Ninja coffee makers are quite the investment for your kitchen. So, if you take the plunge, you might start to freak out if you set it up and a bunch of stuff starts going wrong. Questions like, “why is my Ninja coffee maker beeping? Why is it making other weird noises? Why won’t my coffee brew?” can quickly become very important for a new owner.
In this article, you’ll learn how to troubleshoot your Ninja coffee maker so you can be prepared for anything that might go wrong. Read on to find out more about common Ninja issues and how to fix them.
In This Guide...
How Can I Troubleshoot my Ninja Coffee Maker?
Unfortunately, even expensive equipment like the Ninja coffee maker can sometimes be in need of some help.
To troubleshoot your Ninja coffee maker, you can:
- Assess the lights
- Clean the valves
- Unplug it and plug it back in
However, before you try taking any of these troubleshooting steps, there are a few things you should probably know.
Reasons to Troubleshoot a Ninja Coffee Maker
Before you can even begin troubleshooting your Ninja coffee maker, you need to identify your problem and the warning signs your machine is displaying to you. The problems and their warning signs can include:
- The clean indicator. On the front of your Ninja coffee maker, you might see a yellow-ish light that says “clean” above it. This means that your coffee maker has a large buildup of minerals/ dirt and needs to be cleaned out.
- Five consecutive beeps. If your Ninja coffee maker is beeping when you’ve asked it to brew, it’s because your filter needs to be pushed in more or because you’ve turned off the “delay brew” function and it wants you to know that.
- Not brewing. Your coffee not brewing means that you need to clean out your filter. This is sometimes also the case if your coffee starts brewing and stops.
- Drips and leaks. Drips are totally normal; there were just a few drops of coffee left when you took your mug off. Leaks, however, can mean that you’ve overfilled your reservoir.
- Bad taste. If your coffee tastes bad and your filter is clean, it was a user error. You may have used too many or not enough coffee grounds or chosen a brew that wasn’t suitable for you.
- Overflowing/not brewing enough. If you’re having this problem, you chose the wrong amount when you started your brew.
The Clean Indicator
The clean light turning on is an indicator that you need to clean out your filter because there’s a buildup of something in there. Usually, that buildup is minerals; if this is the case, you’ll see a chalky, white substance. Other things like dirt and coffee grounds can cause the clean indicator light to come on as well, but those things are less likely.
Luckily, this is an easy fix. Pour about 6oz of vinegar into you Ninja’s water reservoir, filling the rest with water, and press the button where the clean indicator light is located. This will start the cleaning cycle. Once it’s done, take out all the parts (the filter, reservoir, and the carafe) and rinse them thoroughly under hot water. Be careful to rinse well, otherwise your coffee may end up with a residual vinegar taste.
How do I Prevent this from Happening Again?
There is really no way to get around cleaning your Ninja coffee maker. You should try to do it at least once a month, even if the light isn’t on. The worst that can happen is that it takes a little bit of time, but at least you’ll have a fresh tasting cup of coffee to look forward to afterward. A Ninja is an investment, so you need to take care of it and make it last. If you want to reduce the amount of buildup in your coffee maker, though, you can try using filtered water to fill the reservoir.
Why is my Ninja Coffee Maker Beeping?
It’s beeping because something is wrong. If you try to brew your cup of coffee and it beeps, just leave it for a second. If you had a “delayed brew” setting on, it’ll just beep to let you know that that’s turning off. However, if you’ve waited and it hasn’t started up again, something else is wrong.
Next, check your filter and make sure you’ve pushed it in as far as it will go. If the filter is off-center, the coffee maker won’t allow a brew to begin. This prevents it from brewing incorrectly or making a mess inside.
However, sometimes even this doesn’t work, and everything seems fine. In this case, you should just unplug the coffee maker and plug it back in. That should reset it.
Brewing Issues
The most common problems people need to troubleshoot with their Ninja coffee maker happen with the brewing. The issues are usually:
- Brewing too much
- Brewing too little
- Not brewing at all
- Brew quality
Incorrect Amount
If your Ninja coffee maker is brewing fine but in incorrect amounts, this is frankly your fault. You must have selected the wrong size when you were choosing your brew for the day. Unfortunately, there is no way to fix this once it’s started unless you can catch it in time, stop the brew, and restart.
Not Brewing at All
If your Ninja coffee maker isn’t brewing at all or it starts and stops without reason or warning, there are a few things you can do. First, check that you chose the right brew size. However, if that’s not the issue, you can just unplug it and plug it back in, try again, and it should be better.
Brew Quality
The quality of your coffee really matters. If coffee just tastes a little off, you should check for the clean indicator light and see if it needs to be cleaned. If not, you can clean it anyway. Next thing you need to check is the brew strength; odds are, you accidentally chose one that was too weak or too strong.
Ninja Coffee Maker Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting your Ninja coffee maker may seem like a daunting task, but it is actually pretty easy if you know what to look for. Usually, it boils down to “I need to clean it” or “oops, I chose the wrong thing.” And, if all else fails, you can unplug it and plug it back in to see of something changes. In addition, Ninja offers a pretty good warranty in case your problem turns out to be something more serious.
Helpful Ninja Troubleshooting resources:
https://support.ninjakitchen.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403795860754-CFP200-CFP300-Series
https://support.ninjakitchen.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403795860754-CFP200-CFP300-Series
https://support.ninjakitchen.com/hc/en-us/articles/4405707465362-CM400-Series