Is my machine no good?

[aussiedoc]

Hi, I'm currently using a Sunbeam EM6910 around christmas time and was getting great espresso.
However for the last 2 months or so, my shots come out way to quick (15sec max) with no crema at all. Ive adjusted the grind, the tamp, the dose, how long I let the machine and portafilter warm up.
I'm using a conical burr grinder, and its recommended espresso setting is around 10-15, with 1-5 being a turkish grind. However even with it down that far, its still too fast.

Its got a little pressure gauge on the front, and originally it was going into the 'ideal' range, but now it barely makes it past nothing.
Suffice to say, the espresso which comes out can hardly be called that.
I don't know if the machine is not developing enough pressure or if the beans are crappy.
Its still under warranty. Should I send it back? Thanks for your help

 

[kris7047th]

If you Google for the reviews, you will see that it is a hit or miss with these machines as for their overall reliability.

 

[Randy G.]

The pressure gauge shows very little pressure, yet the flow is way too fast even at the finest setting?
- grinder problem. maybe the adjustment inside slipped (possible on a Baratza which has an adjustable burr mount).
- broken or damaged portafilter basket
- bad gauge AND stuck pressure relief valve, possibly from scale build up, resulting in too high brew pressure and incorrect gauge reading
- VERY bad, stale coffee.

 

[joshua123]

Randy got it right...

 

[alphawave7]

Can you choke the machine? Try grinding some fresh beans on your finest grinder setting and try to choke it. Results?

 

[alsterling]

Heck... why not? I'll throw in my 2 cents.
Everyone gave you good answers. And frankly, they already "spilled the beans" with the first possibility. I won't give any advice, but I will share my newbie experience, prior to home roasting. After I thought I'd mastered my first decent espresso machine and grinder setup, I ran into a period of about two weeks where I couldn't get a decent extraction no matter what. Finally, and by accident, my roaster/supplier sent me a new shipment, and as soon as I ground and brewed, I realized that it was "the beans" all along. I believed that because I kept my beans sealed, in the fridge, they'd last over a month; not so, of course. So all that time tweaking the heck out of the Expobar, the grinder, rubbing my lucky rabbit's foot, etc..... I finally got that "V-8 Moment" where I slapped myself in the head, realizing that "You start with certifiable fresh beans (3 to maybe 10 days out of roast)......." If it is your machine, you'll have found that out after "clearing the usual suspect...... da' bean."

 

[CCafe]

Heck... why not? I'll throw in my 2 cents.
Everyone gave you good answers. And frankly, they already "spilled the beans" with the first possibility. I won't give any advice, but I will share my newbie experience, prior to home roasting. After I thought I'd mastered my first decent espresso machine and grinder setup, I ran into a period of about two weeks where I couldn't get a decent extraction no matter what. Finally, and by accident, my roaster/supplier sent me a new shipment, and as soon as I ground and brewed, I realized that it was "the beans" all along. I believed that because I kept my beans sealed, in the fridge, they'd last over a month; not so, of course. So all that time tweaking the heck out of the Expobar, the grinder, rubbing my lucky rabbit's foot, etc..... I finally got that "V-8 Moment" where I slapped myself in the head, realizing that "You start with certifiable fresh beans (3 to maybe 10 days out of roast)......." If it is your machine, you'll have found that out after "clearing the usual suspect...... da' bean."

You know how many times I've been down this road with my clients!? Fresh beans will make all the difference in the world.

 

[alsterling]

CC........ you said, "How many times I've been down this road." Well, you're not alone. Here's the background story on why I never, ever, never assume anything when working on anything.

In a related embarrasing experience when I was in my early teens, earning money by repairing radios and TV's I'd collected from the neighbors. My first "paying job" was this 5 tube AC-DC radio from the widow down the street. Usually, these old radios would start this horrible "buzzing noise." That was an easy fix. It was the dual stage filtering capacitor. If it was bad, the AC that got turned into DC, and was half-wave instead of a smooth flat DC. The capacitor was $0.50, and my labor was, well, not much of an issue. I charged $3 for the fix. Anyway, I took the widow's radio into my "ER" (bedroom) at around 10am on Saturday, and for the next 6 hours, couldn't get it to make a peep...... couldn't even get the tubes to light up. At 4pm Mom came into the room and announce dinner, and at the same time, looked down on the floor, and asked me, "Al, why don't you plug that thing in and see if it'll work...... I'm sure Mrs. Phillips would like her radio back?

So, YES, I forgot the most basic, and primary element; POWER. In my haste, I forgot to plug it in. (Geeze) Since then, I swear, when I'm trying to diagnose an issue, like why my extractions are crap, I go back to the old "Cessna Preflight Approach." I go through my checklist, no matter how elementary or obvious. True story about fixin' radios and TV's. So I guess you can figure out the analogy here with coffee brewing, right?