The Heylo Milky at HostMilano last month. Daily Coffee News photo by Nick Brown.
Induction-heated espresso equipment maker Heylo unveiled a new standalone automated milk solution for cafes called Milky.
The machine debuted at last month’s HostMilano trade show in Italy. (Read all of DCN’s HostMilano 2025 coverage.)
More compact and fully freestanding than the frothing-and-dispensing Milk unit Heylo originally developed to pair with its Coffee unit, Milky similarly aerates and texturizes dairy and plant-based milks to more than 25 foam settings in an internal chamber, then dispenses them either cold or heated to a precise temperature.
Any milk remaining in its tubing or internal chamber automatically returns to the cooler from which it’s drawn to reduce waste, maintain freshness and hygiene and minimize cross-contamination. The system also features a more thorough automatic self-cleaning cycle.
Daily Coffee News photo by Nick Brown.
Weighing about 30 pounds with a smaller countertop footprint than the Milk unit, Milky fits into tight spaces and works for mobile and modular bar layouts. Its LED-lit exterior panels are customizable.
Departing from the Milk unit’s top-mounted knobs and display, Milky communicates with operators via a touch screen through which baristas can directly customize recipes.
“It is narrower and more compact, taking up less space on the bar counter,” Maria Cairoli, technical solutions manager for Heylo parent company VEA Group, told Daily Coffee News. “It’s equipped with a more compact induction heating system that makes it faster vs Heylo Milk.”
Heylo Milky joins a rapidly growing number of standalone milk frothing solutions entering the international market.
Daily Coffee News photo by Nick Brown.
In 2017, Belgian company Schuilenburg set the stage with the launch of the Perfect Moose auto-steamer, followed two years later by Germany-based Innoroc’s launch of the Übermilk milk frothing and dispensing machine, and the Caffe Assist solution from Australia.
In 2021 — the same year VEA introduced the Heylo brand and the original auto-frothing Milk unit — another wave rolled in: German company Cup & Cino launched the Latte Art Factory standalone unit; Italian espresso equipment titan La Marzocco rolled out its Wally milk frothing unit; and the Aēralab machine emerged as a collaboration between Spanish espresso machine manufacturer Iberital and Belgian startup Labrints. More recently, Ireland-based beverage equipment company Marco rolled out the Milkpal frother/dispenser.
Meanwhile, auto-frothing features built into the steam systems of commercial espresso machines have become increasingly prevalent.
Cairoli said Heylo’s original Milk unit will remain in production as a module connecting to its flagship espresso setup. It remains uncertain whether the new machine will be distributed in the U.S. or only overseas.
Daily Coffee News photo by Nick Brown.
“We can’t guarantee official arrival in the U.S., since we need to go through certifications for that market,” said Cairoli. “But it’s definitely important to us.”
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Howard Bryman
Howard Bryman is the associate editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. He is based in Portland, Oregon.
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