Home Espresso Repair
Seattle, Washington

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This page is maintained by Michal Young, because H.E.R. does not seem to have a web site of their own at this time. The maintainer of this page is a satisfied customer of H.E.R. but does not have any other commercial relation to them.

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Address:

H.E.R. was listed as an authorized warranty repair shop for my Baby Gaggia. I have dealt with them two times. Their policy on out-of-warranty repairs is to go ahead with repairs under $50, otherwise to call the customer with an estimate. They charge $25 for a refused estimate (i.e., for inspecting your machine and determining what needs to be done).

My experience with H.E.R.

On the first occasion, I believed that I needed a new filter basket, because mine was not staying tight enough in the portafilter. (Yes, I was that clueless ...) I ordered one from H.E.R. by phone, and they sent a used basket with an invoice for a small amount ($6 + $2 shipping). That didn't help, so we called them ... and upon understanding what we were really after, they explained that we just needed to tighten the filter catch spring in the portafilter. They even offered to take back the unneeded filter basket, but we decided to keep it as an extra.

When my Baby Gaggia stopped working a few weeks later, we had a good feeling about H.E.R., so we felt confident shipping it to them for a repair estimate. After inspecting the machine, they (specifically, JoAnne) called us to describe what would be needed. The machine needed a lot of work (leaking boiler tank, clogged parts, ...), but was salvageable. The repair cost $125 (plus $10 shipping) and took a couple weeks. The machine is now as good as new.

What I like best about dealing with H.E.R. is their friendly and helpful attitude. In addition to taking the time to discuss whether it was worthwhile to go ahead with repairing my Baby Gaggia, JoAnne also discussed higher-end machines with me. [*]

In summary, H.E.R. are nice people who know what they're doing and do good work at fair prices. What more can I ask for?

2002 Update

I have dealt with H.E.R. several times since the above report was written. JoAnne left the business, but sold her shop to William who carries on in much the same manner: friendly, honest, competent. I am still happy to recommend H.E.R.

Possibly of interest:

TC Lavazza Espresso Machine Troubleshooting
This trouble-shooting guide is aimed at true professional machines, not semi-pro machines like the Livia 90. Some of the adjustments it recommends are just not possible with even a high-end home machine, but nonetheless it is a useful reference.
Semi-commercial espresso machines for home use
Pasquini Livia 90, a high-end home machine
David Bogie's Home Espresso FAQ
An excellent reference on home pump machines, aimed primarily at the novice.