SMEG BCC12 & BCC13 Not Working? Lights, Milk and 6 Fixes

BCC12 and BCC13 Lights Don't Mean What a BCC02's Do

A SMEG BCC13 or BCC12 that stops working is almost always telling you why with one of five alarm lights. Most are quick: fill the tank, add beans, empty the grounds drawer with the machine switched on, or refit the brewing group and close its side door. Check whether the light is steady or flashing first, because that changes the fix.

Be careful with advice written for the older BCC02. Both machines have an exclamation-mark light for the brewing group, but the meanings are swapped. On a BCC13 or BCC12, a flashing "!" means the side door is open or the brewing group is missing or wrongly fitted, and the machine is blocked. A steady "!" is only a reminder to clean the brewing group, and you can keep making drinks.

The two machines differ in how they handle milk. The BCC13 has a built-in milk system that draws milk up a tube and froths it automatically, and five drink keys. The BCC12 has a steam wand instead, and four keys.

Otherwise SMEG's two manuals give them the same alarm lights, troubleshooting table and maintenance, though the keys and lights carry different numbers. When milk drinks stop working but espresso is fine, go to Fix 4. This page follows SMEG's own BCC13 and BCC12 user manuals. For the older BCC02, see our SMEG bean-to-cup warning lights guide.

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Try This First

• Note which light is on, and whether it's steady or flashing. The table below tells you what each one means.
• Orange keys aren't a fault. Both machines have two drink menus. The menu button switches the keys between white and orange, and each colour gives a different set of drinks.
• Slide the side door back on and press it home. An open or loose door blocks everything.
• Push the grounds drawer and drip trays fully in, including the small internal tray inside the drip tray.
• Switched itself off? Both turn off after 30 minutes without use. Press ON/OFF.

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What Each Light Means (BCC13 and BCC12)

Both manuals' controls pages describe the water light as flashing, while their troubleshooting tables describe it as "on". Either way, it means the same thing: check the tank.

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Fix 1: Exclamation Mark: Refit the Brewing Group or Clean It (Works About 25% of the Time)

The brewing group (SMEG also calls it the infuser) is the removable unit behind the side door where each coffee is brewed. The machine won't brew without it fitted correctly and the door closed, and a flashing "!" means one of those isn't right. A steady "!" is the machine's reminder to clean the group, which SMEG recommends at least once a week.

If the "!" is flashing:

1. Press the lower part of the side door until it releases, and slide it off upwards.
2. Check the brewing group is in place. If it was out, push it back in until it sits correctly.
3. Refit the door, making sure it's correctly positioned. The light should go out.

If the "!" is steady (clean the group):

1. Leave the machine switched on. SMEG says this is the only way the cleaning counter resets.
2. Open the side door, press the two release clips on the sides of the brewing group and pull it out.
3. Rinse it under running water and let it dry. Don't put it in the dishwasher: SMEG warns that can damage it permanently.
4. Brush coffee powder out of the compartment and its duct with the supplied cleaning brush. Dry everything with a cloth.
5. Refit the group and the door. The counter resets about 10 seconds after you open the door, and the "!" goes off.

Time: 5-10 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 25%
Difficulty: Easy

Model note: this is the opposite of the BCC02. On a BCC02, a steady "!" means the group is missing, and SMEG tells you to unplug before removing it. Follow the BCC13 steps above on a BCC13. If the steady "!" keeps returning after a clean, SMEG's table says to check and clean the movement area again, then contact an authorised service centre.

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Fix 2: Grounds Light: Empty the Drawer With the Machine On (Works About 20% of the Time)

The grounds light works from a counter. Emptying the drawer resets that counter only if the machine is switched on while you do it, which SMEG calls "the only way".

Signs it's this one: the grounds light is lit, or you emptied the drawer with the machine off and the light came straight back.

1. With the machine on, pull out the drip tray, then pull out the grounds container with its tray.
2. Leave it out for at least 15 seconds. The grounds light flashes to show the counter has reset.
3. Empty the grounds and any water in the tray under it (water there is normal). Wash both with water and a little dish soap, and dry them.
4. Push everything fully back in, including the internal drip tray inside the outer one.

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

Flashing instead of steady? Then a container is missing or not fitted properly, and SMEG's table names the internal drip tray as a cause. Take the trays out and reassemble them.

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Fix 3: Water and Bean Lights (and Stopping Mid-Drink) (Works About 15% of the Time)

The tank light comes on when the tank is out, empty or too low. The bean light comes on when the hopper is at its minimum. Both are simple to fix, but SMEG lists two less obvious causes.

1. Fill the tank to MAX with fresh water and push it fully into place.
2. Fill the bean container. SMEG's table lists running out of beans as a cause of weak coffee, so make that drink again once the hopper is full.
3. Did it stop part-way through a drink? SMEG lists three causes: the tank was lifted out, the water dropped below the minimum, or the side door was opened during brewing.
4. Water missing but no tank light? SMEG gives two causes:
   • Limescale inside the tank can make the machine misread the water level. Wash the tank and refit it, then descale if needed (Fix 5).
   • Water poured into the gap where the tank sits, instead of into the tank. Take the tank out and dry the compartment thoroughly.

Time: 2-5 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 15%
Difficulty: Easy

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Fix 4: Milk Problems on the AutoMilk or Steam Wand (Works About 15% of the Time)

Both machines froth with steam, and both stop frothing when milk residue blocks the path. The BCC13 does it automatically through a milk tube, the BCC12 through a steam wand you hold the jug under, so the checks differ.

BCC13: The Built-In Milk System

The BCC13 draws milk up a tube into the milk system on the dispenser and froths it there. If milk residue clogs that path, or the tube or milk system isn't fitted properly, SMEG's table lists the results: no milk, milk splashing out, poor foam, or steam instead of milk.

Signs it's this one: espresso works, but cappuccino, latte macchiato or milk foam don't.

1. Check the tube. Open the small safety cap on the dispenser and push the milk tube's connector firmly onto its connection. The other end must be fully under the milk. The milk shouldn't come higher than the connection.
2. Use cold milk. SMEG recommends whole or semi-skimmed milk at fridge temperature, about 41°F (5°C). If the foam still isn't right, it suggests trying another brand of milk.
3. Run Easy Cleaning. Fit the cleaning container on the cup grid and fill it with cool water to the mark. Connect the milk tube and put its end in the container. Then hold the Easy Cleaning key for 3 seconds. The cycle stops on its own.
4. Clean the milk system by hand. SMEG says this cleans more thoroughly than Easy Cleaning. Wait for it to cool, remove the tube and the dispenser cover, and pull out the milk system. Take it apart, wash every part in hot running water, and dry them. The kit includes a needle for cleaning the milk-tube nozzles. Don't put the milk system in the dishwasher.
5. Reassemble it carefully. Check the parts against the numbered diagram in your manual, and press the milk system firmly back into the dispenser. SMEG lists a badly fitted milk system as a cause of steam coming out instead of milk.
6. Still blocked? SMEG also lists limescale in the circuit. Descale (Fix 5).

Time: 5-15 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 15%
Difficulty: Easy

Prevention matters here. SMEG says the milk circuit needs a full clean after milk drinks, and the milk system needs cleaning every day you use it. The flashing Easy Cleaning key is the reminder. You can press any key to skip it and make another drink, but clean after the last one, before you switch off.

Easy Cleaning won't start? Hold the key for the full 3 seconds, with water in the tank.

BCC12: The Steam Wand

The BCC12's steam function is in the orange menu, and the wand only steams once the machine has reached steam temperature. SMEG's table gives three reasons for no steam or thin froth: the function wasn't started correctly, the temperature wasn't reached, or the wand is dirty.

1. Switch to the orange menu and check the drip tray is fitted.
2. Press the Steam key. It flashes while heating. Wait until it's steady and the buzzer sounds.
3. Use about 100 g (3.5 oz) of milk per cappuccino, cold skim or whole milk at about 41°F (5°C). Put the wand about 1 cm under the surface.
4. Press Steam again to start. Tilt the jug slightly and keep the tip near the surface to avoid big bubbles.
5. Steam stops by itself after 2 minutes. Press Steam to stop sooner, or to start again after the automatic stop.
6. Clean the wand. Once it's cool, turn the lower part of the wand anticlockwise and pull it down. Clear the steam outlet with the supplied cleaning needle, rinse it, and refit it.

After every use, run steam for a few seconds to clear the inside of the wand (with the drip tray fitted), and wipe it straight away with a damp cloth. SMEG also recommends a manual rinse after steaming: in the white menu, hold Hot water + the menu button for 3 seconds.

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Fix 5: Descaling Light: Run the Full Cycle (Works About 15% of the Time)

The descaling light comes on based on the water hardness setting, which is set to Hard at the factory. Steady, it's a warning. Flashing, the machine refuses every drink until you descale. Scale also causes some of the other faults above: a misread tank level and a blocked milk circuit.

1. Remove any softener filter from the tank.
2. Make sure the white menu is selected, with the keys lit white.
3. Fill the tank to MAX with water and descaler, using the descaler maker's dose. SMEG says to use a descaler it recommends.
4. Put a container that holds at least 1.4 liters under the dispenser (on a BCC12, under the steam wand as well).
5. With the machine ready, hold the menu button and the descale key together for 3 seconds: the Hot water key on a BCC13, the Coffee key on a BCC12. That key flashes orange and the descaling light stays on.
6. Stay nearby. The cycle takes about 30 minutes, with pauses, and may ask you to refill the tank. It ends when the tank runs out and that key turns white.
7. Rinse the tank, fill it to MAX with clean water, empty the container, and press the same key to start the rinse. The descale is finished when all the keys light white.

Time: About 45 minutes, including the rinse
Cost: The price of SMEG-recommended descaler
Success Rate: About 15%
Difficulty: Easy

If the menu or descale key blinks white at the end with the descaling light on, there wasn't enough solution. SMEG says to run a new descale.

Descaled, but the machine still won't work? SMEG's table names two causes. The rinse may not have finished, or the tank wasn't filled to MAX for the descale or the rinse. Empty the container, fill the tank and press the descale key again to continue. Won't switch off afterwards? The tank light is on: fill it so the machine can run its final rinse.

To cut down how often this comes on, test your water with the strip in the box and set the hardness. Hold the first drink key (Espresso on a BCC13, Ristretto on a BCC12) + the menu button for 3 seconds. Press that key to step through Soft, Medium and Hard (shown by the water, bean and grounds lights), then hold both again for 3 seconds to save.

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Fix 6: Coffee Weak, Slow or Not Hot Enough (Works About 10% of the Time)

These aren't lights, but they're in SMEG's table, and they come down to grind and temperature.

1. Weak, with little crema: the grind is too coarse. Turn the grinding knob anticlockwise (finer).
2. Slow, or only drips: the grind is too fine. Turn the knob clockwise (coarser). Some blends need a coarser grind than others. If the grind looks right, the dispenser may be clogged: clean it.
3. Only turn the knob while the grinder is running. SMEG warns that turning it with beans inside and the grinder stopped can damage the grinding unit. Start a coffee, then adjust.
4. Not hot: pre-heat the cup by rinsing it with hot water from the hot water key. After a break of more than 20 minutes, SMEG says the first coffees can come out cooler.

Time: 2-5 minutes
Cost: Free
Success Rate: About 10%
Difficulty: Easy

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When DIY Won't Work

Contact an authorised SMEG service centre if:

• All the keys flash together, and it doesn't clear after you make sure there's water in the tank and wait. SMEG calls this a hydraulic circuit error. The machine should reset itself and return to its starting position.
• The machine beeps twice and two key lights go off. SMEG lists this as a "general machine problem".
• The ON/OFF button doesn't work, even with the plug fully in at the wall and in the back of the machine.
• The steady "!" comes back after you've cleaned the brewing group and its compartment.

Drawer stuck? SMEG blames incorrect use. Turn the machine off and on, so its internal parts return to their correct positions.

SMEG's manual says not to repair the machine yourself, and to leave any servicing beyond the steps above to an authorised service representative. SMEG's UK and Ireland guarantee runs 2 years (register the machine). In Australia, coffee machines for domestic use carry a 2-year replacement warranty. Check the warranty card for your country.

Going away, or sending it for repair? Run SMEG's Empty system procedure first. Hold Espresso + Cappuccino (BCC13) or Ristretto + Hot water (BCC12) for 3 seconds. The machine drains the tank through the coffee circuit (and the BCC12's steam wand) and switches itself off after several minutes. Don't turn it off part-way.

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Keep the BCC12 and BCC13 Running

• Never turn the grind knob with the grinder stopped.
• Don't put the brewing group or the BCC13's milk system in the dishwasher. Only the internal drip tray and the milk container can go in.

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FAQ

What does the exclamation mark mean on a SMEG BCC13 or BCC12?

It's the brewing group alarm. Flashing, the side door is open or the brewing group is missing or wrongly fitted, and the machine won't make drinks. Steady, SMEG advises cleaning the brewing group, but drinks still work. A BCC02 uses the same symbol with the meanings reversed.

Why are the keys on my SMEG coffee machine orange?

You're in the orange menu, not seeing a fault. On a BCC13, white gives Espresso, Coffee, Hot water, Cappuccino and Latte macchiato, and orange gives Espresso light, Long espresso, American, Espresso macchiato and Milk foam. On a BCC12, white gives Ristretto, Espresso, Coffee and Hot water, and orange gives the light versions, Long coffee and the Steam function. Press the menu button to switch.

Can I make milk foam without coffee on the BCC13?

Yes. Switch to the orange menu and press Milk foam. The machine dispenses milk and stops by itself after a few seconds. Press the key again to stop it sooner.

How do I reset a SMEG BCC13 or BCC12 to factory settings?

Hold the ON/OFF button and the menu button together for at least 3 seconds. A single beep confirms the reset. It restores SMEG's original drink quantities. It won't clear an alarm light, which goes out only when you fix its cause.

What's the difference between the SMEG BCC12 and BCC13?

Milk. The BCC13 froths automatically with a built-in milk system fed by a tube, and has five drink keys including Cappuccino and Latte macchiato. The BCC12 has a steam wand you froth with by hand, and four keys. Their alarm lights and maintenance are the same in SMEG's manuals.

Can I turn off the beeps on a SMEG BCC13 or BCC12?

Yes. Hold the second drink key (Coffee on a BCC13, Espresso on a BCC12) and the menu button together for 3 seconds. That key flashes three times to confirm. Do the same again to turn the beeps back on.

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Related SMEG Guides

• SMEG bean-to-cup warning lights (BCC02): the steam-wand model, whose lights differ
• SMEG coffee machine troubleshooting: every SMEG coffee machine
• SMEG coffee grinder not working
• SMEG descaling guide

Sources: SMEG User Manuals, Bean to Cup Coffee Machine, Model BCC13 (91477A959) and Model BCC12 (91477A955); SMEG UK and Eire warranty conditions; SMEG Australia warranty.