Before replacing anything, rule out the two causes that look terminal and are not.
It is probably dirty
Coffee oils accumulate above the shower screen and in the basket, and they go rancid. The decline is gradual enough that you adjust your grind to compensate and conclude the machine is finished.
Backflush with a cleaning tablet, soak the basket and portafilter, take off the shower screen. Twenty minutes, and it is very often the whole answer.
It is probably scaled
Slow heating, weak steam and slow shots that got worse over years is limescale, not age. Descale two or three times if it has been ignored.
When it genuinely is time
Parts are unavailable. The deciding factor on most machines. If gaskets, pumps and valves are still stocked, it is repairable indefinitely.
The repair approaches the replacement cost. Common on sealed bean-to-cup machines out of warranty, where labour dominates.
The boiler has failed on a machine where it is not serviceable.
Water and electricity are meeting. Stop immediately.
Realistic lifespans
Cheap thermoblock: 3 to 6 years. Bean-to-cup: 5 to 10. Traditional 58 mm machines: 10 to 20, often much longer.
Before you buy the same again
If it died of scale, buy a filter with the new machine. Otherwise you are on the same clock.
Last reviewed 8 August 2026