Delonghi La Specialista coffee machine flashing lights

Coffee makers with no display to communicate their status use lights with different symbols to inform the user.

Whenever we see the light (or combination of several) on our Delonghi La Specialista, the machine will be informing us of its status; this ranges from “all ok” through “no water in the tank” to “there is a fault in the coffee maker.” In this article, we will see all the possibilities.

Meaning of the water tank light on steady red

Water tank light on steady
Water tank light on steady

The causes:

Delonghi EcoDecalk Descaler for Coffee Machines
Delonghi EcoDecalk Descaler for Coffee Machines

Meaning of the tamper light flashing white

Tamper light flashing
Tamper light flashing

The cause:

  • The filter holder has been removed without using the smart tamper station. To solve this, turn the knob to the pre-ground coffee position to bypass the grinder, replace the portafilter and tamper with the coffee.

Meaning of the coffee reservoir light on steady red

Coffee beans container light on steady
Coffee beans container light on steady

The cause:

  • No beans are left in the coffee reservoir.

Meaning of the coffee reservoir light flashing red

Coffee beans container light flashing
Coffee beans container light flashing

The cause:

  • The coffee bean reservoir has been installed incorrectly.
Delonghi EcoDecalk Descaler for Coffee Machines
Delonghi EcoDecalk Descaler for Coffee Machines

Meaning of the heater light on steady red

Heating light on
Heating light on

The cause:

  • The boiler temperature is too high and needs to cool down before brewing coffee.

Meaning of the emergency light on a steady red

warning light on steady
warning light on steady

The cause:

  • There is an internal fault inside the coffee maker. The Delonghi technical service should be notified.

Meaning of the general alarm light and heater flashing simultaneously red

The general alarm light and heater flash simultaneously
The general alarm light and heater flash simultaneously

The cause:

  • The drip tray has been installed incorrectly.

Meaning of the decalcification light on steady red

The decalcification light is on steady
The decalcification light is on steady

The cause:

  • The coffee maker has accumulated a lot of limescale and needs to be descaled.
Delonghi EcoDecalk Descaler for Coffee Machines
Delonghi EcoDecalk Descaler for Coffee Machines

Meaning that the emergency light on steady simultaneously with the tank and tamper light flashing

Emergency light steady and the tank and tamper light flashing
Emergency light steady, and the tank and tamper light flashing

The cause:

  • You removed the filter holder before the milling process was finished, so you must restart the process. To do this, discard the coffee in the basket and repeat the grinding process.

Meaning of the rinsing light and water tank light flashing simultaneously

Rinsing light and water tank light flashing simultaneously
Rinsing light and water tank light flashing simultaneously

The causes:

  • The brewer group requires a rinse due to a coffee blockage. To do this, press the rinse button without installing the filter holder.
  • The ground coffee is too fine, and the water cannot pass through the ground coffee. Adjust the grinder to a coarser grind.

If your Delonghi La Specialista does not turn on, check this article.