“So, You Think Your Coffee Machine Is Clean?
Good Coffee Is At Its Best When A Clean Machine Is Put To The Test!”

Are your customers complaining about the taste of your coffee or not coming back for more …. then it’s more than likely that your coffee machine needs a thorough clean!

Cleaning your coffee machine quickly on site … at your least busy time … will make all the difference to the taste of your espresso coffees.

Servicing and Maintenance …

Your cleaning schedule should be performed without exception depending on the volume of coffee consumed.

Here’s a rough service guideline to follow …

300 cups ( 2 kgs) per month = every 6 months

600 cups ( 4 kgs) per month = every 4 months

2,300 cups (16 kgs) per month = every 2 months

How To Service Your Own Machine …

There’s only one solution to remaining in control of your coffee machine’s servicing, if a coffee-tech isn’t available, and that is …. to do it yourself. But it does entail a little more than just soap and water.

Daily maintenance must be a part of your routine. General hygiene and machine cleaning will make a difference to the profitability of your operation, lifespan of your machine, the number of services required and the taste of your coffee.

Use YO’s Checklist below to help you make your daily routine a habit …

Throughout the shift or day, observe the following …

Listen for any abnormal sounds coming from your machine … example: hissing (steam); squeaking or scraping (pump or solenoid); rattling (loose plates or pump); chirping (you’ve got a rat in the workings!)

Smells – burning plastic; foul smell from steam wand or hot water spout – oohh boy !!

Look for brown discoloration in the hot water; leaks onto the counter top from under the machine.

Check when valves are closed that there’s no leaks from the steam wand and hot water spout.

Siteglass (for machines fitted with a water level site glass) – check water level is correct usually half way between minimum and maximum marks on the face plate. If this is not checked continuously, the likelihood of your element burning out is very high.

Temperature Pressure – check the temperature pressure gauge, registers between 0.9 and 1.3 Bars, this is often color marked on the gauge dial.

Water Pressure – before dispensing water and the pump is not working, check that the water pressure gauge is registering between 2 and 4 Bars. When dispensing coffee, or water is being pumped into the tank, ie when the pump is working, the water pressure gauge should register anywhere between 7.5 and 9 Bars.

Wear and Tear – check the filter cup rims / edges for damage. Check the grinder blades occasionally for clogging, bearing in mind they can grind about 600 kgs of coffee beans before needing to be serviced. (Click here for more information on grinders).

Softener – magnesium and calcium salts are present in water creating the formation of limestone deposits in the machine’s boiler and in other parts of your machine. The water softening resin granules filter the salts from the water, becoming saturated. This resin needs to be regenerated with coarse kitchen salt regularly, depending on the hardness of your water. (Click here to see how to regenerate your softener). The resin has a life span of 3 years before needing to be replaced.

Having A Problem … your solution is likely to be found at troubleshooting