This is a troubleshoot guide for Citiz, one of Nespresso’s earliest OriginalLine machines that is still going strong.
Nespresso CitiZ is a solid espresso brewer, but like any appliance out there, some problems are inevitable.
I will try to list most common issues that CitiZ users have run into and how they can be fixed.
Nespresso Citiz Not Pumping Water
If you have inserted a capsule, pressed a serving button but no water is coming out. Of even if you try to press any button, pod or no pod, but still the machine won’t pump out any water.
Try this fix:
- Fill the water reservoir to the MAX line and make sure it’s sat properly in its place.
- Press the Lungo button.
- Now here’s the TRICK: You want to keep the ‘brew cycle’ running until it is complete, EVEN if nothing is coming out. Repeat this a few times until you finally see water flowing.
This process will get rid of any air bubble trapped inside the pump and could be locking the flow of the water. It takes a few tries so don’t give up right away.
This is an issue that comes up in machines that have not been used in a long time. Or if you ran the machine without water in the tank.
Another fix to try:
If the trick above didn’t work, try this one:
- Turn the machine off and left the lever up.
- Remove the water reservoir from its place. Sit it aside for now.
- Press both espresso and lungo buttons together for three seconds to enter descale mode.
- A loud sound might pop. This is an indication that the air bubble possibly bursted.
- Press the buttons together again for three seconds to exit descale mode.
- Wait until the lights are solid. Put the reservoir back in place and fill it up with fresh water.
Now try to brew a cup and hopefully water will be pumping again!
Nespresso Citiz Not Puncturing Capsules
For the capsule to be correctly brewed, the capsule or pod needs to be punctured by the machine. If you have noticed that your pods are not getting punctured, there are a few possible reasons for this:
You Did Not Close the Lever All the Way
When closing the lever, you should feel a bit of a force until it is completely closed. You might even feel a slight pop which means the pod has been punctured.
If you’re using third party pods or refillable pods, this can be an issue. Sometimes, they don’t get punctured as easily. So don’t be afraid to apply some force. Other times, the pods are not designed correctly or are made of bad quality.
Water Pressure Is Not High Enough
This is similar to issue of the machine not pumping water at all. Some air bubbles inside the pump can prevent it from forcing the pod to get punctured.
Here’s what Nespresso recommends:
- Turn machine on and make sure water tank is full.
- Wait until machine has warmed up and lights are stable.
- Open up the handle on top of machine
- Press the lungo button.
- Push the handle back and forth (if possible on your machine) a couple of times and make sure you pull it all the way back.
- Press the lungo button again to stop machine.
- Water will flow into the capsule cage and not through the brewing unit, but this you can easily see by looking where you put your capsule.
- Close the handle and press one of the cup buttons to see that water now flow through the brewing unit.
Nespresso Citiz Coffee Not Hot Enough
If you’ve been using your Citiz for a while (over 6 months) and have not once cleaned it or descaled it, then this is your sign that you need to clean it.
From my personal experience, lower temperature and grounds inside the coffee are caused by a dirty machine, and a descale have fixed those issues immediately.
How To Descale Nespresso Citiz:
You will need:
- Nespresso Descaling Kit
- A Large Container
Prepare the Machine:
- Remove any used capsule inside the machine, clean external parts like capsule drawer and drip tray.
- Fill the water reservoir with one packet of descaling solution and add 0.5L water to it. You’ll water 1:1 ratio solution to water.
- Place an empty container under the coffee spout.
Enter Descale Mode:
- Turn the machine on. Wait until the light is steady.
- Press the Espresso and Lungo buttons together for 3 seconds. The buttons will start blinking, indicating that you can now in descale mode.
Start Descaling:
- Press the lungo button. Water will start flowing. Wait until the tank is empty.
- Refill the water tank with the solution inside the container (reuse the descale solution that just came out of the machine and run it again). Press the Lungo button and wait for the water tank to empty again.
Start Rinse Cycle:
- Now, pick up the water tank and wash it from any solution residue. Fill it with clean water and put it back.
- Press the Lungo button to let the water run until the tank is empty. Repeat this step twice.
Exit Descale Mode:
Press the Espresso and Lungo buttons together for 3 seconds until the lights turn solid green.
Nespresso CitiZ Won’t Stop Blinking
This is an issue that relates directly to the previous fix. If the buttons are blinking non stop on your citiz, it means that you are stuck in descale mode.
The machine is usable even if descale mode is activated, but the buttons will keep blinking until you deactivate it.
Citiz Is Stuck in Descale Mode, What To Do?
This is one of the simplest issues to fix. To deactivate descale mode, press both the espresso and lungo buttons for 3 seconds. The lights will immediately stop blinking orange and turn a steady green, which means you can now use the machine and it’s no longer in descale mode.
How To Factory Reset a Nespresso Citiz
Last resolution is a factory reset, which should fix most issues, but will also reset your reprogrammed settings, if you have any.
- With the machine OFF, press and hold the lungo button for 5 seconds.
- The buttons will flash 3 times to confirm that the machine has reset to factory settings.
Lights will blink again, but this time as it is heating up, and will turn solid green to indicate that it is ready to use.
