Why Your Nespresso Machine Is Brewing Less Coffee (And How To Fix It)

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You just switched on your trusty Nespresso, threw in your favorite Nespresso Signature Pod, and pressed the brew button. However, instead of a full-cup brew, your Nespresso is just pouring out half or even less coffee than usual. And now you're panic-searching whether you need to spend money on a new one. Well, you can breathe easy because not only is your Nespresso likely fine, the fix is as simple as a couple of button presses. The cause: You probably reprogrammed the machine's pour volume by accident.

Many Nespresso models, like Pixie or Essenza Mini, have a "hidden" pour volume function. In Nespresso machines, you usually have two buttons corresponding to two sizes — either Espresso or Lungo. Out of the box, the machine is pre-programmed to pour about 40 milliliters for an Espresso (or Ristretto) and 110 milliliters for a Lungo. What most people don't know is that if you were to hold down the buttons, the machine would enter "cup size programming" mode, and you can adjust this preset.

For as long as you hold down the button, coffee will pour up until you lift your finger. The machine will memorize the exact duration between the first and last drop of coffee during your pour, and the next time you press the brew button, it will use this new setting. This customization feature is super convenient if you know about this feature's existence, but if you don't know, it can be confusing (and even alarming). That's why, up next, we'll show you exactly how you can reset your machine to the default pour volumes.

Now that you're in on this feature, why not make it work for you? Simply hold down the size button until the cup has the exact amount of coffee you want. That's it — the problem never happened, and your Nespresso is even more awesome than before (especially when combined with a Nespresso Special Reserve pod). But if you'd like your Nespresso machine just the way it was, that's not a problem, either. There's actually a factory reset function built in.

While we strongly recommend checking out the user manual for your specific model, most machines follow one of two reset methods. Start by powering down your machine by flicking the power button (don't unplug it). Then, press and hold the Lungo button. On models like the Nespresso Inissia, the button will start flashing after around five seconds. That's your signal that a factory reset has been done. For some other models like the Nespresso Citiz, you'll need to hold down the Lungo button, then press the power button at the same time to perform a reset.

In any case, once it's been factory reset, you can get back to your normal morning brew routine. The machine will pour as if it's just been taken out of the box.