Espresso Machine Brews Into the Drip Tray

Espresso Machine Sends Everything Into the Drip Tray When You Brew (Nothing in the Cup)

You press brew, the pump starts, you hear water moving…
but instead of rich espresso, the drip tray fills up and your cup stays empty.

If your machine:

• Sounds mostly normal
• Maybe even pre-infuses a bit
• But all the water ends up in the drip tray or inside the machine when you brew

…this is that exact problem.

First Things First: When to STOP Immediately

Unplug the machine and stop using it if you notice:

• Water pouring out from the bottom of the machine onto the counter
• A drip tray that goes from “empty” to “completely full” during a single brew attempt
• Any hint of burning plastic, hot electrics, or smoke along with the leak
• The machine has to be tipped to empty water that’s sloshing inside the case

That usually means an internal hose, fitting, or valve has failed and is dumping pressurized hot water where it absolutely shouldn’t be.

If you’re seeing any of that, don’t keep “testing” it.
Unplug it and plan on a bench inspection.

What’s Supposed to Happen vs. What’s Actually Happening

Inside most espresso machines, the brew water has two main paths when you press brew:

1. Through the coffee → out the spouts into your cup
2. Back to the drip tray via valves and safety bypasses when pressure needs to be relieved

When everything is healthy:

• Most water goes through the puck
• A small amount occasionally gets vented into the tray when the pump stops or pressure spikes

When your machine is broken the way we’re talking about:

• The “to drip tray” path is basically wide open
• The “to coffee” path is blocked or bypassed
• So every time you press brew, the machine just dumps hot water into the tray instead of pushing it through the coffee

That’s why it sounds like it’s brewing but nothing is coming out of the portafilter.

The Real-World Culprits We See Over and Over

Different brands (Breville, Gaggia, DeLonghi, Jura, etc.) use slightly different layouts, but in the shop we see the same failure patterns again and again:

1. Stuck or failed three‑way / brew valve

This is the valve that decides whether water:

• Goes through the group head
• Or vents into the drip tray

When it sticks or its coil fails:

• It gets “stuck in drain mode”
• The pump runs, but the easiest path is straight to the tray
• You get a sad trickle or nothing from the spouts

2. Cracked plastic fittings or blown O‑rings on the brew circuit

Pressurized water leaving the pump hits:

• Plastic elbows
• Silicone hoses
• Small internal manifolds

If an O‑ring blows or a fitting cracks:

• Water shoots out internally
• It often finds its way into the drip tray or sump
• In bad cases it leaks out the bottom of the machine

3. Over‑pressure valve constantly dumping to tray

Most machines have an expansion/over‑pressure valve that:

• Protects the system if pressure goes too high
• Vents excess water back into the drip tray

If that valve sticks partially open, or if the coffee path is severely blocked:

• The pump builds pressure
• The valve opens and stays open
• Almost everything goes to the tray instead of through the coffee

4. Internal blockages between boiler and group head

Heavy scale or coffee oils inside:

• Small internal channels
• The shower screen block
• Group passages

When these clog, it’s easier for water to go wherever the safety and drain paths lead—usually the tray.

Quick Checks You Can Do Without Opening Anything

These won’t fix a broken valve or blown seal, but they will help you rule out simple stuff and give your repair tech better info.

1. Watch where the water goes with no portafilter

• Remove the portafilter completely
• Put an empty cup under the group head
• Press brew and watch:

If almost nothing comes out of the group but the drip tray fills quickly, you’re very likely dealing with an internal valve / leak issue, not a grind or puck problem.

2. Try with the steam wand open (if your machine allows it)

• With no portafilter in, crack the steam knob open slightly
• Press brew

If:

• Water eagerly comes from the wand
• But still avoids the group and/or floods the tray

…that’s another strong hint that the internal brew path is compromised and the water is taking alternative exits instead.

3. Check for obvious blockages at the shower screen

If your machine has a removable shower screen:

• Remove it (following the manual)
• Rinse and scrub any thick coffee crud off
• Reinstall and test again

If behavior is exactly the same, the problem is deeper than surface-level cleaning.

Why This Usually Isn’t “Just Descale It and Move On”

Internet advice loves “just descale it.”

Descaling helps when:

• You have reduced flow
• Temperature issues
• General scale buildup

It usually does not fix:

• Cracked fittings
• Blown O‑rings
• A three‑way valve that’s stuck or burned out
• An over‑pressure valve that’s jammed open

In some cases, heavy descaling can actually finish off already‑weak seals or valves and start the “everything dumps to the tray” problem right after a descale.

If the machine suddenly started doing this right:

• After a move
• After a big descale
• After a period of sitting unused

…that’s exactly the pattern we see when an already‑tired valve or fitting finally lets go.

What a Proper Repair Shop Does for This Symptom

On the bench, a tech won’t guess—they’ll make the machine prove what’s wrong.

Typical steps:

1. Reproduce the symptom
   • Brew with and without a portafilter
   • Confirm how fast the tray fills vs. the group output
2. Open the machine and inspect the brew path
   • Look for wet spots, mineral trails, or obvious bursts around hoses and valves
   • Check that all clamps and fittings are secure
3. Test valves and over‑pressure components
   • Energize the three‑way/brew valve and confirm it actually shifts paths
   • Check coils electrically and mechanically
   • Test the OPV to see if it’s stuck open or opening way too early
4. Check for blockages
   • Run water and pressure tests from boiler outlet to group head
   • Clean or rebuild the group assembly if it’s clogged solid
5. Replace or rebuild the failed parts
   • New O‑rings and seals
   • New valve or pump components as needed
   • Then, multiple brew tests to make sure water goes where it should: through the coffee, not into the tray

When It’s Time to Stop Fiddling and Send It In

It’s probably time for a real repair if:

• Your drip tray fills during brew attempts while the cup stays empty
• You can hear water moving strongly, but almost none comes from the group
• You’ve cleaned the shower screen and tried simple checks with no change
• You see any leaking from the base or around the body during brew

At that point you’re not dealing with grind, tamp, or cleaning.
You’re dealing with failing internal parts under pressure.

Let a tech handle the hot water, pressure, and electrics on the bench.
You just handle choosing the beans.

Links & Next Steps

• Request a free mail‑in repair quote from Mad Lab Repair – describe the symptom as:
  “Machine sounds like it’s brewing, but almost all the water goes into the drip tray instead of the cup.”
• Attach a quick phone video of the drip tray filling during a brew attempt – that kind of clip is gold for the techs and usually speeds up diagnosis.

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