When you see the light flashing on your De’Longhi coffee machine, don’t panic, it’s not broken! The light simply mean the machine is heating up; it doesn’t mean anything’s wrong. Give it some time to warm up and then proceed.
Hit the steam button to begin the warming process. The light will start to flash.
Once it reaches pressure inside the boiler, which takes only a couple of minutes, you can start frothing milk. While the light is still flashing, though, your water won’t be hot enough. Both the coffee icon and the espresso icon is still dark, but the steam light continues to flash. As soon as the heating cycle ends, the light go steady.
How to Operate the Steam Dial
Now, you’ll need to turn the dial that says “Steam” or “Hot Water.” It’s on the side of the thing, right here:
The dial regulates how much steam comes out of the thing (or hot water). The solid light confirm the system is ready, and turning the dial signals the release of the steam.
Submerge the stainless steel frothing wand into a mug of milk (submerged just enough to get the correct texture on your drink). Let the machine take care of adjusting the temperature, that’s what it does.
You’ll simply use your hands to direct the wand. There are no digital menus or anything like that; it’s all done by hand.
You turn the knob, there’s a hissing noise, and the steam starts flowing. The light turns solid, and of course, with cappuccinos, you want to see the milk swirling around in the cup.
It’s controlled by that mechanical knob. There’s no need for any firmware updates. Because it’s just engineering at its simplest form, it works. Once you’re done drinking your beverage, turn the knob all the way back, and it’ll shut off the steam flow.
The light eventually goes off, and the machine returns to standby mode.
Then the light stops flashing and stays on. It’s not broken, it was just waiting for the heat up time. You should of cleaned your wand now (so no milk build up). This also means you respected the heat up time.
The next time the light comes on, you’ll know its warming up and won’t freak out! Turn the knob when the solid light show up. And don’t rush it; it won’t do anything if you force the steam. Once you get it, though, it’s simple. It’s totally worth the wait.