More than 10 years ago I made the somewhat frivolous purchase of the Braun Espresso Master E400T…brought it home and all was good with the world. Espresso’s and Cappuccino’s flowed like milk and honey. There was much rejoicing!
Than – we moved to Florida and Espresso Master was packed into storage for probably 8 months or so. When EM was unpacked and primed for use in the good ol’ US of A nothing happened. It made noice, shook a bit, and — nothing.
I tried to take it apart but didn’t have the special screwdriver so EM went back into the box where it has stayed for more than 10 years…until today.
Over the years we have sold off our espresso and cappuccino cups as small losses in the war against EM failure. Little bits of ground given to the enemy as it were. But I could not part with EM despite many attempts to throw it away. I felt that if I could get inside of it I could do something. See something.
Finally this afternoon I decided to take it out one last time and doggedly tried a half dozen different screwdriver bits till I found one that fit the alien triangle headed screws that were in it. I took it apart. I turned it on. I listened. I looked. Nothing. But – I noticed the clear tube from the mini-pump to the heater would push a little water once and a while…a millimetre here, a millimetre there. Than I realized what the problem was. After more than 8 months in storage the pump had dried out. It needed to be primed. I basically had to hold in the espresso button until water had pumped through the whole system (about 5 minutes of holding) and voila – water poured forth!
Of course I do not have an espresso grind of coffee but the ol’ Braun Espresso Master E400T is back on the counter next to the coffee machine and I am already planning my next espresso.
Harnessing Chaos 
Hey I have that exact one – still in the box – used 2x….you want to buy it?
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Very cool. I have the same Espresso machine and just had the same issue. I could not find a bit to fit the screws. But your solution may fix it without opening up. But I am curious, what are the screws called and what bit did you get to fit them? Or did you use a flat-head or something else that fit. Thanks.
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Home depot sell the screwdriver set for the little triangle screws
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Thanks for the tip!
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HI we have the same machine and similar problem. Nothing coming through the espresso part, but we do get water through the steamer wand. Did yours do this?? We have kept it on the espresso setting for a while and still nothing, but thinking I will try the 5 min straight. And what do you mean holding the espresso button. Do you mean that you had it on the espresso setting and kept the pump button on for five min???
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Yes that’s exactly what I mean…hold the button in until it can pull water through the whole system again. I think after long periods with no use it needs to be primed again this way.
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I think it definitely had a clog in the water line. I think water was left in it for like a year. We just tried keeping it on letting the water run through the steam wand with some vinegar to descale and then the pump stopped running, I think we just burnt it out. :(. Do you have any suggestions for pump not coming on???
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OMG, it is working!! I think the vinegar sitting in it helped the clog. we let it sit for a while the pump starting working again and then eureka!!!
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Thank you! Same problem and I’m going to try this. I’ve had my EM for over 22 years and I’m not ready to part with it. 🙂
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