There is palpable excitement in the air, summer is coming, non-essential retail is opening and many bars, restaurants and cafes are reopening again for the first time in almost 6 months.
Undoubtedly there is plenty to be getting on with as we continue our efforts to get more of the economy back open. Now that there is a firm date for reopening, having a look at the coffee machine should be one of those tasks to look at first to give some time for remedial action to be taken, if needed.
- Changing the water filter, if your water filter has been unused for long periods of time, it might be worth getting it changed out as stale water will not have improved the hygiene of the unit; replacing the filter will also improve the flavour of your water / coffee and ensure that lime is being correctly filtered out.
- Turn on your machine, keeping an eye for any leaks that might be happening at the waste water outlet, the hot water outlet, the steam wands and the coffee groups. Seals and valves can deteriorate when not in use so they may need to be repaired / replaced
- Check that the pressure gauges are operating to the correct parameters, the steam boiler should be between 1.1 – 1.3 bar when the machine is fully heated up and the pump pressure should be at 9 bar when a coffee is dispensing.
- Try changing the water in the steam boiler; most coffee machines use fresh water when brewing espresso but the water in the steam boiler may not be fresh. Try changing the water by dispensing cups of hot water from the hot water outlet rather than the group head.
- Have a look at your shower disk and group seals. It might be worthwhile to remove the shower disk with a short handled screwdriver and cleaning any coffee oil and coffee that has been lodged in behind it. Be very careful not to damage the thread / head of the screw as this is difficult to take out if it gets stuck. Check the black group seal for leaks and damage when the group handle is in place. Give the seal a good scrub with the group head cleaning brush to make sure any dry coffee doesn’t create extra wear on the seal.
- The coffee grinder should be emptied of any old coffee beans and ground coffee, the hopper can be cleaned with warm soapy water and if you’re feeling adventurous you can have a look at the grinder blades.
After doing these steps, hopefully you’ll be set but if you’re not happy just drop us a line or give us a call, we’re here to help.
