Breville BES870 grinder delivers no coffee or is loud
Cause 1 of 4There are no coffee beans in the hopper. Source: Troubleshooting, p. 33
First checkFill the hopper with fresh coffee beans.
Causes and checks
There are no coffee beans in the hopper. Source: Troubleshooting, p. 33
- Fill the hopper with fresh coffee beans.
The grinder chamber or chute is blocked. Source: Troubleshooting, p. 33
- Clean and clear the grinder chamber and chute.
- If the blockage is between the burrs and the grinder outlet, use the advanced grinder cleaning in the instruction book (page 25).
There is water or moisture in the grinder chamber and chute. Source: Troubleshooting, p. 33
- Clean and clear the grinder chamber and chute.
- Make sure the burrs are thoroughly dry before reassembling.
There is a blockage or foreign object in the grinder (loud noise). Source: Troubleshooting, p. 33
- Remove the hopper and check for debris or blockage.
- If necessary, clean and clear the grinder chamber and chute (page 25).
All 4 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: 1-800-953-1668). Source: Back cover, p. 112
Other BES870 problems
- No water from the group head4 causes in the manual. First: the machine is still heating.
- Espresso only drips, or does not flow7 causes in the manual. First: coffee is ground too finely.
- Espresso runs too quickly3 causes in the manual. First: coffee is ground too coarsely.
- Espresso leaks around the portafilter4 causes in the manual. First: the portafilter is not inserted in the group head correctly.
- No steam6 causes in the manual. First: still heating. The STEAM/HOT WATER light flashes while it heats; water purging from the wand meanwhile is normal.
- Coffee is not hot enough5 causes in the manual. First: the cups are not pre-heated.
- No crema4 causes in the manual. First: coffee is tamped too lightly.
- Drip tray fills quickly or water appears under the machine4 causes in the manual. First: the auto purge feature releases water into the drip tray after the espresso, hot water and steam functions, so the thermocoil is at the optimal temperature.
- Machine is on but stops workingThe thermal cut-out may have tripped because the pump or grinder overheated.
- Too much or too little espresso in the cupGrind settings or programmed shot volumes need adjusting.
Sources
- the Barista Express Instruction Book, BES870 (English, Canadian French and Mexican Spanish edition). Breville Pty Ltd. Document BES870 USCM, revision X20, 2020, 112 pages, en-US. assets.breville.com (PDF). Retrieved 12 November 2026.
Page numbers are the numbers printed in the manual. Where this page and the manual differ, follow the manual.