Error 18 means the machine refuses to make a drink because at least one slot has invalid recipe values — usually a zero or an extreme number. The fix is to find and correct the bad recipe.
What it means
One or more slots have dosage values the machine cannot use. Most common cases:
- A zero in Water, Powder, or Drink Volume.
- An extreme value (for example 999) entered by mistake.
- Drink Volume set lower than Water + Powder (the drink physically wouldn’t fit in the cup).
Quick fix
- Press the CONTROLLER REBOOT button to clear the active error message.
- Open Service Menu → Configurator → Dosages and review every slot. Look for any zeros, the value 999, or any obviously wrong number.
- Correct the bad value. As a sanity check: Water ≥ 5 × Powder, and Drink Volume ≥ Water + Powder.
- Save and try a test drink.
Prevention
Error 18 is almost always the result of a manual edit in Dosages. Whenever you change a recipe, double-check the new numbers before leaving the Service Menu — and verify the rule Water ≥ 5 × Powder. If you’re not sure why a recipe needs to be changed, contact support@ishakerusa.com before editing.