Ratio Eight Series 2: Excessive Steam

Have you noticed an unusual amount of steam coming from the shower head or the water reservoir fill area? In most cases, this is simply condensation escaping into the open air. Because the water reaches brewing temperatures that are much higher than the surrounding air, it's normal to see visible steam during the brew cycle—especially in colder environments.

Less commonly, excessive steam may indicate that the heating element is running hotter than intended. This can be accompanied by unusually loud bubbling or percolation sounds during brewing. If you notice an excessive amount of steam or hear louder-than-normal percolation, the steps below will help you determine the cause and identify the best next steps.


An Overheating Heater

Overheating can occur in the following main circumstances:

1. Limescale buildup in the heating element
2. Dry Limescale inside the system
3. Using too much descaling solution during a wash cycle

These can be prevented by descaling your machine monthly using our instructions, brewing with filtered water, and double-checking that you're using the correct amount of descaler. If the machine has been sitting for a long time, the inner lines can dry and limescale could solidify. Even if you're not planning to use the machine for a few months, it's best practice to continue your descaling routine as normal.

Some excess steam during descaling cycles can be normal, and you can expect that there will be a louder percolating sound from the suds. However, if anything seems out of the norm, it's safe to check with us by sending an email and video to our CX team.

Next Steps:

If your machine is still functioning normally after noticing excess steam, feel free to try a descaling cycle if you haven't done one in a while. If this occurred during a wash cycle, be sure to note if the machine no longer operates as expected.

Overheating could lead to the fuse that connects the heating element to the circuit board to blow if limescale has been allowed to accumulate over a significant amount of time. Ideally the machine should go into cool-down mode, but sometimes this is bypassed if the machine isn't well-maintained.

That being said, a blown heater fuse would be apparent if the Bloom and/or Brew light is flashing indefinitely without any water movement. Below are the next steps to address a blown heater fuse.

The next step is to fill out this Warranty Form. By submitting the completed form, you'll be agreeing to Ratio's Warranty Policy. As soon as we receive your submitted form, a member of our support team will follow up with all of the information you'll need to package and ship your Ratio to us for repair.

To keep things running smoothly, please ensure the information provided is as accurate as possible.


If you have any questions, please reach out to us at hello@ratiocoffee.com.