Why Nespresso milk frother not working? (A Fixing Guide!)

How frustrating is when you want to make your favorite latte, but the Nespresso milk frother is not working properly!

This is a very common troubleshooting issue with the Nespresso milk Frother and fixing the problem is pretty straightforward. All you need is to follow some instructions, and you can fix it yourself.

Let’s now discuss each of these possible reasons, their causes, and solutions for how to fix them.

1) Improper placement of magnetic whisk
The lights of Frother flashing

Nespresso milk frothers have a magnetic whisk for whipping milk.

When this magnetic whisk is misplaced the light on the Nespresso milk frother starts flashing and it won’t work.

If the light on your milk frother is blinking red, then improper placement of magnetic whisk is the possible cause.

Solution

Ensure that the magnetic whisk is attached properly to the nipple on the bottom of the frother.

Simply adjust the position of the whisk and the frother will start working properly.

Sometimes the magnet inside a whisk loses its power. To fix it gently tap the frother on a hard surface and it will start working.

2) Dirty or Damaged magnetic whisk
Heating but not Frothing

If your Nespresso milk frother is heating the milk properly but not frothing it then the possible cause is a dirty or damaged magnetic whisk.

Dirty Whisk

Regularly cleaning the magnetic whisk is important to keep it clean and ensure that it spins smoothly. If you don’t do it regularly the milk residue will build up over time and cause malfunctioning.

Solution:

Take a toothbrush or towel, dip it in soapy water, and gently scrub the magnetic whisk. It will remove all the milk residue and the whisk will start spinning properly.

Damaged Whisk

Sometimes the magnetic whisk attachment gets damaged due to wear and tear or unusual vibrations. And if the small magnet inside the whisk goes missing, the whole thing becomes useless.

Solution

The best part is you can easily get a Replacement Whisk that fits your Nespresso milk frother at a very cheap price. And even a beginner can replace it easily.

3) Burnt heating component and thermocouple

Burnt Heating element

The heating component is a copper strip printed on an electric circuit.

The heating component might get damaged if you use it in excess or because of irregular electricity loads.

Solution

Unscrew the milk frother and get access to the PCB. You can easily spot the burnt heating element.

You can fix this by soldering a small strip of copper over where the track got burned.

Burnt or damaged thermocouple 

The thermocouple is a small electronic device present inside a milk frother. The primary objective of the thermocouple is to monitor the temperature of the milk, and once the optimum temperature is achieved, it will turn off the frother automatically.

If the thermocouple gets damaged the Aeroccino frother will stop working.

Solution

To resolve this, you will need to replace the thermocouple.

The damaged thermocouple can easily be disconnected from the PCB via a sliding connector. Simply remove it, and add a new thermocouple.

Note: These fixes are only recommended if you are a tech-savvy person and know how electric component works. Otherwise, get assistance from a technician.

Here’s a video guide on disassembling and fixing Nespresso milk frother

4) Dirt on electrical component contacts

The Aeroccino milk frother gets its power from the round plastic connector located at the bottom of the machine.

Sometimes the connector gets dirty because of the accumulation of grease, dirt, and milk residue, especially if it overflows.

If the frother won’t turn on or seems to be getting fluctuating power then this might be the cause

Once dirt begins to build up, it will trap moisture and erode the contacts and that is even worse.

Solution

The easiest solution is to thoroughly clean the plate with a wet cloth or toothbrush

Unplug the machine and turn the frother upside down and inspect both the frother and base station connections.

Take a small brush and soapy hot water and scrub it thoroughly until you can see the dirt has been removed completely.

If the rust doesn’t seem to go easily dip the brush in alcohol or Methylated spirits. It will help to get rid of rust.

Once cleaned, it will start frothing properly.

5) The type of milk isn’t suitable
Spinning but not frothing

If your Nespresso milk frother is spinning properly but not forming a froth. Then most probably you are using the wrong type of milk.

Some of the worst kinds of milk for Nespresso milk frother are:

1. Almond milk
2. Cow’s milk ( 2% or lower)
3. Soy milk
4. Coconut milk

These kinds of milk are too watery to be used for frothing. Nespresso milk frother heats them, but unfortunately, it won’t create any form.

Solution

Always use Fresh and Cold Milk as it makes the best foam!

Usually, milk that is higher in fat, less watery, and contains little sugar performs the best.

Some of the best milk for Nespresso milk frother are:

• Oat milk
• Cashew milk (full-fat)
• Goat milk
• Whole milk

Check out the comparison between Nespresso Lattissima One vs Nespresso Lattissima Touch

6) You are using too much milk

While frothing, sometimes you overfill the pitcher and that prevents your machine from frothing at all.

It is recommended to use the right amount of cold and fresh milk.

There are two lines of indication inside the Aeroccino frother:

• 8 ounces for producing just hot milk
• 4 ounces for producing frothed milk

While the capacity of the jug of Aeroccino frother is certainly greater than that but you must follow the guidelines for proper functioning as milk expands when heated.

7) Electricity outlet is tripped

Sometimes your Nespresso milk frother does not work because the electrical outlet of the machine has suffered a power surge.

Sometimes there are too many electronic devices plugged into the same outlet which can cause this issue.

Solution

Try plugging the frother in some other electrical outlet and hopefully, it will solve the issue.

8) Water damaged the electrical components of the machine

Washing the Nespresso milk frother with water can damage the electrical components inside it. If water gets to the bottom of the machine where most electrical components are present, they become wet and eventually stop working.

You can rinse the magnetic whisk and lid. However, you can’t submerge the frother in water, and also it is not dishwasher safe (it is clearly mentioned in the user manual)

Solution

Unfortunately, if the milk frother stops working while washing, it’s time to buy a new one because you can’t repair it.

Fortunately, the milk frother is relatively cheap and can be bought online, or you can purchase different components separately if you need them.

Why is my Nespresso milk frother blinking?

The Nespresso milk frother starts blinking red when the machine is overheating. This might happen if you don’t clean your frother regularly.

Milk residue accumulates inside the machine over time which causes inefficiencies in the heat transfer and because of that, your frother starts overheating.

It is recommended to rinse the frother with water after every use. Otherwise, you will face this problem.

Get Replacement parts or get a new one

Sometimes it’s not worth fixing things. If you’ve found that the motor has burned out or one of the above solutions failed to fix your problem, your best bet may be to purchase a new frother.

If some parts of your milk frother are malfunctioning then it’s best to just replace those parts instead of buying a new one. For example, you can easily purchase a replacement magnetic whisk.

Check out Nespresso Gran Lattissima Review

Final Thoughts

I have discussed All possible reasons for the Nespresso frother not working properly in this article.

The problem mainly happens when you skip the cleaning. Make the habit of cleaning forther right after frothing the milk and you’ll likely not face any issues.

If you have any questions, do let us know in the comments!

FAQs

Related Nespresso Article

• Why is Nespresso not hot enough
• Why is my Nespresso blinking Orange
• Why is my Nespresso machine leaking
• How to get Nespresso out of descaling mode