Does your Hamilton Beach Flexbrew keep saying ‘needle’? This common alert is a signal that the needles in your coffee maker are blocked and need cleaning.
This guide provides step-by-step instructions to resolve this issue, ensuring your Flexbrew gets back to brewing the perfect cup of coffee in no time.
How To Fix A Hamilton Beach Flexbrew That Says ‘Needle’?
When your Hamilton Beach Flexbrew shows the ‘needle’ message, it means that the needles are clogged and need to be cleaned.
To fix the ‘needle’ message on a Hamilton Beach Flexbrew, clean the bottom and top needles with a straightened paper clip and rinse under water. Run water-only cycles to flush out debris.
If the message persists, descale the machine with a vinegar-water mix (3 cups each for coffee pot side, 1 cup each for single serve side), letting it sit for 30 minutes, then rinse 2-3 times with fresh water.
If issues continue, contact Hamilton Beach customer service.
Let’s go into some more detail on how to do this below!
Unclog The Needles In The Lid And Basket
The “needle” message typically appears when the two needles inside the coffee capsule area are blocked by old coffee grounds or mineral deposits. To resolve this issue, follow these steps:
Clean The Bottom Needle
To clean the lower needle, start by taking out the K-cup holder from the machine. straighten a paper clip and use it to poke through the needle from the bottom to remove any blockages.
Move the paper clip upward into the basket area to make sure it is completely clean. Next, bring this part to a sink and rinse it under flowing water.
For a thorough cleaning, consider using a brush to remove all leftover debris.
Clean The Top Needle
Next, let’s focus on the upper needle. A great feature of Hamilton Beach coffee makers is that you can easily remove this needle.
To take it out, align the arrow with the ‘unlock’ symbol, pull the needle towards you, and slide it off.
Then, straighten another paper clip and insert it from the back end of this needle to clear any blockages. While doing this, run water through the needle to help wash away the loosened debris.
Gently move the paper clip side to side inside the needle to make sure all blockages are broken apart.
To put the top needle back in place, line it up with ‘unlock’, push it upwards, and twist until it clicks into the ‘lock’ position.
Run A Rinse Cycle
After you’ve cleaned both needles, make sure to run several water-only cycles without a K-cup. This helps to wash away any remaining bits of debris from the needles, making sure your next coffee brew is fresh and clean.
To complete this step, simply close your coffee maker’s lid, pick the option for a single cup size, and run a brewing cycle with just water. Do this as many times as needed.
Additionally, unclogging the needles might help to remove the ‘overload’ warning message. If that message persists, though, more action may be required to completely fix the problem.
Clean and Descale Your FlexBrew
After cleaning the needles of your Flexbrew, it’s a smart move to run a descaling cycle. This ensures that your coffee maker is as clean as possible and operating at its best.
Additionally, mineral buildup can block the water flow, which might lead to your Hamilton Beach Flexbrew saying overload. Running a descaling cycle might solve this issue as well.
Before starting make sure the filter basket, capsule holder, and coffee pot are empty.
Descaling Coffee Pot Side
- Add 3 cups of vinegar and 3 cups of water to the reservoir.
- Begin brewing, after 30-60 sec turn the Flexbrew off and leave vinegar in for 30 minutes.
- Restart to complete the vinegar cycle.
- Once the cycle is finished, empty and clean the pot.
- Fill it with fresh water to the 12-cup mark and run it through the coffee maker to rinse out the vinegar.
- Repeat the rinse 2-3 times.
Descaling Single Serve Side
- Add 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water to the reservoir.
- Start brewing, after the solution starts to come out of the dispensing spout, turn the FlexBrew off.
- Let it set for about 30 minutes.
- Restart to complete the vinegar cycle.
- Now, empty the container and clean the parts.
- Fill the reservoir with fresh water and run a rinse cycle.
- Repeat the rinse 2-3 times.
The Last Thing You Could Try
If you’ve attempted all the troubleshooting steps and your Hamilton Beach Flexbrew is still showing the needle message, it may not just be a minor hiccup. The issue might be more significant, such as a malfunctioning pump.
In this situation, it’s best to reach out to Hamilton Beach’s customer service. If your machine is still within its warranty period, they might replace it for you.
However, if your warranty has lapsed, they often offer a substantial discount to assist you in purchasing a new machine.
Conclusion
When your Hamilton Beach Flexbrew displays the ‘needle’ message, it’s signaling for a cleanup.
Start with cleaning both needles using a paper clip and rinsing them well. If the issue persists, a thorough descaling with a vinegar-water mix is your next step.
Run fresh water through the machine to rinse it thoroughly.
If these steps don’t resolve the issue, contacting Hamilton Beach’s customer service is your best bet. Here’s to a smoothly running coffee maker!
Thanks for reading!