Frequently Asked Questions

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PLEASE NOTE: All Sprada machines are provided with a concise and easy to use Owner's manual. To ensure the happy and continuous great coffee experience only a Sprada coffee machine can provide, please familiarise yourself with the manual and correct operating procedures for your machine.

Machine Troubleshooting

Q: I have recently purchased a Sprada coffee machine and after plugging the machine in, filling with water and beans, the standby light does not come on. How can I get it to work?
A: The machine has not been turned on at the back. The machine has an on/off switch at the back. If this does not solve the problem, move the plug to a different socket and try to turn on again. Should the problem persist, please contact the Sprada technical team.

Q: After pressing the one cup or two cup buttons the 'fill beans' indicator flashes even though there are beans in the container. How do I solve this?
A: The beans are not dropping freely into the grinder. Swirl the beans around in the container to allow them to move freely. Press the one-cup button and while the grinder is moving, adjust the setting to its coarsest. Press the one-cup button again and readjust the grind to the desired setting.

Q: During the cleaning or descaling cycle, the remove drip tray symbol flashes even though I have removed the drip tray. How do I continue with the cycle?
A: Remove the drip tray and check that the gap between the contacts is dry and free of residue, allow 5 seconds for the electronics to register that the tray is removed and replace. Continue the cycle as indicated.

Q: The coffee only comes out of the spout of my Sprada machine in small drops, so percolation takes a very long time. What is causing this problem?
A: The coffee is probably too finely ground. Please adjust the grind fineness settings so that it is coarser (Warning: Only adjust the grinding control when the grinder is in motion). When preparing pre-ground coffee, using the powder chute, make sure that the coffee powder is not too fine. To clean the coffee nozzles, fill a cup with boiling water to the brim. Place under the nozzles and push the slide down until the nozzles are submerged under the surface of the water. Allow them to soak and then gently brush with a soft brush to clear any remaining residue. If this does not alleviate the problem, open the pre-ground flap until the 'scoop' symbol appears; turn the volume dial to half the volume and press the one cup button. This will rinse through the brewing unit and allow better flow of coffee. Repeat if necessary.

Q: When using my Sprada frother the milk becomes hot, but does not froth very well. What can I do to alleviate this?
A: The frother attachment is dirty or blocked. Gently unscrew the nozzle and take the pieces apart. Soak all the pieces in boiling water to soften any built up residue. Gently brush with a soft brush to remove any residual milk. While the nozzle is off, draw hot water through the steam nozzle to rinse through any build up in the pipe system. Put the nozzle back together and screw back in place. To avoid future problems, draw hot water through the system after frothing and 'froth' the water to rinse away any milk in the system.

Q: I accidentally put ground coffee in the bean container. How do I prevent any damage to my machine?
A: Empty the beans out of the machine and remove any excess grinds from the container by wiping with a damp cloth (excess water MUST NOT go into the grinder so ensure the cloth is almost dry). Press the one-cup button to pull the remaining grinds through the system and refill with beans.

Q: Is it normal for water to run into the drip tray every time that coffee has been dispensed?
A: Yes, this is normal. After every use, the residual water and the coffee grounds are dispensed into the drip tray and grounds container respectively. Excessive water in the drip tray after making one cup of coffee may indicate that a service is required. Please contact the Sprada technical team.

Q: The drip tray indicator is on even though the drip tray is empty. How do I solve this?
A: The contacts at the back of the drip tray are dirty. Take out the drip tray and empty any residue. With a soft brush, brush between the two contacts removing any build up, dry the contacts and replace the tray. To avoid this in future, always empty the tray to the front and occasionally brush the contacts to remove any residue.

Q: I accidentally poured water in the bean container. How do I prevent this from damaging the machine?
A: Turn off the machine and allow the machine to dry thoroughly. To avoid possible damage to the grinder, contact Sprada technical to have the machine serviced.

Q: The machine is asking for a water filter change/replacement but I do not use a filter or pre-filtered water. How do I remove the symbol?
A: The machine was erroneously programmed to filter mode. Use your owner's manual and de-programme the filter mode as indicated.

Q: During the cleaning cycle the machine does not register that I have put a cleaning tablet into the pre-ground chute. How do I get the machine to register this?
A: The electronics have not registered the pre-ground flap opening. Open the flap and wait for 5 to 10 seconds for the electronics to register, close the flap and proceed through the rest of the cycle.

Q: I accidentally poured water down the pre-ground chute. How do I prevent this from damaging the machine?
A: Use the machine as normal; allow the chute to dry thoroughly before putting in any pre-ground coffee.

Q: The grinder is very noisy and it sounds like something is stuck. What is wrong with the grinder?
A: This is possible due to a foreign/hard bean moving through the grinder. Press the one-cup button and while the grinder is moving, select the coarsest grind. Allow the machine to process a cup of coffee and if the noise continues, repeat the one-cup process until the grinder sounds normal. Press the one-cup button and readjust the grind setting to the one you prefer while the grinder is in operation. If the problem persists, contact the Sprada technical team.

Q: I accidentally put chocolate coated/ flavoured beans in the machine. What do I do?
A: Do not operate the machine further. The machines are designed for only coffee beans and any additives/flavourings added to the coffee will form a residue in the grinder. Contact Sprada technical for a service on your machine.

Q: The 'Fill pipe system' indicator is on even though there is water in the water tank. How do I solve this?
A: An air bubble has formed in the water/pipe system. Place a cup under the water/steam nozzle and turn the right hand dial. Allow the water to run through until it stops on its own. Turn the right hand knob back to 12 O'Clock, repeat if necessary until the indicator disappears. If problem persists, contact the Sprada technical team.

Q: How can I adjust the taste?
A: Firstly you can, of course, choose mild, normal or strong coffee during the preparation at the touch of a button (the ground amount is adjusted at this point, between 7, 9 and 11 g coffee per cup). The grinding setting should be adjusted to medium. Finally, you should sample one espresso or coffee. If the espresso is too strong or too weak for you, you should adjust the ground quantity accordingly (so, for example, if it is too strong, adjust to normal or mild; if it is too weak, it requires more ground coffee, so adjust to normal or strong). After you have made this adjustment, the grinding setting can be fine-tuned (Warning: only adjust the grinding setting when the grinder is in motion). For a more intense taste, for instance for an espresso, you should decrease the coarseness at this point, and increase it for milder coffee, until you have found the optimum result for your taste.


General Tips and Maintenance

To ensure that your SPRADA coffee machine produces top-quality coffee and functions correctly, the machine should be cleaned and maintained on a daily basis. You should proceed as follows:

• Empty coffee grounds container and drip tray every day and rinse with hot water.
• Clean and de-scale the machine or change the CLARIS filter cartridge when instructed to do so in the display.
• Wipe the machine surface with a damp cloth.


Cleaning

Milk Frother:

For optimal enjoyment of Cappuccino and other drinks, the frother must be kept clean of traces of milk.
Please note that the frother always has to be cleaned well after preparing (frothing) milk.

• Tip: Use the special Sprada milk cleaner for cleaning.
• Note: The fat content of milk does not influence frothing. It is also possible to use low-fat milk.
• Tip: If you are not using a CLARIS filter cartridge, run the descaling programme because calcium deposits in the pipes can impair steam preparation.

Unscrew the nozzle as in the diagram, clean air channel and holes.

Auto-Cappuccinotore:

If the Auto-Cappuccino is to fulfil your coffee dreams, it needs to be cleaned regularly.

• Tip: after frothing the Auto-Cappuccino, rinse it with fresh water. To do this, dip the hose in a container of water and draw off steam until only clean water flows.
• Note: the Auto-Cappuccino can be completely disassembled for the purposes of giving it a thorough clean.
• Tip: to ensure that all traces of milk are removed, we recommend using the Auto Cappuccino Cleaner from time to time.


Coffee Taste and Coffee Temperature

Coffee Taste:

Are you dissatisfied with the coffee taste? A poor coffee taste may be due to the following possible causes:

• The strength is not set according to your taste. Please note that you can adjust the strength of your coffee by pressing the bean selector button to be mild (7g grind); normal (9g grind) or strong (11g grind).
• The descaling programme was performed with the CLARIS filter cartridge inserted. In this case, remove the filter, insert a new one and change the machine over to using the filter in programming mode.
• Your coffee beans are 'sour'. Empty the bean container and fill it with fresh beans.

Coffee Temperature:

Is your coffee not hot enough? A coffee temperature that is too low may be due to the following possible causes:

• The coffee temperature has not been set to HIGH. Please note that the temperature can be set by entering the programming mode as explained in the manual.
• If you are not using a CLARIS filter cartridge or pre-filtered water, the machine might have built up limescale deposits. Check the water hardness, set the machine to the correct water hardness and perform descaling.
• Tip: Pre-warm your cup!

Caramelised Coffee Beans:

• To ensure that your machine provides satisfaction for a long time and to avoid repairs, please note that the grinder on your Sprada coffee machine is not suitable for coffee beans that have been treated with additives (e. g. sugar or flavouring) during or after roasting.
• Use of such coffee mixtures can result in damage to the grinder. Any repair costs incurred as a result are not covered by the warranty provisions.