Comments on: Hacking the Starbucks Barista Digital Italia Espresso Machine

By: Franco Jona

Franco Jona — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:27:21 +0000

Brew Unit Blocked message…. driving me crazy!!!
The machine worked relatively fine for some five years. Now, whenever one tries to make a cup, the machine will usually grind some beans and then stop functioning completely while displaying the message…. Brew Unit Blocked. Initially, a quick bump on the machine with your hand (or unplugging and replugging) would allow it to finish brewing a shot. However, now nothing seems to work.
I have removed the brew unit and cleaned it thoroughly, several times mind you, but nothing seems to correct the problem. Has anyone had the same problem or does anyone have any suggestions?

By: john franco

john franco — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 08:29:09 +0000

I just bought the espresso machine tonight for a really good deal. Everything seems to be functioning properly. What I am noticing though, is that the coffee isn’t quite as hot as I like it, and the heat setting is at maximum. After reading so many reviews about the machine breaking down, I’m a little scared now… i guess we’ll see how it works out.

By: hooha

hooha — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:07:25 +0000

Need to Prime Message – Replaced pump on my own. Work(ed) awesome.

Grinder message – Totally cleaned out the path from the hopper to the brew group. There’s a chute from the hopper that had about 50% blocked from caked grounds. Also, remove the brew group and there’s a spring loaded hatch that you can hold open and clean from the bottom up.

The machine ran yesterday and ran out of water mid brew, but the pump kept running. Now the thing is vapor locked like crazy and I just get the NTP message. My guess that repeatedly running the pump dray to try to prime is going to burn the thing out . . . again. Wish I had another machine.

By: Diane

Diane — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 20:51:38 +0000

The grinder thing seems to be an epidemic. My grinder is also claiming empty. I too have adjusted the buttons back an forth. Now, nothing seems to work. Has anyone out there taken their machine apart and looked inside?

By: mike m

mike m — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:35:25 +0000

a bump from a earlier post, but I got this machine and this seems like what I am getting. IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve played around with the two knobs inside of the grinder: one with plus and minus and one with 0 to 18. i tried all kinds of settings, but itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s coming out all weak and watered down. right now iÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ve got it on 0 and the maximum + setting. that seems the best i can do. any advice?

By: Andy Olavarria

Andy Olavarria — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:53:37 +0000

I have a Starbuck Digital Italia and it is stuck on the Grinder Empty mode. I’ve cleaned the grinder from the top and also from the door above the coffee packing system. The grinder is turning but the beans are not feeding through? What would you suggest? Thanks.

By: JimmyZ

JimmyZ — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:50:11 +0000

I bought my SBDIEM used from an old Italian man. I’m lucky his wife was a neat freak as she kept the unit clean, even after 3000 shots on the counter. Only problem they had was the door latch breaking / bending and it was replaced. They had been making some weak espresso as the grind was huge. I accessed the grinder from the top through the bean bin and realigned the control knobs. Now I am getting a great grind and a good creme. The water tank is cracked, so I can only fill the tank half way. Who has extra parts they wish to part with? I would like to know how bright the blue display screen should be? Mine is pretty dim and I can swear that it has been brighter on occasion.

By: Tina

Tina — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:13:52 +0000

This forum has been quite entertaining. It always amazes me how when someone goes to the trouble to help others that there are some who feel they must snipe. Thanks to all those who put up such helpful advice.

I too, of course, have the machine and am having problems. Wish I’d searched the close door aspect earlier. Then a piece of the brew unit stayed in the down position, locking the grounds drawer in. Eventually it went back up but now the coffee and grounds all end up in the drawer. Then when I just used it to steam the milk, it started smelling like burning rubber. Ack!

So I’m wondering if it’s worth it to get it fixed. It’s a year and a half old. My husband got it for me on ebay.

Don’t know if anyone’s still around, but thought I’d post anyway

By: crhoads1024

crhoads1024 — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 22:56:43 +0000

the Saeco Equivalent is the

Saeco 178435 Italia Home Espresso Cappuccino Machine you can find it on Mazon for about $340. We had one of the origianl ones and the steam clamp inside the wand broke and it was dripping so we got that fixed and then the need to prime problem hit. All that was fine and dandy but the problem we had was the bean hopper, the machine WOULD NOT BREW anything. It would say the hopper was out of beans when it was totally full. So when that happened we had to 1)empty the beans 2) unscrew the screws that secure the bean hopper in place 30 pull the entire hopper out and rubber boot seal 4) vacuum the inside of the grinder out completely out.

It was a hearbreaker to be ready to enjoy a great latte at home only to find out you have to spend the next 10 min disssembling the unit and dragging the vacuum inot the kitchen to fix the damn thing.

Okay,

So I buy a replacement from ebay and get the warranty. this new machine is a refurbished model as I dont think Saeco even manufactures them anymore. The brew unit consistently needs cleaning on this one and drops grounds everywhere and it is way noisier than the on form sbux. It also is kinda inconsistent with the responses. The first shot it brewed it gave me a little chime to say it was done brewing. Now it hardly ever does it. But now and again you hear the chime. Other times it will grind the espresso beans and goe through the measuring cycle and you hear it clicking and thunking like normal only the water pump does not engage. WTF? I just wasted a shot! But it has not done this after the following steps were performed. this is the interesting part i found.

Well the water line got clogged last friday night and I had to take apart the part of the brew unit where the water comes from. I pulled ou thte part with the screen and the o-ring. Pulled off the water line that is on the back and on the piece that makes a right angle down tot he rubber tube and into the piece witht the screen and oring, there is a pressure spring with a little insert that stops water from flowing or leaking when no water is actively pumping. This spring was also PACKED with grounds. I cleaned it out and put it together and it brewed a shot.

Out of curiosity
I dug the original machine out from the basement and pulled out the brew unit and put it in the newer machine. IT SOUNDS AND RUNS LIKE FREAKING NEW!!! I swear after doing that, that these machines are great as long has they have a great brew unit. With the old brew unit in the new machine there is no more loose grounds or leaking water inside the coffemaker and it rns smoother on the purs as well as the measuring cycles, much quieter it really sounds like a brand new machine. I have yet to see a cycle grind beans and not pour a shot. The old machine’s final problem was that it would think the hopper was empty, but I am keeping that machine on the side for spare parts. So if anybody out there has one of these machines please put up the brew unit for sale on ebay cause they are really in my opinion one of the most vital pieces of the machine.
Does anybody know of a place other to find replacement parts?

I hope my shared comments can help someone out there.
Thanks to all of you who have contributed as well, I will be trying the Sucking of the wand to prime this thing someday I am sure.

By: Howard L.

Howard L. — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:47:44 +0000

Does anyone know the Saeco “equivalent” model for this? I am considering doing some home repairs and want to find the corresponding parts.