Barista Magazine

JUN-JUL 2012

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SERVICE gaskets baskets screens and springs steam valve rebuild burr change water filter check descaling temperature check pump pressure check All times are variable and are based on your volume as well as your own observations, which is why they are expressed in ranges. I would consider the end of any of these lines to be the absolute deadline for any of these items to be replaced. If something seems to be an issue with any of these before the deadline, you should check it out and either repair or replace as needed. as needed as often be getting worn out or ready to fail before they actually fail. When I do preventative maintenance, I ask myself a lot of questions as I go. Are the gaskets dry and hard? Are the screens smashed and separated? Are the baskets flat on the bottom or bowed out? I've included a checklist here that I use to review the espresso machine and grinder every time I make a routine maintenance call. Pay Attention and Trust Your Gut I think the main thing to consider while doing a your regular preventive maintenance is that while you are ostensibly just giving your machine a little tune up, you are also attempting to predict potential future issues with some educated guess work and a little bit of intuition. Here's my rule of thumb: If it looks, sounds or smells weird, then something's probably weird. Listen to your gut as well as your machine. You and your staff work with your equipment everyday. Nobody knows how it normally performs better than you do. If you are doing work on your espresso machine, be sure to take all necessary safety precautions: unplug it, drain the steam pressure, and turn off the water as necessary. With enough time and practice, you will have a much better understanding of your machine, and your machine will be better behaved because of your diligence. Now get those tools out and get to work! JANAUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

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