English 17
TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR  
MR. COFFEE® CAFÉ BARISTA
PROBLEM CAUSES SOLUTIONS
Coffee does not 
come out.
•Nowaterinreservoir.
•Coffeegrindistoone.
•Toomuchcoffeeinthelter.
•Appliancewasnotturned
on or plugged in.
•Coffeehasbeentamped/
compressed too much.
•Addwater.
•Grindmediumgroundcoffee.
•Filllterwithlesscoffee.
•Plugunitintoelectrical
outlet and turn it on.
•Relllterbasketwithcoffee
DO NOT TAMP too much.
Coffee comes 
out around the 
edge of the 
porta-lter.
•Porta-lternotrotatedto
full lock position.
•Coffeegroundsaround 
thelterbasketrim.
•Toomuchcoffeeinthelter.
•Rotatelterholdertofull 
lock position.
•Wipeoffrimandshower
head seal. 
•Fillwithlesscoffee.
Milk is not foamy 
after frothing or 
it is not coming 
out of the 
frothing tube.
•Ranoutofsteam.
•Milkisnotcoldenough.
•Frothingtubeisblocked.
•Ensurethereisenough
water in the water 
reservoir.
•Chillmilkandfrothing
pitcher prior to making 
cappuccino or latte.
•Followtheinstructionsto
clean the milk reservoir & 
frothing tube.
Coffee comes 
out too quickly.
•Groundcoffeeistoo
coarse.
•Notenoughcoffeeinlter.
•Useanergrind.
•Usemorecoffee.
Coffee is too 
weak.
• Usingsmalllterfordouble
shot of espresso.
• Ground coffee is too coarse.
• Uselargelterfordouble
shot of espresso.
• Useanergrind.
The three 
control 
panel lights 
are flashing 
alternatively.
•Watertankisoutofwater. •Addwatertoreservoir.
Do you still have questions? You can call us toll-free at the Consumer Service 
Department, 1-800-MR COFFEE (1-800-672-6333) or you can visit us at  
www.mrcoffee.com. 
DELIMING
Mineral deposits built-up in the unit will affect the operation of the appliance. 
Your appliance must be delimed when you begin to notice an increase in the 
time required to brew espresso, or when there is excessive steaming. Also, 
you may notice a build-up of white deposits on the surface of the brew head. 
The frequency of cleaning depends upon the hardness of the water used. The 
following table gives the suggested cleaning intervals.
SUGGESTED CLEANING INTERVALS
Type of Water Cleaning Frequency
Soft Water (Filtered Water) Every 80 Brew Cycles
Hard Water (Tap Water) Every 40 Brew Cycles
TO DELIME WATER RESERVOIR:
1. Fill the reservoir with fresh, undiluted white household vinegar.
2. Allow appliance to sit overnight with the vinegar solution in the water 
reservoir.
3. Discard vinegar by removing the reservoir and turning it upside down 
over the sink.
4. Rinse the water reservoir thoroughly with tap water by filling tank half full 
with water and then pouring the water back out into the sink, repeating 
this step twice.
TO DELIME INTERNAL PARTS:
1. Make sure you delime the inside of the water reservoir first by following 
the “Deliming” steps above.
2. Make sure to switch the on/off button to the off “O” position and the 
power cord is disconnected from the electrical outlet. Fill the reservoir 
half way with white vinegar.
3. Insert the porta-filter (with filter and no coffee) and place jar/carafe or 
regular cup on top of the drip tray and under the porta-filter.
4. Plug the power cord into the electrical outlet.
5. Press the on/off button to switch the unit on “I”, once the 3 control 
panel illuminates solidly, press the the Espresso/Custom Button twice. The 
vinegar will start flowing through the unit and it will stop automatically. 
6. Place a pitcher or large cup (with at least 325 mL/ 11-ounce capacity) 
under the tube. Fill the milk reservoir with water and place it back on 
the unit. Turn the Froth Control Knob clockwise to the clean position “
” then press the latte/clean button for 3 seconds to activate the clean 
function. The unit will start releasing steam through the frothing tube for 
30 seconds. When done, throw the contents of the cup away.
7. Repeat Steps 1 – 6 as necessary using only tap water to rinse any 
remaining traces of vinegar out of the machine.
English 16