Cookworks Signature Espresso Machine (BHS version) Problems - Any Help Please?

LouLou

(I have no idea where to put this, if I've chosen the wrong sub-forum, apologies). This is a query about a Cookworks Signature Coffee machine (bought from BHS but essentially the same), which was quite popular on both MSE and HUKD - various threads on both sites, which I've trawled through!

I got boyf this machine ten months ago but he's having problems today - I'm sure I read about someone having a similar problem - something about the internal tubes?

I'll quote what he's saying - "Water is coming through the main place where the coffee holder goes, the steam works fine. When I put the coffee holder (with and without coffee in there) no water comes through, pressure just builds up. I have cleaned it to within an inch of its life, unscrewed the silver filter, brushed with a toothbrush, cleaned all round the holders circular bit where the holder locks to." Might be some sort of blockage?

Any help would be much appreciated

The machine looks like this:

From reading around, many seem to have issues with the pump/pressure failing after so many months.

LouLou

I can see an additional comment from a HUKD thread that says "I used ground coffee not pods. and the part where the ground coffee goes always clogged over time. Its sealed with pin holes on the ground coffee side and a single outlet for the drips/coffee flow the other. It always seemed to clog in the middle and no way of cleaning it.
Until it became clogged then it suffered back pressure build ups , noise and became dangerous."

Sounds like this is what's happening - is there any solution?

Yolina

Usually, the main reason why espresso machines lose pressure, or leak, is due to them not being descaled on a regular basis. However you're saying water is coming out of the group head without the portafilter in place but nothing once it's in? If the basket where the coffee goes inside the portafilter is clogged, you should be able to just pop it out and give that a good clean (with a pin or thin needle to unblock the holes if necessary).

Rubidium

From your description it sounds like the portafilter basket is clogged.

You can use descaler to unclog it see here

Basically they need regular maintenance to stay trouble free.

LouLou

Thanks so much for your replies - he's going to have a closer look at it when he gets back home tonight

Yolina

Worst case, he should be able to source a new basket for it

LouLou

Success! He took the portafilter apart and gave it a good scrub, and used a pin in the holes.

Before: http://i.imgur.com/XJEw8l0.jpg
After: http://i.imgur.com/MjdjSUi.jpg

He says to take care when screwing it back together, he's done it a little too tightly and slightly cracked the plastic (I'm not with him, he's talking via Skype, so hard for me to say what goes where).

Thanks again!

Rubidium

LouLou wrote: »

(I have no idea where to put this, if I've chosen the wrong sub-forum, apologies). This is a query about a Cookworks Signature Coffee machine (bought from BHS but essentially the same), which was quite popular on both MSE and HUKD - various threads on both sites, which I've trawled through!

I got boyf this machine ten months ago but he's having problems today - I'm sure I read about someone having a similar problem - something about the internal tubes?

I'll quote what he's saying - "Water is coming through the main place where the coffee holder goes, the steam works fine. When I put the coffee holder (with and without coffee in there) no water comes through, pressure just builds up. I have cleaned it to within an inch of its life, unscrewed the silver filter, brushed with a toothbrush, cleaned all round the holders circular bit where the holder locks to." Might be some sort of blockage?

Any help would be much appreciated

The machine looks like this:

From reading around, many seem to have issues with the pump/pressure failing after so many months.

LouLou wrote: »

Success! He took the portafilter apart and gave it a good scrub, and used a pin in the holes.

Before: http://i.imgur.com/XJEw8l0.jpg
After: http://i.imgur.com/MjdjSUi.jpg

He says to take care when screwing it back together, he's done it a little too tightly and slightly cracked the plastic (I'm not with him, he's talking via Skype, so hard for me to say what goes where).

Thanks again!

Seriously - he needs to go to Specsavers!

It is obviously that this machine has not been cleaned since new 10 months ago. My machine is more than 10 years old and has never looked like that!

Anne_Marie_2

That filter was certainly in a heck of a mess. It's amazing that he was still drinking coffee out of the machine, as am sure the flavour would have been affected.
Think he needs to clean the machine and parts at least monthly. I use citric acid, and plenty of coffee machine makers recommend this too. Much cheaper to use than coffee de-scalers. If I was in the UK, I'd be buying a 1 kg bag for around £5 from Amazon, which will last for ages, and can also be used for descaling a whole load of other things around the house.

Only other suggestion is to use bottled water rather than tap water, but the coffee machine will still need descaling from time to time.

Feel like I am repeating myself here, as just said the same things a short time ago in another thread.