The main difference between a milk frother and a steamer is, of course, the use of steam. Milk frothers without steam use agitation to introduce air into milk. Some electric frothers feature a heating element that also warms the milk. The result is usually a light and airy foam. A milk steamer on the other hand, uses heated, high-pressure steam to both heat the milk and aerate at the same time. The foam created by a steamer tends to be finer with microbubbles that create a glossy sheen throughout the milk body.