Are you planning to buy a Ninja CF112 or similar coffee maker? If you do, then perhaps you will find this guide useful. We have reviewed the most common issues with the Ninja coffee brewers and offered some solutions.
Since we have not experienced the majority of these issues, most solutions were offered by our readers and other reviewers. If you need information about replacing your unit – go here.
1. Ninja Coffee Bar Clean Light Is Always Turning On
If the clean light keeps coming on, then you might need to clean your coffee maker (doh!). Like all the other coffee makers, the Ninja Coffee bar needs regular cleaning and maintenance. If it is never cleaned and always left dirty, it might stop working as intended. The cleaning of the product depends on how frequently it is used.
The most common problem our readers face here is that no matter how often they clean it – the light just keeps coming back after a few days. Does that mean you haven’t cleaned it correctly, probably not? It is likely a malfunctioning unit. So, instead of relying on the light to remind you about the cleaning cycles, you might have to find another way to keep track. Annoying, yes, but you can always chat with Ninja and ask for your money back or a replacement unit.
The coffee maker has a built-in sensor that could tell when the calcium buildup is affecting the working ability of the machine and it also affects the taste of your coffee. The best way to prevent this problem from coming up is by cleaning it once every month. You can buy a descaling kit to remove the calcium build up or make one of your own. Regular cleaning of the machine will prevent the clean light from coming on often.
2. Ninja Coffee Bar Keeps Shutting Off – Ninja Coffee Bar Stops Brewing
The ninja coffee bar could shut off in the worst situations, especially when you haven’t finished brewing your coffee. So, when it does stop, check if:
- You have chosen the right brew. You might have pressed the wrong button.
- Your coffee brewer is dirty.
- You need to restart it.
If none of this work and your brewer is relatively new (1-2 years old), contact Ninja and ask for a replacement. Check out their warranty policies here.
3. Ninja Coffee Bar Leaking Water
Leaking water is just a minor problem. If it always happens to your coffee bar, then maybe the water reservoir has too much water already in it.
The Ninja Coffee has a line that indicates the limit of the amount of water that the reservoir can handle. Surely, if you only keep the water up to that line, then you’ll have no problem filling it up just right. However, when there are still leaks, despite putting the right amount of water in the reservoir, check if you have accidentally detached the reservoir.
4. Coffee Doesn’t Taste Good Anymore
The coffee taste is affected by many factors. If you’re having coffee taste issues, check if you’re dealing with the following issues:
- Your coffee beans are no longer fresh. Remember that you can’t keep them in your cabinet forever. Those beans have a finite shelf life! Not storing those beans properly could also lead to losing tons of flavor because of oxidation and release of gases of the coffee oils. It also helps to buy the best coffee beans. Don’t settle for coffee with vague labels, when you can buy better coffee.
- You’re using tap water. If it doesn’t taste well, filter it.
5. Ninja Coffee Bar Beeps 5 Times
If instead of brewing coffee, your machine just beeps, then you have a problem. But, if it continues to do so before the coffee is done; make sure that the filter mechanism is pushed all the way in and that the ‘drip stop’ is open. The beep often means that you have to adjust the brew settings.
If the brewer beeps mid-brew, or it doesn’t start brewing at all – you can try running 2 clean cycles and checking the water valve to make sure it is not plugged.
If your Ninja brewer experiences more serious issues, you should contact the manufacturer and ask for a replacement. The aim of this post is to brainstorm some quick and simple solutions offered by our readers.
Anthony is a professional barista in the city of Chicago. He has written for many online publications on various topics related to coffee.
This article is rediculous. The Coffee Ninja is just a BAD product. I could clean my machine every day, following the manufacturer’s instructions, and it still shuts off mid-brew. Sometimes the “needs cleaning” light comes on 3 days after I’ve cleaned it, sometimes it just shuts off with no cleaning light coming on. I unplug it, plug it back in after a minute or 2, and the problem still doesn’t get resolved. The problem doesn’t have anything to do with how clean it is, it has to do with it being a really REALLY bad product. Check out the millions of reviews of people all having the exact same problem.
Hey P Kay,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the Ninja brewer.
This post is not meant to review the product, it is a collection of common problems and their quick solutions that our readers have offered.
There is no guarantee that what has worked for other readers will work for you. As a consumer, you are within your right to reach out to Ninja and ask for a replacement (we haven’t heard of anyone getting their money back).
Here is a link to Ninja’s warranty page – https://www.ninjakitchen.com/warranty/
Hope that helps!
I’m having the problem of it shutting off before brewing much coffee. I’ve cleaned it and still have problems. I haven’t had the coffee maker that long, but I feel sure I’ll need to replace it soon. Too frustrating! Why does it stop brewing before time?
Mine worked great for 2 years.
Cleaned it regularly.
Now it wont stop beeping. Or do anything.
We paid alot fot this unit
Im bummed out.
Same here! Boo
Interesting…ours too started not brewing all thecwsy, four beeps, etc. I just cleaned it. We have had it two years.
Agreed! Cleaning light doesn’t go off despite appropriate cleaning, and now the drip stop “feature” prevents you from using it at all. Purchased less than 2 years ago. Will NEVER buy another Ninja or recommend this product. A $20 coffee pot lasted forever…
Stick to blenders Ninja!
Well I have the Ninja too, I had to open it up from the bottom and open the boiler up. I used a dremel tool with a wire brush. I polished the boiler up with it. It seems to make it work now… still a piece of junk brewer…
I’m having an issue where my coffee machine won’t come on at all.
I have called Ninja. They wanted to sell me another to replace it with a Very Slight discount!
Used my 3 times mind you 3 times!! Then it wouldn’t stop beeping They sent me another one Same crap Don’t buy this product Piece of junk Wast of good hard earned money..
My brewer keeps shutting down before brew time as well. Loved the coffee pot but has issues
Cleaner my unit , checked it all name it. I keep getting beeps and it will stop the brew. Even the cleaning cycle. I spent so much in this coffee maker because I wanted the best and here I am pouring hot water through the filter just to get my coffee in the morning. 😣😠
Great reply, Anthony. I have had my Ninja coffee maker for over three years and aside from descaling with some white vinegar and water, I have never had to do any maintenance. This coffee maker has been used twice a day for that long. It has been the best I’ve ever had. I especially appreciate that it starts by allowing the coffee to flower before the second round of brewing. I’ve recommended to others and they love theirs. All products have some shortcomings. Nothing is perfect.
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones!
The drip basket on my ninja coffee bar walked in the open position. When I finally got it closed a small pin with A spring attached to it fell out. When I try to brew now I get the five beeps and it stops brewing. I have cleaned it several times and I tried to find where the pin fell from with no success. Has anyone else had that problem?
Yes. And it is infuriating. I did talk with a customer service person who helped me. What I was told to do is take reservoir off and press the button 30 times to get an air bubble out. it took 3 times but it did work. It is like priming a pump. This worked and is not a joke. However, this last time it didn’t work. I can tell you it will happen if you let the water go dry and air get into the line. Always be sure you have a full reservoir. Also, call them and ask for a new base and you might be able to get one for $19.95 shipping. It is worth the try.
Hey Tom, did you figure out the spring issue? I just fixed it… there are 5 screws that hold the round basket container together that swivels open… the pin goes up into the black, plastic latch attached to the round “basket”. I had to take that basket apart with said 5 screws, and put the pin in, hold it, turned the coffee maker sideways to keep it from falling down and out. Then screwed it all back together.
I think you nailed it. It’s just a weird machine and unpredictable. It was a gift. I’ll never buy one.
Any kind of coffee I use taste bitter what am I doing wrong
I got the same problem . This is product is bad period.
Howdy;
When brewing coffee ( from ninja coffee bar Model # CF 080-69) It just drips down ( just cleaned it over weekend)
How can I make it brew faster?
Mine is doing the same exact thing. I have cleaned that silly thing so many times….it should be shiny on the inside.
Same here I find myself putting more vinegar though it than i do water to make coffee I do not recommend buying this unit your just throwing your money away . u can by 9 Mr coffee,s for the price of one ninja and the Mr coffee last for yrs
Slip one of these perfectly sized “O” rings over the the valve under the bottom of the water tank, along with little dabs of vaseline. This combination stopped my leak that Ninja and other web sites avoid answering:
uxcell Silicone O-Rings, 16mm Inner Diameter, 20mm OD, 2mm Width, Seal Gasket 10pcs from Amazon.
Ive tried to clean my ninja coffee maker,however,it shuts off so i have to start it again, any suggestions?
Push the drip basket in firmly. Mine is working right now!
Thank you , Bob. Pushing the drip basket in firmly worked! I’m embarrassed. I love my Ninja Coffee Bar and was disappointed after it stopped working after 18 months. At first the problem was intermittent and then it just stopped. I even ordered a newer model from Amazon with a warranty in case it fails. After reading your post, I pushed my drip basket in firmly and started a coffee perking cycle. It worked like a charm. Now I have a backup in case my current Ninja coffee maker goes bad!
I am struggle with having to constantly “clean” every 10 days. I have tried vinegar, descaling coffee maker solution, using only deer park water, and all the other suggestions. Every 10 days like clock work the clean button comes on. This is getting frustrating and expensive after a year of doing this. Any other suggestions?
I finally fixed the leaking issue. I opened up the window of my second story house and threw it out and it died of an overdose of gravity.
unplug it after you clean it that resets the time for cleaning its longer than ten days goes by how many brews
just had our Ninja coffee maker for 3 months and suddenly completely lost power. it shows no lights or indicators as if it is unplugged, is there a fix for this?
It is under warranty. Contact the manufacturer for a replacement.
My ninja would not allow first setting choice AND I could not set minutes. I inplugged and two months later it worked- now it decided to have SAME issues.
I have had this coffee maker for a month and already the brew cycle is not completing. I wish someone would please give me a refund or a gift card or replacement. I can’t just go out and buy another one
2 months – broken
I cannot clean under the plastic bubble/plug in the water cannister. It is quickly accumulating mold and the plug is impossible to remove. I even remove the cannister each day and let it air dry off of the machine to help with no avail. My next step is to run each through the machine. Help, because this mold grossing me out!
Have you heard back from Ninja on this? I am having the same problem and this seems to be a health concern to me.
We are having the same issue. Have you heard anything?
We just replaced our water canister after 2 1/2 yrs we only use filtered or spring water, no problems
My steel carafe the black stuff inside is coming off in my coffee this shouldn’t do that I’ve had a few years no problems but this is annoying
al of a sudden can not insert coffee filter into machine..
My Ninja coffee pot is leaking from the bottom, what can I do?
Mine is too. I was hoping to find an answer on here
Same problem as most on here, mine will run for 10 seconds or so and beeps 5 times before shutting off. I’ve ran vinegar through it several times but nothing. This was a Christmas present from my mother so it’s appropriately 8 months old. Very disappointed in this product.
I’ve been having the issue with the cleaning light coming on every few days and this is after running 5 or 6 cleaning cycles. Now I am starting to get the 5 beeps. It’ll do the first little brew while it lets the grounds get happy, but never does the second round to give me a full cup of coffee, just gives me the 5 beeps. I did some research and there are several YouTube videos on how to fix the 5 beep issue, I would recommend trying it, it’s not very difficult to do.
My ninja beeps three times and shuts off after just a few seconds of brewing. It doesnt matter if im making coffee or cleaning it. Do i just need to get a different brand of coffee maker or is there an easy fix for this problem?
Unit starts then stops after 5 seconds and beeps 5 times. I’ve checked the filter system and cleaned it even though the clean light never came on. Worked good for 6 months. Frustrated !!
I’ve had my coffee ninja for about 18 months now and this happens probably every 2 months. The first couple times I didn’t have a clue what to do, researched everywhere but have now found out a fix (well for 2 months anyway until it happens again).
Basically it stops because it needs de scaling, so fill the reservoir with white vinegar-no diluting it with water, then press the clean button. It will beep and shut off after a few seconds, but just keep pressing the clean button after until bit by bit, the whole reservoir has gone through.
Then, from the jug, pour the hot vinegar back into the reservoir and repeat. Because it keeps stopping this is a time consuming process, but after a couple of cycles, the length of time between starting and beeping will get longer until eventually you can run the whole cleaning cycle. I then do the whole thing a few times fully through for good measure, topping the vinegar up with water when needed.
It generally takes me about 20 minutes which isn’t great first thing in the morning, but it gets the job done for a while and it will work perfectly until then!
Also, you can kind of pre-empt when you are going to need to do this because the quantity of coffee it dishes out suddenly drops off-like when I fill my flask to take with me it gives a lot less than the full cup it usually does!
Let me know if this works for you!
Same problem. Frustrating.
Had it less than a year
I have had mine for about 1 1/2 yrs and recently when the clean light comes on and I follow the instructions it won’t go off. I have tried to clean it 2 or 3 times and just gave up I know it is clean it works just fine… so I unplugged it and the light was off but then a few days later it came on again! I again cleaned it! I have cleaned it every wk. It wont go off and stay off unless I unplug it and then sometimes that doesn’t work…
What can I do? do I have to use only coffee pot cleaner for Ninja? I cant find it I have used vinegar usually then used other brand coffee pot cleaner. no luck please help me..
So here’s how I fixed this problem: after cleaning multiple times I finally got the Clean light to go off BUT still had the problem of the Ninja shutting off after about 10 seconds of brewing and beeping 5 times. The fix: take the water reservoir off, put your mouth over the water inlet and blow as much air as you can through the system. Be sure to have a carafe in place because lots of water will blow out. It’s a weird thing to do but it worked for me! My Ninja has been working perfectly for a week. No need to take the thing apart. We’ll see how long it goes before the Clean light reappears. Hope this helps some of you out there!
My story is the same as Wolverine’s. I used my electric bike tire air pump and blew air into the port below the water fill container. Works like a charm now. Best coffee machine ever when it works.
I tried different cleaners, I saw videos of it took apart. Than I read this. I took my blaster bulb off and pushed the tube against it backwards and blew until I heard it hum and then some. Than I used cold water and vinegar and it cycled full cycle. It is working again and I found this post to work just fine.
Thank you this worked afterwords I ran full clean cycle with vinegar and water. No problem.
Well, you guessed it. My coffee seems to start fine and within seconds it starts beeping and shuts off.
Has anyone got an answer yet on how to fix this. Thanks
Is the water canister supposed to leak water when filling up at your kitchen faucet. Mine leaks water when filling up so I have to leave on the coffee maker can’t take it off to fill. Is this normal?
No, it is not supposed to leak. The reservoir used to be my favorite convenience of my Ninja coffee maker. The water reservoir just leaking on me. It worked great for about 6 months. Now, I have to hold my finger at the bottom of the reservoir or it will pour out the bottom when filling. I tried descaling it thinking maybe there is scale keeping it open, but maybe the spring is bad? There doesn’t seem to be a way to open the spring-loaded seal. There are two screws, but they are encased in plastic. I called since it is under warranty, but Ninja won’t just send me a new water reservoir ($20) on their website. They want me to ship the entire unit back to them and then when they receive it they will send me a whole new unit. Has anyone been able to fix their leaking Ninja water reservoir?
My ninja keep telling me to add water. I inially only wanted a small mug amount then it kept telling me to “add water” so I kept adding water each time it beeped and then I just added more coffee and made my usually half craft amount and it’s still not working. I just got this in September and would like to know how this problem can be fixed. Thank you
My ninja has the drip stop and it has stopped working. I slide left for drip stop, take out carafe and coffee drips all over. Wondering if there is a fix for that?
My Ninja coffee maker is strange. I fill the reservoir with water to the 12 cup line. I would love to use the timer so my coffee will be ready first thing in the morning, but within one hour in the evening after filling it, it is down to 2! There are NO leaks, my countertop is not wet anywhere. Where is the water going??
So in the mornings I have to add the water once again. I don’t get where the water is going…very strange!!
My Ninja with the crazy water issue is Model CE200
I got my coffee maker last year and now, it beeps and then shuts off.
What am I doing wrong here?….it wasn’t doing it when I first got it, and now…it is crapping on me, at the very worst moment of my day…morning. But it does cuts off all the time anyways..the problem I have is that I can’t find the receipt for the warranty…
As a veteran…coffee is very important to us…it helps us to think the day ahead, it relax us, it gives us and help us with a moment of solitude and self meditation while holding the warm brew, it help me to keep my marriage intact because coffee is our love language…
Help please…
My whole power bar not working is started with classic brew .then i had to select rich brew then rich brew out .now i got to buy another coffee maker im not to happy with ninja coffee maker i regret buying it.
Had mine now for two years, suddenly only getting a third of a mug & warning as if filter holes are closed. After reading all of these posts it’s become clear that the only course of action is it’s death by throwing in a skip as I tried everything else on here. Gonna be a sad moment as it made great coffee.
I have had the Ninga Drip Coffee Maker for a few years. Have cleaned a few times in the early time that I had it but the Clean Light Indicator never went off.
This week I started a fresh pot of drip coffee, went outside to get some fresh. When I came back in to the kitchen I smelled a slight burning plastic/rubber smell. Being an Electronic Technician I knew what that smell was, just didn’t know where it was coming from. Checked all the power outlets in the house to see if any one of them was warm, didn’t find any of them to be warm. Next day the same thing happened again. NOTE: We had always turned the plate heater off after the pot has brewed because my wife didn’t want the burnt coffee taste.
Third day the smell was stronger, deducting that the only common denominator was that this was happening when I had used the Ninga CoffeeMaker. Found the power plug and wire of the unit to be warm. Pulled the plug out of the outlet and found the metal prongs to be hot!
Threw the unit out and purchased a Mr. Coffee unit. I had used two Mr. Coffee units probably 40 years. Only bought the second one because my wife thought first one was too old.
My wife wanted a new CoffeeMaker to match her kitchen decor and we purchased this Ninga unit. Turned out that it just about cost me my house. Never purchase another Ninga another product again, let my kids know what happened too. And guess what! Same thing happened to one of them too.
Something went wrong with pump because has burning smell to it can u get another pump for it?
It doesn’t have a pump. The water is gravity-fed through a one-way valve into the bottom of the heater chamber. Hot water then leaves the heater chamber from the top, travelling up the pipe to the “brew basket” as Ninja like to call it. The water expands as it’s heating up which causes it to be forced out of the top of the heater and up the pipe to the brew-basket. The syphon principle helps to keep the water moving so long as there are no air bubbles or leaks in the system.
This is not unique to the Ninja Coffee Bar, ALL drip/filter coffee makers work this way. The only thing that makes the Ninja machines different to other coffee makers is the electronic control system that turns the heater on and off for specific timed periods allowing you to brew the various quantities (Full Carafe, Half Carafe, Mug & Travel Mug).
This electronic control system is how Ninja justify the ridiculous price of their machines but they’re in less of a hurry to tell you that it’s also the cause of nearly all the common problems and faults.
Ninja’s documentation suggests that this machine can somehow detect calcium build-up to tell you when it needs cleaning. It has absolutely no way of doing this. The only three sensors it has are a magnetic switch behind the brew-basket which activates when drip-lock is on, a temperature sensor on the hotplate which lights the “Hot Surface” LED and a temperature sensor on the heater chamber. The cleaning LED is either working on timed intervals or being activated by the sensor on the heater chamber detecting a slightly higher temperature than it’s expecting, suggesting that the water isn’t flowing as fast as it should. Either way, it’s another problem that’s very common (too common) with these machines.
The best way to avoid these problems is simple – don’t buy a Ninja Coffee Bar! A basic drip / filter coffee maker does exactly the same thing, it does it the same way and it’s about 95% cheaper! If you want the option to brew smaller amounts than a full carafe, all you have to do is put less water in the resevoir. A normal drip / filter machine will keep going until all the water is used.
If the timer feature is important to you, you want fresh coffee when you wake up in the morning and you simply cannot wait three minutes while it brews, then plug the basic machine into a simple mains timer which you can buy online for a few pounds / dollars.
when I try to brew a full pot I get a lot of steam and very little (1 inch) of coffee. I have filled the reservoir to the appropriate line and tried to brew a second full pot and still only get about 1 inch. There does not appear to be any leaks but the water disappears, just lots of steam.