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.
There is no need to panic and rush towards the market to buy a new one or head to a café to drink your coffee. All you need is to follow some instructions, and you can fix it by yourself!
In this article, we provide a complete step-by-step troubleshooting guide on why the Nespresso milk frother is not working properly, the possible causes, and provide a comprehensive guide on how you can fix it to get your Aeroccino milk frother working properly again.
8 Possible reasons WHY NESPRESSO MILK FROTHER NOT WORKING
The Nespresso milk frother may not be working due to various reasons, but the most common culprit is a dirty or improperly placed magnetic whisk. Other potential reasons include using the wrong type of milk or overfilling the jug, while electrical damage could also be a possibility.
These are the top reasons I have identified:
- Improper placement of the magnetic whisk
- Dirty or Damaged magnetic whisk
- Burnt heating component and thermocouple
- Dirt On Electrical Component Contacts
- The type of milk used isn’t suitable for frothing
- You are using too much milk
- The electricity outlet is tripped
- Water damaged the electrical components of the machine
Let’s now discuss each of these possible reasons, their causes, and solution for how to fix them.
1) Improper placement of the 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 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 it will hopefully solve the problem.

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
Wear and tear and some unusual vibrations break the magnetic whisk attachment.
Sometimes, the small magnet present inside the whisk gets lost and that makes the magnetic whisk completely useless.
Solution
The best part is you can easily get a replacement that fits your Nespresso milk frother. 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 sometimes may be 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 milk 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.
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:
- Almond milk
- Cow’s milk ( 2% or lower)
- Soy milk
- 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
The only solution is to choose milk wisely that precisely fits your Nespresso milk frother requirement.
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
Read more: Nespresso Lattissima One vs 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 from amazon.
Also Read: Nespresso Gran Lattissima Review
Final Thoughts on Nespresso frother not working
The top 8 reasons that your Nespresso milk frother doesn’t work properly have been discussed in this article.
So, now that you know all the remedies and faults when you find the Nespresso milk frother not working, I hope you can easily fix it.
This problem mainly happens when you skip the cleaning. Cleaning is a part of frothing milk so make sure you never leave it behind in the future.
However, if the frother is broken, you will need to seek professional help to successfully fix the problem.
FAQs
How do I reset my Nespresso frother?
Just turn off and remove the plug of the Nespresso milk frother and leave it for a few minutes.
Why is my Nespresso frother not frothing my milk?
If your Nespresso milk frother is heating the milk but not forming a froth then there must be a problem with the magnetic whisk as it is responsible for frothing the milk.
It might be dirty or damaged.
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