Breville BES500 espresso only drips from the spouts, or does not flow
Cause 1 of 6Grind too fine. Source: Troubleshooting, p. 20
First checkUse a slightly coarser grind.
Causes and checks
Grind too fine. Source: Troubleshooting, p. 20
- Use a slightly coarser grind.
Too much coffee in the basket. Source: Troubleshooting, p. 20
- Lower the dose and trim it with the Razor tool after tamping.
Coffee tamped too firmly. Source: Troubleshooting, p. 20
- Tamp with 22–33 lb (10–15 kg) of pressure.
Water tank empty or not locked in. Source: Troubleshooting, p. 20
- Fill the tank and push it down until it locks.
Filter basket holes blocked. Source: Troubleshooting, p. 20
- Clear the holes with the pin on the cleaning tool.
Machine needs descaling. Source: Troubleshooting, p. 20
- Descale the machine. See Descale the Bambino Plus.
All 6 causes checked. Contact Breville Consumer Support: 1-866-273-8455.
Service
If the checks above do not clear it, contact Breville Consumer Support: 1-866-273-8455, breville.com/us/support. United States (Canada: 1-855-683-3535; Mexico: 800-649-0543). Source: Back cover, p. 72
Other BES500 problems
- No water from the group head, or no hot water4 causes in the manual. First: water tank empty.
- Water does not come through and the machine is loudWater tank empty or below MIN.
- Espresso runs too quickly3 causes in the manual. First: grind too coarse.
- Espresso runs out around the edge of the portafilter3 causes in the manual. First: portafilter not fully inserted.
- No steam4 causes in the manual. First: machine not yet at operating temperature.
- Coffee is not hot enoughPortafilter not preheated.
- Milk is too hotMilk jug not positioned correctly on the temperature sensor.
- No crema4 causes in the manual. First: coffee is tamped too lightly.
- Water leaking or water in the drip tray after steaming2 causes in the manual. First: normal auto-purge: right after steaming the machine releases water into the drip tray to bring the thermocoil to temperature.
- Machine is on but stops workingThe safety thermal cut-out may have tripped because the pump overheated.
- Too much or too little espresso in the cupGrind amount, grind size or shot volume needs adjusting.
Sources
- the Bambino Plus Instruction Book, BES500 Series (English, Canadian French and Mexican Spanish edition). Breville Pty Ltd. Document BES500 USCM, revision Y25, 2025, 72 pages, en-US. assets.breville.com (PDF). Listed on the manufacturer's support page. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
Page numbers are the numbers printed in the manual. Where this page and the manual differ, follow the manual.