Running a successful specialty coffee business is no simple task. Many factors and details must be considered to produce a beverage that will keep your customers coming back for more. Fresh ingredients, well-trained baristas, consistent quality, and uncompromising customer service are key to this success. Ironically, however, many owners and operators overlook the maintenance of the most important and central component of their coffee operations: the espresso machine.
The modern espresso machine is a well-designed and well-built piece of equipment capable of producing consistently extracted espresso time and again. The machines are not cheap, however, and usually elicit much consideration and careful shopping by new business owners. In fact, second to the business location, the espresso machine is usually the most expensive aspect of your coffee bar. Fortunately, your espresso machine is able to create much, if not all, of your business revenue. That is, of course, if it is diligently and correctly maintained.
It's easy to take your espresso machine for granted. You come into your shop in the morning, run a few test shots, make yourself an espresso, and get to work. During the morning rush, you barely have enough time to wipe the steam arm down and hand your customer a drink before you start the next one. All the while your machine works with you, extracting perfect shots and steaming pitcher after pitcher of milk--two teammates executing well-practiced moves. At the end of the day, you might clean the machine and do the dishes, but often espresso machine maintenance stops here--before it ever starts.
Thorough maintenance requires more than rinsing out the portafilters and wiping off the steam arm. You need to take certain steps on a daily and weekly basis to ensure your machine yields years of quality service.
Before an espresso machine can produce a quality drink, it must have a constant supply of quality water. Buy a water filtration system for the espresso machine and service it regularly. Many filters diminish their water flow as they deteriorate, causing costly damage to your machine. In addition, if a water softener is in place, it must be regenerated regularly. Your service tech or a local water conditioning company should help you determine the process and proper interval to service your particular filtration system.
One of the most important and often overlooked areas of an espresso machine is the group head. This area requires special attention because it is where the coffee actually comes in contact with the machine. Think of your ingredients (coffee and milk) as software and your machine as hardware. You must pay careful attention to cleaning and maintaining areas where the hardware and software integrate.
A simple and essential part of group head maintenance is developing a backflushing routine. Backflushing entails removing the filter basket from a portafilter and replacing it with a blind filter (one without holes), placing the portafilter in each group head one at a time, and then dispensing water from the group as if pulling a shot. Run the machine for about 15 seconds and then stop. The blind filter will cause the water to pressurize, and when you stop extracting, it will flush back through the group screen and group solenoid (hence the name) and help clean out any coffee ground buildup and oil accumulations.
Because this process creates a great deal of pressure, it's a good idea to hold the portafilter handle during backflushing to prevent it from being forced back out of the group head. Backflush your machine on a daily basis with water, but at least once a week backflush it with an NSF-approved detergent. Simply place a teaspoon of detergent on top of the blind filter before backflushing. Run the group in 15-second intervals several times. After backflushing with the cleaner, it is important to remove the portafilter and run the group again to rinse out all remaining detergent.
At this point, backflush several more times with water to ensure that no detergent remains in the solenoid discharge valve. In addition to rinsing, pull one or two shots of espresso through each group to "reseason" the machine. An important exception is the piston-operated machine. Do not backflush piston machines! Instead, replace the screens and gaskets regularly.
After backflushing, soak your portafilters and screens in detergent diluted at a ratio of 1--2 teaspoons per quart of very hot water. Be sure, however, to rinse the portafilters well before reusing. This process will greatly reduce the amount of coffee oil accumulation within the group head and solenoid and help ensure great-tasting espresso.
You should also clean the group gaskets every day to help maintain a positive seal between the group head and the portafilter. This is best accomplished by using a specially designed group cleaning brush and hot water to vigorously scrub around the sealing surface.
Other daily maintenance should include purging and cleaning the steam wand with warm soapy water and a nonabrasive cloth to remove all milk residue; carefully examining the steam wand for damage, such as cracks or signs of the chrome plating flaking off--either of which would require immediate replacement of the wand; and removing the drain tray and carefully pouring a pitcher of hot water into the drain cup to help rinse accumulated coffee grounds off the cup and down the drain hose.
Even with regular backflushing, you must periodically replace the group head shower screens, as coffee oils will build up and clog the screen. You may notice your espresso shots tasting less than perfect as a result.
Another sign of screen buildup is when water sprays out in all directions rather than in an even and constant flow while running the group with the portafilter removed. Either of these situations should prompt you to replace the screens, which is easily accomplished.
There are two common types of screen designs on espresso machines. One type uses one or more screws to attach the screen to the group head. To change this screen, remove the screw and drop the screen out. Depending on the machine type, a diffuser plate or nut may rest immediately above the screen in the group head. If you see this, remember the direction from which it comes out. It is important to reinstall it correctly with the new screen.
A few machines have screens that clamp themselves onto a groove within the group head. This is especially common in piston-style machines (which, again, you should not backflush). To remove these screens, press up on the center of the screen to release tension on the edges and remove.
Other espresso machines use the group gasket to hold the screen in place. These can be a little tricky to remove, especially if the machine hasn't been serviced recently.
The best way to remove these screens is to push a small screwdriver or ice pick into the rubber group gasket and pry it out. If the gasket is old, it may break out in several pieces. Be careful, be thorough and be patient. It is important to remove all of the old gaskets and clean the gasket groove out to ensure that the new one fits.
After removing the old gasket, look for any paper residue or visible gasket shims that may have been used. You can also compare the thickness of the old gasket to the new one. If necessary, install a paper shim with the new gasket to ensure proper alignment of the portafilter.
To install the new gasket, press it up evenly into the groove. You may be able to remove the portafilter basket and then use the (now shorter) portafilter to evenly place the gasket into its final position. Note: Some espresso machines have a retaining ring on the group head that must be removed to access the gaskets. Consult your manufacturer for specific information.
Performing regular maintenance will not only ensure quality that you and your customers can taste, but it will help alleviate costly repair bills. You should have your equipment periodically inspected by a factory-trained technician, but there are many minor adjustments and simple repairs that any owner/operator can perform with a handful of tools. You can perform many of these tasks in minutes, often without shutting down your machine, thereby saving you valuable time and money.
Over the next several months in the Techno-Jolt column, Fresh Cup will demystify the workings of the espresso machine and offer repair instructions for you to keep your equipment in top shape. Even if you don't perform any repairs yourself, the information will make it much easier for you to communicate problems to your technician and, in turn, save you money on diagnosis and repair.
Copyright® 1995-1997--All Rights Reserved. Fresh Cup Magazine / 1-March-99
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