Can I fix this myself?

Yes, this is routine maintenance rather than a repair. Follow the steps above using the consumable the manufacturer specifies, and if the message returns immediately after a correctly completed cycle, treat it as a service call.

Will this code clear on its own?

Maintenance prompts clear when the cycle they are asking for is completed in full — stopping partway usually leaves the counter running. Fault codes clear when the underlying condition is corrected, not by power-cycling past them.

Gaggia The machine must be descaled: Descaling required — Causes and Fixes

Routine maintenanceUpdated August 3, 2026

Gaggia · Anima

The machine must be descaled — Descaling required

Routine maintenance

What the machine is reporting

The machine must be descaled.

Likely causes, most likely first

Scale accumulation has reached the machine's descale interval

What to do

1. Use only Gaggia descaling solution designed to guarantee the machine's performance. Failure to descale the machine will void the warranty.
2. Select 'DESCALING' from the menu, confirm, and press START/STOP.
3. Pour the entire bottle of Gaggia descaling solution into the water tank and fill it, then follow the display instructions to run the descaling and rinse cycles.
4. Once complete, rinse the water circuit and tank.
5. When the descaling procedure is active the brew group cannot be removed — wait for it to end first.
6. Never drink the solution dispensed during the descaling process.

Source: Indicator wording: Gaggia North America 'Anima Series Error Codes'; descaling procedure: GAGGIA MAGENTA PLUS RI8700 Operating instructions 4219-465-05151 Rev 02, 'Descaling' p.27. Transcribed from Gaggia's own published documentation — we do not repair machines and do not publish fixes we cannot cite.

When to stop and call a technician

The machine trips a breaker, smells of burning, or shows scorched wiring.
Water is leaking from inside the chassis rather than from the tank, tray or portafilter.
The fault involves the boiler, a pressure valve, the heating element or the pump itself.
The code returns immediately after a correctly completed reset or maintenance cycle.
The machine is under warranty — opening it yourself usually ends that cover.

Never bypass, disable or remove a safety device — a thermal fuse, pressure relief valve or lid interlock is the part standing between a fault and a fire. Do not open a pressurised boiler or work on mains wiring.

Machines this applies to

What the fix needs

Descaler
Descaling removes the mineral scale this fault is caused by. Use a product made for espresso machines.
Find on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These are category searches, not product endorsements — always use the consumable your machine's own manual specifies.

Other Gaggia codes

03 — Brew group blocked in work position
04 — Brew group blocked in home position
Replace the INTENZA+ water filter — Replace the INTENZA+ water filter
Milk carafe ducts should be cleaned — Milk carafe ducts need cleaning
02 — Grinder disconnected
10 — Temperature sensor short circuit

All Gaggia error codes →

Frequently asked

What does Gaggia The machine must be descaled mean?: The machine must be descaled.
Can I fix this myself?: Yes, this is routine maintenance rather than a repair. Follow the steps above using the consumable the manufacturer specifies, and if the message returns immediately after a correctly completed cycle, treat it as a service call.
Where do these steps come from?: They are transcribed from Indicator wording: Gaggia North America 'Anima Series Error Codes'; descaling procedure: GAGGIA MAGENTA PLUS RI8700 Operating instructions 4219-465-05151 Rev 02, 'Descaling' p.27. We do not repair machines and we do not publish a fix we cannot cite to the manufacturer.
Will this code clear on its own?: Maintenance prompts clear when the cycle they are asking for is completed in full — stopping partway usually leaves the counter running. Fault codes clear when the underlying condition is corrected, not by power-cycling past them.