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I just bought a Breville Bambino Plus, and when I tried to lock the portafilter in the group head it doesn't turn and lock. There seems to be too much resistance to the point that I think I might break something.

I removed the ground coffee, then tried hooking it in again. I got the same result. However, when I removed the filter basket from the portafilter I was able to turn and lock!
I was using the same tools provided with the machine.
I'm not sure if the reason is the basket or something else.

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  • From experience, the seal starts out very stiff and it takes some time until the filter can be locked in 90° to the machine. However it should at least lock. You can try heating the machine up with the filter with basket inserted for some time for the rubber to get a bit softer.
    – Horst
    Jun 24, 2020 at 11:23
  • I tottaly agree but in my situation it won't even turn halfway and lock... i will try to heat the machine again to soften the rubber tho i don't think it'll work i tried it before, honstly don't know what to do :(
    – Rose
    Jun 24, 2020 at 12:00
  • There are silicone seals instead of rubber, at least in my Brikka the silicone seal is softer than the rubber seal. Contacting the Seller/Manufacturer is also worth a shot, maybe they know some trick or at least can comment if this is common.
    – Horst
    Jun 24, 2020 at 12:44

1 Answer 1

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You probably have a broken shower (dispersion disc).

Try removing the shower screen - the metal part that faces the coffee. There's a screw in the center.

Above the screen is a plastic dispersion disc (shower); it's job is to spread the water across the bed of coffee. Remove it as well - should pry right out, no additional screws.

It's pretty common for this disc to break - it's made of plastic and is subject to a lot of heat and pressure. Breville sells replacements on their website, you might also get one at ereplacementparts.com [I have no connection to them but I have purchased this part from them].

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  • Interesting. I would have assumed that the shower screen would be keeping everything level towards the filter? But one learns something new every day!
    – Stephie ♦
    Sep 5, 2020 at 6:56
  • @Stephie It does as long as it's not broken. If it breaks, one piece can get pushed under the other and cause a slight bulge in the shower screen, which can prevent locking. A damaged gasket can sometimes cause a similar problem.
    – R Mac
    Mar 15, 2021 at 23:46

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