Troubleshooting
Espresso Machine Troubleshooting
Find the cause of sour, bitter, weak or slow shots, leaks, weak steam and warning lights. Start with grind and dose, then check cleaning, scale and seals.
Most espresso problems come from grind, dose, dirt or scale, so change one thing at a time and start with the cheapest fix. Open the symptom below that matches yours.
Taste problems
A common starting recipe is 18 g of coffee in, 36 g of espresso out, in 25 to 30 seconds. Our espresso basics guide explains it. Weigh all three before you change anything.
Shot tastes sour, sharp or thin
The shot is under-extracted. Grind one step finer and pull another shot. If the time is already 25 to 30 seconds, increase the yield a little. Very light roasts and beans only a few days old taste sour more easily.
Shot tastes bitter, harsh or dry
The shot is over-extracted, or old coffee oil taints it. Grind one step coarser or shorten the yield. Then clean the group, shower screen and basket with the routine in our cleaning guide.
Coffee tastes weak or watery
There is too little coffee or too much water. Weigh your dose and yield. On a superautomatic, raise the strength setting or lower the cup volume.
You cannot get a stable shot at any setting
The grinder is the usual cause. Pre-ground coffee and blade grinders cannot grind fine and even enough. Our grinder basics guide explains what to look for.
Flow and pressure
Shot runs too fast (under about 20 seconds)
Grind finer, check that the dose suits your basket, and tamp level. With pressurized baskets, grind matters less, so check the dose first.
Shot only drips or runs very slowly
- Grind coarser first.
- If water also runs slowly with no portafilter in place, remove the shower screen and clear packed grounds.
- Descale if you are near your interval, and check that the tank filter is not spent.
No water comes out at all
- Check that the tank has water and sits fully down on its valve.
- Remove the tank filter and run the hot water function to push out air.
- If the pump buzzes but nothing flows, descale once. Our descaling guide has the steps.
Leaks and steam
Water leaks around the portafilter
Brush the group gasket and wipe the basket rim, because grounds on the rim break the seal. If it still leaks, the gasket is hard or worn. Most owners can replace it with basic tools.
Water collects under the machine
Empty the drip tray and reseat the water tank. If water comes from inside the case, unplug the machine and stop using it.
Weak steam or no steam
- Wait for steam temperature and purge the wand.
- Unscrew and soak the steam tip, then clear the holes with a pin.
- Descale. On an automatic milk system, clean and reassemble the frother and check its O-rings.
Warning lights
A cleaning, descale or filter light is on
Most lights are maintenance reminders, not faults. Run the program that the symbol shows, or change the filter. Empty and reseat the grounds bin and tray with the machine switched on.
A numbered error code appears
Switch the machine off, wait a few minutes and switch it on. If the code returns, write it down before you call service. Jura owners can match codes in this Jura troubleshooting guide. Lever owners can check this La Pavoni troubleshooting section.
When to call a technician
Stop and get service if water leaks inside the case, you smell burning, an error code returns after a restart, or two descale cycles do not restore flow. If the machine is under warranty, do not open the case. Bring the model number and the error code.