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 -
Ron, how do you remove "that device" you speak of?
Blondie - Réponse
Had my Barista (the espresso machine, not the guy who makes my coffee) upside down and dry for about 2 years and had a helluva time priming the pump. Had to hold the feeder tube high above the machine, constantly shooting water into it from a large syringe/baster while alternating between the steam pipe and the coffee pathway. Took a good 40 min and about 50 alternations (and lots of swearing) but finally got enough water into the pump to prime it and am now good to go. So, if the pump is vibrating and making sounds don't give up too soon on it!
Michael Bradley - Réponse
Tried the “Pump needs priming” suggestion on my Starbucks Barista machine that had not worked and had sat for over 2 years. Voila we are back in business. I was actually looking at used or refurbished Starbucks Barista machines and they are more than what we originally paid. Thanks for the help.
Ahh, now for some espresso
Ronald Gryn Sr. - Réponse
After taking off the back cover and disassembling the pump I ran across this site and decided to give the priming a try. Sounds gross but I filled my mouth with water and pushed the water through the fill pipe under pressure alternating the steam on and off. Did the trick. Very well built machine, except that it does need to be primed when coming out of storage. I was worried about burning out the pump, however, it is an induction manual type, so it shouldn’t ever burn out. I marvel at the fact that you could buy such a quality machine at the time…
RenéandNoelle Ténière - Réponse
My wife and i used a Ketchup dispenser, it fits on the pump tube perfectly, filled it up with water and was able to easily apply enough pressure to initiate the prime.
Dan Roessler - Réponse
You commented that there could be a problem that the pump needs to be primed. Well, mine sounded just like that: lots of dry-ish noise, but no hot water despite plenty of water in the reservoir. This was after months of not using it. I removed the reservoir and turned it upside down for a while (surely less than 15 minutes), and when I flipped it back again, it worked perfectly. It seems like that primed the pump.
Rob Goldston - Réponse
My machine sat on the shelf for over 5 years. I tried the priming suggestion and couldn’t get ANY water to flow into the pump. I tried compressed air also with no luck. I suspected a blockage in the pump itself so I took it apart. I found that one of the one way valves was stuck shut from calcium deposits. Once I freed the valve it worked like new. If you attempt this make sure you keep track of all of the o rings and small parts and the order of assembly. Also make sure that the machine is NOT PLUGGED IN TO AN OUTLET as all of the electrical parts are exposed.
SJones - Réponse
Water is not coming out properly when I prime the steam wand. While I have it turned on it delicately comes out from the wand as water flows out from where the porta-filter goes. Where should I start to troubleshoot this issue. I have tried soaking the steam wand all day and then blasting it. Didn’t help plus it was still coming out from the porta-filter. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you
Angela Roy - Réponse
If water is constantly coming out of the brew head, the boiler/mushroom valve and spring may have to be replaced.
- Turn the machine over, and remove the shower screen. Be careful to not strip the screw head.
- There is a "holder" that the shower screen screws into. You need to CAREFULLY unscrew that holder.
- - CAUTION-1, the holder on my machine was made of brass. Brass is a relatively soft metal, not hard like steel. If you round off the notches, you may NEVER get the holder out. Use a tool that FITS.
- - CAUTION-2. On my machine the holder was in VERY TIGHT and was very difficult to remove, so have to be EXTRA CAREFUL to not round off the notches.
- Under the holder is the boiler valve spring, and on the other end of the spring is the valve. Replace these two parts.
When you reassemble, you do NOT have to screw the holder in tight. I screwed it in till it just barely bottoms. This will make it easier to remove, if you have to remove it later.
https://espressocare.com/collections/sta...
Gary Naka -
The brew head seems to be making espresso just fine, but the steam wand mostly comes out as water and kind of spits steam out periodically but not nearly enough. I had disassembled the machine to fix the brew head if that helps.
Dominic Saavedra - Réponse
Sounds like the boiler is not coming up to steam temp.
Maybe replace the steam thermostat.
Gary Naka -
My dispersion screen is falling out on my Starbucks barista
Erin Brown-Schaefer - Réponse
Is it screwed in properly?
Is the screw long enough, and not damaged?
If the screw is in good condition, the valve holder might be stripped. If so you need to replace it.
- Turn the machine over, and remove the shower screen.
- There is a "holder" that the shower screen screws into. You need to CAREFULLY unscrew that holder.
- - CAUTION-1, the holder on my machine was made of brass. Brass is a relatively soft metal, not hard like steel. If you round off the notches, you may NEVER get the holder out. Use a tool that FITS.
- - CAUTION-2. On my machine the holder was in VERY TIGHT and was very difficult to remove, so have to be EXTRA CAREFUL to not round off the notches.
https://espressocare.com/products/saeco-...
When you reassemble, you do NOT have to screw the holder in tight. I screwed it in till it just barely bottoms. This will make it easier to remove, if you have to remove it later.
Gary Naka -
where does the over flow hose from the pump go?
Terry Pope - Réponse
To the water tank.
Either a long hose into the tank (this is the 2nd hose into the tank), or to a "nozzle" attached to the plate above the tank.
If the nozzle is broken, just run a longer hose into the tank.
Gary Naka -
After I draw a shot the PF is still full of water is this normal?
Terry Pope - Réponse
Yes. This machine does not have a 3-way solenoid.
Let the PF sit in the machine for a few minutes, to let the water drain through.
If the coffee was ground FINE, that may prevent the water from draining through.
Gary Naka -
Can not remove basket that holds the grounds
violalorius - Réponse
Coffee is pouring over sides of the basket .. ??!!
k
Karen Warren -
Our Starbucks masteria espresso machine is not working properly and water is not draining
Margot Toney - Réponse
Water is filling up and overflowing
Margot Toney - Réponse
Pump light stopped turning on and no pressure is available to steam milk or pump hot water through the ports filters coffee grounds. What repair needs to be done?
Bob - Réponse
My starbuck barista was in storage and it was gifted to me, so I know nothing about it. When I plug it in it does nothing, no green light comes on nothing. Help
Nora Neese - Réponse
Find the manual on the web (it is out there), and read it.
Do NOT turn it on dry, you NEED water in the boiler to absorb the heat.
Gary Naka -
As soon as I turn the machine on the pump starts running. Water comes out the coffee side. I can push the steam button in and wait for it to heat up. Basically I think the soffee cup switch isn’t doing anything.
Michael Messner - Réponse
If the brew switch is broken, it will have to be replaced.
Send it to a shop to repair.
Gary Naka -
it seems to be an issue with the steam valve going past a stop
Michael Messner - Réponse
I acquired a second hand Barista machine a couple of months ago that was exceptionally clean, not brand new, but clean. The pump draws water from the reservoir, and the boiler heats it up, producing steam from the wand, as well as hot water. Unfortunately, nothing flows through the brewhead. I have taken the machine apart, primed it (anyway, like I said, there’s no problem with the pump drawing water or the boiler heating it), decalcified the circulation system, and took apart brewhead to see if there was any obvious obstruction. There wasn’t. Any ideas?
J AR - Réponse
J AR,
I have the same problem with mine. Have had any resolution???
david greene
David Greene -
Unfortunately, not yet. Still hoping, though!
J AR -
I see your comment is fairly recent so I will ask you if you found any resolution? I just got my machine out from sitting on the shelf for a few years. The steam wand works well, and you can hear the pump working, but the brew head doesn't--no water coming out, though the pump sounds like it is trying.
Beckie T. -
IF you ARE getting water flow out of the steam wand, you have water pressure. Well enough to flow out of the steam wand.
The place I would look is the boiler/mushroom valve, under the boiler.
- Turn the machine over, and remove the shower screen. Be careful to not strip the screw head.
- There is a "holder" that the shower screen screws into. You need to CAREFULLY unscrew that holder.
- - CAUTION-1, the holder on my machine was made of brass. Brass is a relatively soft metal, not hard like steel. If you round off the notches, you may NEVER get the holder out. Use a tool that FITS.
- - CAUTION-2. On my machine the holder was in VERY TIGHT and was very difficult to remove, so have to be EXTRA CAREFUL to not round off the notches.
- Under the holder is the boiler valve spring, and on the other end of the spring is the valve. Replace these two parts.
When you reassemble, you do NOT have to screw the holder in tight. I screwed it in till it just barely bottoms.
Gary Naka -
This is where I get my parts.
https://espressocare.com/collections/sta...
You are looking for
- grouphead mushroom valve
- spring for mushroom valve
Then do another descale, without the shower screen on.
Watch the flow out of the head. If the flow starts slow and increases, that is likely lime scale that is being dissolved. Do another one or two descale cycles.
Look in the container under the group head for chunks of white stuff (lime scale). If you seen ANY, you need to do another descale cycle.
Gary Naka -
I had one machine that did not flow any water from the group head.
The problem was the grouphead was CLOGGED.
I removed the shower screen. Be CAREFUL not to strip the screw.
- See next post if the screw is STUCK.
Behind the screen I found it caked and CLOGGED with coffee residue.
With a toothbrush clean the group head, then clean the shower screen.
When you hold the shower screen up to a light, you should see light coming through all the holes. If not you need to unclog the holes. I used a SHARP needle.
Before you put the shower screen back, run the brew, to wash out coffee residue.
Then put the shower screen back on. Just barely finger tighten the screw, or it could jam.
Gary Naka -
If the shower screen screw is STUCK.
Remove the water tank.
Turn the machine over. Much easier to work down, than upside down.
Get a phillips screw driver that FITS the screw. A poorly fitting screwdriver could damage the screw head.
HOLD the screw driver down HARD. Then turn.
If this does not work, get a can of CRC food grade pentrant, and spay around the screw and let it SIT. It may require multiple applications to get it to seep down the screw.
If this still does not work, I used a screwdriver bit in a ratchet. This allows me to apply more torque onto the screw than I could with a screwdriver.
You MUST HOLD the ratchet down HARD, or you WILL strip the screw head.
If you still cannot get it off, it has to be sent in to a technician to remove the screw.
Gary Naka -
To add to what I said above, I went through an elaborate process of priming as suggested here: https://ifixit-guide-pdfs.s3.amazonaws.c.... Same story. The steam wand works fine. Water will flow through the brewhead so long as the portafilter isn’t attached, though it isn’t especially strong., and I notice a leak from the side of the machine that runs down the side of the reservoir. When the portafilter is attached, nothing happens, though the leak is stronger. I’ll add that the portafilter works well on another machine, so no problem with that. Ideas?
J AR - Réponse
OPEN the machine and look for the leak.
Or send it in to a shop to repair.
Gary Naka -
Starbucks serenade coffee machine not brewing chai late and hot chocolate any lead?
dineshapoojari - Réponse
have had this machine FOREVER--and love it. However, my husband now says that the espresso tastes "burned". Is it possible to backflush this machine? We have been using the ILLY pods for years (same type), and never had this problem. BTW....ILLY pods make clean-up a snap!
kat - Réponse
Try thorough cleaning with a descaler?
Greg Wutzke -
CANNOT backflush the Starbucks Barrista. It is NOT plumbed for a backflush.
CLEAN the machine.
- Remove the shower screen and clean the shower screen and group head of coffee residue.
- Clean the portafilter.
- - I've opened the PF and seen some really FILTY portafilters. You would be picking up the taste from that OLD coffee.
- - Easy way is to put 1/4 teaspoon of cafiza into the basket and run the brew for 5 seconds set it sit for a few minutes, then run the brew again, and keep repeating. Amazing the gunk that came out.
- - Harder way is to disassemble the portafilter. Remove the basket first. Be CAREFUL not to loose parts when you disassemble the PF. With the PF open, soak it in a cup of 1/4 teaspoon cafiza for 30 minutes. Rinse and reassemble. There is a YT video on how to reassemble the PF.
CAUTION do NOT use cafiza if you have an ALUMINUM portafilter. Cafiza has a warning to NOT use it on aluminum.
Gary Naka -
No resolution—I am betting it is not possible to back flush 😩
kat - Réponse
NOT possible. The machine is not designed to backflush.
Gary Naka -
Hi.
I have an intermittent brewing problem.
When it won't brew, it is trying.
We hear various machine(pump?) noises, although it might get quiet for a loooooong time.
The basket gets water but only one or two drops come out.
I've tried varying the grind
Whether it's tamped or not
and how tightly tamped...
Mine brews first "cup" fine. It steams fine. But second brew? More and more often it just won't do a second brew in one day. Sometimes after eight hours it will... But I don't usually drink coffee that late in the day!
Any suggestions? A tune-up?
I've had it maybe 7 years, usually 2 cups a day (till this started about a year ago) and I was the second owner.
Tori Mac-P - Réponse
First remove the portafilter, and turn on the brew button.
Does water flow freely?
NO - If the water does NOT flow freely, then look at the grouphead as the problem.
- Remove the shower screen.
> On a machine that has never been serviced, the screw may be STUCK. I have had to use a special screwdriver to remove some of these stuck screws. Be very careful here, if you strip the screw head, it will require sending the machine in to an espresso repair person to fix.
- - Is the back of the shower screen and bottom of the group head full of coffee residue? Then CLEAN it with a toothbrush.
- - Hold the shower screen up to a light and look at it. Can you see light through the holes? If not then the screen is clogged. Either use a fine/thin needle to clear the holes, or replace the shower screen.
YES - If the water flow freely, then you look at the portafilter as the problem.
After over 7 years, a professional servicing should restore the machine to almost new operation.
Gary Naka -
Help! Replaced all the parts from the fix-it kit. Suddenly, when first turning on machine to heat, the brewing starts. Seems like an electrical/wiring issue. Water never heats up because the water comes out immediately. Ideas?
sdillinger - Réponse
Two options
1a - Check that the steam valve is CLOSED. If it is open, the pump will run.
1b - If you rebuilt the steam valve, you have to adjust the valve assembly properly, or the switch for the pump will be closed and the pump will run when the valve is closed.
2 - You may have mis-wired it when you reassembled it. Find a pic of the back of the switches and match the wire colors to your machine. They should be the same.
Gary Naka -
can't get answer on w-068 machine locked.
start cleaning. the start cleaning message i don't understand. is it in cleaning cycle and just need to wait ori need to take action
treeline - Réponse
Go a machine from and older person who did not know how to use it and decided to pass it along. It worked great, all of a sudden it started giving us difficulties. It started brewing the espresso to slow or not at all. The problem is intermitten. We grind our own coffee and tamp before brewing. Sometimes It will come out good but then slow down to drips half way thru.
Apologies if this issue has already been adressed by previous comments. I tried reading thru them but there are too many to sort thru.
Genesis Molina - Réponse
CLEAN the machine
Since you said the prior owner did not know how to use it, I suspect he did not know how to CLEAN it.
Remove the shower screen and clean the screen, and clean the bottom of the group head. If this has NOT been done, it could be clogged with coffee residue.
Warning, the screw attaching the shower screen is often HARD to remove. Be VERY careful, or you will strip the screw. The screwdriver MUST FIT the screw. If it is loose, you could strip the screw.
Clean the portafilter.
Gary Naka -
Thanks for the suggestion, we will look into cleaning it. We did also figure out that we were putting to much ground coffee, we would do 18g. Reduced it to 15g and it works great. Thanks again for this feed!
Genesis Molina -
Are you using the stock pressurized portafilter (PF) or an aftermarket non-pressurized PF?
If the stock PF, then yes, you are on the right track by reducing the dose. I think that the stock double basket is a 14 gram basket.
Gary Naka -
I believe we are using the original PF. Funny enough we thought "instead of weighing it why dont we use the 'scoop' it came with." We then saw that it came out to about 15g. Someone also told us that home machines tend to be smaller than commercial.
Genesis Molina -
It is history.
As I understand, the original Italian single was a 7g dose, and a double was 14g. Hence the size of the basket.
If you want a larger dose, you have to use an UNpressurized PF that can hold a larger basket, and find a larger capacity basket.
Me, I just pulled 7g singles, to limit my caffeine intake.
Gary Naka -
Does the under side of the Brew Head have a rubber gasket? A small portion of that gasket (?) fell out. Can it be replaced easily? It makes the Rapporto Filter not sit evenly and coffee leaks out the sides. Also, the underside of the Brew Head has a metal plate with a small screw in the center of it ... and that has been falling out as well. Any suggestions?
Laura - Réponse
Laura,
The gasket is a rather large gasket. It is below the group head, then goes up the side of the group head, to the boiler.
It isn't hard to replace, but getting the old gasket out may be difficult.
Below the group head is the shower screen (round disc with holes in it), which screws into the valve holder.
IF the screw does not screw in, "someone" may have screwed it in too hard, and stripped the threads in the valve holder.
Unfortunately, that means that the valve holder has to be replaced.
The valve holder on most of the machines that I have seen was STUCK and difficult to remove.
CAUTION, the valve holder on the machines that I have seen was made of brass. Brass is a relatively soft metal, compared to steel. If you round off the notch, you may not be able to get the holder out, and have to send it in to a tech to remove the holder.
Gary Naka -
Thank you for the advice. It seemed a little too complicated for me so I called the only espresso machine/repair shop nearby (still 45 mins. away) and was told they don't service the Starbucks Barista because it is a very old machine. Oh, well!
Laura - Réponse
Too bad.
While it is an old machine, it is quite "fixable."
If you were close to me (SF Bay Area), I could replace the gasket and maybe the holder in an afternoon.
Gary Naka -