We’ve grouped the answers to popular questions we receive in warranty services – addressing machines and troubleshooting – into self-explanatory categories. If our guide doesn’t help resolve your issue, please contact us at 1-800-334-5553.
Most of our Starbucks stores carry at least some of our brewing equipment. Most of our stores can special order the machine of your choice. For an updated list of stores near you, go to our store locator or call 1-800-STARBUC.
Drip makers perform best with either universal grind that is available in pre-ground coffees or with a grind specifically for a cone type filter. All Starbucks stores can grind coffee to this specification. Espresso Machines are grind sensitive and require a very fine grind, 30-35 seconds in a blade grinder. Slow and fast shots are often caused by a grind that is too fine or too coarse, frozen or refrigerated espresso beans and tamping coffee too hard or not firmly enough.
 | First, clean the showerhead screen extremely well. | | | Then do a flow test through the brew head (without the portafilter). Water should pour at a rate of 8 fl. oz. per 35-45 seconds, or less. If it pours closer to 50 seconds, then the machine needs to be descaled (please see instructions). | | | To verify that the portafilter is okay, do a water flow test with an empty portafilter. The rate should be approximately 2 fl. oz. of water per 15-20 seconds. If it’s closer to 25 seconds, check the basket screen and possibly soak it in decalcification solution. |
Check the following possibilities:
| | Is the portafilter fully inserted into the brew head? | | | Verify that the portafilter basket holes or brew head screen holes aren’t clogged. | | | Is coffee too finely ground, the portafilter basket too full or the coffee tamped too hard? | | | Does the machine need priming? | | | Is there water in the tank? | | | Check to see if steam button is engaged. |
Confirm that you are timing the flow rate from the moment you turn the brew function on, until the time you turn the brew function off. If the coffee is pouring too quickly, and if your coffee is not to your liking, check the following coffee variables:
| | Is there enough coffee in the filter basket? | | | Is the coffee too coarsely ground? | | | Is the coffee stale or otherwise unsuitable? |
Practice is the key to achieving the type of foam you desire. We recommend pouring refrigerated milk into a chilled stainless steel steaming pitcher for the best result. Also, heat the milk to approximately 150-170 degrees Fahrenheit (use a cooking thermometer). If you’re not getting the foam you desire, check the following variables:
| | Is the milk cold enough prior to steaming? | | | Foaming must be done before steaming milk. | | | Pitcher is too full of milk, or not full enough. | | | Steam knob is open too far or not far enough. | | | Steam wand is submerged too far below the surface of the milk. |
Check the two most common causes:
| | The Steam Knob is slightly open and it needs to be in a more closed position. | | | The Brew button is engaged (it needs to be turned off). |
The steam knob may be slightly open. Twist the steam wand knob towards you, firmly, to a fully closed position. If this does not solve the problem, please contact the warranty services team at 1-800-334-5553.
Check the following possibilities:
| | Water tank reservoir is empty. | | | Machine is not plugged in or turned On. | | | Intake hose is crimped or obstructed. | | | The brew head screen is dirty. Follow cleaning instructions. | | | The machine is vapor locked. Please see the instructions below. |
The machine is probably vapor-locked. This often happens if an attempt to prime the machine was made after the machine had been heated. It’s possible that super-heated air in the boiler is creating pressure on the pump, hence the lock. Solving this issue could take up to six minutes.
| | Let the machine completely cool. | | | Fill the water tank reservoir with cool, fresh and filtered water. Make sure the brew head screen is clean, waffle side up, smooth side down and that the water hose is not crimped. | | | Put cups under the brew head and the steam wand. Turn on the power switch and immediately open the steam wand knob. Let it run for 2 minutes. | | | At the 2-minute mark, turn on the brew button and let it run for an additional 2 minutes. | | | At the 4-minute mark, turn the brew button off and keep the steam wand open for another 2 minutes. Then, turn off the machine. | | | Normally, after 2-4 minutes, water will begin flowing through the machine. After one cup of water has flown through the brew head and the steam wand, the vapor lock will be fixed. If this doesn’t happen, and no water is flowing after 6 minutes, turn off the machine and wait until the brew head is cool to the touch. Then, repeat the process. |
Put an empty portafilter into the brew head and be sure it is firmly in place (to the right). Turn On the brew button. If leaking persists, check the following:
| | Is there too much coffee in the portafilter basket? | | | The brew head screen may be clogged. Check that all the holes in the brew head screen are clear and that screen is in place properly (waffle side up, smooth side down). If no water flows over the top of portafilter, the problem has been solved. | | | If water still comes over the portafilter handle then the showerhead gasket may be dirty. Push a wet towel up into the groove around screen. Pull the towel around the groove until the towel and the groove are clean. After cleaning the screen, test the portafilter again. | | | If water still leaks from around the portafilter, the showerhead gasket has a small crack in it. Call to order a new gasket from warranty services at 1-800-334-5553. | | | If water is leaking from the acorn screws above the brew head and portafilter, call warranty services for additional assistance at 1-800-334-5553. |
Coffee should never be so hot as to potentially burn your tongue; however, if the temperature seems too cool for your preference, check the following possible causes:
| | If you have a Starbucks Barista® series espresso machine, your portafilter and shot glasses need to be preheated. To preheat the portafilter and glasses, fit the empty portafilter onto the brew head and run hot water through the empty portafilter. | | | With a brewer from the Starbucks Barista Aroma® line, you may want to preheat the carafe with hot water first. After brewing, make sure carafe’s lid is tightly closed. | | | Brew with ground coffee that is at room temperature. | | | Steam milk before brewing the espresso. | | | Check that the ready light is illuminated prior to pulling espresso shots and, again, before steaming. |
Priming helps to clear the steam wand and brew head of any leftover steam or water and fills the machine’s system with fresh water from the tank. In addition, it ensures that your machine’s boiler reaches the proper temperatures for steaming and brewing. The prime-steam-prime-brew process can help prevent your machine from becoming vapor locked by making sure that no air is trapped in the internal hoses and it will extend the life of your machine. See below for instructions on the Prime-Steam-Prime-Brew process for your Starbucks Barista Espresso machine. If you have a Starbucks Italia or Digital Italia, or a De'Longhi Magnifica, check the owner’s manual for usage instructions.
Make sure that the portafilter is not connected to the machine during priming and steaming. Using the following list of steps, you should prime your machine each time it is turned on for optimum performance.
| | Press the power button to turn the machine on. Do not wait for the ready light to illuminate. | | | Turn the steam knob open—do not wait for the ready light to illuminate—and dispense four ounces of water from the steam wand into a cup. Close the steam knob. | | | Press the brew button and dispense four ounces of water from the brew head into a cup. Press the brew button again to turn water off. | | | Once ready light is illuminated, press steam button. This will cause the ready light to go off. | | | When the ready light comes on again, turn the steam knob open to release any remaining water from the wand into a cup. Close the steam knob. | | | Fill a chilled pitcher with milk. Submerge tip of the steam wand in milk. Turn steam knob open to steam milk. Close steam knob to stop steaming. (*Note: Ready light may turn off during steaming. This is normal.) | | | Wipe steam wand with damp cloth immediately after steaming to remove milk residue. | | | Press steam button to turn steam function off. | | | Turn steam knob open to release any remaining steam from the wand into a cup. Steam will turn into a stream of water. Dispense four ounces of water from the steam wand into a cup. Close the steam wand. | | | Press the brew button and dispense four ounces of water from the brew head into a cup. Press the brew button again to turn water off. | | | While waiting for the ready light to illuminate again, fill the portafilter basket with coffee. Do not tamp your coffee. Attach the portafilter to the machine, pull it tightly to the right so that the handle is just past center, then allow it to spring back slightly to the left. | | | Place shot glass(es) under the pour spouts of the portafilter. | | | When ready light is illuminated, press the brew button to brew and dispense espresso shot(s). When you have completed brewing shots, press brew button again to stop the flow of coffee. |
Descaling (decalcifying) helps to remove mineral buildup from the internal workings of your espresso machine or brewed coffeemaker. Mineral buildup can slow down or stop the machine from working. Decalcifying can help water flow through the machine, ensure the ready temperature is quickly reached, clean the showerhead screen and portafilter basket and clear build up from the steam wand. See below for instructions on descaling your Starbucks Barista Espresso machine. If you have a Starbucks Italia or Digital Italia, check the owners manual for descaling instructions.
We recommend using the Starbucks Barista Cleaner or a natural citric acid based decalcifying agent such as pulp-free lemon juice. Use 1 packet Starbucks Barista Cleaner mixed into one full tank of water. It is best to let the Starbucks Barista Cleaner dissolve completely in warm water prior to adding to cold water in tank. As an alternative, you can use 4 ounces of bottled, non-pulp lemon juice mixed into one full tank of water. Please do not use more then 8 ounces or 1 full cup of lemon juice. For best results, descale every 3-6 months. (Do not use vinegar.)
| | Read decalcifier agent directions. Put correct proportion of decalcifying agent into the water tank reservoir. Fill water tank with water, and mix thoroughly. Replace tank. | | | Remove the single screw holding the flat, round screen underneath the brew head area. The water will now come out in one solid stream. Place one cup under the brew head area and one cup, or other container, under the steam wand. | | | Turn on power and immediately run one cup of the solution through the steam wand and one cup of the solution through the brewing area. Please note: DO NOT wait for ready light to illuminate. DO NOT use the steam function during the descaling process (simply let the water flow through the steam wand). | | | Turn the machine off and let solution sit for ? hour (30 minutes). This allows the descaling solution to dissolve internal mineral build-up. Please note: do not let solution sit longer than recommended time. | | | Turn machine back on and run the majority of the solution through the machine, alternating between the brew head and steam wand. Please note: DO NOT run the machine out of water. | | | Turn off power (before water tank is empty). Remove the water tank. Rinse and refill the water tank with fresh, filtered water and reinsert. | | | Turn machine on and run 3-4 tanks of fresh water through the machine to rinse. Again alternate between flowing water through the brew head and the steam wand. | | | Turn off machine and unplug machine from power outlet. Let machine cool thoroughly. | | | Replace brew head screen in the brew head with the smooth side of the screen facing down. Please note: DO NOT use machine until brew head screen has been replaced. |
The Troubleshooting and Maintenance area of the manual for your machine should help to answer most of your questions. For additional assistance, please call our Warranty Services department at 800-334-5553. Our representatives are available to help you Monday through Friday from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM (PST)(excluding holidays). The Warranty Services team is available to assist you with questions or concerns about an espresso machine, drip brewer or burr grinder you have purchased from Starbucks.
If you need a manual, search Starbucks archive of owner’s manuals. (Available for most machines.) If you require a machine part, operational assistance or maintenance hints, please contact Warranty Services at 1-800-334-5553.
(You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader® to view. Click links below to download PDFs.)
Starbucks Sirena® Espresso Machine (PDF, 931 KB)
Saeco® Via Venezia (PDF, 817 KB)
Starbucks Barista Aroma Grande™ 12-cup (PDF, 1.35 MB)
Starbucks Barista Aroma™ Solo Drip Brewing Machine (PDF, 1.47 MB)
Saeco® Italia Automatic Espresso Machine (PDF, 3.1 MB)
Saeco® Italia Digital Espresso Machine (PDF, 1.1 MB)
De’Longhi Magnifica Super Automatic Espresso Machine (PDF, 384 KB)
De’Longhi 10-Cup Thermal Coffeemaker (PDF, 1.3 MB)
Cuisinart® Brew Central Thermal™ 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker (PDF, 316 KB)
Saeco® Venus 8-Cup Porcelain Carafe Drip Brewing Machine (PDF, 344 KB)
De’Longhi Rialto One-Touch Super Automatic Espresso Machine (PDF, 544 KB)
Ascaso® Dream Espresso Machine (PDF, 1.03 MB)
Baratza™ Virtuoso Burr Grinder (PDF, 900 KB)
Krups® Burr Grinder (PDF, 1.73 MB)
Starbucks Barista Burr Grinder by Baratza (PDF, 335 KB)
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