HELP: Barista Burr Grinder Clogged(?)

[massphatness]

Have a Barista Burr Grinder. I've been able to clean the occassional clogs, but now I'm stuck. I've cleaned all the easily removable pieces and cleared the chute, and the burr spins, but no grinds drop into the collection bin.

Anyone have one of these and been able to remedy a similar problem?

[replicant_argent]

perhaps some safety glasses and a air compressor nozzle shoved up the chute?
Take a video, we might laugh.

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by replicant_argent

perhaps some safety glasses and a air compressor nozzle shoved up the chute?
Take a video, we might laugh.

Whaddya mean MIGHT?

[massphatness]

I tried blasting a can of compressed air up the chute -- no dice. No goggles either. Lots of ground particles on the wall though.

[tsolomon]

I have a burr grinder built into my Capresso coffee pot and the last time it clogged I had to run rice through it to get unclogged.

[floydpink]

pipe cleaner? chopstick?

I know it's probably too late, but I always put a brush up the chute (no jokes please) at least a couple times a week.

Are you positive the burrs are turning?

[replicant_argent]

Originally Posted by floydpink

pipe cleaner? chopstick?

I know it's probably too late, but I always put a brush up the chute (no jokes please) at least a couple times a week.

Are you positive the burrs are turning?

Might have broken the shaft somehow?

[massphatness]

Originally Posted by floydpink

Are you positive the burrs are turning?

The conical-shaped metal thingy that looks like it would pulpify my finger if I stuck it in there spins 'round and 'round -- I watched it myself before adding the beans. It ground for a bit, then clogged/jammed.

[massphatness]

Originally Posted by replicant_argent

Might have broken the shaft somehow?

Are we still talking about the grinder?

[massphatness]

Originally Posted by tsolomon

I have a burr grinder built into my Capresso coffee pot and the last time it clogged I had to run rice through it to get unclogged.

Serious questions:

* I assume uncooked rice, yes?

* Does it matter if it's white or brown rice?

[md4958]

Vin, if you try this use white rice. Brown rice still has the hull on it, and that hull contains fats that can go rancid. You dont want to compound your problem.

[floydpink]

rice will clean the burrs, but I don't see how clean burrs would solve a clogged chute, assuming it's a clogged chute.

I would strip that grinder down to the point where I could see all the parts layed out on a towel, clean them, and reassemble.

[replicant_argent]

Originally Posted by floydpink

rice will clean the burrs, but I don't see how clean burrs would solve a clogged chute, assuming it's a clogged chute.

I would strip that grinder down to the point where I could see all the parts layed out on a towel, clean them, and reassemble.

[massphatness]

My gal bought some pipe cleaner while she was out. When I get home from work, I'm gonna' fiddle with the thing again.

Bip thanks for all the suggestions, guys.

[BSB]

I had SOLIS Maestro, I used for years, that finally started doing the same as yours. I cleaned it, but it still wouldn't push the grounds thru. Turns out, there are little fins, that push the grounds, and mine had all broken off. Bought a new Capresso and haven't looked back.
Good luck!

[tsolomon]

The grinder in my coffee pot wasn't pushing grounds through, but it was still turning. Tried compressed air and the pipe cleaners first. White uncooked rice did the trick. It sounded really bad and I kept turning it off and then back on as I thought the motor might burn up, finally it pushed the grounds out.
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[MarkinAZ]

Did you get the problem solved Vin? If not, here's a link you can peruse:

http://www.ehow.com/how_7273349_clean-starbucks-barista-burr-grinder.html


Don't know how long you've had your Barista or where you purchased it from, but is it fesible to ship it to the place of purchase or the manufacturer for repair?

Good luck...

simple cleaning= remove the burr/plastic holder (make sure little plastic tab is rotated far counter clockwise, or it will not lift out. You might need big plyers to wiggle it out).

Take a long metal probe and run it around the ring gap, dislodging the gunk. Then turn upside down and tap the whole machine or use a vacuum cleaner.

If it keeps clogging, do what I did: modify it. For some reason, there is a ball bearning weighted trap door at the top of the discharge shoot. As my machine got older, it was no loner able to propel the grounds past that trap door. It was completely clogging up after every 3 grinds. I took the machine apart, removed the door, and now it is working fine again.

Use pliers to grap the timer rotating knob, and pull it straight out and off. Turn machine upside down. Take a small flat blade screw driver and pry the black outer housing away from the base slightly near the 4 corners. After the catches are loose, you can slide the cover off. Then take off the silver plastic cover. There is a black rectagular shoot that directs the ground coffee into the collector cup. At the top of that shoot is the (hidden) trap door. Take the unit apart by removing the phillips screws that hold it into the housing. turn the mechanism over, and you will see some more screws holding the grinder mechanism to the while plastic internal body--loosen those too. The black shoot can now pop out. Remove the trap door and discard. Re-assemble.