Product Creation For All

Milk Frother Disassembly

Ikea Frother Vs. Aerolatte Frother

IKEA Milk Frother

• Weight and Length: 1.8 ounces, 20cm
• Price: $2.49
• Strengths:
• Cheap price
• light
• condensed
• battery compartment is easy to find
• Easily Wiped Clean
• Weakness: 
• Takes around 2:40 minutes to "fully" froth the milk unlike the product description (customer's expectation is turned down)
• Does not froth the bottom
• Unstable grip = does not work when handle held tightly/ considerable amount of vibration
• Tiring/ Strenuous Process
• Difference between soy milk and cow milk

Aerolatte Milk Frother

• Weight and Length: 8 ounces, 22cm
• Price: $ 19.99
• Strengths:
• Easy to operate the switch
• Stable grip
• Takes only 20 seconds to fully froth the milk from surface to bottom 
• Creamier frothed milk
• Easily wiped clean

• Weaknesses: 
• The switch can be accidentally turned on very easily
• Louder
• "Pricey"

IKEA Milk Frother Testing

Cow Milk

Soy Milk

Aerolatte Milk Frother Testing

Cow Milk

Soy Milk

MAKING CHOCOLATE MILK!!!!

Affordance, Mapping, and Feedback

Both products afford to froth milk by a simple one-hand operation.  Both products are straightforward to use, fulfilling their tasks as a Milk Frother. However, IKEA Milk Frother does not fully froth the milk from surface to bottom, and requires longer time unlike Aerolatte Milk Frother does. The products are well mapped, as the switches are visible, and the quick one-hand operation provides immediate feedback of a desired outcome.

Disassembly
                 <IKEA Milk Frother>                                               <Aerolatte Milk Frother>

Spreadsheet for Subparts:

My Experience with the Disassembly Activity...

     This was my first time experiencing reverse engineering - AKA "taking things apart." I always liked building things using my toy toolbox or legos, but I never had the chance to disassemble devices. Thus, this activity was very interesting and fun for me. I had no idea where to begin at first, but one by one, I slowly got used to it. I learned that there were so many parts in such a small, simple looking device. I was just amazed by the technology we have today. It must have taken so many people - scientists, engineers, designers, etc - to design this one small device just to froth milk. I now understand how devices work better as well: how the circuits are closed, how carefully the motors are designed, and how these subparts are made. I never thought of estimating the "raw" price of these devices and it was really fun to try and see how much the subparts cost. Thinking that the companies had blown up the prices so much, I am quite shocked as a customer. 

My Final Evaluation of the Two Frother

     The two frothers both have weakness and strengths, which may attract the customers in different ways. The biggest difference between the two products was the price. Ikea one was almost 1/10 of the Aerolatte one. The price difference was shown when the two products were disassembled as the Aerolatte had more subparts - 54 parts - while the IKEA one had 41. Aerolatte was heavier, as the motor had more parts, and it had more subparts such as screws tightly hold device together. If I were in the market for a milk frother - although that will never happen as I am not into frothing milk at all - I would probably choose the products depending on my interest. If I were to just froth my milk once in a while, and I was not picky about it, I will definitely choose the IKEA one as it is cheap and it does its job to a certain extent. However, if I wanted to be professional about frothing milk, I will definitely buy the Aerolatte, as the price actually does speak for itself (maybe a bit too over-priced); it froths the milk quickly and fully.