerolatte is a battery-powered whisk that’s perfect for mixing liquids in small quantities. I use to incorporate hydrocolloids like xanthan gum and tapioca starch into sauces – an application where thorough mixing is critical. I also use it to quickly dissolve salt and sugar into liquid brines, to emulsify salad dressing, and even to hyperdecant wine, a glass at a time.
That put the idea in my head, but it just got filed with all the other interesting techniques and gadgets that rumble around in my skull. Then one day I saw this knock-off of the Aerolatte at Ikea for $2
At that price? What the heck! I got it home and it lived in the drawer for a week or two, and then it came out to blend a glass of milk and Hershey’s syrup. Wow! Perfect homogenous chocolate milk in seconds. It spins at absurd speeds in free air, but slows some when it’s immersed. It has a fair amount of torque for such a tiny bit of kit, and I’ve used it to “reassemble” a pan sauce that broke, but I don’t think it could take on ice cream for a shake. Anything less viscous better look out. It even froths milk! I have not tried the cotton candy …..yet . It’s sort of like an IPhone. Who’da thunk I needed an electric spoon!
Hacking the Modernist Kitchen 