Coffee is not creamy enough
Your coffee seems to have a coarse texture, or spouts out too quickly.
Grind the coffee more finely
If the texture of your coffee doesn't seem right, it may not be an issue with the barista. Simply grind the coffee beans more finely.
Coffee spouts out too slowly
Your barista is taking too long to make your drink.
Grind the coffee more coarsely
If your coffee is spouting out more slowly than expected, it may be due to the coffee beans used. Try grinding the coffee beans more coarsely.
Ready light won't turn on
The green ready light is not signalling that the machine is ready.
Power cord is not plugged in
Make sure that your barista is securely plugged into a power outlet.
Not heating up
If the machine does not achieve its optimal heat, it will not signal that it is ready for brewing. If you haven't used an anti-scaling agent within the last 3 months, there may be calcium buildup on the boiler. Run an anti-scaling agent through the water hose. The amount of time and anti-scaling agent necessary will vary depending on what kind of agent you use. (Avoid using alternative remedies as your anti-scaling agent. First try using a proper descaling agent.) This should help clear the boiler of calcium buildup.
Water won't flow through hose
There seems to be a blockage inside the machine preventing the water from flowing.
Bent hose
The water hose, located inside the machine, may be crimped or bent, blocking flow. In order to undo this, you will need to remove the outer casing of the machine. The water hose is clear and is one of the bigger tubes. Straighten the water hose that goes into water tank.
Pump needs priming
If the pump has been idle for a while it may become "airlocked" and not work.
- With the pump running alternatively turn the steam knob on and off.
- You can use a turkey baster/ear bulb or similar item to force the pump to prime. Fill the bulb with water and insert it into the water hose. With the pump running, squeeze water into the hose until the water flows easily. Then turn off the pump and place the hose into the filled water tank and resume priming.
Clogged steam wand
If your steam wand seems to be clogged, the water flow may be blocked within the steam wand itself. Try the following:
- Using a needle, poke through the end of the steam wand to unclog it.
- Using a crescent wrench, remove the steam wand and clean off any residue or obstruction that would cause it to clog.
GFI switch shorts out
You plugged the machine in and tried turning it on, but the GFI switch on the wall blew out.
Power cord damage
Visible deformities on your barista's power cord may be responsible for damage to the cable that caused the GFI switch to short. If the cord is damaged, it may need to be replaced.
Faulty outlet
This may be an issue not concerning the barista, but rather the outlet the power cord is plugged into. Try plugging in your machine into a different power outlet, or into an outlet at your neighbor's house, as the issue may be inadequate electrical service at your residence.
Boiler shorted
It's possible that your barista overheated and caused the internal heating element to rupture, which causes the boiler to short. To assess if this is the cause, remove the casing of the machine and check for continuity between the two heating contacts (the two prongs sticking out at 90 degree angles). If there is no continuity between the prongs, the boiler needs to be replaced.
Équipe
Cal Poly, Team 4-42, Regan Winter 2011 Membre de l'équipe Cal Poly, Team 4-42, Regan Winter 2011
CPSU-REGAN-W11S4G42
4 membres
10 tutoriels rédigés
63 commentaires
It should be noted that this machine has a "pressurized" porta-filter that has an issue of locking up and not letting the coffee through. I just pulled that device out and it works fine!
Thank you!
Ron - Réponse
Then you are not using a pressurized PF.
Well you do have the restriction of the black disk that does create backpressure, but not the pressure build up that the valve provides.
Gary Naka -
Mine was working.. then started tripping the gfci. I did the connectivity check and there is connectivity. So what could it be? TIA
Ramen Sarap - Réponse
my shots are super bitter with this machine
is it the portafilter.
i bought a baritza grinder, changed the shower screen, spring and gasket, I use bottled spring water and locally roasted beans,
what could it be?
i see a lot of comments with the non-pressurized portafilters? is this better? i already took apart the pressurized portafilter and cleaned it, no change???
angelahortega - Réponse
The portafilter is fine.
Adjust the taste by changing the grind size.
A rough guideline for a starting point is, the grind should be about the size of table salt.
Then adjust from there by taste.
- For LESS SOUR, grind FINER.
- For LESS BITTER, grind COARSER.
Initially, I prefer to make larger adjustments on the grinder, like steps of 5 (or more), rather than small steps of 1 or 2. This gets me closer to a good grind faster.
Then when I am close, smaller steps of 2 then 1.
Note1. When grinding FINER, do NOT turn the adjustment with the grinder OFF. Turn the grind adjustment while the grinder is grinding. This is because you are moving the burrs closer together, and it "could" jam on the unground coffee beans. Home grinders do not have the torque of commercial grinders.
Note2. When you change the setting on your grinder, you have to run 1 or 2 doses of coffee, to flush out the coffee with the prior grind setting. How may doses depends on how much coffee your grinder retains internally.
Gary Naka -