There is no better way to start the day than with a good cup of coffee, even better if it is served in one's favorite coffee shop, perhaps recharging oneself before facing a day of work. All this, however, can be ruined if the coffee is not satisfying, not good, and you feel that something is wrong. And this something could be an inadequately maintained coffee machine.
Let's see, then, what are the experts' tips to ensure proper maintenance of the professional coffee machine.
Coffee machine maintenance
Professional espresso machines are delicate tools, and should be treated as such. In fact, they need several maintenances, starting from those to be performed every day, when all the day's coffees have been made, to weekly and annual ones.
Hygiene as a daily rule
First and foremost, much attention must be paid to the cleanliness of all those parts that come in contact with the coffee ingredients, as well as cups and dishes. The tray, for example, should be removed at the end of the day, and rinsed with hot water, so as to remove any coffee stains that may have been spilled, but also just the condensation halos of the cups.
The same should be done for the filter holder and filter, and by no means put them in the dishwasher where they could be ruined. Control panel and gaskets, on the other hand, should be cleaned with the special brush provided, making sure to reach even the least accessible places. Steam lances, on the other hand, need some extra care: before heating the milk, some steam should always be let off, and the same should be done after using it, taking care also to wipe the lance with a damp cloth, so that the nozzle does not get clogged causing a malfunction or any impurities do not come into contact with what is being served to the customer.
Baking soda for weekly cleaning
Instead, every two weeks (but if the coffee machine works a lot it is also good to act more often) the machine needs more thorough maintenance.
After removing the tray, you need to pour a tablespoon of baking soda into the small brass container at the bottom and then fill the tray with a cup of water. The baking soda actually helps keep the hose clean, and prevent water spills.
The coffee bean grinder hopper should also be cleaned with the same frequency: using a cloth dampened with alcohol, you need to remove the grinding residue, such as spilled beans or coffee powder, but allow some time from the end of the cleaning to the new refill of the beans. In fact, it is necessary for the smell of alcohol to vanish before inserting the beans for grinding again, otherwise all the coffee produced will have a decidedly unpleasant aftertaste of denatured alcohol.
Maintenance of steel filters
With the same cadence, the stainless steel shower filters must also be removed to clean them thoroughly. For the maintenance of this component, however, a damp cloth or warm water is not enough, because oily residues produced by coffee processing become encrusted in them as a result of normal daily work. It is, therefore, necessary to remove the "shower protectors" and place them on a heat source, such as a stove flame. In this way, the oily residues will melt, becoming easy to remove.
The method to tell if your professional espresso machine needs this operation is very simple: just unscrew the showers and check, with a light, if the holes are clean, or place it under a jet of water. If you can see light through the holes or water flowing as, indeed, in a shower, it is still early and maintenance can be postponed. Alternatively, if the holes are clogged, it is time to clean the piece.
In any case, filters should be changed at least once a year, possibly several times if the coffee maker operates at a high rate and the holes become clogged more frequently.
Changing gaskets on a regular basis
One item that should be changed at least twice a year, however, are the gaskets. In fact, compared to other machines, on professional espresso machines rubber gaskets tend to wear out sooner, since they operate at high temperatures. The very heat causes the rubber to harden, leading to splitting and loss of insulating ability.
With worn or damaged gaskets, the machine is likely to leak water when in operation, endangering gears and electrical parts and increasing waste.
Before changing the damaged gasket, it is necessary to turn off the coffee machine and unplug it from the electrical outlet, so that you can be sure to operate safely. The old gasket should be removed before inserting the new one, and to do so simply pry it out with a screwdriver so that it pops out.
In the case of significantly worn gaskets, the gasket may break in the operation, a clear sign that replacement is necessary. Once the old gasket is removed, the new one can be inserted into the housing, making sure, however, that the area is well cleaned first. Once the gasket is inserted, the filter holder must be put back in place to push it properly into its new housing. Again, the frequency of replacement is determined by the use of the coffee machine, but with normal activity it is sufficient to change the gaskets every six months.
Obviously, even with all these precautions, it is always better to have the machine checked by an experienced and certified technician at least once a year, who will check not only that the basic operations are carried out continuously, but also that each gear is working perfectly, knowing how to advise us on what steps to follow to perform maintenance on our professional coffee machine to perfection.
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