20 Most Recent Mr. Coffee ECM20 Espresso Machine Questions & Answers

Did your User Manual have a section that tells you how to clean out mineral deposits and hard water scale? Usually, this is done by filling the resevoir with white vinegar and then turning the machine ON for 30 seconds then OFF for 5 minutes. Keep repeating the ON-OFF cleaning cycle until all the vinegar is pumped into the carafe. If the machine needs further cleaning. Repeat the process until the scale and mineral deposits are dissolved. Finally, flush the machine with a full resevoir of clean water and run a normal BREW cycle. Should work like new.

I fixed one of these for a friend yesterday.

The valve that selects coffee or steam has fairly small holes in it and if the pressure vessel gets contaminated with scale or sludge of any form, it is easily clogged.

I was able to finally fix it. It required that I disassemble the entire unit to get access to the valve portions so that I could inspect and clean it. Too much trouble to relate how it works, but the key things are that the unit has to be taken completely apart. If you aren't good at doing that sort of thing, then you should buy a unit that is more maintainable.

To disassemble...

Remove all obvious and easily removable parts from the unit.

Using a Torx #15 security bit, remove 6 screws in bottom. (Two are under rubber feet in the middle.)

Using a 12" Phillips screwdriver, remove 4 screws deep inside well of unit. THey are around the back side of the unit and they hold the top on.

A hole underneath where the valve knob attached is visible inside the well. Rotate the valve knob until you can see a small depression clip that holds the valve knob on. Using the long phillips driver, push on the tab while removing the knob.

Remove the screw in the center of the water spout under where the carafe goes. Remove the metal screen. Remove the rubber gasket. Remove the four phillips screws in the perimeter of the carafe spout. ( A short phillips screwdriver is required.) Remove the entire plastic piece once all 4 screws are out.  It is hard to dislodge..

Pry up the top cover. There are several places where it binds. These include around the filling hole, around the steam vent exit, and around the knob. Work it until it is off.

Remove the pilot light by removing the single phillips that holds it in place.

Work the microswitch loose by examining and manipulating the two little tabs that hold it in place.

Remove the microswitch holding bracket by removing the two phillips screws.

Remove the plate that holds the valve plastic in place by removing two phillips screws.

Remove the valve plastic. Examine it and look for gunk stuck in the tiny holes. Clean it out. A lot.

(If you're really ambitious, take off the screws holding the pressure vessel in place, disassemble it, clean thoroughly, and reasssemble. (If you do this, you'll have to disconnect the wiring at the bottom of the unit's base. Make a note of what goes where to facilitate reassembly.)

Reassemble, going backwards.

Test.

Celebrate if you are successful. Otherwise, curse George Bush for getting us in this mess. Elapsed time should be in the 1-2 hour range, worst case.

Remember... unplug the unit.  You are dealing with a heated pressure vessel, so reassembly should be done carefully.  Obviously, work only on a cold unit.  A small flashlight and magnetic screwdrivers are useful.  Toothpicks make good cleaning aids for the valve.

The on/off switch is not available to retail end users from Mr. Coffee. I checked ereplacementparts.com (which has a good supply of parts for almost anything), and they recommend contacting an authorized Mr. Coffee repair place. (http://www.ereplacementparts.com/coffee-ecm20-espresso-cappuccino-parts-c-116130_116133_116388.html) So if you wanted to do it yourself, you'd have to find an aftermarket switch to use, rather than the OEM.

It's probably clogged up with hard water deposits. Fill the water reservoir with plain white vinegar and put the espresso pot in place as usual, but do not load coffee! Run as usual for making espresso.You may have to run a couple of tanks, until the vinegar is pretty much colorless. Then run a couple of tanks of water to flush the vinegar. If your machine has a steam valve for frothing milk, put the steamer pot under it and open the valve as well. Over time, the steam valve can clog up with milk solids, called casein, which is actually a form of organic plastic.

I have the same problem! any fixes? ideas?

you hava to descall the machine

http://www.thegourmetdepotco.com/store/store_partaccess.asp?manufacturer=19&category=-1&search=ECM20

Pro chef places will have the part, or use an o-ring from the auto parts store.

The seal to the reservoir cap is actually inside the cap. The cap (109018-000-000) is still available for the ECM20. We actually only have one left in stock, we have some more on order but right now I only have one.

The water resevoir cap can be quite tight.

so i guess our expresso you dont have that creamy topping that lack pressure descalcify not with vinegar remove caicium in chunks have a chance of blocking everything descalcifier solution melt the calcium 1part solution 1 part water fill the water with solution open the valve if some come out close it leave the solution in it for 15 minute repeat untill empty rinse very good cheers

Hello aura20,

I bought one this week and had the same problem. I used vinegar and rinsed thoroughly and yet the whit flakes remained. I did some research and found that high end espresso makers often have very fine screens that catch minerals and grounds and so on. This Mister Coffee espresso maker has only a metal basket with tiny holes so it's not really filtering anything. Moreover the metal is treated aluminum, so it scales naturally. Also, if your water is hard like mine that just makes things worse. I just tore off a piece of paper towel only big enough to line the bottom of the filter basket and not come up around the edges. Then I put a drop of water on the paper towel and pressed the paper towel against the filter basket so I could see the little holes through the paper towel. Then I rinsed the machine again and the white flakes were completely gone from the water and the paper towel had collected it instead. I did the same thing with a new piece of paper towel and I added coffee, I did not add the maximum amount of coffee and I did not tamp the coffee. The product was smooth and creamy as it came out of the machine very slowly. But it tasted great and it was strong and clean. Upon removing the basket I found hard dry grounds stuck to the basket and paper towel. I had to use a spoon and running water to dig all of it out. It's not as good as professional espresso makers, but it'll do for a quick shot. I hope that helps.

http://www.mrcoffee.com/Manuals/MrCoffee/ECM20_English.pdf