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Coffee machine error codes are brand-specific: a code 5 on a Saeco (air in the water circuit) means something different on a Gaggia (clogged hydraulic circuit), and De'Longhi, Breville, Nespresso and Keurig mostly skip numbers for lights and display messages. This index collects every error code, warning light and display message guide on Barista Life, grouped by brand, with every meaning sourced from the manufacturer's own manual or support pages.
How to use this index
Find your brand, then the page that matches what your machine is showing: a numbered code, a word on a display, or a light pattern. Every page linked here decodes the message from the manufacturer's own manual or support documentation, gives the fix steps, and says honestly when the answer is a service call. For a two-minute triage across brands, the quick lookup table lists the three most-hit codes per brand on one page.
| Brand | Error system |
|---|---|
| Jura, Saeco, Gaggia, Miele, Philips | Numbered codes (ERROR 2, error 05, F73) |
| De'Longhi, Breville, Ninja | Words on a display, plus lights on smaller models |
| Nespresso, Keurig, Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, Smeg | Light and blink patterns |
Philips and Saeco
Philips superautomatics use numbered errors, and Saeco machines, which Philips makes, share the numbering. Codes 01 through 19 have documented fixes; 02, 10, 15 and 22 are repair-only.
Check Philips and Saeco prices on Amazon
- Philips LatteGo error lights: triangle and alarm lights
- Saeco error codes: the full numbered list
De'Longhi
De'Longhi splits by panel type: text displays spell out messages, LED models signal with lights.
- Descale light stays on: cycle did not register
- Machine asks for a third rinse: tank was not at MAX
- Dedica flashing lights: all four documented patterns
- Magnifica warning lights: the classic LED panel
- Dinamica warning lights: alarm lights decoded
- Magnifica general alarm light: the LED version
- GENERAL ALARM message: the display version
- La Specialista lights flashing: startup flash versus alarm
- PrimaDonna display messages: every documented message
- INSERT INFUSER ASSEMBLY message: seating the brew unit
- Infuser cannot be extracted: the switch-off release
- GROUND TOO FINE message: the one-click fix
- WATER CIRCUIT EMPTY message: re-priming the circuit
- EMPTY GROUNDS CONTAINER message: why it fires early
- MACHINE TOO HOT message: the cooldown rule
Breville
Breville machines alert through their LCD or through button light patterns, and every alert maps to a scheduled cycle.
- Barista Express lights: CLEAN/DESCALE and steam
- Barista Express troubleshooting: beyond the lights
- Bambino Plus flashing lights: all five patterns
- Barista Pro FLUSH alert: flush versus descale
- Barista Touch descale message: the touchscreen prompts
- Oracle error messages: CLEAN ME!, OVERHEAT and more
Jura, Gaggia, Miele and Smeg
The remaining numbered-code brands, each with its full list on one page.
- Jura error codes: ERROR 2 and 5 are cold, the rest are service
- Gaggia error codes: 01 through 20
- Miele fault codes: the F code list
- Smeg error codes: alarm LEDs decoded
- Smeg troubleshooting: beyond the alarms
Nespresso
Nespresso machines carry their whole vocabulary in one or two buttons, so color and blink timing are the code.
- Vertuo Next blinking lights: the white and orange set
- Vertuo Plus blinking lights: the green and orange set
- Orange light meaning: pattern by pattern
- Essenza Mini blinking lights: heat-up, modes and faults
- Pixie blinking lights: heat-up, emptying and reset
- Not piercing capsules: OriginalLine
- Vertuo not piercing pods: the Vertuo version
Keurig
Keurig brewers signal with lights and, on LCD models, one-word messages.
- PRIME error: the reservoir clean-and-reseat fix
- Blinking lights: the general decoder
- Descale light stays on: after descaling
- Descale light won't turn off: the reset paths
- Add water light stays on: sensor and seating
- K-Supreme add water light stuck: model-specific
- Pods not piercing: needle work
- Keurig won't turn on: power path checks
Ninja, Cuisinart and Hamilton Beach
Drip and hybrid machines keep it to a few lights, which makes each one load-bearing.
- Ninja Luxe Cafe DESCALE light: the 90 minute cycle
- Ninja Luxe Cafe notifications and Er codes: HOPPER to Er 03
- Ninja clean light stuck: drip models
- Ninja coffee maker troubleshooting: the full checklist
- Cuisinart clean light blinking: what it counts
- Cuisinart clean light won't turn off: after cleaning
- FlexBrew blinking light codes: 2, 3, 7 and 8 flashes
- Hamilton Beach won't brew: beyond the light
Cross-brand symptoms
Some faults ignore branding entirely.
- Espresso machine won't turn on: power path triage
Whatever the brand, the maintenance that prevents most of these codes is the same: keep the brew group or infuser clean, keep water in the tank, and descale on the machine's schedule with a proper descaling solution rather than waiting for a light to force it.
Related reading
FAQ
Are coffee machine error codes the same across brands? No. Numbering and lights are brand-specific: Saeco error 5 is air in the water circuit while Gaggia error 05 is a clogged hydraulic circuit, and light patterns differ even between models of the same brand. Always match your exact brand and model.
What is the most common cause behind coffee machine error codes? Four things cover most of them: a brew group or infuser that is out, dirty or unseated; no water or air in the water circuit; a blocked grinder or grounds path; and scale. The matching habits, weekly brew group rinses, a topped-up tank, a clear grounds path and scheduled descaling, prevent most codes.
Which error codes mean the machine needs professional repair? Each brand publishes its own repair-only list: Philips names errors 02, 10, 15 and 22, Jura says any ERROR number other than 2 and 5, Ninja routes all Er number codes to customer service, and De'Longhi's general alarm goes to service when cleaning does not clear it.
Sources: every code meaning in the pages linked above is cited on that page to the manufacturer's manual or official support documentation, including Philips support article XC000004106, the De'Longhi help center at support.delonghi.com, Breville instruction books on assets.breville.com, Nespresso user manuals on nespresso.com, Keurig owner's manuals on dam.keurig.com, and the Ninja ES600 series owner's guide. Each was fetched and verified for the page that cites it.
Never miss a cycle: the free one-page Machine Maintenance Calendar (PDF) puts every daily, monthly, quarterly, and yearly task for espresso machines, drip, Keurig, and moka pots on a card you can tape inside a cabinet.
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