Who this is for / not for
For: Your machine is producing weak, fast-flowing shots with little or no resistance, and you’re wondering whether something is actually broken.
Not for: You’ve already worked through the checks below and pressure is still absent — at that point, this is a genuine repair or warranty question, not something to keep troubleshooting alone.
Check these, roughly in this order
| # | Check | Why it causes no pressure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grind too coarse | Not enough resistance for water to build pressure against — see our grind size chart |
| 2 | Dose too low | Not enough coffee in the basket to create resistance, even at a correct grind size |
| 3 | Portafilter not fully locked in | An improperly seated portafilter can leak pressure at the seal instead of building it through the puck |
| 4 | Scale buildup | Restricts internal flow and can prevent the pump from building expected pressure — see our descaling schedule |
| 5 | Using a non-pressurized basket with a very coarse or under-dosed puck | Non-pressurized baskets rely entirely on the puck for resistance — see our basket type guide |
| 6 | Empty or low water tank / air in the system | Some machines need re-priming after running dry |
Why to check in this order
Grind and dose are the fastest checks and the most common cause by far — most “my machine is broken” reports turn out to be a grind that’s too coarse or a dose that’s too light for the basket, neither of which is a hardware problem. Scale is next because it’s common but slower to confirm and fix. A hardware issue (pump, seal, valve) is real but much less common than these — and it’s worth ruling out the fast, free checks before assuming you need a repair or replacement.
What we refuse on this page
- Claiming this diagnostic covers every possible hardware failure — pump and valve issues are real and this page won’t talk you out of a genuine repair.
- Specific repair instructions for opening or servicing the machine — that’s a manufacturer or qualified-repair question, not something to guess at here.
FAQ
I checked grind, dose, and the portafilter seal — still no pressure. Now what? That’s a reasonable point to suspect scale (see our descaling page) or a genuine hardware issue worth contacting the manufacturer or a repair service about.
Can old, stale beans cause a pressure problem? Stale beans mostly affect taste, not pressure directly — grind and dose are far more likely causes of a pressure issue specifically.
Is low pressure the same problem as slow heat-up? No — those are separate systems. A machine that heats normally but won’t build pressure points to the grind/dose/scale checks above, not a heating problem.
Update log
| Date (ET) | Change |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-19 | Initial publish. |