Keurig K-Cafe Frother Not Working (Troubleshooting Guide!)

Last Updated on April 3, 2023 by Jorian

The Keurig K-Cafe makes delicious cappuccinos and lattes from the comfort of your own home.

However, when the frother stops working, it can be a source of frustration. If you’re experiencing issues with your Keurig K-Cafe frother, you’re not alone.

In this article, I’ll provide a comprehensive troubleshooting guide to help you get your frother back up and running.

How To Fix A Keurig K-Cafe Frother That Is Not Working?

There could be several reasons why your Keurig K-cafe is not working:

  • The heating process takes all the power.
  • The whisk is stuck.
  • The frother switch is not engaged.
  • You’re using the wrong type of milk.
  • There is too much milk in the frother cup.

To resolve these issues, one should wait for heating or coffee to finish, clean and grease the whisk, ensure the basket is clean and the microswitch is not stuck, use 1% or 2% milk at room temperature, or call Keurig customer service if all else fails.

Let’s go into a little more detail below.

keurig k-cafe frother not working

Table of Contents

Wait For Heating Or Coffee To Finish

When you first turn on the K-cafe, it starts heating up the water. This heating takes all the current/power, so if you press the frothing button, the frother won’t start. Once the K-cafe has finished heating the water, frothing starts automatically (if you have pressed any of the frothing buttons).

Another thing I have found is that if you use the “coffee” button and then press the “latte” button to froth milk, it does not work at the same time. But if you press the “latte & capp” button and then the “latte” button, it almost always works at the same time.

Sometimes it works simultaneously and sometimes it doesn’t, I can’t really put my finger on it. I have tried it the other way around to start the frother first and then the coffee but this has the same result. You just have to use it one at a time.

The Whisk Is Stuck

You know the whisk is stuck or rather too stiff when the frother does not work but makes a buzzing sound and the three lights on the frother flash after about 10 seconds.

To fix this, first, wash the whisk and frothing cup separately to get rid of all the milk residue and prevent the whisk from getting stuck.

Then put some butter on the black whisk, which will grease it a bit so the spinner can move freely again. Spray butter is perfect for this.

Make sure the whisk is clean and not too rigid.

The Frother Switch Is Not Engaging

There is a steel micro switch in the basket where the frothing cup goes. If this switch is not pressed, the frothing cup will not turn on. This can happen if the switch is stuck (some milk can get in there) or if the frothing cup is not seated properly.

Make sure the basket is clean and the microswitch is not stuck.

There is a small magnet in the frother cup that pulls the frother cup in place. As this magnet loses its strength over time, it won’t pull the frother cup down enough to properly engage the micro switch. Resulting in the frother not starting.

You can solve this by pressing the frothing cup down when frothing milk or by buying a replacement frothing cup with a new and stronger magnet.

The frother micro switch that should be engaging

Use The Right Milk For The K-Cafe

Usually, whole milk is considered the best for frothing due to its high-fat content, which creates a rich and creamy froth. However, this is not the case with the K-cafe. If you use whole milk or heavy cream, the K-cafe simply refuses to froth.

For best results, you want to use 1% milk at room temperature. Sometimes 2% and semi-skimmed milk work as well. While the foam may not be as stable or creamy, the K-cafe can usually handle this amount of fat percentage in the milk.

With oat or skim milk, the frother will also work. But, oat and skim milk have even less fat and are therefore not recommended for frothing, as it produces a weak and watery froth.

What To Do When The Frother Keeps Beeping

When the K-cafe starts beeping randomly. There could be a few things wrong with your coffee maker; if you are still under warranty, Keurig will always send you a replacement K-cafe when this happens. If not, here are a few different things you could try:

  1. The black whisk is not in place. Ensure the spinner is positioned correctly in the middle.
  2. There is something wrong with the K-cafe software. Hold the cold button for a few seconds to reset the frother.
  3. There may be something inside the machine that is broken, your best bet is to call Keurig customer service.

What To Do When The Frother Lights Are Flashing

When the lights on your Keurig K-cafe start flashing, there could be two things wrong with your coffee maker:

  1. The black whisk is not in place. Make sure the spinner is positioned correctly in the middle and that it is also clean and not rigid so it can’t get stuck, as discussed previously.
  2. There is too much milk in the frother cup, make sure to always keep it just below the maximum level.

The Last Thing You Could Try

The last thing you could try is to call Keurig customer service. Usually, they will troubleshoot your Keurig coffee maker with you.

If they conclude that the problem is not easy to fix or if they cannot find the problem. they will usually offer you a new machine, sometimes even when you are out of warranty.

I heard of other cases when the warranty was long past. Keurig gave a 20% discount on a new machine.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Keurig K-Cafe frother can stop working for several reasons, including the heating process taking all the power, the whisk being stuck, the frother switch not engaging, using the wrong type of milk, and having too much milk in the frother cup.

To resolve these issues, one should wait for heating or coffee to finish, clean and grease the whisk, ensure the basket is clean and the microswitch is not stuck, use 1% or 2% milk at room temperature, or call Keurig customer service if all else fails.

Keurig may offer a replacement machine, even when out of warranty, or offer a discount on a new machine.

I hope this article has helped you solve the problem with your Keurig K-café and that you can enjoy a delicious cappuccino again.

Thanks for reading!