Breville Espresso Machine Troubleshooting – A Complete Guidance

You probably find that your coffee makers make a weird noise, or your Espresso tastes slightly off. Still, you do not need to worry much. This guide can give you some troubleshooting solutions for your Espresso coffee maker to various issues you might encounter. 

Let’s follow me to explore interesting details.

Breville Espresso Machine Troubleshooting Guidance

#1. Breville Water Tank Block Issue

One of the most stubborn issues of Espresso coffee makers is the water tank block. As a result, it cannot run water through the Espresso coffee maker. This issue probably occurs when the agitated air lays pressure on the pump and generates a lock. 

How to fix: In this case, it is advisable to leave it cool and turn it off to offer rest for about 15-20 minutes after utilizing your Espresso machine. Besides, it would help if you kept the head screen clean while ensuring the hose does not have crimping or residue.

Also, the water tank needs to be filled with filtered, fresh, and clean water. In the steam wand and the brew head, you need to put a cup. Press the brew button for backflushing when the steaming wand is remaining. 

When you power the machine after 2-4 minutes, you can see the water thoroughly running through the tank.

#2. Breville Coffee Maker Does Not Heat Properly

For some reason, your Breville coffee maker does not heat up. To ensure your device is still good from this problem, you can test the thermostat, switch, control board, and thermal fuse.

How to fix: Regarding the Breville Espresso machine troubleshooting solution, you can alter the switch and unplug the coffee maker. If your Espresso coffee maker is running yet, the coffee can heat up, then ensure the control board of the machine is responding when you power it. 

Breville Espresso Machine Troubleshooting

If you cannot solve the problem in this way, you can alter the control board. The thermostat functions as a measurement device to check the heat flow of the machine. Regularly, your coffee maker takes over a minute to heat up. 

If the thermostat makes the coffee overheat, it will warn the machine to turn off. Thermostats are probably a valid cause of the issue that your machine does not heat properly. Thus, please check it to ensure it cannot be stuck in its position. 

In case this method does not work, it is time to alter the thermostat.

#3. Breville Coffee Tastes Burnt

The main reason why your coffee gets burnt is due to over extracting the beans. If the beans grind slowly while the water gets too hot, your coffee will get burnt at that time. 

Another cause of burnt coffee is because you use the fresh beans from the container without a lid. As a result, the taste of your coffee will be weak, sometimes bitter. 

How to fix: You can solve this issue by grinding the beans slightly. You can do it after heating the water. By utilizing capsule replacement of the coffee beans, you can get the finest and fresh coffee. 

Besides, the cap of the coffee bean container needs to be closed to keep your coffee fresh. If you do not want a bitter taste, you can utilize salt with the coffee.

Such a thing may sound weird one way or another. But believe me, it works! A little secret on the side is: Salt used to be a life saver for my beer to have a better taste, and now it also does a bang-up job with my joe.

Wait for no more but go get a pinch of salt and give it a try, you’ll see an irresistible upshot coming on the path just like I did before!

Breville Espresso Machine Troubleshooting

#4. No Crema Issue

You might not know this, but the foamy puff, which is known as crema, can enhance your Espresso taste. Yet if the steam wand of your coffee maker cannot offer a rich milk frother, it can lose the coffee taste. 

You will not get rich froth when you use burnt beans or roughly ground beans. The taste of your Espresso shots will mostly depend on the coffee grind. If the beans are delicately ground, you can get the best quality of Espresso with pulpy and velvety creamy foam.

Breville Espresso Machine Troubleshooting

How to fix: Because of the above reason, remember to ensure your coffee beans will be in tip-top shape and slightly grind them when you make your coffee. One more thing, remember to check the temperature of the water. If it is too cold or hot, it will not generate any crema. 

Accordingly, you can set the coffee maker’s temperature at about 195 degrees Fahrenheit. Besides, to make foamy crema, you can check the machine by brewing a shot and setting the time. Regularly, brewing a shot of Espresso by a machine takes about 20-30 seconds. 

When you notice it takes just 10 seconds or over 30 seconds, your coffee maker needs repairing.

#5. Breville Filter Basket Issue

If your coffee filter baskets are damaged, too old, and cannot hit off any hard surface. 

How to fix: It is advisable to troubleshoot it by properly cleaning the coffee basket on a regular basis. Remember to use warm water when cleaning it. 

The effective and common solution is to thoroughly rinse the baskets in the mixture of detergent and hot water. Still, please do not use chemicals such as chlorine for cleaning it as they can lower your coffee taste.

#6. Dirty Water Under Machine

If you notice there is water under your coffee maker, the reason is that there is a leak somewhere. At that time, you will need to find the leak and solve it. But dirty water is another case. Espresso coffee makers come with drain hoses or several sorts of drainage outlets. 

If you see dirty water under your machine, your outlet or drain hose might be somehow blocked. 

How to fix: In this case, you need to check the drain hose’s end to ensure it’s not cramped into the drain position. Or should you have the drain hose in a bucket, make sure the hose end isn’t in the water. 

Another important thing is checking the hose if it is kinked somewhere or if there is anything sitting on the drain hose to stop the flow of the drainage.

#7. Espresso Coming Out Too Fast or Too Slow

  • The Espresso coffee comes out too fast:

When the Espresso coffee comes out too fast, it might have no or little crema on the top and be watery. In this case, you have to check whether the grounds are spaced out too much. 

The coffee ground too coarsely will leave much space between them, making the water go through without taking any coffee with it. Also, the coffee freshness can determine how quickly the water flows through the coffee grounds. 

How to fix: It is best to utilize the grounds from the coffee grinder. Just ensure the grounds are even out in a filter basket and tamped to strong pressure. Moreover, remember to check if there is enough ground coffee in the portafilter. 

If your Espresso coffee comes out too fast, it might taste bitter. Besides, you can notice a burnt taste and smell. 

  • The Espresso coffee comes out too slow:

On the other hand, slow Espresso coffee flow might be due to the pump. The pump possibly gets enough water flow, or it might be defective. 

How to fix: Normally, it needs to have enough pressure to offer the power to push the water to flow through the coffee grounds quickly enough. Besides, you need to check the screen in the Espresso machine group head for residue. Should you notice any build-up, remember to remove and clean it. 

Another cause of the slow-flowing of Espresso is that your coffee grounds are possibly ground too fine. The grounds are too dense for the water to flow through well. It is best to grind the Espresso beans to the proper coarseness, not too smooth.

#8. Breville Espresso Tastes Sour

  • The sourness of your Espresso coffee might be due to the tannic acid in the coffee beans. 

How to fix: You can “degas” the coffee to address the taste. In other words, you let the coffee sit for several days to deal with the sourness. Besides, you need to adjust the brewing temperature. 

  • The ideal temperature for the Espresso maker is more than 201 degrees Fahrenheit. Another reason for the sour taste of your Espresso is due to the coffee under extraction. 

How to fix: Your coffee might be too coarse, so you can troubleshoot this issue by grinding the beans slightly finer.

Breville Espresso Machine Troubleshooting

#9. Adjust The Steam Boiler Temperature Of Breville Espresso Coffee Maker

You can adjust the steam boiler temperature via the pressure stats. They are available in three main kinds: the Mater pressure stat, the Ceme pressure stat, and the Sirai pressure stat. You have to find the screw for the adjustments to change the settings.

Breville Espresso Machine Troubleshooting

Both the Mater and the Sirai come with a bigger center screw. Meanwhile, the Ceme features both a smaller screw and a big center screw. Remember to use the big center screws only. 

How to fix: You can follow the below steps to troubleshoot your Breville Espresso coffee maker’s pressure stat:

  • Unplug the coffee maker
  • Find out which direction lowers the pressure and boosts the pressure, which can vary on different coffee machines.
  • For the Ceme or Mater, change little by little around the size of five minutes on the clock face. For the Sirai, you can adjust the screw half-turn, equivalent to 0.1 bar. Should you want more adjustments, ensure you check the settings first.
  • The light indicating the coffee maker’s heating element will light up whenever the point is reached for the pressure stat on the setting.

#10. No Espresso Coffee Coming Out When Turning The Pump

  • There are some things you need to check to figure out what deters your coffee maker from making Espresso. 

How to fix: You can start by ensuring the tank has water. 

If you use a reservoir-less machine that gets water right from the water system, check if you already turn on the water. When utilizing a coffee maker with a boiler, you might need to prime the pump to put the water into the machine’s boiler.

  • Besides, the reason might be due to the clogged pump. 

How to fix: In this case, descaling is what you need to do. This method can clear all mineral deposits possibly stuck in the machine’s pump.

#11. Breville Espresso Machine Pump Generates Loud Noise

If you notice the pump generates a loud sound, you need to check the tank of water. It might  be due to the lack of water. You might not know this, but the pump is meant to get water flow. 

How to fix: Remember to ensure the reservoir is full of water or the water system is turned on to supply water for the coffee machine. 

Sometimes, the machine shows these errors not because it’s out of order but as a sign of replacement. And the last resort is to get a new one. 

If you are still interested in Breville for its quality, check out my latest comparison of Breville BES840XL vs BES870XL for reference before buying a new coffee maker.

Conclusion

Breville Espresso machine troubleshooting is something you should do now and then. The Espresso coffee makers come with many working parts to deliver the flavorful elixir we coffee drinkers crave. It is critical to maintain regular maintenance and cleaning for your coffee maker. 

Still, you can encounter several issues with your machine. Most of which are simple and can be fixed like a breeze if you get what to look for. I hope that this guidance can be helpful for your issues with the Espresso coffee maker. 

Anyway, if you have any further questions or other helpful hints, please feel free to let me know. Thank you for reading.

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19 thoughts on “Breville Espresso Machine Troubleshooting – A Complete Guidance

    • James Baker says:

      Hi, Desma. This is not much of a problem because most coffee machines encounter it. The main culprit is the portafilter and the cold cup itself. You can pull a blank shot to warm up the portafilter. Then try to heat up your mug by filling it with hot water and discard it all before the coffee runs out.

  1. John Tamblyn says:

    We have an issue with our Breville coffee machine steamer as it fails to steam via the nozzle when turned on with steam coming from the base of the machine. Our machine is not 12 months old.

    • James Baker says:

      Hi, John. I found that 50% of steam-related issues come from the clogged steam wand. You can try to clean it. And your machine is till under warranty, so just reach out to Breville if the problem doesn’t get better. Many thanks

  2. Ken Austin says:

    The coffee machine basket gets stuck after I have unscrewed the holder. (Breville Oracle)
    There is, a wire which allows the holder to clamp onto the basket and remove it.
    Does that wire wear out?

    • James Baker says:

      Hi, Ken. The basket getting stuck is properly because of the cracked inner disk. When you tighten the holder, try not to go past the arrow, or the disk will crack and the basket will get stuck. Thanks

  3. Arnold Cipolla says:

    magnificent points altogether, you simply received a new reader. What might you suggest in regards to your put up that you just made some days ago? Any certain?

    • James Baker says:

      The gauge is also one of the causes. You’d better check the pressure gauge, seal, or gasket. Or the water line might get clogged.

  4. Shelley says:

    My coffee isn’t extracting well, it starts of ok then it spurts everywhere causing coffee to run down the outside of the cup etc, does anyone know what could be wrong? My machine is 6 years old, might be time for a new one.

    • James Baker says:

      It seems that your coffee machine is old, so brewing is slower. When you add excessive amounts of ground coffee or an over-fine grind, it can cause the filter basket to overflow. Or your unit need cleaning.

  5. Rachael says:

    Hello. I have a Breville Barista Express that will not power on. It was temperamental for a few weeks and I would have to push the button several times before it powered on. Now, nothing. Do you think it is a faulty power button?

    • James Baker says:

      SR because I reply you late. Yes, faulty power button can be one of the causes. Or you can check the control board, fuse, water pump (that is likely overheated), or the machine connected to the power source or not.

  6. Dayle says:

    I’ve had my Breville Barista Pro about 4 months. Recently whenever I steam my milk, a LOT of steam starts coming up from the tray. It never used to do this. Any idea why it would start to do this? Otherwise it seems to be working fine.

    • James Baker says:

      There might be scale build-up in the heating element. You can descale it. Btw, check the hinged lid and make sure it’s pushed all the way down and seals snuggly. Thanks

  7. LD Thompson says:

    I have a Breville BES870XL espresso machine. It was working brilliantly until the Descale light came on and I descaled it and back flushed it. Now, when I pull a shot, after about 5 seconds and around the same moment that the pressure goes up, it seems like the seal pops and water starts running out from around the portafilter. I cannot believe that it’s a matter of needing a new silicone seal …I just replaced it about a month ago. I’m really hoping there is a fix for this.

    • James Baker says:

      It’s maybe because the group gasket is out of pakce or worn-out. You can try replacing it. Hope it’ll work

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