Why is My Nespresso Blinking Orange (how do you fix blinking orange lights in your Nespresso + more information)?

As a coffee lover, I am always looking for the latest trends in the coffee world. When the Nespresso machine came, I decided to get one, and everything was smooth sailing until I encountered it occasionally blinking orange. I learned that my Nespresso blinks orange to indicate a problem within the machine. The problem may be that it’s overheated, there’s low water pressure, it needs to be cleaned, it needs descaling, the water tank is empty, plus several other reasons.

I wrote this article to explain the cause of each issue and how you can solve them. If you’re interested, keep reading.

Reasons why your Nespresso is blinking orange

Over-heated machine

This usually indicates that your Nespresso has been working hard and needs a rest. This usually happens when you make many cups of coffee consecutively in a short period.

Your Nespresso’s orange light will fade on and off to indicate this problem.

Low water pressure

This occurs when your Nespresso is clogged and needs to be cleaned. After using your machine for some time, coffee granules, oils, and residue build up in various parts of your machine, including the brewing chamber, nozzle, and washer plate. This blockage lowers the pressure of the water flow. This leads to a longer time to make coffee, a change in the taste and smell of the coffee, and even a lower amount of coffee in your cup.

When this occurs, the orange blinking light turns off when you try to make espresso.

Blocked water inlet

A blocked water inlet occurs when coffee granules accumulate and clog the water inlet. It could also be caused by scaling. If this occurs, the machine will not heat the water and hence will not make espresso.

The orange blinking light usually turns off when this problem occurs.

Blocked coffee grinds in the funnel

As the name indicates, coffee grinds block the funnel, hence preventing your machine from making espresso.

When this occurs, the orange light turns off, and you try to make espresso.

How to resolve Nespresso lights blinking orange

Light Alternates Blinking Orange and White Three Times, Then Steady On

When the light behaves like this, it usually indicates that your Nespresso is due for a descaling. However, this does not have to be done urgently, it is just a reminder to get your descaling solution ready and schedule time out to do it.

Descaling is a process that can be broken down as below;

• Make the descaling solution as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Empty the water tank and fill it up with the descaling solution.
• Ensure all used capsuled have been removed from the machine. Empty and rinse the used capsule container.
• Place a one-liter container under the coffee outlet to collect the water that will come out as you descale.
• Turn on the machine and start the descaling program, as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Push the button to start descaling. The machine will turn off automatically after the descaling process is finished.
• Empty, rinse, and clean the water tank and cup support.
• Fill the tank with clean water and place it back on the machine. Push the rinsing button on the machine. The machine will turn off once this is finished. You will need to repeat this process about two to three times until all the descaling solution has been rinsed off. Otherwise, this may affect the taste of your coffee.
• Exit the descaling mode and leave your machine to dry for about ten minutes before trying it again.

Orange Light Blinking Three Times per Second

When this occurs, it indicates that you need to empty the used capsule container or descale your machine. To empty the used capsule container, you simply need to empty and rinse it and then replace it.

The entire descaling process has been broken down above.

Orange Light Blinking Two Times per Second

This is usually an indication that your machine needs to be cleaned. The process of cleaning the Nespresso machine has been broken down as below;

• Start by cleaning and rinsing the water tank and lid. Fill the tank with clean water and lock it in place.
• Clean and rinse the cup support and place a one-liter container under the coffee outlet.
• Open the machine head to eject the used coffee capsule. Then, clean and rinse the capsule container.
• Close the machine and lock it in place. Turn the machine on to start heating up. The light will stop blinking once ready.
• Start the cleaning cycle by pushing the button three times within two seconds. The orange light blinks to indicate the beginning of the cleaning cycle. The entire process should take about five minutes. After this, the light will turn from orange to green to indicate that the machine is ready for brewing.

Orange Light Blinks Five Times over 10 Seconds

When your machine does this, it means it needs a factory reset. The procedure for doing this can be broken down as below;

• Open the machine and eject all used capsules.
• Close the machine and leave the handle in an unlocked state.
• Push the button five times within three seconds to set the machine to factory settings. The orange light will blink five times to indicate that the factory reset was successful.

Orange Light Blinks Twice Rapidly, Then Long Off

This indicates a fault within the machine. To solve this, simply turn the machine off and then on. You could also turn the machine off, unplug it for thirty seconds, then plug it back on.

If this does not work, you are advised to contact Nespresso Customer Support.

Orange Light Fades Off and On

When your machine does this, it indicates that it is overheated. This may be due to consecutively making many cups of coffee in a short period.

To solve this, turn off the machine, unplug it and leave it for about thirty minutes to cool off. Once cooled down, continue brewing as normally.

Orange Light is On for 1.5 Seconds, then Off for 0.5 Seconds.

This is usually an indication that your machine’s water tank is empty. Its solution is a quick and easy fix that involves you filling the water tank with fresh water, and you will be good to go.

FAQ Section

Are blinking lights bad for a Nespresso machine?

They are not bad per se. They are just an indication that the Nespresso machine has a problem that needs to be fixed to work well.

Can Nespresso orange lights be repaired?

Yes, they can. They are repaired by fixing the problem that they are indicating.

Can descaling stop my Nespresso machine from blinking orange?

Yes, it can. This is one of the ways to resolve this issue.

Do orange lights blinking lights mean you need to replace your Nespresso machine?

No, they do not. The orange blinking lights simply indicate a problem with the machine that you can easily fix in a short time.