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There’s nothing like a fresh, hot cup of coffee or espresso with plenty of frothy milk. So when your Nespresso frother is not working, it can spoil your entire day.
In this Nespresso frother troubleshooting guide, we’ll show you what to do when your Aeroccino frother is blinking red, not frothing completely, or not working at all.
1. Clean the Electrical Components
It is essential that you keep your Nespresso Aeroccino frother clean in order for it to work properly. Debris on any of the electrical mechanisms could result in any number of operational issues, including the milk frother not working at all or the machine failing to heat properly.
If you haven’t cleaned your machine and frother in a while, you should thoroughly clean it to see if that fixes the problem. While the manufacturer might indicate that parts of your Nespresso are dishwasher safe, it is best that you handwash the different parts, including the frother, using cold, soapy water. Ensure that no residue is left on any of the parts, especially the whisk.
2. Examine Your Magnetic Whisk
The whisk is what whips up the delectable froth that you enjoy in your coffee each morning. If you’ve already ensured that this component is clean and free of any residue, yet the machine continues to fail to provide you with frothy milk, then you need to examine your magnetic whisk to make sure it’s undamaged.
Are there any defects in the magnetic whisk? If so, then you may need to replace it. Fortunately, replacement Nespresso whisks are cheap, especially compared to the price of a new Aeroccino.
3. Check for Damaged Electronics
When cleaning your Nespresso Aeroccino frother, it can be easy to accidentally wet the electrical components of the machine, and immersing your entire frother in water is a definite no-no. The electrical components can become damaged by water, which could be why your Nespresso frother is not working.
If you determine that the electrical components of your frother have been damaged, there is, unfortunately, no easy way to repair them yourself. In most cases, you’ll need to replace the entire frother.
4. Fasten the Frother Completely
It’s easy to miss the fact that your jug or whisk may not be securely attached to the frother, and if this occurs, this could certainly be the cause of your Nespresso Aeroccino milk frother not working.
If you notice that either of these components is loose, all you need to do is hold them firmly while twisting them into place. Your Aeroccino should work properly after securing these important parts.
5. Check the Outlet
One very easy-to-fix but common reason that your frother may fail to work is that the outlet in which the device is plugged is not working. You can try plugging the Aeroccino frother up to another outlet, and if it works, you’ll know that the outlet is faulty and needs to be serviced.
Sometimes, fixing an unresponsive outlet is as easy as pressing the reset button. If you’ve overloaded the outlet, it could cause it to fail until you reset it. However, if the problem with the frother continues even after thoroughly checking the outlet, then you will need to investigate your frother further.
6. Watch for a Blinking Red Light
Similar to the Nespresso Vertuo’s blinking orange light, Nespresso’s frothers use flashing lights to indicate various problems. Most commonly, the blinking red power light indicates that the machine is overheating.
The cause of this overheating could be something as simple as that the frother has accumulated dried milk inside. The easy fix for this problem is to thoroughly clean the entire Aeroccino, ensuring that you remove any caked-on milk debris.
Once you’ve cleaned and dried the frother, the red light should stop blinking, and you’ll be able to enjoy a froth-filled cup of coffee again.
7. Don’t Overfill Your Frother
If you overfill the frother with too much milk, then your frother will fail to work properly.
There are two fill lines on the Aeroccino. When you’re using the frothing whisk (the one with the coil), you can’t fill the frother past the lower fill line. The upper fill line is for the hot milk whisk (the one without the coil).
8. Use a Better Frothing Milk
Your frother might not be the problem. Some types of milk won’t froth very well, especially some plant milks. If you’re having trouble getting the rich, frothy milk you need for your favorite drinks, it might be time to try changing up your ingredients.
These are my favorite milks for frothing:
- Whole milk – Whole cow’s milk has the perfect composition of fat, protein, natural milk sugars, and water. It consistently produces that super creamy froth that goes great in any coffee drink.
- Almond milk – If you must avoid dairy products for whatever reason, it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy yummy froth in your coffee, and almond milk is a wonderful way to enjoy froth without any of the dairy.
- Oat milk – another alternative for dairy-free coffee lovers is oat milk, which creates a sweet, creamy froth without the need to use regular dairy milk.
- Skim milk – If you’re looking for more foam than creaminess and you can tolerate dairy, then you might want to use skim milk. Despite the fact that skim milk lacks fat, it will produce immense amounts of foam due to its lightweight since it doesn’t have the heavy fat content of whole milk.
9. Replace Your Frother
If your Nespresso frother machine is pretty old and you’ve used it multiple times on a daily basis, then the machine may simply need replacing.
If your Nespresso Aeroccino machine has a lifetime warranty, which many don’t, then you might be able to receive a free replacement. However, if you don’t have an extended warranty, then you will have to purchase a new Aeroccino3 or Aeroccino4.
For a budget alternative, I’d suggest taking a look at manual options like the Ninja Easy Frother. And, if you want to upgrade to a premium Aeroccino alternative, the Breville BMF600XL is one of the most feature-rich consumer frothers I’ve ever seen.
What’s Next?
With your Aeroccino frother working again, let’s get back to what matters: delicious lattes and cappuccinos. I recently finished my new rankings for the best Nespresso pods for lattes, and I think you’ll find some new favorites there, too. Alternatively, you could check out high-caffeine Nespresso pods if you want a cappuccino with a kick.
