--- title: "Why no coffee comes out: the tank, a choked grind and the spout connector" description: "The grinder runs, the pump hums and the cup stays empty. Listen to which stage goes quiet, then check the water, the grind and the outlet before suspecting the…" url: "https://coffeemachinerepair.center/guides/why-no-coffee-comes-out/" date_modified: "2026-09-26" --- Common problems # Why no coffee comes out: the tank, a choked grind and the spout connector With no coffee coming out of the coffee machine, check the water first: a tank not clicked home, a stuck float, an unrinsed filter or, on a plumbed unit, a shutoff valve not fully open. Next come a grind set so fine the water cannot pass, heavy scale, and a clogged spout connector or brew unit. A brew unit that will not release needs a technician. By [CoffeeMachineRepair.center technical team](https://coffeemachinerepair.center/authors/technical-team/) Published September 26, 2026 ## At a glance. You press the button, the grinder whirs, the pump hums, and the cup stays empty. What you hear in those few seconds, and what the display says afterward, tells you whether the water, the grind or the brew unit is standing in the way. Read the whole guide ### First suspect The water supply A tank that is not seated or a closed valve under the sink stops every drink. ### Coffee only in drops Grind too fine, or scale JURA and Bosch both pair a trickle with a fine grind and limescale. ### Noises normal, cup nearly empty Spout connector or its cap Miele traces this to the cap on the main dispenser connector. ### Stop point A brew unit that will not come out Never force it or reach in past the door while the machine is hot. In this guide 1. Listen to the coffee machine before you touch anything 2. When no water reaches the coffee 3. A grind so fine the water cannot pass 4. The spout connector and the brew unit 5. Modes that look like a broken machine 6. Step by step 7. Questions ## Listen to the coffee machine before you touch anything With no coffee coming out of the coffee machine, the first clue is sound. A fully automatic machine makes a drink in stages: it grinds, the brew unit closes around the coffee, the pump pushes hot water through, and the spouts deliver. Which stage goes quiet or runs on without result points you at the part of the path that is blocked. Make one drink with a cup in place and stay beside it. Note whether you hear grinding, a brief motor sound as the brew unit moves, and the steady buzz of the pump, and write down any message the moment it appears. ### Nothing happens at all No grinding and no pump usually means the machine is waiting for something: water, beans, an emptied grounds container, a closed door or the end of its heat-up. The display normally says which, and those messages are covered in the guide to reading the display. ### Grinding and pumping, but an empty cup The machine believes it is making coffee. Water is either not arriving, not getting through the coffee, or leaving by another route, often straight into the grounds container or the drip tray. ### A few drops, then nothing A trickle that dies away is the classic sign of a grind too fine for the beans or of heavy scale. It is also what a brew unit clogged with old coffee produces. ## When no water reaches the coffee Most empty cups start at the tank. Miele shows a message asking you to push the container in until it engages when the tank is not seated, and Bosch lists a wrongly inserted tank, a float stuck inside it, sparkling water and a new filter that was never rinsed among the reasons its built-in asks for still water. Air trapped in a filter cartridge behaves like an empty tank. Bosch's remedy is to hold the filter under water until no more bubbles rise, then refit it; a filter pushed in at an angle will not seal against the tank connection either. - Lift the tank out, check the float moves freely and the tank is clean, then push it back until it seats. - Fill with cold, still tap water, never sparkling water. - Rinse a new filter as its instructions describe, or run one test without it. - Check the tank outlet valve for a coffee ground or a flake of scale. ### On a plumbed coffee system Miele's built-ins that fill from the house supply show a message to check the water intake when the flow is short. Its manual asks you to look for a kinked intake hose and a supply valve that is not fully open. If the machine is set to fill from a water line that is not actually connected, it can sit on its heat-up message indefinitely, so the water setting has to match how the unit was installed. Source: [Miele — CVA 6405 built-in coffee system, operating and installation instructions](https://us.mieleusa.com/mielemedia/docs/products/opin/coffee%20machines/cva6405_coffee%20system%20manual.pdf) — Tank not engaged message; check water intake for a kinked hose or a valve not fully open; a water-line setting with no line connected leaves the heat-up message on; loose or damaged cap on the main dispenser connector reduces coffee; F73 check brew unit, clean it or switch off for 2 minutes; demo mode; drink stopped if continue is not confirmed within 5 minutes; [Bosch — BCM8450UC built-in coffee machine, use and care manual](https://media3.bosch-home.com/Documents/8001075609_A.pdf) — Still-water message from a wrongly inserted tank, stuck float, carbonated water, unrinsed or airlocked filter; dispensing slows to a trickle from too fine a grind, heavy limescale or a soiled brewing unit; blocked beverage outlet or connections; switch off 30 minutes when the machine is too hot Close on the dry twin spouts of a coffee machine over an empty white cup. ## A grind so fine the water cannot pass JURA's troubleshooting table reads almost like this guide's title: coffee that only comes out in drips means the coffee is ground too finely and is blocking the system, and the water hardness may be set wrong. Its answer is a coarser grind and a descaling run. Bosch says the same of a drink that slows to a trickle or stops completely, adding a heavy build-up of limescale and a soiled brew unit. Move the grind one step coarser, make two drinks, and only then decide whether it helped. Source: [Bosch — BCM8450UC built-in coffee machine, use and care manual](https://media3.bosch-home.com/Documents/8001075609_A.pdf) — Still-water message from a wrongly inserted tank, stuck float, carbonated water, unrinsed or airlocked filter; dispensing slows to a trickle from too fine a grind, heavy limescale or a soiled brewing unit; blocked beverage outlet or connections; switch off 30 minutes when the machine is too hot; [JURA — E8 instructions for use](https://us.jura.com/-/media/global/pdf/manuals-na/Home/E8/download_manual_e8_e80_ul.pdf) — Coffee only in drips: ground too finely, water hardness may be set wrong, set a coarser grind and descale; ERROR 2 or ERROR 5 after long exposure to cold, warm the machine at room temperature ## The spout connector and the brew unit When the sounds are normal but only a little coffee reaches the cup, look where the coffee leaves the brew unit. Miele connects exactly this pattern, together with more coffee-colored water than usual in the waste container, to the silicone cap on the main dispenser connector: seated loosely, damaged or missing. Its fix is to grease the cap with the supplied silicone grease or fit the spare. Bosch traces drinks that will not dispense at all to a blocked beverage outlet or one of its three connections. Take the outlet apart as the manual shows and rinse each piece. ### When the display asks you to check the brew unit On a Miele built-in, F73 or a check-the-brew-unit message means the unit cannot move to its position or is too dirty to handle the coffee. If it comes out, clean it and reset it as the manual describes. If it will not come out, switch the machine off, wait two minutes and switch it back on; forcing it is how a repairable problem becomes a broken part. Source: [Miele — CVA 6405 built-in coffee system, operating and installation instructions](https://us.mieleusa.com/mielemedia/docs/products/opin/coffee%20machines/cva6405_coffee%20system%20manual.pdf) — Tank not engaged message; check water intake for a kinked hose or a valve not fully open; a water-line setting with no line connected leaves the heat-up message on; loose or damaged cap on the main dispenser connector reduces coffee; F73 check brew unit, clean it or switch off for 2 minutes; demo mode; drink stopped if continue is not confirmed within 5 minutes; [Bosch — BCM8450UC built-in coffee machine, use and care manual](https://media3.bosch-home.com/Documents/8001075609_A.pdf) — Still-water message from a wrongly inserted tank, stuck float, carbonated water, unrinsed or airlocked filter; dispensing slows to a trickle from too fine a grind, heavy limescale or a soiled brewing unit; blocked beverage outlet or connections; switch off 30 minutes when the machine is too hot ## Modes that look like a broken machine A few states stop coffee with nothing wrong at all. Checking them takes a minute and can save a visit. - Demo mode: Miele notes the display lights while the machine neither heats nor makes drinks. - An overheated machine: Bosch asks you to switch off for 30 minutes when it says the machine needs to cool. - Cold storage: JURA shows ERROR 2 or ERROR 5 after a long spell in the cold and asks for the machine to warm up at room temperature. - A tank that ran dry mid-drink: Miele stops the drink if you do not confirm the continue prompt within five minutes after refilling. Source: [Miele — CVA 6405 built-in coffee system, operating and installation instructions](https://us.mieleusa.com/mielemedia/docs/products/opin/coffee%20machines/cva6405_coffee%20system%20manual.pdf) — Tank not engaged message; check water intake for a kinked hose or a valve not fully open; a water-line setting with no line connected leaves the heat-up message on; loose or damaged cap on the main dispenser connector reduces coffee; F73 check brew unit, clean it or switch off for 2 minutes; demo mode; drink stopped if continue is not confirmed within 5 minutes; [Bosch — BCM8450UC built-in coffee machine, use and care manual](https://media3.bosch-home.com/Documents/8001075609_A.pdf) — Still-water message from a wrongly inserted tank, stuck float, carbonated water, unrinsed or airlocked filter; dispensing slows to a trickle from too fine a grind, heavy limescale or a soiled brewing unit; blocked beverage outlet or connections; switch off 30 minutes when the machine is too hot; [JURA — E8 instructions for use](https://us.jura.com/-/media/global/pdf/manuals-na/Home/E8/download_manual_e8_e80_ul.pdf) — Coffee only in drips: ground too finely, water hardness may be set wrong, set a coarser grind and descale; ERROR 2 or ERROR 5 after long exposure to cold, warm the machine at room temperature ## Where to stop Book a visit if the brew unit will not come out or will not go back, if the pump hums with no water moving after the tank and valve are confirmed, or if water appears under the machine instead of in the cup. Do not open the housing, reach past the brew-unit door while the machine is hot, or slide a built-in coffee system out of its cabinet to reach the water connection. Written by [CoffeeMachineRepair.center technical team](https://coffeemachinerepair.center/authors/technical-team/). Our coffee machine technicians write these guides from home visits and the service papers each maker publishes. Sources: [Miele — CVA 6405 built-in coffee system, operating and installation instructions](https://us.mieleusa.com/mielemedia/docs/products/opin/coffee%20machines/cva6405_coffee%20system%20manual.pdf) · [Bosch — BCM8450UC built-in coffee machine, use and care manual](https://media3.bosch-home.com/Documents/8001075609_A.pdf) · [JURA — E8 instructions for use](https://us.jura.com/-/media/global/pdf/manuals-na/Home/E8/download_manual_e8_e80_ul.pdf) ## Step by step. Five steps, in the order worth doing them. 01 ### Reseat the tank Take the tank out, check the float, fill it with still water and push it home until it seats. 02 ### Check the supply On a plumbed unit, make sure the shutoff valve under the sink is fully open and the visible run of hose there is not kinked. 03 ### Coarsen the grind Move the grind one step coarser and make two drinks. 04 ### Clean the outlet Take apart the spout or beverage outlet as the manual shows, rinse it and refit any cap or seal. 05 ### Descale Run the full descaling program if the machine has not had one in months. For the heart of your home. ## Questions owners ask. ### Hot water comes out but coffee does not. What does that tell me? The pump and heater work. The block is in the coffee path: the grind, the brew unit or the coffee spout and its connector. ### Can I clear a blockage with a needle or a pin? Miele warns against needles on its milk parts because they damage the components, and the same caution applies to coffee spouts. Use the brushes and rinsing the manual describes. ### Why did it stop right after I changed beans? A lighter or oilier bean at the same grind setting can choke the brew unit or stop feeding into the grinder. Go one step coarser and tap the hopper to free clinging beans. ### Is it safe to keep trying drinks while it is blocked? A couple of tries is fine. Repeated attempts push more coffee into a unit that cannot clear it, so stop after two and work through the checks. ## The problems behind it. Each has a page of its own: what it usually means and the causes in the order worth checking. [All 17 problems](https://coffeemachinerepair.center/problems/) Problem ### No Coffee Coming Out of the Coffee Machine 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Coffee Machine Brew Unit Stuck or Will Not Come Out 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Coffee Machine Not Detecting the Water Tank 6 causes, cheapest first ## When it needs a technician. The repairs on the right are where this guide ends when the checks do not settle it. ### Coffee machine brew unit repair Resealing, lubricating or replacing the brew unit that tamps the grounds and presses water through them, removable or fixed. ### Coffee machine pump repair Testing and replacing the pump that drives water through the coffee, with the flowmeter that counts each cup and the valves beside it. ### Coffee machine water line repair The water side: the inlet valve, supply line and drain hose of a plumbed built-in, or the tank valve and level sensor. ## More in common problems. What a coffee machine means when the cup stays empty or runs thin and lukewarm, the grinder spins without beans, the milk will not foam, or the display keeps asking for something you already did. [The whole section](https://coffeemachinerepair.center/guides/common-problems/) What the machine is telling you ### Why the coffee comes out weak: strength, grind, scale and a clogged brew unit A pale, fast cup and a slow, thin one have different causes. How to read the stream and the crema, which settings to reset first, and when the grinder or brew unit needs a technician. What the machine is telling you ### Why the milk will not froth: warm milk, air leaks and dried milk in the frother Hot milk with no foam, or a frother that spits and hisses. Milk colder than 50°F, joints pushed fully home and a frother brushed clean solve most of it. Guides ### All 18 guides Six sections, by what you are trying to find out. --- **[Read on the site: Why no coffee comes out: the tank, a choked grind and the spout connector](https://coffeemachinerepair.center/guides/why-no-coffee-comes-out/)** **[Book a visit with CoffeeMachineRepair.center](https://coffeemachinerepair.center/schedule/)**