# Gaggia Cubika - how does it work?!



## ComradeBT (May 20, 2012)

Dear Gaggia coffee lovers....help required please!

Recently took a Gaggia Cubika machine off my Mum who had it in a cupboard for three years as she 'couldn't get it to work'. Shouldn't be hard I thought so it is now in my possession but guess what, I can't get it to work!

So far I have managed to fill the water tank and switch the machine on. After the recommended 6 minutes of heating time, no water was coming out of the head - as should happen according to the online Gaggia instruction manual. When the cup sign was illuminated then depressed, still no water came out through the head, nor if I connected the filter holder to the head.

What I have managed to produce is steam to froth the milk if necessary.

Perhaps I'm missing a vital step but with only 3 buttons and options to select from I'm presuming there must be something wrong?

Happy to advised, step-by-step....

Thanks in advance!!


----------



## gaggiamanualservice.com (Dec 22, 2009)

sounds like your outlet valve is blocked. remove the shower disc and use a 13mm socket to remove the valve. make sure its cleaned and poke a paper clip into the outlet to make sure its clear

mark


----------



## ComradeBT (May 20, 2012)

gaggiamanualservice.com said:


> sounds like your outlet valve is blocked. remove the shower disc and use a 13mm socket to remove the valve. make sure its cleaned and poke a paper clip into the outlet to make sure its clear
> 
> mark


Hi Mark,

Thanks for the response. Ok, I've removed the shower disc which I assume is the cap which site over the top of the brewing head? Is the outlet valve the point deep within the head at the base of the thread that lies underneath this cap? If so I can't see how this can be removed, unless the whole brewing head is taken off?

Ben.


----------



## gaggiamanualservice.com (Dec 22, 2009)

you should be able to remove using a 13mm socket


----------



## ComradeBT (May 20, 2012)

I subsequently did find a small blockage in the outlet valve so I poked it through with a paper clip to clear it and then could see a hole in the bottom of the 'well' down to the outlet valve. After putting the shower disc back on and heating up the water it came gushing out of the steamer valve, which didn't happen before. I got about 3/4 of a cup full from that, however, I still didn't get any water, except perhaps a couple of cm, coming through the head of the unit at all, despite the fact that I had half a container of water heated up.


----------



## gaggiamanualservice.com (Dec 22, 2009)

remove the outlet again and before refitting pump water through the brewhead to purge any debris. if still no luck after doing that it may be a pump or steam valve issue

mark


----------



## ComradeBT (May 20, 2012)

Hi there,

Managed to test the Gaggia Cubika for the first time in a month this time without any connections to the brewhead. After about 2-3 mins of sucking up the water from the container and heating it the 'cup light' came on. Pressing this should bring water through the brewhead, right? Instead a few drips of water came through both the middle of the brewhead and around the edge of it. In total abut 2 cm of water landed in the mug before the machine gave up, leaving plenty of water still in the container. This is typical of the machine - basically it hasn't worked once since I acquired it!

Help!!

Sound like it just needs repairing but would Gaggia take this back to repair/replace if it has never worked? (I don't have a receipt as it was a gift).


----------



## gaggiamanualservice.com (Dec 22, 2009)

check the serial number, if the date is within 2 years they should repair

mark


----------

