# MELITTA CAFFEO SOLO - coffee fall outside the brewing unit on levels 2-3 coffee amount.



## SOLY (Mar 15, 2021)

Hi.
so I got as a project an un-working or maintained Melitta Caffeo Solo machine
after I replace all the sealing rubbers and the defringe unit, and the coffee grinder disks, the machine is working fine and coffee is good but, but there is one issue I couldn't resolve yet, the issue is that after the machine grind the coffee into the brewing unit, a lot of coffee grinds fall outside the brewing unit into the drip tray area and make a lot of mess outside the brewing unit, not only that it is wasting coffee it is almost not impossible to clean and its happend after 1-2 coffee cups. I am attaching a picture of the area as an example. thanks for any help and advises. this happened only when I put the levels 2 and 3 of coffee amount.
note that sending this machine to a repair center its not an option cause it will make this project un worthy.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Is there a piece missing that directs the coffee onto the brew group. Or is the grinder grinding for too long because there is some problem with the motors sensing no load, or the hopper gate failing to shut properly?

Your single photo BTW is probably at the exact angle, with the brew group at just the correct position to show absolutely nothing of any use. Apart from the pile of grounds in the tray.

Make a video of the machine making a coffee....this will allow us to hear how long it's grinding, whether it grinds out, and how it sounds when making the coffee.


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## SOLY (Mar 15, 2021)

DavecUK said:


> Is there a piece missing that directs the coffee onto the brew group. Or is the grinder grinding for too long because there is some problem with the motors sensing no load, or the hopper gate failing to shut properly?
> 
> Your single photo BTW is probably at the exact angle, with the brew group at just the correct position to show absolutely nothing of any use. Apart from the pile of grounds in the tray.
> 
> Make a video of the machine making a coffee....this will allow us to hear how long it's grinding, whether it grinds out, and how it sounds when making the coffee.


 Hi friend thanks for the replay, according to ure request I made a full video to examine the issues.






Thanks for any help!


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

I think the problem seems to be the *over filling of the ground coffee part of the brew unit*, you said it didn't happen if you selected less strength. I suspect when you select less strength it doesn't grind for as long/

It sounds like the machine isn't grinding everything out. In my Varianza there is a door in the bean chamber that opens and closes....I am not sure if this is true with your machine.

*If it has a portioning door...Opens* lets beans in, closes to prevent more going into the grind chamber. Then the grinder starts and stops when everything is ground....there is no load on the motor, the machine senses this and stops the grinder. If your machine works in the same way, allowing just a portion of beans into the grinde, the portion control door may have a problem.

When I listened I hear your grinder stop....but there are still beans being ground. I think if your machine may not have the same system as Varianza. If your machine does a *timed grind, depending on the strength you select*, then this system may be fault.

Also *check the brew unit itself*, there is a plastic grey piece that the old coffee puck slides down when ejected...check this piece is returning to the correct position and not partly in the way of the coffee as it falls from the grinder. If you make this piece wet and then ask the machine to make a coffee...see if ground coffee gets stuck on this piece


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## SOLY (Mar 15, 2021)

after checking all of the above I can confirm that everything is fine and as it should be in place, I even compare my machine to a friend's same machine and I didn't found any differences. still the problem happened when I try to go above from the level 1 coffee quantity :\


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## PeterHla (Apr 3, 2021)

I've just posted the same problem or similar. But my excess coffee stays in and around the hopper and on the piston. Most of it wet. It's not the brewing unit because I just spent #55 on a new replacement unit.


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## SOLY (Mar 15, 2021)

PeterHla said:


> I've just posted the same problem or similar. But my excess coffee stays in and around the hopper and on the piston. Most of it wet. It's not the brewing unit because I just spent #55 on a new replacement unit.


 Thanks for the replay, have you already found the cause for this issue?


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## PeterHla (Apr 3, 2021)

Nope


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## PeterHla (Apr 3, 2021)

I have now found that when I cut the strength down to one bean, it makes no difference to strength. So, I suspect the thing is dispensing too much coffee into the hopper.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

PeterHla said:


> I have now found that when I cut the strength down to one bean, it makes no difference to strength. So, I suspect the thing is dispensing too much coffee into the hopper.


 That was my original guess....it's dispensing too much and overflowing. Check whether there is a little shutter in the hopper...if so it may be jammed open by a bean fragment


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## PeterHla (Apr 3, 2021)

You mean the hopper where you put the raw beans? I've prodded around and tried to clean it out, can't find any moving parts. But can't really get into it. Or not sure how to.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

PeterHla said:


> You mean the hopper where you put the raw beans? I've prodded around and tried to clean it out, can't find any moving parts. But can't really get into it. Or not sure how to.


 Yes, in my varianza there is a bean shutter...

https://coffeeequipmentreviews.wordpress.com/2016/10/26/melitta-caffeo-varianza-tech-tour-videos/

Check out the tech tour video on the grinding and portioning system


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