Why Maintenance?

Why espresso machine maintenance is important.

Promotes quality: Produce the best quality coffee product possible to generate better sales and repeat customers. Consistency and precision are important parts of a successful coffee program. Along with well-trained baristas, in order to exercise sound consistency you'll need to rely on a properly working espresso machine, espresso grinder, and coffee & tea brewers.

Limits down time: In most cases the espresso machine is the heart of your coffee business or at least the pulse of your caffeinated beverages.

Fact: Espresso drink demand and sales are rapidly growing in today's market.

It's simple math. Lets say espresso drinks are 40% of your daily transactions or 70% of your daily sales and the night before your busiest holiday your machine decides to take an early vacation.

Most repair companies open at 8am, but aren't out the door until 9am, adding travel time, repair time, and your machine may not be operational until 10:30-11:00. We're now looking at four to five hours of prime coffee sale hours that were lost.

While the above situation is a worst case scenario, it does and can happen. Could you imagine repeated espresso machine issues? Add up the lost revenue, potential unhappy customers and you just might not last long.

Saves energy: Running at optimum performance is key. An espresso machine can run up your energy bill if running inefficient. When gaskets and seals on your espresso machine begin to leak the machine also starts to run on overdrive demanding more energy and more water to maintain operating temperatures. This added load can further stress seals, electrical and mechanical parts.

Fact: An espresso machine uses less energy when left on all the time vs. shutting down at night.

Fact: A quarter inch of scale build-up in copper pipes & brass fittings can cause a heat loss of about 50%.

Water Treatment: Water filtration is equally if not the most important ingredient to superior coffee. When scale (minerals) and other foreign particulates in the water are allowed to pass through the espresso machine the effects are disastrous. Espresso machines are very complex and like the human body a lifetime high-cholesterol diet can clog veins and arteries. The same goes for these machines in regards to water except in a fraction of the time. The tubes, jets, and boiler can clog in as little as 4-8 months deeming an espresso machine inoperable or at least in need of serious overhaul.

Fact: All water passes through a jet smaller than a sewing needle when pulling a shot of espresso. The smallest piece of material can easily clog that jet.

Questions worth asking

1. Is that gauge on your machine reading properly? If so, do you know what to look for?

2. Is that espresso grind spot on?

3. Why does my espresso have no creme?

4. Why isn't my espresso hot enough?

5. Why does the milk taste and feel flat?

Further Reasons: Tax deductible, satisfied/happier customers, cleaner machine, and rest assurance. And simply put...it's a good practice to follow.

Express Fix has the solutions.