There’s nothing like the taste of a hot cup of coffee in the morning. Many of us swear by it. Has the day even started until that first sip, anyway? Hardly!
There are almost as many ways to prepare coffee as there are coffee drinkers. Are you an Italian, French Press, V60, Chemex, or espresso kind of person? If you’re the latter, then you enjoy your coffee foamy and delicious, and prefer the hassle-free ease of just pouring some water and pressing a button to get dark-roasted perfection every time.
But, as with anything, machines suffer wear and tear. In that way, an espresso machine may not be as complex as a car, but it has enough moving parts and contact with water that it can be prone to rust, breakages, blockages, and other issues.
And, you can bet that you’ll be charged a pretty extensive premium to check out your machine if it suffers any issue. Most manufacturers either have prohibitively expensive repair services, or you may have to mail the machine, or take it into the shop yourself. Do you have any guarantee that they’re going to be doing a good job? None at all, in fact.
And that’s why going with the maintenance approach could save you a substantial dollar amount, and having to contact dubious repair services. A little maintenance at the right time could keep your espresso machine operating better than ever for a good, long time!
Let’s get started!
Keep the Water Tank Full
This may seem like it’s a little counter-intuitive. After all, why would you even care about water levels before they start to empty out? Well, for one, if the tank is empty, the system will continue pumping air into the system instead of water. While this will not cause any harm, it may cause wear and tear issues after a while.
To make matters worse, the internals are some of the most expensive parts to repair in a coffee machine. Save your machine a trip to the shop and keep the water tank clean and full at all times. It’s better to do it this way rather than having to constantly remind yourself about water levels.
Use the Right Amount of Coffee
While having insufficient coffee grounds in your machine will not cause it any significant, lasting issues, having the right amount still matters. If you don’t, you’ll end up making yourself a drink that’s thin and tasteless.
Be Mindful of Placement
Check out your machine’s user manual before you put it in your kitchen. Some are well-insulated against heat and will tolerate higher temperatures, but others cannot stand the heat at all. If you put your machine close to a stove or other heat source, you may end up overheating the internals. And that’s a big no-no.
Peruse the user manual in detail before you decide where to put your machine. If you have any questions, you can contact the manufacturer.
Always Turn the Machine Off After Use
Many machines turn themselves off after a few minutes of inactivity. Still, you should be mindful that the machine is running hot when it’s on. Any time in that state will end up reducing its longevity.
Keep it Clean
This is not only about cleaning the water tank, keeping it free of debris, dust, etc, or making sure coffee grounds don’t seep where they shouldn’t. Some parts of your machine can rust or wear off after a while. Again, you can choose to have it repaired for that, or try applying a little magic to get it back into fighting shape.
In fact, it’s easier than you might imagine! Check out this advice on how to keep your machine free from rust. Not only does it take fewer steps than you’d initially wager, but it mostly makes use of household utensils and ingredients.
Another way to keep it clean is by finding a cleaning guide that includes detailed schematics of how your machine works. Many actually include them on QR codes on the machine itself, which you can scan.
Descaling
Basically, when you use tap water, you can get limestone and other debris into the machine. If this happens over a large period of time, the machine may start to clog or experience issues. These deposits can negatively impact coffee, or plug the machine up.
To clean up the machine you may need to purchase a descaling mix at a supermarket, or rinse it with vinegar. After, you just need to turn it on and use it as if you were making yourself a cup of coffee. Then, you wait a few minutes for the descaling agent to set, and you rinse it by using the machine twice with just water.
Voila!
We hope that you’ve enjoyed this guide and keep safely and happily using your machine for many years to come!
