Written by the Kanen Coffee service team, 2319 Fourth Street, Berkeley. These are our real, current numbers — the same ones we quote at the counter.
Espresso machine repair is a trust business, and nothing builds trust like publishing the prices. Here's exactly how repair works at our Berkeley shop, what it costs, and how to decide between dropping off and mailing in.
What it costs
| Item |
Price |
| Diagnostic & labor rate |
$185/hour ($225/hour for Jura, La Marzocco, and Miele) |
| Repair deposit — home machines |
$185, non-refundable, applied toward your repair |
| Repair deposit — Jura / La Marzocco / Miele |
$225, same terms |
| Repair deposit — commercial machines |
$300–$600 depending on machine |
| Most completed repairs, all-in |
$300–$650 (median ≈ $450) |
Typical all-in totals by brand, from our last twelve months of invoices: DeLonghi around $400, Jura around $500, Rancilio and La Pavoni around $450, Breville around $700, La Marzocco home machines around $950. Those are medians, not quotes — a Silvia gasket job costs far less; a machine that sat in a garage for a decade costs more. The deposit is separate from the diagnostic and gets applied to your final bill, so you're never paying it twice.
How long it takes
Plan on 3–4 weeks from intake to pickup. Machines that need only bench-stock parts (gaskets, pumps, common valves — we stock Breville, Ulka, Rancilio, Gaggia, DeLonghi, and La Marzocco parts) move through fastest; anything needing a special-order part lands at the back of that window. We'll tell you which bucket you're in at diagnosis.
Drop-off vs mail-in
| Drop-off (Berkeley shop) |
Mail-in |
- Best if you're anywhere in the East Bay / SF — no packing, no shipping risk
- Talk to the tech at intake; show us the symptom in person
- Free to walk in during shop hours; book ahead to skip the wait
|
- Best for anyone outside the Bay Area — we service machines from all over the West
- Original packaging if you have it; if not, double-box with 2″+ of padding, tank and portafilter wrapped separately
- Drain the boiler as far as your machine allows and tape down anything that swings
|
What's actually worth repairing?
The honest counter-question we ask at intake: what did the machine cost, and what does it mean to you? A $700 repair on a $6,000 La Marzocco is obvious; the same repair on a $600 machine usually isn't — unless it's the machine you love, which is a legitimate answer we hear weekly. For the borderline cases, our five signs guide helps you triage before spending the deposit — and simple wear items like Silvia tune-ups or group gaskets are genuinely DIY-able with our parts and guides.
Ready when you are
Book a repair online, or bring the machine to 2319 Fourth Street, Berkeley. Fifteen-plus years of certified repair experience, every major brand, and the parts counter is the same room as the bench.
FAQ
Do you repair machines still under manufacturer warranty?
Warranty service goes through the manufacturer — opening the machine ourselves can void it. Out of warranty, everything's fair game.
Is the deposit really non-refundable?
Yes — it covers the diagnostic bench time whether or not you proceed, and it's applied in full toward the repair if you do. It keeps our queue for machines whose owners mean it.
Can you look at commercial machines?
Yes — commercial espresso equipment is a core part of the bench (deposits run $300–$600 by machine). For café equipment emergencies, call the shop directly.
