Coffee Troubleshooting

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Coffee troubleshooting

Most problems are not the machine. They are grind, dose or freshness, and you can sort them in a couple of minutes.

Brighton workshop · Walk in during business hours · No booking needed

Start hereCheck the grind first
18g in36g out, 25 to 30 seconds
Walk inIf it is the machine
35+ YearsFixing these

Before anything else, time a shot

Espresso is mostly a timing problem. Aim for roughly 18g of coffee in, 36g of liquid out, over 25 to 30 seconds. If your shot falls outside that window the grind is nearly always the reason, and servicing will not change it.

Running fast and thin means the grind is too coarse, so go finer. Slow and dripping means too fine, so go coarser. Move one step, pull another shot, taste it.

Taste

The coffee tastes wrong

None of this needs a workshop. Work down in order.

What you get Usually because What to do Short version
Sour and sharp Under extracted. Water went through too quickly. Grind finer. Nudge the dose up. Make sure the machine has come up to temperature before you pull. Finer
Bitter and drying Over extracted. Water took too long. Grind coarser and drop the dose a little. Check the group head is clean. Very dark roasts also bitter more readily. Coarser
Watery, no body Dose is too low, or you are using the wrong basket. Weigh it. A double basket wants 18g to 20g. Judging by eye is the most common reason for this one. Weigh it
No crema Stale beans, or the grind is too coarse. Check the roast date. Coffee is at its best from about 7 to 28 days after roasting. If the beans are fresh, grind finer. Roast date
Shot sprays sideways Channelling. The water found a shortcut through the puck. Distribute the grounds before you tamp, then tamp level rather than hard. Do not tap the portafilter afterwards, it cracks the puck. Distribute
Every shot different Dosing varies, or grounds are sitting in the grinder. Weigh in and weigh out. If your grinder retains, purge a couple of grams first or move to single dosing. Scales
Milk will not texture Steam pressure, technique, or the milk. Purge the wand. Keep the tip just under the surface for three or four seconds to introduce air, then submerge and spin. Cold full cream is easiest to learn on. Purge
It was fine, now it is not Beans ageing, or burrs wearing. Beans shift as they degas, so expect to adjust across a bag. Burrs do eventually wear out and we can replace them. Adjust
Machine

The machine is misbehaving

Try the first column. The second tells you whether it is a workshop job.

Symptom Try this If it persists
Not heating Check the power point and the machine's own switch. Some models have a separate boiler switch. Give it twenty minutes from cold. Bring it in Usually a thermostat, element or safety cut-out.
No water through the group Check the tank is seated, the pickup tube is submerged, and the machine is primed. Running the steam wand often pulls water through. Bring it in Likely the pump or a blocked solenoid.
Pressure gauge reads low A drop while brewing is normal. If it never reaches operating pressure, descale first. Bring it in Pressurestat or a pump pressure adjustment.
E61 group drips after the shot A short release as the group vents is normal and by design. A steady drip is not. Parts Group gasket or a worn valve. We stock genuine parts.
Water underneath Stop using it. First check the drip tray is not simply full, which catches people out more often than you would expect. Bring it in Do not keep running it.
Loud grinding or rattling Look for a stone or other foreign object in the burrs. It happens. Parts Burrs or a motor mount.
Steam wand weak or blocked Soak the tip in hot water and clear the holes with a pin. Purge before and after every use. Rarely needs us
Portafilter will not lock in Almost always over-dosed. Take out 2g and try again. Parts If it keeps happening the group gasket has hardened.
Jura showing a service message Follow the prompt on screen and run the clean or descale cycle it asks for. Not us We do not service Jura. Call Jura on 1300 285 872.
If none of that worked

Bring it to Brighton. No booking.

We service Rocket, ECM, VBM and Gaggia in our own workshop at 69 Church Street, using genuine parts. Walk in during business hours and we will look at it. If it is not worth repairing we will say so.

We do not service Jura. Those go to Jura direct on 1300 285 872.

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