For 3 years I drank from a milk frother every morning. Until I discovered what was on the inside.

How it started

I’m Diana. I’ve been drinking cappuccino every morning for years. Nothing special—just a ritual. Make espresso, froth milk, done.

Three years ago I bought a new milk frother. Black, matte, with one of those dials and little icons on the front. It looked great next to my coffee machine. I used it twice a day, sometimes more on weekends.

The milk frother I used every day for 3 years

After about a year, I noticed there was less foam. The milk scorched more quickly. And when I looked inside the jug, I saw little scratches on the inside. Spots where that black coating had become thinner.

I thought: well, wear and tear. Makes sense. Time for a new one.

What I didn’t know back then: that “wear” hadn’t just disappeared. It could have ended up somewhere. Somewhere I’d rather not think about.

The discovery

It started with a conversation at a birthday party. A friend said she had thrown away all her pans. "Because of PFAS," she said, as if I would understand.

I nodded politely. No idea what she was talking about. That evening I googled it.

PFAS. An umbrella term for chemicals used in non-stick coatings. Not just in pans. Also in milk frothers, rice cookers, air fryers. Anywhere there’s a smooth, dark coating that keeps food or milk from sticking.

That smooth, dark layer on the inside of a milk frother? That’s the coating.

I walked to the kitchen. Grabbed my milk frother. Looked inside.

That layer was there too. On the inside. Exactly where hot milk spun against it every morning at 800 revolutions per minute.

What I discovered that evening

• The non-stick coating in many milk frothers contains PFAS substances
• Heat can speed up the breakdown of that coating (milk is heated to 65–70 degrees)
• The rotating whisk can slowly damage the coating, causing microparticles to come loose
• Those particles can end up in your milk, and therefore in your body
• "PFOA-free" does not mean "PFAS-free". There are more than 10,000 different PFAS substances

Source: RIVM, European Commission (see sources at the bottom).

What exactly is PFAS?

PFAS stands for poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances. It’s a group of thousands of man-made chemical substances that have been used since the 1950s.

They’re also called “forever chemicals.” Not without reason: PFAS hardly breaks down at all. Not in nature. Not in your body. Once it gets in, it stays present for a long time.

Where is it found?

• Non-stick coatings of pans, milk frothers, and air fryers
• Water-repellent clothing and shoes
• Food packaging (pizza boxes, baking paper)
• Cosmetics and toothpaste
• Drinking water in certain regions

Source: RIVM, “PFAS: what is it and what does it do?” (see sources at the bottom).

The thing is: most of those products don’t come into daily contact with hot liquids that you then drink. A milk frother does.

So why do manufacturers use it?

Simple: it’s cheap and it works. PFAS keeps milk from sticking, makes the inside easy to clean, and makes the product look “premium” right after purchase.

That smooth, dark layer looks luxurious. But that layer isn’t permanent. It wears down. And what wears off doesn’t just disappear. It has to go somewhere.

In this case: possibly in your milk.

The risks

Source: RIVM, European Commission, IARC

I’m not a scientist. But this is what the RIVM, the European Commission, and the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) say about long-term exposure to PFAS:

What PFAS can do in your body

• Hormone disruption — PFAS can disrupt the function of estrogen and thyroid hormones
• Thyroid problems — possibly increased risk of an underactive or overactive thyroid
• Immune system — possibly reduced function, including a less effective vaccine response
• Fertility — research suggests a link to reduced fertility in both men and women
• Cholesterol — possibly elevated cholesterol levels, even at relatively low exposure
• Cancer — PFOA is classified by the IARC as carcinogenic to humans (group 1), PFOS as possibly carcinogenic (group 2B)

Source: RIVM, European Commission, IARC Monographs (see sources at the bottom).

Not all PFAS products are equally risky. You wear a rain jacket with PFAS occasionally. But you use a milk frother every day. With hot liquid. Which you then drink.

Recognize it yourself

How do you know if your milk frother has a PFAS coating? These are the signs:

• The inside of the jug has a dark, smooth layer (black, gray, or dark gray)
• There are small scratches or light spots on the inside
• Lately, the milk scorches faster than it used to
• The foam is less thick than when the device was new
• The packaging says "PFOA-free" but not "PFAS-free"
• The inside feels smooth and "coated," not like pure metal or glass

What now?

I didn’t write this blog to scare you. I wrote it because I wish someone had told me three years ago.

You don’t have to panic. You don’t have to throw everything away today. But you can make a conscious choice the next time you buy a milk frother. Or you can take a look at what you already have at home.

You can’t deny what you know now. But you can do something with it.