The TCHIBO: FAQs

Q: Can I also fill the machine with ground coffee?

A: No, only whole coffee beans – this ensures a fresh and aromatic cup of coffee every time.

Q. Can I fill the machine with two different types of coffee bean?

A: No, the Bean to Brew machine has one coffee bean compartment for your favorite coffee.

Q. How can I switch between making espresso and regular coffee – there is only one coffee bean compartment?

A: It is actually only possible to fill the machine with coffee beans as and when required, so you need to choose one type of coffee bean until you refill the machine: either espresso or regular coffee.

However, it is possible to make a very good espresso with regular coffee beans – and vice versa. Try it out and see what tastes good. If you make both types of coffee often, we recommend that you use strong, dark-roasted, regular coffee beans.

Q. Why is the price so low compared to other, similar coffee machines?

A: Tchibo wants as many people as possible to enjoy the taste of freshly-prepared coffee. Our new Bean to Brew machine has everything you need for this, including a high-quality stainless-steel grinder. However, we only focus on the necessary features that affect the taste of coffee -– not a lot of unnecessary extras. This allows us to offer you The Tchibo machine at an unbeatable value.

Q: How often do I need to clean the brewing unit?

A: If you use the Bean to Brew machine every day, we recommend cleaning the brewing unit once a week.

Q: How often should I descale the machine?

A: Descale your machine as soon as this is indicated on the display. This helps to save energy and increases the service life of your machine. Depending on how often you use your machine, you should do this once a month to a few times a year.

The descaling program consists of two steps: descaling and rinsing. You will find all details on this in the operating instructions and video instructions

Use a standard, liquid, descaling agent suitable for coffee and espresso machines. Other agents may damage materials in the machine and/or have no effect.

Q: The coffee is not hot enough. What can I do?

A: Especially in the case of espresso, the amount of coffee is so minimal compared to the size of the cup that it cools quickly. We recommend preheating your cup before making coffee. To do this, press the hot water button. Around 1.7 US fl. oz. (50 ml) of hot water will be dispensed into the cup. Pour the water away before starting to make a coffee.

Q: The coffee is too weak. What can I do?

A: Set the grinding degree to a finer setting and, if necessary, press the Boost button to make the coffee stronger.

Q: The rinsing cycle starts when the machine is switched on. What can I do?

A: The rinsing cycle starts automatically whenever the machine is switched on. You can interrupt the cycle by pressing the water button. However, you cannot deactivate this function.

During the rinsing cycle, coffee residue and leftover water are flushed out of the machine’s pipes, and the coffee spout opening is rinsed. This is crucial, as it ensures that the quality and temperature of your coffee remains consistent every single time.

You can find more information about possible adjustments in the operating instructions under “Adjusting the automatic rinsing cycle”.

Q: The coffee flows slowly out of the coffee spout. What can I do?

A: Adjust the grinder to a coarser setting.

Q: The machine takes an unusually long amount of time to heat up, so the coffee or hot water is only being dispensed in small amounts. What can I do?

A: The machine needs to be descaled even if the "Descale" symbol is not lit up. Proceed as described in the “Descaling” chapter in the operating instructions, or follow the steps in the descaling video.

Q: Why does my machine automatically switch into standby mode? How can I change the length of time for which the machine remains active?

A: The machine automatically switches into standby mode if you do not press any buttons for about 10 minutes. This helps to save energy.

You can increase this length of time to 20 or 30 or 120 minutes. You can find all details regarding this in the operating instructions under “Standby mode”.

Q: Why does the “Refill beans” symbol not light up even though the coffee bean compartment looks empty?

A: The machine detects if the coffee bean compartment is empty based on the energy consumption of the motor for the grinder. Even a small amount of coffee beans is enough to prevent the “Refill beans” symbol from being activated.

If this happens, brew one to two more cups of coffee. The symbol should then appear on the display.

Q: A small amount of ground coffee collects next to the brewing unit. Is this normal?

A: It is normal for a certain amount of coffee to collect next to the brewing unit – for technical reasons it is not possible to prevent this completely. This may happen in particular if the grinding degree has been set to a coarse setting, or if the Boost button is used, as this means that the brewing unit is filled with as much coffee as possible.

Q: The machine does not notify me when the water tank is empty. What may be causing this?

A: The water tank sensor should detect an empty water tank, prevent the machine from running on empty, and activate the corresponding warning symbol. However, leftover water on the outside of the tank may disrupt the sensor. If this happens, we recommend drying the outside of the tank after filling it with water.

The tank should not be filled with water after it has been inserted into the machine.

Q: I have emptied the coffee grounds container, but the “Empty coffee grounds” symbol is still flashing. What may be causing this?

A: The machine does not check the amount of coffee grounds in the coffee grounds container, but counts the number of times coffee is brewed. Because of this, the “Empty coffee grounds” symbol may still light up even if you have emptied the container in-between. Simply empty the container again.

When emptying the container, make sure that you do not reinsert the drawer and coffee grounds container into the machine until the “Empty coffee grounds” symbol starts to flash; only then has the machine registered that the container has been removed.

Emptying the coffee grounds container while the machine is switched off will not be registered.

Q: The rinsing cycle does not start when the machine is switched on, and the machine cannot be operated, despite all symbols being lit up correctly.

A: This can happen if the on/off button is pressed too gently. This does not happen if the button is pressed firmly. If the machine still cannot be operated, please call 877-547-9799