All coffee machines (of any type and brand) have a small control board and a microprocessor. The more complex it is, the more possibilities the machine offers. Tassimo capsule coffee machines are some of the cheapest on the market. Although they are of high quality, the cost reduction is partly felt in their technology.
As they do not have LCD screens, Tassimo coffee machines use light codes to communicate different machine statuses to the user. So, if the machine detects no water in the tank, it will use a red light next to the tap symbol to warn us, and it is up to us to interpret the message and act accordingly.
However, interpreting all the light codes on the Tassimo coffee machine is not easy, even less so when we don’t have the instruction manual close by. In this article, we will detail what each light means and its combinations according to each model of the Tassimo coffee machine to enjoy your coffee again immediately.
Meaning of the lights on the Suny, Caddy, Joy, Happy, Style and Vivy coffee machines
The simplest Tassimo coffee machines are the models you can see in the picture below. These models have Tassimo’s characteristic single button and 3 LED lights that can light up amber or red, depending on the different states of the coffee machine:
- Operation indicator: Cup symbol.
- Water tank indicator: Tap symbol.
- Calcification indicator: Spray symbol or letters “calc”.
As Tassimo has only one button to prepare the different beverages, the machine, through the barcode reader, will modify the preparation parameters for each capsule used.
| Cup symbol | Tap symbol | Spray symbol | Status of coffee machine |
| On Steady | Off | Off | Ready for operation |
| Off | Off | Off | Off / No voltage |
| On Steady | On Steady | Off | No water in the tank |
| On Steady (Red) | Off | Off | No pod recognition |
| On Steady | On Steady | On Steady | Self-test |
| Flashing | Flashing | Flashing | Incorrect Voltage |
| Off | Off | On Steady | Calcified Machine |
| Off | Off | Flashing | Machine heavily calcified |
| Off | On Steady | On Steady | Fault |
| Flashing | Off | Flashing | Descaling in progress |
Meaning of the lights on Fidelia, Amia, Charmy and My Way coffee machines
We have separated these four models from the previous ones because the lights, colours, and buttons differ slightly from the “classic Tassimo coffee machines”.
- On the one hand, the Fidelia and Amia coffee machines (on the right of the picture below) have two extra green lights: The hot cup symbol (automatic) and the cup+ symbol (manual).
- On the other hand, the Charmy has a “cup+” and a “cup-” symbol button, while the My Way is different from the others.
Exception of the lights on the Tassimo Fidelia and Amia:
On the Fidelia and Amia models, the meaning of all the lights is the same as in the table above, with one exception: when the coffee machine does not recognise the capsule, instead of lighting up the red brewing indicator, it changes from automatic mode (hot cup symbol) to manual mode (cup+ symbol).
Remember that these two models work in automatic mode by default, i.e. once the machine recognises the capsule, it serves the correct amount of water for that drink. However, the user can vary this amount of water by pressing and holding the “cup+” button until the desired amount of coffee is reached.
Exception of the lights on the Tassimo Charmy:
There is no exception to the general table of light meanings here. There are only the “cup+” and “cup-” buttons (and lights) for adding or removing water from our coffee preparations. These lights only indicate the amount of water we add or remove but are not used to inform the user of the machine’s status.
Exception of the lights on the Tassimo My Way:
The My Way is the most complex of all the coffee machines manufactured by Tassimo and the one that includes the most beverage customisation options:
- Coffee bean symbols (orange lights): Add or subtract intensity to drinks.
- Thermometer symbol (orange light): Add or remove temperature from drinks
- Cup symbols (orange light): Add or subtract the amount of water to or from beverages
- Symbols with numbers (orange light): Storing beverage settings
As with the Tassimo Charmy, all displays on the machine follow the initial table. We only have added buttons and lights related to the settings of the beverages we prepare. Still, these lights are not used to indicate the machine’s status.
All three lights on my Tassimo coffee machine are flashing
If we turn to our initial table, we can see that the machine indicates that the control board is not receiving the correct operating voltage.
It is unlikely that the socket in your home is delivering a faulty voltage, although it is not impossible. Most commonly, a capacitor on the control board has broken down, and the coffee maker cannot maintain a stable voltage.
Unplug the coffee maker for 5 or 10 minutes and plug it in again; if the problem persists, you should go to the technical service (if the coffee maker is under warranty) or replace the control board with a new one. Normally, these components are expensive, so I recommend buying a second-hand coffee machine of the same model and using its control board.
Tassimo operation indicator lights up red
Most Tassimo models can vary the colour of the operation indicator between orange and red. Looking at the table above, we can see that when the cup symbol (operation indicator) lights up steady red, the coffee machine does not recognise the coffee capsule.
To solve this problem, clean the reader and the barcode on the capsule. If the capsule is still not recognised, try another type of capsule. In extreme situations, the scanner is damaged and must be replaced with a new one.
The water tank light turns red, but there is water in the water tank
The red water tank indicator lights up when the water level is too low. However, it is possible that there is water and still the red LED lights up. This happens when the magnet inside the tank is stuck in its lower position.
Check that the magnet can go up when filling the tank with water because if the magnet does not go up, the machine will always indicate a lack of water. If the magnet goes up but the light still comes on, the magnet may have lost its magnetic power, and you will have to buy a replacement.
Red spray light on
If the spray light is glowing red, it is time to proceed with descaling. If it is not only on but also flashing, it is because the coffee machine is VERY calcified.
Related: Tassimo water leakage
