Nespresso Lattissima Touch Not Working? 5 Fixes That Work

Why the Lattissima Is Different From Other Nespresso Machines

The Lattissima Touch talks through its buttons and two alerts, Descaling and Clean, and Nespresso's manual has a row for almost every pattern. The ones that stop it working are: all six buttons blinking fast three times (the water tank is empty), the descaling alert steady orange with the drink buttons unavailable (blocked by scale until you descale), the coffee and milk buttons flashing alternately (overheated), and all buttons blinking together for 10 seconds before it switches off (an error that needs repair).

The milk side has its own rule: after every milk drink the CLEAN button shines orange, and Nespresso wants the milk system rinsed each time.

This guide is for the Lattissima Touch (EN560). The Lattissima One has a different control panel: see our Lattissima One guide.

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What Your Lattissima Touch Is Telling You

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Quick Checks (2 Minutes)

• Fill the water tank. Six buttons blinking fast three times means it's empty.
• Lever won't close? Empty the used capsule container and check no capsule is blocked inside it.
• Wait for the lights to stop blinking. Heating takes about 25 seconds, or about 15 seconds once the milk system is connected.
• No lights at all? Check the mains, plug, voltage and fuse. It also switches itself off after 9 minutes by default.

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Fix 1: Rinse the Milk System After Every Drink (Works About 30% of the Time)

When a milk drink finishes, CLEAN shines orange. Nespresso's instruction is to rinse the milk system after each use:

1. Put a container under the milk spout.
2. Press and hold CLEAN until the machine stops pumping by itself. The rinse takes about 16 seconds, and CLEAN blinks while hot water and steam flow through the spout.
3. Disconnect the Rapid Cappuccino System (R.C.S.) and put it straight in the fridge. Close the steam connector door.
4. Milk kept in the container: no more than 2 days in the fridge. If the container has been out of the fridge for more than 2 hours, take it apart and clean it.

Time: 1 minute
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 30%
Difficulty: Easy

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Fix 2: Take the Milk System Apart and Clean It (Works About 25% of the Time)

If the froth is poor or milk won't come through, clean all six parts of the R.C.S.:

1. Take it apart: remove the milk container lid and unplug the milk aspiration tube; turn the froth regulator knob to its removal position and pull it up; unlock the R.C.S. connector and pull it off; pull off the milk spout.
2. Wash: put all the parts in the upper rack of the dishwasher, or soak them in warm water with a mild detergent for at least 30 minutes, then rinse. No abrasives.
3. Dry and reassemble, reconnect, and press CLEAN once before making a milk drink.
4. Use the right milk: skimmed or semi-skimmed at fridge temperature (about 4 °C), never frozen. Rinse the container and tube with water before refilling.
5. Set the froth knob: Nespresso suggests minimum for Cappuccino and Creamy Latte, maximum for Latte Macchiato. Don't turn it past the end stop; that position is only for removing it.

Time: 35 minutes (with soaking)
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 25%
Difficulty: Easy

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Fix 3: Descale When the Alert Says So (Works About 20% of the Time)

The descaling alert has three levels, and the third blocks all drinks until you descale. The cycle takes about 25 minutes:

1. Lift and close the lever to eject any capsule. Empty the drip tray and capsule container.
2. Fill the tank with 100 ml of Nespresso descaling agent and 500 ml of water.
3. Open the descaling pipe storage door and plug the descaling pipe into the steam connector. The machine goes into descaling mode: the alert blinks orange and Warm milk froth lights white.
4. Put a container of at least 1 litre under both the coffee outlet and the pipe.
5. Press Warm milk froth. Descaler runs through the coffee outlet, the pipe and into the drip tray.
6. When the tank is empty, empty and rinse everything, fill the tank with fresh water to MAX, and press Warm milk froth again to rinse.
7. The machine switches off when rinsing is done. Remove and store the pipe.

Level 2 (blinking orange) means the last descale wasn't done correctly, so run the full cycle again. Set the water hardness so the alert comes at the right time: in Menu mode (Fix 4), swipe Lungo → Creamy Latte → Milk froth, then press the button for your level within 15 seconds.

Time: About 25 minutes
Cost: Nespresso descaling agent
Success Rate: About 20%
Difficulty: Easy

Our Nespresso descaling guide covers the alerts on other models.

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Fix 4: Use Menu Mode Properly, and Reset the Volumes (Works About 12% of the Time)

If the Descaling and Clean alerts are both blinking, the machine is in Menu mode, not faulty. Exit by pressing Lungo + Warm milk froth together for 3 seconds, or wait 30 seconds.

To enter Menu mode: switch on, remove the milk jug, then press Lungo + Warm milk froth for 3 seconds. If it won't enter, the manual's checks are: remove the milk jug, hold for the full 3 seconds, and remove the descaling pipe.

Restore drink volumes to factory settings: in Menu mode, touch in one continuous movement: Warm milk froth → Creamy Latte → Lungo → Espresso → Cappuccino → Latte Macchiato. Warm milk froth blinks; press it to confirm. All buttons blink three times, and it returns to ready. This resets the drink volumes (Espresso 40 ml, Lungo 110 ml, and so on) and the auto-off time (9 minutes). It doesn't clear faults.

Auto-off time: in Menu mode, swipe Latte Macchiato → Cappuccino → Espresso, then press Espresso (8 hours), Cappuccino (30 minutes) or Latte Macchiato (9 minutes).

Time: 2 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 12%
Difficulty: Easy

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Fix 5: Let It Cool, or Send It for Repair (Works About 13% of the Time)

• Coffee and milk buttons flashing alternately: overheated. Wait until it cools down. If you've programmed coffees over 150 ml, Nespresso says to let it cool for 5 minutes between coffees.
• After emptying the system (for storage or frost protection), the machine stays blocked for about 10 minutes. That's normal.
• All buttons blink together for 10 seconds, then it switches off: an error alarm. The machine needs repair.
• Irregular blinking, or only water comes out with a capsule inserted: send it for repair or call Nespresso.

Contact: the Nespresso Club details are in the "Welcome to Nespresso" folder in the box and at nespresso.com. In the US, Nespresso is on 1-800-562-1465; in Canada, 1-855-325-5781. The European edition of the manual gives a De'Longhi two-year warranty; check the terms for your region.

Time: 10-60 minutes
Cost: Free under warranty
Success Rate: About 13%
Difficulty: Easy

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When to Contact Nespresso Support

Contact Nespresso if all the buttons blink together and the machine switches off, if the blinking is irregular, if only water runs through with a capsule in, or if the capsule area keeps leaking after you reposition the capsule.

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Daily Habits That Prevent Problems

• Rinse the milk system with CLEAN after every milk drink.
• Refrigerate the R.C.S. between uses, and wash it after each use.
• Empty the capsule container and drip tray before they fill.
• Descale at level 1, before the machine blocks itself.
• Set the water hardness once with the strip supplied.

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FAQ

Why are all the buttons blinking on my Lattissima Touch?

It depends on the pattern. All six blinking fast three times means the water tank is empty. Coffee and milk buttons flashing alternately means it's overheated. All buttons blinking together for 10 seconds and then switching off is an error that needs repair.

How do I reset my Lattissima Touch?

Nespresso documents a volume reset. Remove the milk jug, press Lungo and Warm milk froth together for 3 seconds to enter Menu mode, then swipe Warm milk froth → Creamy Latte → Lungo → Espresso → Cappuccino → Latte Macchiato and confirm with Warm milk froth. It restores the drink volumes, not faults.

Why won't my Lattissima Touch make any drinks with the descale light on?

A steady orange descaling alert with the drink buttons unavailable is level 3: the machine is blocked by scale. Run the full descaling cycle with 100 ml of Nespresso descaling agent and 500 ml of water, using the descaling pipe.

Why is the Clean light on my Lattissima Touch orange?

It lights after every milk drink to remind you to rinse the milk system. Put a container under the milk spout and hold CLEAN until pumping stops, about 16 seconds.

Why is the milk froth poor on my Lattissima Touch?

Nespresso's causes: the milk type or temperature (use skimmed or semi-skimmed at about 4 °C, never frozen), a milk system that wasn't rinsed and cleaned, and scale (descale). Also check the froth regulator knob setting.

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Related Nespresso Guides

• Nespresso Lattissima One Not Working
• Nespresso Lattissima Leaking
• Nespresso Lattissima One vs Touch
• Nespresso Error Codes and Lights

Sources: Nespresso Lattissima Touch user manual (EN560, EUR/AUS/NZ edition).