8 Reasons Your Nespresso Is Not Working (+Fix)

Waking up early in the morning, only to discover that your Nespresso is not working. Don’t worry; we will try to address the issue with your Nespresso and help you fix it so you can get on with your scheduled task without wasting much time.

The most common reason your Nespresso is not working might be that it is not clean and has become too sticky and greasy. It would be best if you descaled the machine to fix this issue. If the machine still doesn’t work, try resetting the machine and then try again.

There can be more reasons behind your Nespresso not working. I have discussed below the most common reasons why your Nespresso is not working and how you can fix them. So let’s get started.

Check out our list of top-handpicked products for all your electrical, appliance, and HVAC system needs to keep your home running smoothly.

This post includes some affiliate links.

Why is my Nespresso coffee machine not working?

It is annoying to find your Nespresso not working, especially when you need your morning coffee.

But, you got to fix the machine if you want your coffee.

That’s why I decided to compile all the information I collected when my Nespresso stopped working.

1. Your Nespresso doesn’t have enough pressure.

Your Nespresso can stop working if air bubbles get through the machine.

Your machine can stop working if there is insufficient pressure to brew the coffee due to air bubbles.

If the water tank is empty and, by mistake, you try to brew the coffee at that time, your machine will suck some air from the tank.

Once air enters the machine, there is not enough pressure inside your Nespresso to brew the coffee, and it can stop brewing.

It can happen if there needs to be more water in the tank while brewing the coffee or if you open the machine before brewing is finished.

Let us now discuss how to fix this issue.

How to fix this?

You don’t need to worry much about this issue because this has an easy fix.

Check if the water tank is full to its capacity.

There wouldn’t be enough water if this happened because of the air bubbles.

Turn your Nespresso on and let it heat up for a while.

Without inserting the coffee pods, close the capsule holder.

Push the coffee-making button and ensure it is for your Nespresso’s biggest coffee.

Let the full cycle run, and once it is done, repeat it 2-3 times till the machine starts behaving normally.

2. Your Nespresso is not clean enough.

It’s time for thorough cleaning if you have not cleaned your Nespresso after more than 300 brews or for more than 3 months.

You might have been brewing your coffee for more than 3 months.

If not more than 3 months, you have brewed more than 300 times. 

Whichever happened first, in either case, your machine is all gunked up.

Therefore you will need to check if some build-up is happening in your machine.

How to fix this?

Cleaning your Nespresso is not much of a problem.

It simply needs to be descaled.

The descaling process will depend upon which variant of Nespresso you are using.

So, you can check the user’s manual for the descaling process for your machine.

Generally, it is a 20 minutes cycle where the machine runs without a coffee pod, and you should fill the water tank with clean water.

Also read: 4 Reasons Your Coffee Maker Is Dripping Slow

YouTube video player

3. Water is leaking from your Nespresso.

The water can leak from your machine if the water tank is not in the right spot.

Here, you must check if the water is placed properly at its designated spot.

If you find that it should be somewhere else, you will need to place it properly.

How to fix this?

It has an easy fix, rather.

Remove the water reservoir from where it is and place it at its designated place properly, and this issue shall be fixed.

4. Your Nespresso is not heating.

In this case, you will need to check if your machine is heating less than it should be.

Please check whether the coffee that comes out is less hot or not.

If you see that the coffee coming out is not hot enough, then the heating system has some issues.

After many cycles of brewing, the heating system can get blocked due to the deposition of sediments.

It usually happens if your tap water is hard.

But after brewing once or twice, the boiler heats up, and you get hot coffee.

But if your machine is not heating up at all, it means the heating system is damaged and needs replacement.

How to fix this?

If your Nespresso is not heating due to sediment deposition, you can brew once or twice only with water, and once the machine heats up, you can brew normal coffee.

But if the heating system of your machine is broken or damaged, then you will need to replace the heating system, which is the Thermostat.

5. Your Nespresso is not turning on.

Did you check if your machine is plugged into the power supply? 

If not, this is the first thing you will need to do.

Secondly, you will need to check if your Nespresso is in power saver mode. 

The machine usually goes into power saver mode if not used for a certain period, so please check this too.

But if it is not either of the cases, it means your machine might have some defects, and you will need to contact customer care to resolve this. 

How to fix this?

If your machine is not plugged in, you know what needs to be done.

But if it is off due to the power saver mode, please turn it on and wait until it heats up and is ready for use.

But, if you have identified some defect in your Nespresso, please call customer support for assistance.

6. Your Nespresso is not piercing the capsules.

It is one of the common issues where the coffee doesn’t come out properly because the coffee pods need to be pierced properly.

You will often find this happening when the coffee comes in very few quantities.

How to fix this?

You can do the following things if the coffee maker is not able to break the capsules properly:

  • First, you will need to check the punch needle to see if it is broken or bent.
  • Some latest Nespresso machines are not compatible with non-Nespresso coffee pods, so you will need to check that and ensure you are using Nespresso pods.
  • Last but not least, if the machine is gunked-up, there can be a problem with the coffee output of the pods.

7. The lights keep flashing.

Flashing lights can indicate quite a few things about your Nespresso.

It can indicate the overheating issue, or it can also mean your machine needs descaling.

But most of the time, it is for descaling.

How to fix this?

For the overheating issue, you can stop brewing for some time and start again, as it is usually over hets when too much brewing is done repeatedly.

But if you think descaling is required, then follow the following steps:

  • First, get a Nespresso descaling solution.
  • You will need to remove the water tank, drip tray, and filter.
  • Fill the water tank with clean water, add the descaling solution, and follow the descaling instructions on the packaging.
  • Place a large container (more than 1 liter) under the coffee dispenser.
  • Start the descaling process as per instruction for your Nespresso model. The water will start dripping in the container placed under the dispenser after the descaling starts.
  • Once the descaling cycle is over, empty the container placed under the outlet and fill the water tank with fresh water after rinsing it.
  • Run the rinse cycle once or twice to clean the machine properly.
  • After the descaling is done, you can exit the mode. Some machine models exit automatically.
  • If any other part of the machine has come in contact with the descaling solution, rinse it thoroughly before brewing your coffee.
  • You will also need to know that if the machine is still not working after a cycle of descaling, you will need to run the cycle again depending on the hardness of the water you are using.

8. Milk in your Nespresso water tank!

It might sound funny, but some people fill the Nespresso water tank with milk, assuming they can make some hot chocolate or mocha.

But unlike water, milk is a different substance altogether.

It is a colloidal liquid with many other substances, which can gunk up the machine if used instead of water.

It can easily obstruct the heating system, and this can stop your Nespresso from working.

How to fix it?

If you are now aware of the consequences of using milk in your Nespresso and have already done it, you will immediately need to descale your machine.

Descaling will certainly rescue your Nespresso and its heating system.

Never pour milk into the water tank of your Nespresso once you know it will reduce your machine’s life.

Final words

YouTube video player

I know it doesn’t feel good when you see first thing in the morning that your Nespresso is not working and you can not brew your first cup of coffee at the start of your day.

I have mentioned all the common problems above in this article so that you can troubleshoot and fix the issue.

But if there is some defect in the machine which you cannot fix, you will need to seek professional help, or you will need to replace your machine if it’s already 5-10 years old.

FAQ

How do I reset my Nespresso machine?

You will need to press and hold the lungo button for at least 5 seconds, and then you will see that the light blinks 3 times rapidly.

It means your machine is now factory reset.

How do you fix a clogged Nespresso machine?

YouTube video player

As per Nespresso, cleaning your machine once every month is a good practice.

It helps to remove the clogs, and Nespresso also has special cleaning capsules for this particular purpose.

What does it mean when the Nespresso blinks orange?

Orange light often indicates that your machine needs to be cleaned, and it can also indicate many other things like overheating, an empty water tank, or a problem with the capsule holder. 

Accordingly, you can troubleshoot, and this article will help you with the same.

Also read: 7 Reasons Your Nespresso Blinking Orange Light (+Quick Fix)


Reference: Nespresso Official User ManualNespresso Cleaning & Maintainance Manual.

Sharing is caring!

Jeniffer Smith

Hi, I am Jeniffer Smith, a housemaker and blogger, and I grew up in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. I have been researching and fixing appliances and other things around the home and kitchen from a young age to help my single mother. Every time something went wrong, I couldn't rest until I fixed it. And ever since, I have enjoyed fixing things around my home, and I am always ready to help my friends and family with advice and hands-on help. Since we were always looking for affordable ways of fixing things, we rarely hired experts and tried to fix most things ourselves. That interest brought me to write for this blog, as I realized my knowledge could help many people trying to fix things around their homes on their own without spending hundreds of dollars.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts