Keurig K-Cafe frother isn’t working: how to fix it quickly in 2024

There you go again, your Keurig K-Cafe frother is not working. Well it happens, it depends on how old your machine is, how frequently you use it and many other elements but somewhere along the line you’ll probably run into one of these problems:

• The frother just warms the milk, but it isn’t really frothing.
• You see the frother stubbornly flashing, but the frother isn’t starting.

It’s frustrating I know, especially when you crave a nice cappuccino, latte or Caffè Misto . Let’s troubleshoot, detect the problem and fix it without forking out extra cash on repairing your machine or replacing it with a new one.

Key takeaways:

• Find the issue with your K-Cafe Keurig
• How to fix your K-Cafe Keurig and make it work 
• The parts that Keurig K-Cafe can be replaced with new ones

Ways of Troubleshooting a K-Cafe Frother when it’s not working

Here are some of the reasons your Keurig K-Cafe frother stopped working:

• You’re brewing coffee while you’re trying to froth.
• You turned on the brewer first and then the frother
• The frother’s lid isn’t on.
• The whisk isn’t sitting on the frother. 
• The frother isn’t attached to its base.
• The milk exceeds the suggested capacity. 
• The type of milk itself might not be supported by the frother.
• There’s a build up on the whisk from previous usage that stops it from starting.

Before you turn the frother on, when facing any issues make sure you go through this checklist:

• Ensure the lid covers the top of the frother. 
• Turn on the frother first, finish your frothing and go ahead with your brewing.
• For some reason the Keurig K-Cafe, for some reason, can’t brew coffee and froth milk simultaneously. 
• Make sure the level of milk you poured into the frother doesn’t exceed the top measuring line. 
• Ensure the frother is properly seated on the base 
• Give the whisker and the washable items a good clean
• Place the whisk properly on the frother. 
• If you’ve done all of the above and it still isn’t working, consider trying a different type of milk. 
• Generally, it’s much easier to froth cold milk than hot. 

One more thing to try (which is probably daunting and no one likes it) is to read through the instruction booklet; it’ll help learn more about how to use your Keurig.

And one more (less daunting):it’s a good idea to make sure your cup is firmly placed under the frother.

Keurig K-Cafe owner shares a review:

This machine ticks the boxes for reasonable price point, ease of use, easy to clean, AND such an enjoyable cup. I use almond milk and it foams up so nicely and makes a great taste and such a pleasant sip. I’m usually pretty standard but now I’ve been playing with vanilla, cinnamon, and dark chocolate melting wafers, etc. I even started buying decaf for evening…a first for me.

– Sheila A Balnis

How does the Keurig Frother Whisk work? (And why does it matter?)

The whisk is an indispensable part of the frother sitting on the bottom of the appliance and spinning around frothing the milk.

Here’s the thing, the milk fat leaves a thin layer on the whisk every time you use it which builds up and stops the whisk spin to its maximum, making it tough for it to froth the milk effectively. 

Luckily, you can replace it if it stops working or like Isaid, give it a good wash every now and again to prevent build up.

How does a Keurig frother work?

Here are a few things you need to know about the Keurig frother to keep it in mint condition:

• The milk container has two lines on the inside; the minimum is for cappuccino and the max mark for latte.
• It’s no good if you pour the milk below the minimum line, it simply won’t work. 

This what you should do when Keurig Frother has stopped working 

There are a few things you can do to troubleshoot the problem. 

• Make sure that the Frother is properly plugged into an outlet. Next, check to see if the Frother’s power switch is turned on. If both of these things are in order, then it’s time to take a closer look at the Frother itself. 

• Check for any clogs or blockages that might be preventing it from working properly. If you can’t find anything, then it’s probably time to contact Keurig customer service for further assistance. 

These are the Keurig K-Cafe & K-Latte Frothing Parts that can be replaced 

Luckily, you can replace Keurig parts of the machine and you don’t have to buy the whole thing again. For example, you can buy whisk and lid replacements separately in case they’re still not working, or you can even replace the whole K-Cafe frothing unit, which includes a lid and whisk. Before going ahead with your purchase, it’s wise to buy compatible Keurig spare parts and not cheap copies. (Did you know that Keurig machines have a special feature for high altitudes?)

For K- Latte you can purchase a lid and whisk separately or buy the lid, frother and whisk all together. 

Troubleshooting when Keurig K-Cafe frother stubbornly keeps beeping

This is a common issue many Keurig K-Cafe owners run into. The first thing to do is: DON’T PANIC. It’s probably a problem with the brand. 

It’s wise to pay attention how many times it beeps as it signals a different problem. 

(For example, three beeping sounds in row indicate that the frother isn’t placed correctly.)

When buttons are blinking in a circular pattern it means there’s no water left in the brewer. 

If the lights keep flickering you can reach out to the Keurig customer support for advice. 

In the meantime, learn how to froth creamer (a milk substitute) to still be able to enjoy your favourite latte or add some whipping cream to your brew.

How do I use the frother of my Keurig K- Cafe?

Let’s go over a few steps before turning on your machine:

• Open the lid and pour cold milk.
• Fill the milk container to the suggested fill lines based on whether you want to make latte or cappuccino and put the lid back on securely.
• Press the ‘Capp’ or ‘Latte’ buttons if you want to make hot coffee. If you fancy cold press ‘cold’ before selecting ‘Capp’ or ‘’Latte.
• When the ‘Capp’ or ‘Latte’ buttons go out,  it means your coffee is perfectly frothed.

Let’s summarise the meanings of the buttons in the table below: 

Pattern	Meaning
3 beeping in a row	The frother isn’t seated correctly
Buttons are blinking in a circular pattern	You need to add water to the tank
Lights keep flickering	Speak with Keurig’s customer service

What if your Keurig stopped frothing almond milk? 

Like we said earlier, Keurig machines react differently to various milk types and brands. For example, you might not work with full fat milk but work with skimmed. You can change the brand or try a different one. I did some research for you and found out the brands that work well with Keurig.

Here’s the list:

Did you find something that ‘s worth trying? 

And it’s no harm to clean your machine, it’ll take most of your Keurig woes away. 

Here’s what you should do when your Keurig Frother doesn’t start?

There’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to turn on an electronic device, especially when you desperately want to use it. 

And I know maybe what I’m about to say sounds like a no-brainer but double check that the machine is plugged in and the frother is placed properly on its base. 

Another kind of no brainer is to turn it off and back on, sometimes it works.

If your machine is still not starting, contacting customer service is (as you might have already guessed) inevitable.

It’s time to give your Keurig Milk Frother a good clean up

I must admit that I never cleaned my first and second coffee maker and guess what. The first lasted about a year and the second only four months. I thought it’s no good to spend money on coffee makers every so often when I can clean it regularly and prolong its lifespan. 

Here are the steps of making your Keurig clean and shiny again: 

• Unplug the machine and empty the water from the tank
• Pour a bottle of Keuig descaling liquid in the tank and fill it up with water. 

This is a video showing how to go about it guide

Let’s wrap it Up

So when my Keurig K-Cafe frother stopped working, I was not a happy camper. The good news is that there are a few things you can try to get your frother working again. With a little troubleshooting, you should be able to get it up and running again in no time. Learn how to use ground coffee in keurig to make coffee with your favourite coffee brand.