FAQ 

Once the machine is ready, it takes less than a minute to prepare a cup of coffee. Before the first cycle, the coffee machine will heat the water for approximately 90 seconds.

Philips offers a 2-year warranty from date of purchase with an original sales receipt, and agrees to repair or replace the coffee machine without charge. Excluded are the cord, coffee pods, accessories, and damage resulting from misuse or abuse.

No. The Philips SENSEO® coffee machine is designed to prepare coffee with SENSEO® coffee pods from Douwe Egberts.

Yes if the machine is not in use for an hour, it will turn off automatically. However we would advise you to unplug the coffee machine if it is not in use.

Yes, parts that are removable are dishwasher safe i.e. the coffee outflow unit, pod holders, cup tray, drip tray and the water reservoir.

Do not remove the water reservoir during a brewing cycle as this will cause the machine to draw in air. When this happens, the next cup will only be partly filled. Just wait until the brewing finishes and re-fill the water tank.

We have a normal and a larger pod holder. When you want to make two cups of coffee at the same time or a larger mug, be sure to use two pods or a mug size pod with the larger pod holder.

Check that you have used the correct number of pods in the appropriate pod holder for the number cups selected or try a different coffee variety to suit your taste.

When you first turn on the coffee machine, we suggest that you run a one-cup brew cycle with an empty pod holder in place. This will ensure that the boiler is heated to proper brewing conditions and that you will have a hot cup of coffee. SENSEO® prepares your coffee up to 82ºcelcius which is the ideal temperature for brewing coffee. You can also rinse the cup or mug with hot water a couple of times to pre-heat it.

The pod holder is probably blocked, and may require cleaning. A vacuum may have temporarily formed under the lid. Turn the machine off, pull the lever up as far it will go and wait 24 hours before opening. Use a soft brush or a toothpick to remove the coffee grounds trapped in the coffee pod holder. If the problem persists, contact Customer Care at: scopus.dap@sitel.co.uk or call 0845 6010354.

You may have skipped the first step to flush the appliance with water. The boiler must be filled with water before the brew cycle begins. Or, you may be using the SENSEO® coffee machine at higher altitudes above 6800 ft. above sea level. When you use the SENSEO® coffee machine at higher altitudes, 6800 ft. (+) above sea level, the water in the machine will boil sooner than the machine requires for brewing. The coffee machine will produce more steam and less coffee per cup under these conditions.

When there is not enough water in the reservoir to make a cup of coffee, the indicator light will blink quickly to indicate that the reservoir needs to be refilled. Or, the appliance is in a room where the temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The appliance will not function properly at these lower temperatures.

You may have skipped the first step to flush the appliance with water. The boiler must be filled with water before the brew cycle begins.

Perhaps the sieve in the centre of the pod holder is clogged. If this is the case, unclog the sieve by rinsing the pod holder under a running tap. Use a small brush to clean the sieve, if necessary. The machine may also need to be descaled. See directions for use for "descaling" process in the Senseo User Manual at the top of this page.

It's time to clean or "descale" the appliance when you notice that the brewing process takes longer than usual. If the machine is used twice daily on average, we recommend descaling once every three months. See directions for use for "descaling" process in the Senseo User Manual at the top of this page.

The pod may not be positioned properly. Put the pod in the pod holder with the flat 'SENSEO®' side facing up, and check whether the coffee is evenly distributed by pressing the pod down firmly before you close the lid. Also double check you're not using a mug size pod with a single pod holder.

Yes. Descaling is an important element in Senseo maintenance. It should be done at least once every three months, up to six times a year!

Keeping your Senseo free of scale will:

• Ensure you have maximum cup volume
• Ensure you have maximum coffee temperature
• Make your Senseo produce less sound while brewing
• Prevent your Senseo from malfunctioning
• Prolong your Senseo's life.

The descaling process takes about one hour and should not be interrupted. Only a descaling agent based on citric acid can be used safely in the Senseo. Other agents, including vinegar, may damage your appliance or not remove the scale entirely. If the procedure is not performed correctly, scale residue may remain in the machine. This causes scale to build up more quickly and may cause permanent and irreparable damage to the machine.

For the right procedure to descale your type of Senseo, see attached documents.

Descaling for HD7830, HD7832 and HD7842   

Descaling for HD7805 through to HD7826, HD7840 and HD7841 

The unique brewing method produces a crema coffee layer. This is not made of cream, but it is the secret of the SENSEO® taste. It forms a lid over the coffee and locks in the delicious taste and fine aroma for you to enjoy.

If you take milk, try it with just a dash. You’ll be surprised how little you need. Heat the milk up so it doesn’t cool your coffee.

Our Original and Selections ranges offer a European style cup of coffee. 

Want a bigger cup, choose from our Mug Size range or try putting two Original or Selections coffee pods in at once and selecting the mug option.

If you feel like having two cups, put two cups on the machine, pop in two normal pods or a mug size pod and select the mug option (right button).

SENSEO® prepares your coffee up to 82ºcelcius which is the ideal temperature for brewing coffee. This also allows you to enjoy your freshly brewed coffee straight away. If you still feel it's too cold you could rinse the cup or mug with hot water a couple of times so it doesn't cool the coffee down.

SENSEO® coffee doesn't brew an espresso coffee. Espresso is a strong coffee brewed by quickly forcing hot water or steam through darkly roasted, finely ground, coffee beans. SENSEO® coffee grounds are not as finely ground. The mode of filtration is also different which is why the taste of Douwe Egberts SENSEO® coffee is closer to filtered coffee.

The shelf-life date codes are indicated on the package. We advise you to use the coffee pods within 2-3 weeks of opening and store in an airtight container.

There is approximately 4 ounces of coffee when the one-cup button is pressed. When the two-cup button is pressed, put in two single pods or one mug size pod which will yield two 4-ounce cups or one 8-ounce mug.

Due to confidential company policy, we do not reveal exact origins of the coffees. The blends mainly consist of a balanced blend of Central American and Brazilian coffees.

There are three different ranges of SENSEO® coffee varieties for use with the SENSEO® coffee machine. Our Original range consists of Medium Roast, Dark Roast, and Decaffeinated in packs of 18 pods. SENSEO® Selections range includes Kenya, Brazil and Colombia blends in packs of 16 pods. Our Mug size range includes Classic Roast and Dark Roast both available in packs of 20. You can find out the difference between our coffee pod varieties under the products section.

SENSEO® coffee, after blending and roasting, is only ground coffee. To keep the coffee as fresh as possible after roasting, it is packaged quickly after grinding in a protective environment locking out as much oxygen as possible, as oxygen ages the coffee.

The majority of our blends consists of wet processed, 'washed Arabica', where water was used to remove the bean from the coffee berry.

The SENSEO® coffee packaging is made of plastic with a very thin layer of aluminium to provide a good barrier to oxygen. To keep the coffee aroma for a longer period of time, SENSEO® coffee pods are packed under nitrogen to remove the oxygen (packed in a protective environment) This process is completely harmless for people's health. Nitrogen is the major component of the air we breathe.

All our pods are made of natural fibres and can be discarded as compostable waste.

Medium and Dark Roast: between 70 and 90mg/100ml; Decaffeinated: less than 3mg/100ml. These are average amounts as they may vary depending on the natural caffeine differences from the coffee beans.

We recommend keeping SENSEO® coffee pods in a cool place in its original sealed package, but not in the freezer. After opening the bag, keep the pods in its reseal able bag or airtight container for up to 2- 3 weeks. Do not place the pods in the refrigerator, as it tends to attract odours and moisture, which can affect flavour.