One of the most common issues we see in our repair shop is a Superautomatic machine (such as a Saeco, DeLonghi or Jura Capresso) with a non-functional grinder. Often, the 'Out of Beans' light will be on, regardless of how many beans are in the hopper, and the grinder will cease functioning properly. The cause? Those super dark roasted, oily beans! Superautomatics require a very dry bean, as the oilier beans leave too much moisture in the hopper and the grinder, eventually building up and clogging the machine. We really recommend that you try a lighter, drier roast, but if you just can't break your addiction to oily beans, here are a couple of tips to keep your machine from breaking down over time:
- Each time you refill your hopper, thoroughly wipe out the entire accessible area with a highly absorbent paper towel
- Super fine grinds + oily beans = coffee cement, so dial your grinder in to the coarsest possible setting and you'll mitigate some of the issue
- Regular maintenance and cleaning of your superautomatic will reduce the build-up from oily beans