Water is spitting from the chimney

The problem

Water is spitting out of the chimney while the machine is brewing. This may mean that the machine only produces a little bit of espresso, or none at all. Solutions for each are below:

The solutions

1. If the machine isn’t producing any coffee at all:

This is usually because the boiler o-ring has come out of it’s correct position – this article explains how to fix the issue.

2. If the machine is producing some coffee, but less than 40g:

This is usually caused by a damaged boiler o-ring, or the need to descale your machine – this article explains how to fix the issue.

3. If the machine is producing a full 40g shot of espresso:

If the machine is spitting water from the chimney and it’s producing a full shot of espresso, you just need to fill the boiler with a little less water; we’d recommend 110g instead of 120g.

If you’ve recently used soapy water to clean the machine then this may also be the cause. It’s not necessary to use soapy water, using warm water to rinse the machine should be sufficient.