Hi All,
I have a Starbucks Barista (Saeco), and the shots come out too fast regardless of tamp/grind.
I went to the non-pressurized portafilter.
Is there an adjustment nut on the output of the pump, prior to going into the boiler that can be adjusted?
I appreciate the forum members and your time.
Thanks and all the best,
Wayneo

Perhaps your coffee isn't fresh or your grinder isn't capable of grinding fine/consistent enough. See threads like Help for beginner with fast espresso pour, blonding for more details.

What grinder do you have?

My grinder is a budget Cuisinart Burr grinder. I purchased the coffee from a local roastery- so fresh I assume it is. Thanks for the input fellows,
Wayne

It's your grinder - it's not able to grind fine enough for espresso. You'll need a very capable grinder ($250 on up at least). If your budget is tight, you can do very well on ebay for less.

Thanks to all the info fellows.
That gives me somewhere to go.
All the best,
Wayneo

I gifted this machine to my neighbors some time ago. Yes, it has an OPV (sorta) but I do not remember if it was adjustable.

The pressurized PF that the machine came with was an intricate and very well engineered piece. Unfortunately, the published instructions for operation with same are oftentimes ignored/forgotten. Running the machine with a standard PF will drive your brew pressures into the clouds.

Be very very very wary of the thick crema espresso fantasy.

Unless your coffee out of the pressurized basket tastes bad to you, do nothing. Go back and use the machine as it was designed, and do nothing but clean it on schedule.

Do not disassemble; do not tinker. Make and drink coffee.

I have seen this advice over and over since I dug deeper into the forums. I only wish I had taken it more seriously with my first kit...

I have this machine (until Saturday, when my new love arrives), and I recently discovered a serious problem with the group head screen. I know I'm not the only one too.

Please, without the portafilter on, press the brew button and see how the water comes out of the group head screen. Mine shot out regardless of how clean it was, causing serious channeling and making the puck a goopy mess. I dealt with this for years, and only recently figured out the wrong screen was installed when I bought it; it was a screen meant for pods, not ground beans.

If water oozes/softly pours from your group head, disregard my babble.

I would concur your issue (above notwithstanding) is bean freshness and grind. Even with a Mazzer Mini, I had poor extractions with some 49th Parallel Epic Espresso because it was just too old. Fresh beans are paramount. Quality grind is also paramount.

andrewpetre wrote:Be very very very wary of the thick crema espresso fantasy.

Unless your coffee out of the pressurized basket tastes bad to you, do nothing. Go back and use the machine as it was designed, and do nothing but clean it on schedule.

Do not disassemble; do not tinker. Make and drink coffee.

Andrew, real espresso from a depressurized pf (also known as a portafilter) is no fantasy. I use the Starbucks Barista every day with a non-pressurized portafilter with results that, while not in the same league as higher classed machines, is in every way within acceptable espresso paramaters. These results are also nothing new for Barista users, almost all of whom de-pressurize their pf's once they reach the "forum stage". While I reckon just about all of these users have upgraded (it is a low-end machine after all), I am quite certain that an internet search, or a simple search of this forum would bear me out that people who actually owned and used this machine recommend depressurizing the pf as one of the first steps in getting the most out of it. (And yes, the taste does suck from a pressurized pf, mainly because you need a coarse grind for it to work - a 30 second shot with a pressurized pf filled with drip grind coffee - mmmm).

Wayne, once you get a good grinder, and some fresh coffee, you will be pulling any kind of shots you want to pull. BTW, you don't need to spend a fortune on a grinder. There are decent hand grinders that, while inconvenient, are certainly able to produce the kind of grinds you need.