Miele Coffee Machine Says “Fill Bean Container” (…Even When It’s Full)

What this post covers

• Why your Miele keeps asking for beans even though the hopper is full

• Quick DIY fixes you can do at home

• How to prevent it from coming back

A quick word about Miele

Miele’s super-automatic coffee systems are built like tiny German factories: consistent dosing, smart rinse cycles, and excellent espresso with one button. But like any super-automatic, they’re picky about bean type and maintenance. When you see “Fill bean container” with plenty of beans in the hopper, it’s usually the machine telling you not enough ground coffee made it into the brew unit, not that it can physically see an empty hopper (these machines don’t actually “measure” bean level).

The Problem (in plain English)

Symptom: The screen says “Fill bean container / Add coffee beans”. You can see beans in the hopper. Sometimes the drink comes out weak; sometimes the cycle aborts.

What’s really happening: The grinder isn’t delivering a proper dose into the brew unit. That can be because of:

• Bean flow issues (oily, dark beans or a slick film in the chute cause beans to “bridge” and stop feeding)

• Grind/dose settings that result in too little coffee being detected in the brew chamber (Miele notes this message isn’t a fault—there just wasn’t enough ground coffee detected)

• Stale/fragmented beans or fines compacted around the grinder outlet

• General residue in the hopper or chute after months of use

Miele’s own manuals also warn against caramelized/flavored beans—they leave sticky residue that can cause feed problems and damage internals.

Fix It Yourself: a 10-Minute Checklist

Start with the simplest change and work your way down—you’ll usually fix this without parts.

Swap the beans (fastest test). Fill the hopper with a medium-roast, dry bean—not shiny or oily—and pull two espressos. If the “Fill bean container” message stops, the old beans were too oily and weren’t feeding into the grinder reliably.

Wipe the hopper and de-slick the chute (machine OFF and cool). Empty the hopper completely. Using a dry paper towel, wipe away the thin oil film on the walls. Vacuum loose grounds around the hopper throat and the pre-ground chute if your model has one, but don’t insert tools into the burrs. Refill with fresh, dry beans and test again—oily residue causes “bridging,” which starves the grinder even when the hopper looks full.

Nudge your settings. Increase the coffee quantity one step. Then adjust the grind slightly: if you’re at the very finest notch, go one click coarser; if you’re very coarse, go one finer. This message appears when the brew unit doesn’t receive enough ground coffee, so these tweaks help restore a proper dose. Pull 2–3 drinks after each change to let the machine settle.

Rinse the brew unit. Remove the brew unit, rinse it under warm water, let it air-dry, and reinstall. A clean, freely moving brew chamber helps the machine “sense” and compress a full dose consistently.

Avoid flavored or caramelized beans. Miele warns against them because added sugars and flavors leave sticky residue that interferes with grinding and bean flow. Stick to plain, non-oily espresso beans to keep the feed path clean.

If the prompt still returns after all of the above—and especially if the grinder sounds strained or spins freely without biting—schedule service. A worn grinder, clogged outlet, or sticking flap can mimic the same symptom and needs a professional check.

Why It Happens (a bit deeper)

1. No actual bean-level sensor: The system infers “bean empty” when insufficient grounds reach the brew unit. That’s why you can see a full hopper but still get the message.

2. Oily beans change flow physics: Dark, shiny beans shed oil that coats the hopper and chute, making beans stick together (“bridging”) so the burrs starve. This is a known super-automatic quirk.

3. Settings matter: Too small a dose or the wrong grind setting can leave the brew chamber under-filled and trigger the alert. Miele’s support literally recommends tweaking grind degree and coffee quantity when you see this.

Prevent It From Coming Back

• Pick the right beans: Medium roast, dry surface. Avoid oily, flavored, or caramelized beans.

• Hopper hygiene: Every 1–2 weeks, empty remaining beans, wipe the hopper dry, and vacuum crumbs at the throat/chute. (Moisture + oil = sludge.)

• Don’t “top off” forever: Let the hopper run low before refilling so older beans don’t live there for months.

• Re-calibrate after changes: When you switch beans, expect to pull 2–3 drinks while you dial in grind and quantity.

• Regular brew-unit care: Rinse the brew unit weekly and follow Miele’s cleaning programs on schedule; it supports consistent dosing and detection.

When to Call a Pro

1. The grinder doesn’t spin or makes harsh metallic noises

2. The message persists after bean swap, cleaning, and setting tweaks

3. You see multiple prompts (e.g., “Fill bean container” plus unusual aborts)

A technician can inspect the grinder, outlet flap, and chute geometry, replace worn parts, and run a dosing test.