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Coffee is by
nature a very oily substance. Over time, coffee oils accumulate
inside of your machine to form a rancid residue. This residue is
responsible for the acrid smell you may recognize coming from a
poorly maintained machine. Unfortunately, this residue causes more
than just bad odor. If allowed to develop, residue
inside of your machine will eventually clog its filters and tubes
and cause it to malfunction. Well before your machine clogs or
you even notice the signs of neglect, the stale
residue lining the inside of your machine will begin to affect the
taste of the fresh coffee you prepare.
Dirty machines can be the downfall of an
otherwise great coffee program. You might start
your coffee preparation with the most exotic green beans, roast them
to perfection, grind precisely, and brew according to every
technique and standard of quality. However,
if you are using an improperly maintained machine, you and your
customer may never have a chance to appreciate all of this hard work.
The
importance of proper cleaning manifests itself in
all sectors of the coffee industry:
Customer:
This is the most important person in the coffee business.
When served a bitter cup of coffee from a dirty
machine, they will notice the taste, and might never return to
let you know. Coffee from a dirty machine will
create an unpleasant
experience for the customer, and could cause them to seek out other
establishments or brands that serve better tasting coffee.
Store Management:
When you think of the time and effort
that goes into picking a great location, hiring
skilled baristas, and selecting the best
beans, it doesn't make sense to use dirty machines
in your business. After all the hard
work you've performed, it would be a shame to diminish your efforts
by serving beverages tainted
by the presence of stale or rancid coffee oil residue.
Simply cleaning your machine at the end of each business day
makes all of your other efforts go that much further towards the
success of your business.
Roaster:
The roaster spends time, money, and passion paying careful
attention to the bean from green to the bag. All that effort might
never be appreciated if your retailer or barista fails to properly
maintain the brewing equipment. By
encouraging your retailers to engage in daily cleaning, you can
insure that your coffee is being presented to the customer with all
the flavor you worked to develop.
Machine
Manufacturer: Today's coffee and espresso machines are
created with more effort and precision-design than ever before.
As a result, it is only logical that machine manufacturers have a
vested interest in the proper maintenance of their equipment.
By making it easy for your customers to gain access to the
information and products they need to clean your machines, you can
feel confident that your machinery is performing at its full
potential. By doing this, you will help to prevent unwanted
breakdowns and malfunctions of the machines which proudly carry your
brand name.
Home Coffee Enthusiast:
As important as great tasting coffee is to professionals, it
should be equally important to home coffee lovers. When you
want to sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee or espresso in the
comfort of your own home, you want that cup to be the best tasting
beverage possible. Taking the minimal extra effort required to
clean your machine regularly will drastically improve the flavor of
the coffee you drink.
No matter which one of the above groups you
belong to, cleaning is a crucial element in the effort to serve great tasting
coffee. The best thing about machine cleaning is how simple it
is. While taking only a few minutes to do, cleaning your
equipment will help you move forward on a positive path
to success.
To learn more
about how to maintain your equipment, please visit our
How to Clean Home Equipment
section.
For more
information about Urnex Brands, Inc. please feel free to email us
at
info@urnex.com.
**Photos
Courtesy of Mike Pelchar of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
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