Troubleshooting Breville Barista Touch Problems [FIXED]

You are craving a hot creamy coffee, but then your Breville barista touch is brewing coffee without any creme, and even the temperature of the coffee is cold. What a bad way to start the day, right?

In an electrical appliance, it’s normal that sometimes it breaks out or sometimes it stops functioning—various issues cause the functioning problems and issues in your Breville Barista touch.

But rest assured. This article will provide the best solutions to your Breville Barista Touch problems.

Breville Barista Touch Not Dispensing Water

Dispensing the water can be expressed as releasing hot water from the machine to make a coffee. It is simply done by pressing a button on the machine.

There are several causes why your Breville barista touch is not dispensing water. If your group head is blocked or the water filter and valves are clogged, it can lead to no water dispensing. It can be due to the malfunctioning of the water pump.

To solve this, you need to check if there is enough water in the water tank and if the water tank is attached properly. The machine needs to be descaled from time to time. Make sure that the valves and water pump are in proper functioning condition.

Coffee is Not Hot Enough

Causes why your coffee is not hot enough

1. The cups and portafilter arent pre-heated.
2. The milk used in coffee needs to be hotter.
3. The water temperature needs to be corrected.

Solutions

1. If you must pre-heat the portafilter, purge the machine by running hot water. It will flow from the group head to the portafilter. Then remove the portafilter and wipe it thoroughly.
2. If you have to preheat the cups, rinse them under a hot water outlet and place them on the warmer.
3. If the milk is not hot enough, ensure the sensor is in contact. You can also adjust the milk temperature setting on the screen.
4. You can increase the brew temperature in the setting menu to increase the water temperature.

Short Extraction Time. Can you Increase it?

Extraction time can be defined as when the pump starts and ends when the pump stops. The pump starts in the initial or beginning phase when water touches the coffee ground surface.

Pump stops refer to when the machine stops the water flowing through the coffee grounds. Grind size, tamping method, pressure, etc., are the factors that determine the extraction time.

Causes

1. If you tamp coffee too hard or too light, but the tamp is not evenly distributed, then it can cause a short extraction time.
2. If the grind size is too finer, then water will pass through it in a short time.
3. If you are using the stale or old beans
4. The grind size may not have been calibrated correctly.

Solutions

1. While tamping, do not tamp either too hard or too light. But make sure to tamp evenly distributed.
2. Do use fresh and roasted beans.
3. Your coffee grounds should be fine but not too fine.
4. You can calibrate the grind setting through the outer dial setting and inner conical burr settings. 

Temperature Drop Issues

Maintaining a consistent temperature is necessary for good coffee. When you are having problems with the temperature drops in the Breville Expresso machine, the causes can be clogged shower heads or malfunctioning thermocouples and heating elements. If the pressure isn’t correct, it can cause temperature drop issues.

You may face the problem of water stopping to heat, expresso shots coming out cold, and temperature going up and suddenly going down without reaching normal. Many Breville Barista touch owners face similar kinds of problems. 

It can be resolved by replacing the solenoid group. If the problem still exists after replacing the solenoid group, you can check if any of the issues listed below exist.

1. Check if there are any issues with the heating elements and thermocouple. If yes, then replace it with a new one.
2. Unclog the shower head.
3. Maintain a consistent temperature to brew the coffee.

You can factory reset the machine and continue other procedures if anything doesn’t work.

No Crema

Crema is a layer of foam that adds texture to the coffee. The pressure, temperature, quality of beans, and grind size all affect the crema’s formation.

There are various reasons for the no crema formation during the expresso shot.

1. If the coffee grind is too coarse.
2. When the beans out of which grounds are produced are stale and old.
3. When the filter holes are blocked.
4. If the coffee grounds are not tamped properly and firmly.
5. Single wall filter baskets are used for pre-ground coffee.

Solutions

If the coffee grounds are not tamped properly, then you can use the following steps to get the perfect tamp of coffee grounds.

1. The first step is to get the correct dose of coffee. For that, you need to experiment with the grind amount dial. 
2. Make sure to wipe the coffee basket with a dry cloth.
3. Put the ground coffee in the portafilter and tap the portafilter a few times to evenly distribute the coffee. Only tamp the coffee grounds by evenly distributing the coffee in a portafilter, as it will lead to uneven extraction.
4. Choose the tamper which fits the basket, i.e., has no or little gap to the basket. Press the tamper at the same level, creating not even a slight angle.

If the coffee grounds are stale and old, use fresh, high-quality, and roasted coffee beans to get proper and rich crema, and if the coffee beans are too coarse, use finer grind settings. You must experiment a few times to get the ideal grind settings for your expresso. 

If the filter basket is blocked, you can use the pin to unblock the holes. Even after the holes remain blocked, dissolve a cleaning tablet in hot water, soak the filter basket for about 20 minutes, and dry them.

Do not use the single wall filter basket for pre-ground coffee. Make sure to use the double-wall filter basket.

Machine Leaking Water

When the machine starts to leak water, it is a huge issue as water plays a vital role in extracting the expresso. It can be due to various reasons. If the water tank isn’t fully inserted and locked at the back of the machine, it can cause a water leak.

If the silicon seal that surrounds the shower screen is not properly functioning and may be on the verge of being replaced shall lead to water leaking. The seal helps ensure the portafilter is properly locked in the group head.

If the drip tray isn’t properly placed after pulling an expresso shot, the machine will start purging the water. It can be the factor for the water to leak. This feature of the machine is known as the auto-purge feature.

Solutions

1. The water should be properly pushed and locked at the back of the machine.
2. Make sure you replace the silicon seal by using the Allen key.

Follow the given instructions below to replace the silicon seal.

• Press the power button to off the machine and unplug the cord.
• Remove the drip tray and water tank from the machine.
• Make sure to clean the center of the screw using a skewer.
• Using the shorter end of the Allen key, turn counter wise the center of the screw.
• Carefully remove and get the screw and the shower screen. 
• Make sure to wash and dry the shower screen.
• Remove the old silicon seal with the help of pliers and place the new one.
• Put back the screen shower and the screw,
• Re-insert the drip tray and the water tank.

    3.   In the case of the auto-purge feature, ensure that the drip tray is properly placed in the machine.

The Machine Makes a Loud Noise

There are usually two common causes why the machine makes a loud noise. One can be either the water tank is empty, the water is below the minimum line or there are certain issues in the purging setting.

To solve this problem, all you have to do is fill the water tank to the maximum level if the water tank is empty. If there are issues in the purging setting, you must perform a factory reset.

Conclusion

It’s easy to solve the problem of your Breville barista touch if you have good knowledge about the structure and its functions. Moreover, it will enhance the level of the coffee which you are making.

Remember to clean the coffee over time. Make sure you descale, backflush, and clean the machine.