Repairing a Sage Barista Express?

Java_avaJ

I’ve had for the past 2 and a half years a Sage Barista Express, I’ve learned a lot using the machine - my first espresso machine. However, many things about it that are frustrating, the most frustrating is that it now smells like something’s burning, a smell so strong that I’ve had to stop using it!

It smells if I just grind coffee and it smells if I just froth milk, if that’s a clue to anyone. I’ve taken the covers off and nothing is blackened and the water pipes are clear with no sign of calcification.

My question is, since it’s 6 months out of warranty, does anyone know of any repair company near me in Newcastle upon Tyne?
I guess I have a second question that you might have an opinion about: sage are quoting £199 to repair it or they’ll offer me a new machine with a 40% discount, should I take either of those, if so which, or should I cut my losses and upgrade? (I’m about to post to ask about my shortlist of replacements)

Thanks y’all

DavecUK

Java_avaJ Wow £199 to repair a machine costing £500, they are taking lessons from BMW. Could be somethings shorting out or getting hot on the machine, a loose connection somewhere. Your consideration is, now out of the honey moon period with it, these next few years are the time when things start to go wrong, possibly more regularly and you will need to keep spending money on it..

in offering you 40% off a new machine, I would guess that’s on the Sage website price of £630, so a cost of £378 a saving seemingly of £302. Which makes a new machine far more compelling than spending £199 on an old one. If you can repair the old one then you can sell it on ebay, or sell it as it is. Of course the street for the machine (Amazon is £501 so in reality a saving of only £171.

So the question is spend another £378 with sage….and get a guaranteed 2 more years, possibly being able to sell your unit for £80-100

or Upgrade to something else..with significant expense, but self repairable and with parts availability.

Java_avaJ

DavecUK You’ve got the dilema in one 😕 I’m tempted to try to repair, though, as I said there’s no sign of burning inside and my knowledge of the inner workings of it is scant. Then to sell and buy one the machines you’ve commented on in my other current thread.

Although financially, it makes more sense to perhaps buy another for £378 rather than the £1,800 I’m considering spending, grinder included. But I haven’t used the BE much in the last year because I always found it tricky to dial in for consistent shots and even making 2 milky coffees for breakfast was taking me 15 minutes (cleaning, flushing, grinding, making, foaming times 2) where my moka pot would take 5 mins. I’m hoping with a dual boiler or hx I can multi-task and steam faster and grind more consistently as well as enjoying a few good espressos along the way.

Dumnorix

I used to own the BE before getting the Sage DB.
The only thing I think the burning smell could be is retained grounds in the built in grinder that might have overheated. The grinder is apparently insulated from the thermocoil but I don’t think the insulation is that good. I used to find that if I left beans in the hopper they would get warm and go stale very quickly. I got much better shots when I started to single dose the grinder. If you haven’t already cleaned the grinder out it might be worth a try.

Java_avaJ

@Dumnorix Yes I found that too, so I’ve been weighing single shots of beans and only grinding those for some time, and I clean the hopper and burrs regularly. Also the burning smell is more like an electrical smell, or like that smell of a burned out motor that I remember from my childhood trashed scalectrix - that dates me doesn’t it 😊

Dumnorix

I know exactly the sort of smell you mean! It’s very strange that nothing looks amiss when you look inside. I guess some component must be overheating somewhere.