Ninja DualBrew Hot & Iced: CLOG or Won't Brew? 6 Fixes (CFP105CO)

What CLOG Means on a DualBrew Hot & Iced

If your Ninja DualBrew Hot & Iced is not working and the clock shows four characters that look like CLOG, Ninja's guide gives two causes: coffee grounds built up inside the top or bottom pod needle, or scale in the brew system. Check that your pod was pierced, run the De-Clog Tool routine, then run a clean cycle if the message stays.

Ninja's owner's guide prints the message as CLO9, and its drawing of the clock shows the same four block characters. On the clock that reads like CLOG to us; the guide never spells it that way. It isn't the CLn or CLOG that other Ninja brewers show for scale alone, so the fix starts at the needles, not with vinegar.

This page was written from Ninja's guide for the DualBrew XL Hot & Iced, model CFP105CO: a 70 oz reservoir, arrow buttons, three brew styles (Classic, Rich and Over Ice), a Grounds Adapter and a Pod Adapter, and no frother or hot water function.

Own another DualBrew Hot & Iced, such as the CFP101? We have read only the CFP105CO book, so nothing here was checked against yours. Compare each step with your own guide first.

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Try This First

• Look at the two Smart Sensing icons. A bean alone means Grounds, a pod alone means Pods. Both lit: go to Fix 2.
• Check the Drip Stop lever. If the panel shows it closed, nothing will dispense.
• Press the reservoir down firmly. It sits on a hook on the side of the brewer and presses down into its base.
• Look at your last pod. It should be punctured top and bottom. If not, start at Fix 1.

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What the Display and Beeps Mean

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Fix 1: Clear CLO9 With the Pod Check and De-Clog Tool (Works About 30% of the Time)

CLO9 starts with the pod needles. Grounds build up inside the needle that pierces the top of the pod or the one that pierces the bottom, and this machine comes with a De-Clog Tool for that job.

1. Take out the last pod and look at it. Both the top and the bottom should be punctured.
2. If it wasn't punctured, put in another pod and press down firmly on its top so the bottom needle pierces it. Then close the lid.
3. If the new pod still isn't punctured, stop here and contact Customer Service. The guide gives no home fix for that.
4. If the pod was punctured, install the Ninja Grounds Adapter.
5. Insert the De-Clog Tool into the Grounds Adapter and fill the tool with water.
6. Lower the lid until it touches the tool, then pump the lid down 10 times. Don't close the lid all the way.
7. Power the coffee maker off and back on.
8. Run a 12 oz brew with water only.
9. If that brew fails, power off and repeat steps 4 to 8. If it keeps failing, contact Customer Service.

The guide also refers you to Ninja's help center for more on the tool. If you saw no grounds, or CLO9 still shows, its next step is an immediate clean cycle: go to Fix 5.

Don't put your fingers inside the Pod Adapter. One needle punctures the top of the pod and one the bottom.

Time: 5-10 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 30%
Difficulty: Easy

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Fix 2: Seat the Adapter So Smart Sensing Picks a Mode (Works About 20% of the Time)

This brewer picks Grounds or Pods from the adapter it finds under a closed lid. When neither set of conditions is met, both icons light, which Ninja calls No State.

Signs it's this one: both Smart Sensing icons lit, or the machine isn't detecting the Pod Adapter.

For pods:

1. Take the Grounds Adapter out first. Pinch the right tab of its handle and lift it straight up, or pull it out of the lid.
2. Make sure the brew basket is clean and has no filter in it.
3. Set the Pod Adapter in the brew basket with its handle lined up with the basket handle, and press down firmly.
4. Add a new, undamaged pod with its top left on, then press the lid down firmly until it is completely closed. Expect a click and some resistance as the needles go in.

For grounds:

1. Put a #4 paper cone filter or the Permanent Filter in the brew basket, then the coffee.
2. Place the Grounds Adapter over the basket and filter, fully seated, handles lined up, and close the lid.

Reusable K-Cup filters aren't compatible with the Pod Adapter. For one cup of ground coffee, Ninja says to use the Grounds Adapter with a paper filter or the Permanent Filter and brew a single-serve size.

Time: 2 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 20%
Difficulty: Easy

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Fix 3: Open the Drip Stop After Three Beeps (Works About 15% of the Time)

The Drip Stop is a hand lever that closes off the brew basket so no coffee dispenses. Closed before a brew, it gets you three beeps and a lit Drip Stop indicator.

1. Move the lever to open.
2. Press CLASSIC, RICH or OVER ICE.

If you forget to open it during a brew, the machine pauses, sounds a reminder after 30 seconds and cancels the brew after 5 minutes. Three beeps is this model's count; the Coffee Bar and the Hot & Iced CM371 use five.

Time: 1 minute
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 15%
Difficulty: Easy

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Fix 4: Clear Add Wtr (Works About 15% of the Time)

Add Wtr means there isn't enough water in the reservoir to finish your brew.

1. Add fresh water, up to but not past the Full line.
2. Press the brew style you were using. The brew resumes.
3. If the reservoir was already full, lift it off and reseat it, pressing firmly down.
4. If Add Wtr still shows, call Ninja at 1-877-646-5288.

Some water left in the reservoir after a brew is normal. Ninja says that keeps the pump and brew system from running dry.

Time: 2 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 15%
Difficulty: Easy

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Fix 5: Run the 90-Minute Clean Cycle (Works About 10% of the Time)

The clean cycle descales the brewer when calcium scale is affecting its performance or the flavor of the coffee. Run it when the clean indicator lights orange, or when CLO9 is still showing after the De-Clog Tool.

1. Put the empty carafe under the brew basket.
2. Pour 16 oz (473 ml) of white vinegar into the reservoir and add water to the Full line. Or use a descaling solution made for coffee makers, as its package directs.
3. Press CLEAN. The display highlights the full carafe and 70 oz. Press CLEAN again to confirm.
4. Leave it for about 90 minutes while the clock counts down. It sends a little solution through, pauses, and repeats. Don't remove the carafe.
5. When it beeps and shows End, the indicator goes out. Empty the carafe and wash the reservoir with warm, soapy water.
6. Fill with fresh water to the Full line and run a Full Carafe, Classic brew with water only. Discard it, then wash the carafe and brew basket.

A water-only clean cycle won't descale the brewer properly, and neither will a cancelled one. If you do cancel, with CLEAN or Power, you still need steps 5 and 6.

Orange light back soon after? Ninja says a second cycle may be needed, which is common in hard-water areas. For the other Ninja brewers' clean cycles, see our Ninja clean light guide.

Time: About 90 minutes, plus the flush brew
Cost: Free with vinegar on hand, or the price of a descaler
Success Rate: About 10%
Difficulty: Easy

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Fix 6: Stop Basket Overflows and Leaks (Works About 10% of the Time)

Finely ground coffee, or too much of it, can clog the bottom of the brew basket and make it overflow. Ninja sorts leaks by where the water appears.

1. Above the brew basket (overflow): use medium-grind coffee, never fine or espresso grind, and stay inside the chart below. Use fewer scoops for decaf.
2. Never use a paper filter and the Permanent Filter together. Ninja says that backs water up in the basket.
3. Below the brew basket: close the Drip Stop. Open it again before your next brew.
4. A little water in the reservoir valve after you lift the reservoir off: wipe it with a dry cloth.
5. Splatter into the cup: some is normal. Use the Single-Serve Cup Platform to bring the cup closer, and check the Pod Adapter is in place when brewing pods.
6. From the bottom of the brewer: call 1-877-646-5288.

Also start every carafe brew with an empty carafe. Ninja warns that liquid already in it will cause an overflow.

Time: 5-10 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 10%
Difficulty: Easy

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Which Ninja Do You Have?

The steps on this page are only for the first row.

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When DIY Won't Work

Stop and call Ninja at 1-877-646-5288 if:

• A second pod still isn't punctured.
• CLO9 remains after the De-Clog Tool routine and a full clean cycle.
• Er and a number shows on the clock. The guide gives no meaning for any number.
• Water comes from the bottom of the brewer.
• You smell burning. Unplug the machine and stop using it. Don't use a cracked or scratched carafe either.

Warranty: one year from purchase, for the original owner, on units bought from authorized retailers in North America. Claims start by phone and need your receipt. SharkNinja pays to have the unit sent in and charges $20.95 (subject to change) to ship the repaired or replacement unit back. Damage from unauthorized repairs isn't covered, so don't open the housing.

Parts: the guide has no repair steps beyond those above. Parts and accessories come from ninjaaccessories.com or the phone line.

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Keep the Needles and Basket Clear

• After each brew, once it's cool, wash the adapter you used and the brew basket in warm, soapy water.
• Use sound pods. Ninja says to make sure a pod isn't damaged, torn or expired, and not to remove its top.
• Rinse the reservoir after brewing and refill it with fresh water. It can go in the dishwasher's bottom rack, upright with the opening down, which Ninja recommends weekly.
• Hand-wash the De-Clog Tool in warm, soapy water after use.
• Expect the orange clean indicator more often with hard water. Run the cycle when it lights.

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FAQ

Is CLO9 the same as CLOG on a Ninja DualBrew?

On the CFP105CO it appears to be. Ninja's guide prints one such message, CLO9, and on the clock's block digits those characters look like CLOG. Its clean-cycle page says CLO9 indicates heavy or residual coffee ground buildup.

How do I reset a Ninja DualBrew Hot & Iced?

Ninja's guide has no reset procedure for this machine. The only restart it describes is powering off and back on after using the De-Clog Tool. Unplugging loses the clock and any Delay Brew, while the altitude calibration and warming time stay saved.

Why does my DualBrew steam so much while brewing?

Ninja's guide names one cause: a high-altitude area and no calibration brew. Fill to the Full line, fit the Grounds Adapter, close the lid, set the empty carafe in place, then hold CLASSIC and HR/MIN until you hear a confirmation sound. The display counts down and shows End.

Why didn't the warming plate turn on?

It only comes on by itself for Classic or Rich brews in a carafe size, and never by itself if the warming time is set to 0 hours. Select a carafe size and press WARM to switch it on by hand. Hold WARM to change the time (up to 4 hours) and the heat (High, Medium or Low).

Why is my Over Ice coffee not cold?

Ninja's answer is ice. Over Ice brews hot and relies on a cup, travel mug or carafe filled to the top with ice cubes to cool it. Ninja's volume chart counts the ice as part of the finished drink.

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Related Ninja Guides

• Ninja error codes and flashing lights: clock messages and lights across Ninja's brewers
• Ninja DualBrew Pro not working
• Ninja Pods & Grounds not working
• Ninja won't brew

Sources: Ninja DualBrew XL Hot & Iced Coffee Maker Owner's Guide, CFP105CO. Comparison table: Ninja owner's guides for the DualBrew Pro (CFP300 series), Hot & Iced (CM360 & CM371) and Pods & Grounds (PB040/PB050 series).