Starbucks Barista Troubleshooting

Your coffee seems to have a coarse texture, or spouts out too quickly.

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.

Your barista is taking too long to make your drink.

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.

The green ready light is not signalling that the machine is ready.

Make sure that your barista is securely plugged into a power outlet.

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.

There seems to be a blockage inside the machine preventing the water from flowing.

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.

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.

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.

You plugged the machine in and tried turning it on, but the GFI switch on the wall blew out.

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.

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.

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.