DeLonghi A02 Alarm — Grinder Fault Fix

What Does This Error Mean?

A02 means the grinder motor stalled — almost always a foreign object jammed in the burrs, or oily beans clumping.
Power off, empty the bean hopper completely, and check the grinder mouth for stones, twigs, or anything that isn't a coffee bean.
This is a hands-on fix but usually quick once you know what to look for.

Affected Models

DeLonghi Magnifica S
DeLonghi Dinamica
DeLonghi Eletta
DeLonghi PrimaDonna
DeLonghi La Specialista

Common Causes

Stone or pit jammed between the burrs (most common with cheap beans)
Oily beans clumping and stalling the motor
Beans bridging — grinder runs but nothing reaches the burrs
Burrs worn down — won't grind, motor strains
Grinder motor itself failing (uncommon, usually after years)

How to Fix It

Power off and unplug.

Switch off and unplug from the wall.
You don't want the grinder kicking in while your hand is anywhere near the burrs.
Wait 30 seconds for any residual motion to stop.
Empty the bean hopper completely.

Tip the beans out into a container.
Remove the hopper if your model allows, or vacuum the beans out with a small handheld vacuum.
You need the hopper empty to inspect the grinder.
Inspect the grinder mouth.

Shine a light into the now-empty hopper.
You should see the metal burrs at the bottom.
Look for anything that isn't beans — pebbles, twigs, foil bits.
Use tweezers to remove anything you find.
Run the grinder briefly empty.

Power back on and trigger a brew with no water (or whatever your model's empty-grinder test is).
The grinder should spin freely without strain.
Listen — a healthy grinder is quick and clean; a labouring motor will sound strained.
Refill with fresh, dry beans.

Refill the hopper with the beans you took out — but check them first.
If the original beans had visible debris, switch to a different bag.
Cheap beans frequently include stones; quality beans are sorted to remove them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of beans cause A02 most often?

Cheap beans straight from a bulk bin.
They're often unsorted and contain small stones or twigs that can damage burrs.
Premium specialty beans are sorted multiple times — almost never have foreign objects.
If A02 happens more than once a year, switch to better beans.

Can A02 damage the grinder permanently?

If a stone is in the burrs and the motor keeps trying to spin, yes — chipped burrs and a strained motor are real risks.
That's why DeLonghi shuts down with A02 quickly.
If you've been getting A02 frequently, have a service centre check the burr edges before assuming nothing's wrong.