Why Is My Nespresso Vertuo Next Not Working? 4 Best Fix

Is your Nespresso Vertuo next not working? Jump into our guide and discover problems that could stop the machine from working and how to fix them.

Your faithful Nespresso Vertuo Next decided to stop working?

There could be numerous reasons for that.

I’ve personally experienced a handful of situations of Nespresso Vertuo Next not working.

Today, I’ll share them all with you.

Let’s dive straight in. You might also be interested in our Nespresso Essenza review.

My Nespresso Vertuo Next Is Not Working: Problems & Fixes

Nespresso is a simple machine. Yet, when it stops working, troubleshooting it is not the easiest thing in the world. A lot of things could get wrong – some of them are easy fixes, but others require more input from you.

In this section, we’ll cover all the possibilities.

The machine is not adequately plugged in

I know what you’re thinking – that’s too obvious. 

But that’s exactly what I said once before seeing that the cord was actually not plugged in. 

In my defense, I wasn’t the one unplugging the machine in the first place. But the fact that I didn’t check the outlet means I wasted a solid 10 minutes trying everything else.

Don’t be me. Check the outlet before checking the Nespresso machine itself.

Not enough water in the tank

Nespresso Vertuo Next has a water tank capacity of 37 ounces. So, if you’re a heavy coffee drinker, it won’t take long for you to empty the whole thing.

And maybe, at some point, you’ll forget to refill it before using the machine again.

If there’s an insufficient amount of water inside the tank (or none at all), your Nespresso Vertuo Next will stop working. At that point, the coffee button should start blinking orange, indicating that the issue lies in the reservoir.

If that happens, what you need to do is pretty straightforward:

1. Turn your machine off.
2. Remove the water tank and refill it with fresh water.
3. Put it back into its designated position.
4. Turn Vertuo Next Nespresso machine on.

The machine head is not closed properly

You’d be surprised how common this issue is. If you ask me, that’s partly the fault of Nespresso,  as they made the machine head rather light. So when you close it, you might not actually feel that you didn’t do it the whole way.

When this happens, your Vertuo Next Nespresso machine will blink orange and go back to white light. 

But what does it mean to close it all the way? Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the machine head on the Nespresso Vertuo Next.
2. Push down the head.
3. Move the lever left towards the locked position.

Bubbles stuck between the pump and the tank

This is an issue that can often occur if you let the machine dry out the water tank. 

At some point, along with a tiny bit of water left, the machine can also suck in air, which is not good. 

When there are bubbles stuck between the pump and the tank, your Vertuo Next Nespresso machine can no longer pump water. At the same time, it will sound like it’s working something – but it obviously isn’t.

Luckily, that’s also an easy issue to fix. You’ll just need a tube or a straw.

Here’s what to do:

1. Fill the water reservoir with fresh water.
2. Grab a tube or a straw, and fix it over the orange gasket inside the tank.
3. Turn the Nespresso Vertuo Next machine on.
4. Start blowing air forcefully through the straw. You might need to do this a few times to get the bubbles out, but it’s a foolproof method.

The machine doesn’t recognize the capsule

How does Nespresso Vertuo Next know which coffee pod is inside? 

Well, simple. Each Nespresso Vertuo capsule has a barcode, and the machine has a laser barcode reader inside the capsule holder. 

Now, the barcode is embedded on the rim five times. So, regardless of how you position the capsule, it should be able to read it.

But that doesn’t actually happen 100% of the time. And the main reason why is actually coffee residue inside the capsule holder. 

This, luckily, can be fixed with a cloth and a bit of warm water.

Alternatively, the barcode on the capsule can be dirty or damaged. Fixing a dirty barcode is easy, but if the damage is the problem, then you’ll need to contact Nespresso for a replacement.

Finally, another reason why your Vertuo Next might not recognize the capsule is that it needs a reset.

Here’s how to do that:

1. Turn on your Nespresso coffee machine.
2. Open the brew head, allowing the old Nespresso capsule to slide into the designated capsule container.
3. Close the brew head again, but leave the lever in the unlocked position.
4. Press the brew button five times within three seconds. This should cause the brew light to flash five times slowly, then turn solid white.

The software needs an update

Sometimes, resetting your machine doesn’t do the trick. The reason behind this is obvious – the software is outdated. 

To update it, you need to connect the machine to your phone first.

Here’s what you need to do, step by step:

1. Download the Nespresso App using the Play Store or App Store on your phone.
2. Turn the Bluetooth on.
3. Open the app on your phone. Click on the machine icon in the corner and find your model to pair with. To do this, you should be standing close to your Nespresso.
4. Once paired, the app will ask you to connect to your wifi. At this point, you just need to enter the password, and you’ll have full access to the app.
5. To update your Vertuo machine, click on the coffee machine icon in the right corner. Then, press update.
6. Let the app do its magic.

The machine needs descaling

Descaling a coffee machine is necessary but not always convenient. 

Let’s say you have 20 minutes before you need to go to work. Would you rather spend that time descaling your machine or making coffee? Obviously, the second option.

However, if your machine is way overdue when it comes to descaling, you won’t be able to choose. In fact, you can only brew a few times after you get a descaling alert before it becomes mandatory.

Although it’s a bit time-consuming, descaling is rather simple to do. Here are the steps:

1. With the coffee maker plugged in, empty the capsule holder and the drip tray.
2. Fill the water tank with a descaling solution and 17 ounces of water.
3. Close the machine head and lock the lever to the left before turning the machine on.
4. Unlock the lever while keeping the head closed. 
5. Press and hold the button until the steady light goes off, then starts blinking orange. When this happens, turn the lever left to lock it, then right to unlock it.
6. Then, again, hold the button until it starts blinking orange. You should do this quickly after step 4 – no more than 45 seconds after.
7. Lock the lever. At this point, the light should still be blinking, indicating that you entered the descale mode.
8. Place a large container underneath the spout to collect water.
9. Press and release the button to start the descaling process.
10. Once the cycle is done, rinse the water tank and refill it with fresh water. Put it back in place.
11. Press and release the button to start the rinsing cycle. When the machine stops, it’s done. 

FAQ

Have other questions related to this Vertuo model? Let’s solve them through this short FAQ.

To Sum Things Up 

As you can see, a lot of things can cause Nespresso Vertuo Next to stop working.

In most cases, the issue is caused by something trivial, like an empty water tank. 

Keep in mind that Nespresso updates its software on a regular basis, so an old version can also be the reason why your machine is not working.

Have other issues with your Nespresso? Here’s our in-depth guide on how to solve every possible problem with this machine.