# Espresso machine seems to be struggling



## Suraj (May 29, 2012)

Now, I'm a Tea man myself, so forgive me if I don't use the correct coffee vernacular, but I seem to be having a problem.

I grind my beans, put them in the handle thing, press the coffee down, and 'hook' it on.

In short: the espresso seems to come out trickly and in drops, rather than a steady flow. I first thought I may have compacted the beans down too much, but I get the same problem even if I have a looser go.

It's not an amazingly expensive machine: DeLonghi , and have had it for a couple years.

Any help? And apologies if it's in the wrong section!


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## JohnnieWalker (Aug 24, 2011)

Maybe a problem with the pressurised basket? Or maybe the pumps on its way out?

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## mike 100 (Jul 15, 2010)

try using it with no coffee in the portafilter (handle thing) if not much water comes out I would descale the machine ( when was it last done?) and see if that helps may be a blockage due to scale


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## Suraj (May 29, 2012)

mike 100 said:


> try using it with no coffee in the portafilter (handle thing) if not much water comes out I would descale the machine ( when was it last done?) and see if that helps may be a blockage due to scale


I did try the machine with no portafilter at all, and the water again seemed to come out in drops.

In regards to de-scaling, I've never done it! How would it be done? Do I just pop the sachet of descaler into the container of water, and let it run?

On a seperate note, anyone know what may be the cause of a 'tangy' espresso? I've thoroughly cleaned all exposed parts, but still seems to have a bit of sourness to it. Is it just the beans?


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## jimbow (Oct 13, 2011)

A tangy/sour taste can sometimes be a sign of under extraction. Grinding finer would normally help with this. However, I would descale the machine first and sort out the water flow because that will be contributing to the taste.

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## Suraj (May 29, 2012)

Now, does anyone how if "Baby Puly" descaler is any good, and if so, whether it is suitable for a domestic, mostly plastic, espresso machine?


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## mike 100 (Jul 15, 2010)

I use Puly Baby in my Silvia without any problems, works fine but if in doubt check the manual. DeLonghi do their own descaler if you prefer, ebay is your best bet


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## Suraj (May 29, 2012)

Thanks for all the advice folks, I'll give it a go!


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