SERVICE GUIDE – WHAT’S WRONG WITH MY MACHINE?

"The coffee machine doesn’t work!" is something our customers say a lot. But what’s really the problem? We have compiled a small service guide where you can easily navigate your way to the most common problems that arise with espresso machines. If you have problems with your espresso machine, it can be beneficial to check out this quick guide before you call us, some problems can be easily solved yourself!


TABLE OF CONTENTS
  1. Coffee is not coming out! It keeps dripping!
  2. It flows too fast! It flows too slowly!
  3. I don’t get out the right amount of ground coffee!
  4. The espresso machine is cold!
  5. Water is leaking from the espresso machine!
  6. There’s no pressure in the steam pipe/hot water outlet/brew group!
  7. The milk is not frothing!
  8. The handle is not placed correctly in the brew group!
  9. The quality of the coffee is not as good as it used to be!
  10. The taste of the coffee is off!

1. COFFEE IS NOT COMING OUT! IT KEEPS DRIPPING!


Way too often people don’t clean the machine regularly and that can cause problems with the machine. "Coffee is not coming out" or "it keeps dripping" can very often be fixed with proper cleaning. The problem is often that the coffee oils have simply clogged the outlet. This is because the brewing group has not been cleaned, either often enough or thoroughly enough. How do you fix this? You simply clean the brew group accodring to the instructions in this article.


Another problem that can arise with the cleaning itself is that cleaning powder is stuck in the group. If the brew head is white inside, this is probably the reason. We often see this in cafes where cleaning should be quick and the solution is to dissolve the clogged cleaning with hot water.

Did you clean the machine recently? Then you might have too much coffee in the filter and/or the coffee is too coarsely ground. If you think you might have too much coffee in the filter, it’s a good idea to check how high up the coffee covers the filter after it has been pressed with a tamper. If you have a semi-professional espresso machine from Rocket Espresso, the filters are measured. The measuring line can easily be seen inside the filter and this line indicates how high the tamped coffee should reach. If you do not see the line, and it is far to it, just grind out less coffee. If you have a coffee machine from another brand, maybe there is no indicator, and in these cases you are better off not trying to measure the coffee, but instead try smaller doses. If you have a time-programmed coffee grinder, you can easily set the milliseconds slightly and if you have manual dosing on your coffee grinder, just grind out less coffee.

If you suspect that the coarseness is causing the problem, this is easily adjusted on the coffee grinder. Depending on the make and model, this is set slightly differently, but the basic principle that usually applies is that you should turn the plate that sits under the bean container. Which direction you should turn to make the coffee grind finer thus also depends on the make and model, so check your own grinder if there are indicators for setting the coarseness or read the manual to see exactly how you should do. In the next bullet (2) we answer almost the same thing and there are videos that can help you if you need to set the coarseness.


2. IT FLOWS TOO FAST! IT FLOWS TOO SLOWLY!

An espresso should be made in 20-30 seconds and needs to be fixed if it flows too fast or too slowly. The main reason for this problem has nothing to do with the espresso machine itself. You should take a closer look at the coffee grinder. The degree of grinding is just like in the above question the problem and an adjustment of the grinding is the solution. The troubleshooting video below goes through the problem and demonstrates how to resolve it.
3. I DON’T GET OUT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF GROUND COFFEE!

Sometimes the coffee grinder does not grind out the right amount of coffee. This may be because you simply do not have the right time setting (if the coffee grinder has time settings), you may have changed the bean mixture or something is simply stuck in the grinder.

The first problem can be easily fixed by entering the programming mode on the coffee grinder and re-set the dosage. This is explained in the videos above. A simple handle should be packed with 7 grams of coffee and double handles with 14 grams of coffee. Do you have an espresso machine from Rocket Espresso? Then the line in the handle indicates the approximate height that the coffee powder should reach.

The second problem is solved by adjusting the degree of grinding. Different bean mixtures require different grinds to be as good as possible. Adjust as needed until a perfect espresso is achieved.

The third problem is usually the easiest to solve. Try tapping the bean container first. Then grind out coffee and if the problem persists, you must open up to the grinder. This is done by removing the bean holder and stir the beans in the grinder or pouring out the beans that are in the grinder. Do this carefully so that you do not injure yourself. If you do this, the problem should be solved, but if the problem persists, your coffee grinder probably needs some cleaning. Read this article and/or watch the video below to get instructions.
4. THE ESPRESSO MACHINE IS COLD!

If the espresso machine is cold you have to check that it’s turned on and that the water supply is working (container and/or connection). If the answer is no on either of these questions, it has to be fixed. If the answer is yes to both questions, the problem might be that the pump, heater or boiler has stopped working. The easiest solution to this problem is to bring the espresso machine to us and we will fix it for you.
5. WATER IS LEAKING FROM THE ESPRESSO MACHINE!

If the espresso machine is connected to a water supply and is leaking, it’s often a sign that the tubes are not tight against the plug. Then check under the espresso machine where the tubes are located and try to touch them. If you feel that any of them is not really secured, then try to screw or push it back. Sometimes the gap has occurred due to too high pressure or load but can be easily solved by putting it back.

Can’t you fix the gap? Then water protection might be a good idea. Then everything is securely in place and if there is a leakage, the water protection turns off the water supply.

If it isn’t a gap that causes the leakage you can hand in the espresso machine to us. The problem might be inside the machine and there is no obvious solution.
6. THERE’S NO PRESSURE IN THE STEAM PIPE/HOT WATER OUTLET/BREW GROUP!

No pressure in the steam pipe? If you have an espresso machine that only uses a water tank, this is a normal problem if you happen to turn off the steam by mistake. Then the steam pipe has simply emptied the machine of water without even noticing it. The solution is to close the steam and fill the water tank. It takes a while for the pressure to build up again so wait a few minutes before trying again. Another reason may be that the steam pipe has not been cleaned well enough or often enough and that there are milk residues inside. It’s easy to clean with milk cleaning liquid according to instructions here..

No pressure in the hot water outlet or brew group? It may be that the water tank is empty, so check it first. If the water tank has water in it, the problem is due to something else. Then it is easiest to hand in the espresso machine to us because the error can be due to several things that you cannot solve yourself very easily.
7. THE MILK IS NOT FROTHING!

Common problem that usually occurs when you have not cleaned often enough/well enough or when there is no pressure in the steam pipe. If there is no pressure in the steam pipe – please read "There’s no pressure in the steam pipe/hot water outlet/brew group!" above. If the steam pipe has burnt milk on the outside or inside, it can most likely be solved by gentle cleaning. You can also read through this article where we easily show how to clean the steam pipe.
8. THE HANDLE IS NOT PLACED CORRECTLY IN THE BREW GROUP!

The handle should be placed in the brew group at a 90° angle from the front of the espresso machine. In other words, it should point straight out of the machine. If the handle can be pulled further or cannot be pulled all the way, it is time to change the gasket and strainer. You can easily do it yourself according to the video below.
9. THE QUALITY OF THE COFFEE IS NOT AS GOOD AS IT USED TO BE!

Sometimes you taste the coffee and everything seems to be just as usual, but the coffee simply does not taste as good as it did before. If the espresso machine is about 3-5 years old, one reason for this may simply be that the espresso machine is a little tired. The components in the machinery are worn out and need a little refinement. Then it's time for a so-called group renovation. This can be done on site by you, but most people hand in their espresso machine if you are a home user. You can also call us and we will come and fix everything on site if you are a café or restaurant customer. If you want to do it yourself, you can read more on this page and also watch the video below.
10. THE TASTE OF THE COFFEE IS OFF!

This statement can have many explanations. The very best thing is to identify what tastes shady. It is usually lime that is felt, but iron or chlorine can also be present. To solve this, you need a water filter that filters out unwanted flavors. Check out the products below and order something home so you avoid the coffee tasting strange.
Do you not feel the flavors of lime, iron or chlorine? Then there may be a number of other reasons that cause the taste of the coffee. There may be something wrong with the bean mixture: it may be too old, the beans may have been oxidized if they were left outside a closed bag for too long or there may be a manufacturing defect in the bean mixture. Empty the bean container and grind all the beans out of the grinder. Fill with beans from another bag, preferably not of the same kind, and brew an espresso as usual. If the coffee now tastes better, it was wrong with the previous bean mixture.

Changed bean mixture and it still does not taste good? Clean everything. Oils from the coffee may have settled in the espresso machine and/or the coffee grinder, which may give off an unwanted taste. Follow the instructions here and/or watch the videos below.