DeLonghi La Specialista Prestigio EC9355 Not Working? 5 Fixes

Start With the Light That's On

A La Specialista Prestigio that stops working has usually lit one of its own warning lights, and each one has a single job. The water light covers flow, the tamping light the lever, the "!" light the grinder, and the red descale light and orange cleaning light cover maintenance. There are no error codes. If every light on the panel is flashing, that's the general alarm, and the only fix is De'Longhi Customer Services.

The Prestigio (EC9355) is a manual espresso machine with a built-in grinder and a Smart Tamping Station: you lock the portafilter onto the grinder outlet, it grinds, and you pull a lever to tamp. It heats coffee water in a thermoblock and has a separate heater for steam. De'Longhi's manual doesn't use the phrase "Sensor Grinding", and it doesn't describe the machine weighing your dose. You set the dose with a dial.

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Try This First

• Check the main switch on the back. It must be at I. Then press ON/Standby.
• Reseat the water tank. Press it down lightly so the valves on its base open.
• Lock the bean container. Turn it until the arrow lines up with the padlock symbol and it clicks. The grinder won't run otherwise.
• Put the presser lever back up. A steady tamping light means it's out of position.
• Look at the drip tray. Water in it is normal. De'Longhi says the internal circuits discharge into it.

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Prestigio Warning Lights

From the lights table in De'Longhi's EC935X instructions, read from the rendered pages:

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Fix 1: Clear the Flashing Water Light (Works About 30% of the Time)

A flashing water light while you brew means water isn't getting through. The manual lists the same five causes for it and for "no espresso coffee is delivered": an empty tank, a grind that's too fine, a blocked filter basket, a tank whose valves aren't open, or scale.

Signs it's this one: the water light flashes and coffee comes out slowly or not at all.

1. Fill the tank to MAX and press it down lightly so the valves open.
2. If the hot water light is on by itself, the circuit is empty. Press the hot water button to fill it, with a container under the spout.
3. Remove the portafilter. A dense puck and a drip-by-drip shot mean the grind is too fine. Go one level coarser while grinding.
4. Rinse the filter basket under plenty of running water and check the holes are clear.
5. Still flashing with a full tank and clean basket? Descale (Fix 4).

Time: 5 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 30%
Difficulty: Easy

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Fix 2: Answer the Tamping and Grinder Lights (Works About 25% of the Time)

The Prestigio won't carry on until the grinder and lever are in the state it expects. The tamping light and the "!" light tell you which part isn't.

Signs it's this one: the grinder won't start, or the tamping light or "!" light is on or flashing.

1. "!" steady: lock the bean container until it clicks.
2. "!" flashing: the grind selector is outside levels 1-8, often left at REMOVE after cleaning. Move it back while the grinder runs.
3. Tamping light steady: return the presser lever to its resting position.
4. Tamping light flashing: pull the lever down fully with the portafilter still on the grinder outlet, keep it down while you remove the portafilter, then return it. If you'd already unlocked the portafilter, or pressed too fast, grind again.
5. Still flashing after a proper press? The coffee slide may be clogged, or something is stuck in the burrs. See the Smart Tamping guide for the cleaning and burr steps.

Time: 2-10 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 25%
Difficulty: Easy

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Fix 3: Get the Dose Right (Works About 15% of the Time)

Many "it's not working" shots are a dose problem. The coffee dose dial sets how much the Prestigio grinds, and the tamped coffee should reach the "perfect dose" mark inside the filter. The dial's numbers are a reference point, not grams.

Signs it's this one: the portafilter won't lock into the brewing unit (too much coffee), shots run too fast from a low puck, or the beans light flashes briefly (dial at maximum).

1. Press X2 when you use the double basket. It doubles the grind and the shot volume together.
2. Start the dose dial at minimum and turn it up until the tamped coffee reaches the mark.
3. If the dial is at maximum and the dose is still short, choose the second grinding range. Hold X2 and My together for 5 seconds, turn the dial to the Espresso light, select the 2nd range and press ON/Standby to save.
4. With the dose right, fine-tune the grind while it's grinding: coarser if the shot pours too slowly, finer if it pours too fast. Change one level at a time and make at least 5 coffees before changing again.
5. A dose that keeps falling, even on the second range and after cleaning the tamping station, means the burrs have worn. A customer services center replaces them.

Time: 15-20 minutes
Cost: A few doses of beans
Success Rate: About 15%
Difficulty: Easy

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Fix 4: Descale When the Descale Light Is Red (Works About 15% of the Time)

Scale is on the manual's list for slow or blocked delivery. The descale light turns red when a cycle is due, and its timing follows the water hardness setting. The full cycle takes about 40 minutes.

Use De'Longhi descaler only. The manual warns that unsuitable descaler can cause faults the guarantee doesn't cover.

1. If a water softener filter is fitted, remove it.
2. Pour the descaler into the tank up to level A (one 100 ml packet), then add water up to level B (1 liter). Refit the tank.
3. Turn the mode dial to the descaling position. The descale light blinks and the OK light turns orange.
4. Take the portafilter off. Put a container of about 2 liters under the coffee outlet, the hot water spout and the steam wand.
5. Press OK. Descaler runs through in a series of rinses and pauses until the tank is empty, then the OK light turns white.
6. Empty the container, rinse the tank and fill it with fresh water to MAX. Press OK to rinse.
7. Empty the containers and the drip tray, then refill the tank.

If the machine asks for another rinse, the tank wasn't at MAX. Refill it and finish. To stop a cycle started by mistake, hold OK for 10 seconds. The rinse can't be stopped.

Time: About 40 minutes
Cost: Free with the packet in the box, then De'Longhi descaler
Success Rate: About 15%
Difficulty: Easy

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Fix 5: Run the Coffee Outlet Cleaning Cycle (Works About 10% of the Time)

The Prestigio has a maintenance light many owners miss. When the cleaning light comes on orange, the machine wants its coffee circuit cleaned with a coffee-machine cleaning tab. The tabs are sold separately, and the special disk that holds one comes in the box.

1. Put the 1-cup filter in the portafilter. Press the cleaning disk accessory to the bottom of it and put a cleaning tab on the disk.
2. Attach the portafilter to the coffee outlet.
3. Fill the tank and empty the drip tray.
4. Hold the hot water button until the cleaning light blinks orange. The cycle stops by itself after a few minutes.
5. Remove the portafilter and disk, and wash the portafilter and filter under the tap.
6. Refit the portafilter and press OK to rinse, with a container underneath. Then empty the drip tray.

Time: 10 minutes
Cost: A cleaning tab
Success Rate: About 10%
Difficulty: Easy

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When DIY Won't Work

Contact De'Longhi if:

• Every light flashes. That's the general alarm.
• Espresso drips from the portafilter edges with it locked at CLOSE and a clean basket. The manual says the espresso boiler gasket can lose its elasticity, and Customer Services replaces it.
• The grinder still won't grind after you've cleaned the burr as the manual describes (see the Smart Tamping guide, Fix 5).
• The dose keeps falling. Worn burrs are replaced by a customer services center.
• You smell burning, the breaker trips, or water pools under the machine. Unplug it and stop using it.

Warranty: the manual warns against removing the exterior or cover and says attempting repairs voids the warranty. Repairs are for authorized service personnel only. Find a service center through delonghi.com.

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Keeping a Prestigio Running

• Answer the cleaning light with a coffee outlet cleaning cycle, and descale when the red light comes on.
• Set the water hardness in the menu with the test strip from the box, so the descale reminder matches your water.
• Brush the Smart Tamping Station, presser cylinder and coffee funnel with the tube brush when the dose starts to drop.
• Empty the hopper before switching coffee: run the grinder empty until the basket stays empty.
• Hand-wash the portafilter, filters and tank. The cleaning chart keeps them out of the dishwasher. Wipe or rinse the bean container, without washing-up liquid.
• Run a rinse cycle before using it after more than a week off.

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FAQ

Does the La Specialista Prestigio weigh the coffee dose?

Not according to De'Longhi's manual. You set the dose with the coffee dose dial until the tamped coffee reaches the mark inside the filter. The manual never uses the phrase "Sensor Grinding", though De'Longhi's service sheet lists a coffee-beans sensor, which fits the beans-empty warning.

What is the orange light with the drops on my Prestigio?

That's the cleaning light. Steady orange means the coffee outlet needs its cleaning cycle with a cleaning tab (Fix 5), and flashing orange means the cycle is running.

How do I reset the Prestigio to its default settings?

Hold X2 and My for 5 seconds to open the menu, then hold My for 5 seconds until its light flashes. Press ON/Standby to confirm. That restores the default settings. It isn't a repair for a fault light.

Can I use pre-ground coffee in the Prestigio?

Yes. Put the pre-ground coffee in the filter, turn the dose dial to the pre-ground symbol, attach the portafilter to the grinder outlet and pull the lever down to press it.

Can I clean the burrs myself?

The upper burr, yes. The manual shows how: machine off, bean container removed, selector turned anticlockwise to REMOVE, burr lifted out by its handle, brushed and vacuumed. Replacing worn burrs is a service-center job. Full steps are in the Smart Tamping guide.

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Related De'Longhi Guides

• La Specialista warning lights, all five models
• La Specialista Smart Tamping not working
• La Specialista leaking water
• La Specialista Arte not working
• La Specialista Maestro not working
• De'Longhi grinder cleaning and maintenance
• La Specialista Arte vs. Prestigio: the differences, from both manuals

Sources: De'Longhi EC935X (La Specialista Prestigio) Instructions for use, US/Canada edition; De'Longhi Data Sheet and Service Manual EC9355 (DSDL_20023_B).