Coffee FAQ's
Fully Automatic Espresso Makers
My machine is buzzing loudly and not dispensing water. What can I do?
If you hear a loud buzzing noise, if the steam or water light is showing and the tank is full, there may be a small amount of air in the system. Please carry out these simple steps: Turn the machine on. Fill the water tank. Place a cup underneath the traditional frother, or attach the hot water spout. Open the steam valve fully for around 30 seconds until water comes out from the frother or press the hot water button. Do not be alarmed if the machine buzzes loudly.
My milk carafe is sputtering or not frothing properly. What can I do?
Please try the following:
Check if the chosen carafe setting is correct for the type of drink you are making.
Check all o-rings are present and clean on the connector.
Your milk carafe lid may require cleaning, please try the following:
wash all the components of the lid on the top rack of your dishwasher or soak the milk carafe cover, tube, and carafe in hot water and De'Longhi milk cleaner for up to 20 minutes.
Add the milk cleaner solution inside the milk carafe with water. Place a cup underneath the nozzle, and press the ‘clean’ button on the carafe. Chose the milk function and wait until all of the solution has passed through the carafe. Rinse the carafe, add water, and repeat
Please note the ‘Clean’ button or dial should be activated after every milk delivery session
We would recommend the carafe cover is cleaned once a week
Video #1 - How to Clean the Milk Container of Your De'Longhi ECAM 23.460.S Coffee Machine
Refer the video to the DeLonghi How to Youtube channel
Video #2 - How to Use the Milk Cleaner in Your De'Longhi Coffee Care Kit
Refer the video to the DeLonghi How to Youtube channel
Video #3 - Cleaning the Milk Container - ESAM 5600
Refer the video to the DeLonghi How to Youtube channel
The general alarm light is showing on my machine. What can I do?
If your machine displays a general alarm message or a warning light indicated by a red exclamation mark please carry out the following steps:
Switch the machine off using the power button on the front of your machine, and wait for the shut down process to complete fully before the next step.
Plug the unit off.
Open the service door.
Remove the drip tray and grounds container.
Remove the brewing unit (infuser) by squeezing the two red buttons either side of the ‘Push’ button.
Pull gently. If the infuser will not freely come out do not force it.
Clean the infuser using warm water once removed.
With the infuser still out of the machine, clean the inside thoroughly using a vacuum to ensure all grinds are removed. Pay particular attention to the area behind the grounds container.
Replace the infuser.
Clean the drip tray and grounds container thoroughly.
Place the grounds container on the drip tray and slide the tray back into the machine.
Switch the machine on and press the power button.
The general alarm light should no longer be showing]
I chose the wrong language. How can I reset the machine?
Website FAQ
My infuser is stuck. What can I do?
This may happen as a result of power interruption. The infuser can only be removed if the correct shut-down sequence has been followed when the machine is turned off. Always switch the machine off by the power button on the front of the machine and allow the process to terminate.If you are unable to remove the infuser do not force it.
Turn the machine back on and wait for the full start up sequence to complete.
Shut the machine down by the power button on the front of the machine.
Wait for the shut-down sequence to complete.
You should now be able to remove the infuser with ease.
Video #1 - How to Reset a Stuck Infuser for Your De'Longhi ESAM Coffee Machine
Refer the video to the DeLonghi How to Youtube channel
Video #2 - How to Reset a Stuck Infuser in Your De'Longhi ECAM22.110 Coffee Machine
Refer the video to the DeLonghi How to Youtube channel
Why is there some water on the surface on which my coffee machine is placed?
Here some of the action you can do to solve this issue:
The drip-tray is full, therefore some water might spill.
The drip tray is empty but the water tank might be broken
Why does my service door continue to pop open while using my Fully Automatic coffee maker?
There are a few reasons why the service door could pop open during use:
The brewing unit is not installed properly in the unit. You can try turning the unit off, remove and reinstall the brew unit, and then turn the unit back on to see if it reset itself.
The latch on the service door has coffee build up and is restricted from moving freely. Please clean the latch area and make sure the door closes.
Sometimes my coffee maker does not perform the rinse cycle, why?
Some latest generation Fully automatic coffee machines recognize if they were switched off for a short time and then, once switched on, they don't perform the rinse cycle because they are still hot. The same when you switch off the machine without brewing any coffee.
I cannot put my infuser back into the machine because the carriage is in the wrong position. What can I do?
It is important to power down the machine correctly before removing your infuser. In order to resolve this issue:
Place the ground container and drip tray into the machine. If you cannot fit the drip tray in, just place the ground container into the correct position.
Close the door. If you have no drip tray you will need to lift the ground container slightly from underneath the door in order to close the door fully.
Press and hold the one cup and two cup buttons. You should hear whirring as the infuser carriage resets.
Insert the infuser into the carriage. If you are unable to do so, power down the machine with the Standby button and wait for the machine to shut down fully before reinserting the infuser.
I cannot insert my drip tray. What can I do?
If the shut down process has not been fully completed the infuser will be in the wrong position blocking the tray to be inserted. Please carry out the following recommendations to rectify this problem:
With the machine switched on, take the ground container (the container where used coffee is collected) and insert it in its correct position in the machine without the full drip tray assembly. You may need to lift it slightly to get it to insert fully in its slot.
Once the door is closed turn the machine on. You should hear the infuser mechanism resetting. Wait for this to stop.
Turn the machine off by the power button at the front of the machine.
Wait for the shutdown process to complete fully and all lights to go out. The machine may do a rinse at this point.
You can now turn the machine off.
When you open the service door the infuser will now be in the correct position and you can insert the drip tray.
I noticed that my last cup of coffee was colder. Why does this happen?
If you have been using your pump espresso machine for some time and you have never performed a descale, it is possible that limescale may have formed inside your machine, impacting on the ideal temperature of your coffee.We highly recommend you descale your pump espresso machine in order to prevent the build-up of lime scale. De Longhi has developed a full range of natural descaler products, 'Ecodelcalk', designed especially for our coffee machines. Plus we have a specific water softener filter to reduce limescale deposits inside the coffee machine.
I am not able to insert the drip tray in my fully automatic machine. What can I do?
We advise the following recommendations to rectify this problem:
Take the grounds container (the container where used coffee is dispensed in to), and place it inside the machine. It needs to be the correct way round.
Close the door. You will be unable to close it fully because the grounds container is not lifted by the drip tray.
Using your finger, lift the container slightly. You will need to do this from underneath the door.
As you lift the container, you will find you are now able to fully close the service door. You may need to adjust the height of the container slightly to get it into the right position.
Once the door is closed, turn the machine on. You should hear the infuser mechanism resetting. Wait for this to stop.
Turn the machine off by the power button at the front of the machine. Wait for the shutdown process to complete fully, and all lights to go out. The machine may do a rinse at this point.
When you open the service door the infuser will now be in the correct position, and you can replace the drip tray. To avoid this happening again, please ensure the machine is correctly powered down using the button on the front of your machine before removal of the infuser or drip tray.
PUMP Espresso
My machine is buzzing loudly and not dispensing water. What can I do?
If you hear a loud buzzing noise, and the steam / water light is showing, and the tank is full, there may be a small amount of air in the system. Please carry out these simple steps:
Turn the machine on.
Fill the water tank.
Place a cup underneath the traditional frother, or attach the hot water spout.
Open the steam valve fully for around 30 seconds until water comes out from the frother or press the hot water button. Do not be alarmed if the machine buzzes loudly.
Why is my steam wand not frothing the milk?
Please try the following which should rectify the problem:
Ensure the steam function has been selected on the control panel.
Ensure the steam dial is fully open.
Check the milk nozzle(s) are completely clean and free of milk debris. (There will be either one or two removable milk nozzles depending on your machine). These should always be cleaned after each milk delivery session.
Check both o-rings are intact on the milk frother.
Why is the coffee coming out too slowly?
There may be too much coffee in the filter. It should be one level scoop for a single espresso.
Make sure not to use permanent and paper filters together.
When pressing the coffee with the tamper do not press as firmly and make sure your grind is for espresso maker.
It may require descaling or the filters may require cleaning.
My pump espresso machine is vibrating a lot. What can I do to rectify this?
Some vibrations are normal. If the pump espresso maker is vibrating too much please check the feet on the bottom are intact as these dampen the vibration. If this is on first use, and no water is coming out of the boiler head you may have an air block, and to resolve this you should open the steam valve until water starts to flow through the steam wand for at least 30 seconds
Why can I not straighten the filter handle on my new pump espresso?
Traditional pump espresso machines do not require the filter handle to be at a right angle in order to function normally. Tighten the handle firmly at a level you can manage and you will be able to make espresso. After two or three uses you may find the seal has softened considerably. As long as the handle is firmly attached when making coffee the machine will operate normally.
My pump espresso machine went into standby mode and now will not switch on. What can I do?
Your espresso machine has an auto-off function that puts the unit into standby after a certain amount of time. Usually pressing the on/off button switches it back on. However if the steam button is also depressed the machine will go into safety mode and it will power off almost instantly when you try to turn it on. To stop this happening make sure the steam button is in the off position before switching your coffee machine back on. Your machine should now operate correctly.
Why is my pump espresso machine flowing too fast?
You may need to tamp your coffee more firmly. Ensure you are using a fine espresso grind. Never use instant coffee in your machine as the results will be disappointing.