The Ultimate Guide from FreshCoffeeShop with video showing how to make espresso properly

You can also download this article as a pdf file by clicking this link: Download Olympia Cremina PDF

Olympia Cremina is a hand made lever espresso machine. The first version was the 67 model. A pressure gauge was added in 1996 and after some improvements the Olympia Cremina 2002 model was born. The Cremina is a machine which is built to last. It is very easy to clean and adjust, and also very easy to service. Only highly passionate coffee lovers buy such machines as the Olympia Cremina, and that's the reason there is a "cult" following this machine.

Although the price of a new Olympia Cremina is 2000$ plus, you can easily find a use Cremina, at ebay or other auctions sites for less than half the price.

Buying a used Olympia Cremina

The Olympia Cremina is made of highly durable materials and that's the reason you can expect a long life time with cautionate use and egular maintenance. Before buying a used machine you must be absolutely sure, that the boiler is in excellent condition, without heavy corrosion.

Another thing you much check is if the seller has all the original parts of the machine. There may be a portafilter or a basket missing.

Furthermore you must check if there any leak although in many cases chcnging the old gaskets is necessary.

Take a look at the diagram below which shows the internals of an Olympia Cremina espresso machine.

The pressurestat which regulates the pressure inside the boiler must also be in excellent condition. Another important part of this machine is the group holder assembly, which is one of the most expensive parts of the machine. Ask the seller questions about these parts. Does the machine work? Which is the boiler pressure when it stabilises? Is there any corrosion? Does it leak? Does he include the single and double portafilter? Insist on these parts, and also insist on pictures of different views of the machine.

As a final step before you buy, check the S/H costs, as this Olympia Cremina machine weighs approximately 10kg. If you live in Europe and you want a US 110V machine, you will have to buy a new 220V heater element and indicator lamp, from the Olympia Express company. If you are have trouble finding spare parts for this machine contact Olympia express using this email olyex(AT)olympia-express.ch

Cleaning and Basic Service

Open the machine cover by unscrewing the top nut, and removing the top cover. Inspect the boiler condition. Is the any corrosion? Is it covered with asbestos (older 70' models)? Are the wire connections in good condition? Put the cover back, fill with water and switch the machine on. Ensure that the group lever faces down. Does the machine heat? Do you observe any leaks? Any hissing sounds? If you observe leaks then rest assure you'll have some gasket replacement work to do. If everything is OK, swith it off, open the steam valve to eliminate the boiler pressure, and then remove the cover. If you want to do a major service you'll have to remove the boiler cap and clean it thoroughly. This way you'll be sure for the boiler condition, and you will also insure that the boiler water will be clean and healthy...

If the gaskets are more than three years old, which is very likely, you will have to replace the group gaskets with new ones. The whole procedure is described analytically in this thread http://www.home-barista.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=464 in the Home-Barista forum. Gasket replacement for used Olympia Cremina machines is highly advisable. When you replace the gaskets don't forget to grease them with food-safe grease. New gaskets sets can be bought by the OrphanEspresso.com, Olympia Express company, and also by first-line dot com if you live in the U.S. I highly recommend the ones from Orphan Espresso because the material they are made of is much better than the old material used in the original gaskets (after half hear of continuous use the facts prove that the new material is much better).

After you have replaced any faulty gaskets and o-rings, descale the machine thoroughly using a quality commercial descaler, following the procedures written on the descaler package. If you are more experienced you can also use citric or tartaric acid (50gr per lt). After descaling fill the boiler with fresh water, switch it on, and let it heat up again. If everything goes OK, the boiler pressure will be approximately 1 bar, and there will be no leak. Switch it off, plug it off, remove boiler pressure by opening the steam valve, and remove all the water inside the boiler by turning the machine upside down on your sink (be careful!).

Clean surfaces with a moist cloth, wipe off, apply some polishing cream for stainless steel, and polish the metal parts. Wipe with a dry cloth to improve the final metal look. It's time to take a break, you deserve it!

How To Replace The Old Gaskets

In the following video you can watch step-by-step how to replace the Olympia Cremina gaskets. The set I used was from Orphan Espresso, and I really like it.

Adjusting the Olympia Cremina Boiler Pressure

Inside the Olympia Cremina case there is a pressurestat. A special mechanism which regulates the boiler pressure by activating or deactivating the boiler heating element. The boiler water temperature is directly dependent on boiler steam pressure so by regulating the pressure the temperature gets also regulated. The following table shows the relevance between bar pressure and temperature.

There is small nut on the pressurestat which adjusts the pressure setting. By turning it clockwise the nut goes downwards and so the pressure setting gets reduced. By turning it anticlockwise the setting gets increased.

I've found that boiler pressure of 0.8-0.9 bar gives the best results. The standard setting according to the company is 0.9 bar. Turn on the machine and wait till it stabilizes. Then open the steam valve to eliminate false steam pressure. The boiler will activate again. Close the steam valve and wait till it stabilizes again. When it stabilizes notice the pressure. A pressure reading of 0.8-0.9 bar is fine. If it's higher, for example 1.1 bar reduce the pressure setting by turning the pressurestat nut clockwise (downwards). Wait till it stabilizes. If the new pressure reading is 1.0 then turn the nut again a bit.

Espresso Machine Boiler Pressure correlation with Temperature

If you have an older 67 model then you lack the pressure (manometer) gauge, and you can't measure the boiler pressure as easily. There are two solutions. Either find a pressure gauge and attach it on the machine (some technical skills are necessary), or find a cheap digital thermometer with a K-Type probe and attach the probe on the boiler, at the place it shows the higher reading. The boiler is made of heat conducting metal and that's why the surface temperature is almost the same as the water temperature inside the boiler. By measuring the boiler surface temperature you get an indirect measurement of the water temperature inside the boiler. Adjust the pressurestat so that the temperature gets in the 114 C degrees range (the reading is a bit less than the actual temperature inside the boiler).

After you've finished tweaking the pressurestat make an espresso and taste it (use good fresh espresso coffee!). If it tastes bitter, burnt then reduce the boiler pressure. If it is underextracted and sour then increase the boiler pressure. Bear in mind that in order to adjust your Olympia Cremina as precisely as possible the water level inside the boiler must be higher than 50%. Less water may give less precise measurements and thus adjustments.

Easy Measurement of the Espresso Brewing Temperature

There is a very easy way to measure the brewing temperature of the Olympia Cremina. The only thing you need is a thermometer, like those used when steaming milk. Note that this method doesn't give 100% accurate results but it gives more than enough accuracy. It only works well for machines with high temperature stability while brewing like the lever espresso machines (with big boilers). The Cremina is one of those machines. Curious to find out what this method is? Look below...

Yeah! It is as simple as this. Turn on the machine, eliminate false pressure a couple of times by opening the steam valve, and let it stabilize. Put the biggest cup you can find under the group. I use a Bodum cup which is made of borosilicate glass, but you can use any glass (preferably preheated - mugs are not ideal because they absorb a lot of the water heat). Put the thermometer in the cup. Pull the lever up and let the hot water fill the cup. In order to do this make sure that the boiler is full of water first! You don't want the boiler to run out of water!

As soon as the cup/glass fills with water read the thermometer temperature. Make sure it is in the ideal range (around 92 C degrees). If it's not then adjust the boiler pressure again using the method described above. Don't forget to let the machine cool down first and check if there is any pressure left, before opening the boiler cap.

Step by Step Instructions

Olympia Cremina is quite sensitive to coffee freshness, grind setting, tamping and dosing. You must be precise in order to get a delicious god espresso!

• Water: 99% of your coffee is water. Make sure you use good fresh low mineral content filtered water. Fill the boiler to 90% level and close the boiler tap.

• Turn on: Turn on the machine and let it stabilize (the indicator lamp will turn off). Open the steam valve to eliminate false steam pressure. The boiler will activate again. Close the steam valve and let the machine stabilize again. Open the steam valve till the boiler gets activated and close it again. When it stabilizes again your machine will be ready to use.

• Fresh roasted coffee. Each day that passes after the beans are roasted is a reduction in cup quality. Use as fresh beans as possible. If you home-roast let your beans degas for 1 to 3 days (depends on beans origin and roast level)

• Grind: Use a good burr grinder like a Mazzer or a Macap, and find the proper grind setting for the bean you are using. Finding the correct grind setting varies from bean to bean and upon the level of bean freshness (even air humidity affects it!). It is also difficult to find the correct grind if you do not have a consistent repeatable tamp and good dosing techniques. You need to get tamp and dosing down in order to really zero in on proper grind. Olympia Cremina is very sensitive to grind and dosing.

• Dosing & disribution of grounds: Dosing can have an important effect on shot quality. Try to distribute the ground coffee in the portafilter as even as possible. Use your fingers to even the surface, tap the portafilter, use the tamping technique you are familiar with, whatever suits you, in order to distribute EVENLY.

• Tamping: Proper tamping pressure helps force the hot water to evenly saturate the coffee puck before exiting out of the spouts at the bottom of the portafilter for a good extraction. Too low a pressure and uneven distribution increases the risk of channeling. Use a tamping pressure between 10-15kg (I have experimented with 5kg tamping with good results although even distribution helped a lot). You can use a digital scale for practice to see how much force you use. After tamping (use your favorite tamping style), polish the coffee puck by twisting the tamper left and right quickly, without any pressure (polishing is not necessary though). Make sure that the tamp is level. Dosing, grind and distribution are much more important than tamping. Don't try to correct a coarse grind by tamping harder.

• Preheat shot glasses, portafilter (without basket inside), and group by pulling two blank shots into the shot glasses. You can also use the steam to preheat them even more.

• Pull: Put the basket in the portafilter. Fit the portafilter in the group loosely, and lift the lever up until it's parallel to the ground. Lock the portafilter in. Lift all the way up smoothly and wait for about 7-10sec in order for the hot water to saturate the coffee puck. Apply an even steady pull.

• My earliest issue using the Olympia Cremina was under-extraction due to not pulling the lever down hard enough. You can pull too hard also. The force is supposed to be around 20kg. Use a scale for practice. As you pull down the lever, just pull hard enough to have two nice continuous mouse tails dribble out like honey! Once you have achieved that just keep that same pressure through the rest of the shot. If the shot is too fast or too slow, over-extracted or under-extracted just change your grind on the next shot, but follow the same procedure. Be sure that you use 7-7,5gr for a single shot and 14-15gr for a double.

• Don't overfill. Anytime you pull a shot focus on applying just enough pressure on the lever to get those nice mouse tails regardless of shot time or pressure needed.  If the shot is not good and you use good quality fresh coffee adjust your tamping, and or dosing and pull your next shot focusing on those nice mouse tails. For a double shot pull the lever down about 3/4 the way on the first pull (don't let the lever resistance drop) and then smoothly pull the lever back up (let it fill with water for a couple of seconds) and begin the second pull. If the shot abruptly turns blond and possible starts bubbling you have a channeling problem. If the shot gradually starts turning blond at the end of the shot, it is probably due to coffee freshness (or coarser ground coffee than needed). Stop the flow when the espresso gets blonde. Don't let it start bubbling. Remove the shot glass as soon as the espresso flow gets blonde!

• There is an alternative method of pulling the lever up and down, until pressure build up, and then you just pull the shot. This special method (not necessarilly better) is shown in the following video.

Olympia Cremina Espresso Extraction Video

(this is a ristretto shot which was pulled for more than 25 seconds, which is theoretically wrong. Nevertheless the taste was fine!)

Tips

1. Water lever should be at least 75% when you turn on the Olympia Cremina machine.

2. Open the steam valve to eliminate false steam pressure.

3. Flush water before and after pulling shots.

4. Rinse the portafilter with a little cold water after each use to clean it and reduce its temperature, so that you don't get burned coffee.

5. Let your tasting buds decide what's the optimal adjustment for your pressurestat (the factory suggests 118C-0,9bar but that is a bit high for me)

6. If your gaskets are in good condition then after turning off your machine the level will go up in some minutes.

7. The force on the lever while pulling should be approximately 20kg. If you grind finer than optimal you will have to pull harder which will cause overextracting or chanelling problems. If you grind coarser then the result will be an under-extracted espresso. If you overfill then pulling the lever down will be very difficult and you'll might damage the gaskets. In this case turn off the machine, open the steam valve and then when pressure drops remove the portafilter slowly. Don't force the lever down!!!

8. Always use filtered water. Brita filter jugs are one of the solutions. (I prefer the Maxtra)

9. Using a strong higher wattage boiler to fill your machine with hot water will save you a lot of time.

10. I repeat. it's very easy to make the mistake of overfilling the single basket. DON'T DO IT. Use 7-7,5gr of beans. You can overfill to almost 10gr but this will only choke your machine!!! If you use more than 20-25kg of force you're doing something wrong!

11. Don't forget to wiggle the portafilter to clean the group after brewing espresso. A blind filter is not necessary; you can also use the single basket. Lock the portafilter, raise the lever and wiggle the portafilter. Pull the lever down. Remove and clean the portafilter. Repeat if necessary.

Maintenance and cleaning of the Olympia Cremina

To avoid the deposit of coffee grounds in the piston: with the machine still on attach the portafilter with an empty filter basket to the piston-head, place a large cup under the spout, pull up the piston-lever slowly until hot water is released, holding the filter-holder at the end of the handle and moving it to left and right slightly three or four times. By doing this the piston, the filter and the filter-holder are rinsed. After using the steam arm, clean it by wiping it with a damp cloth and by turning on the steam valve for a moment.

Descaling of the Olympia Cremina boiler: Descaling the boiler from mineral buildup is imperative. The harder the water in your area the more frequent the need for descaling. If the water is very hard descale once a month (using filtered water is very recommended). If it's too soft then twice per year is enough. Fill the boiler with clean water and 50gr of anhydrous citric acid. Alternatively use a 1 to 1 solution of water to white vinegar (although a lot of rinsing will be required with this method).

Plug into the mains. Turn on the machine and leave it like that for one or two hours. Move the piston lever, pulling it upwards, as when rinsing, four or five times (the liquid solution also cleans the piston when emitted) and then turn on the steam valve. Turn off the machine, release the steam from the boiler, unscrew the cap of the boiler and empty the boiler. Repeat the same procedure with clean water. To be safe repeat the procedure with clean water once more. If the machine is not used for some time, empty the boiler completely and rinse it out with fresh water when the machine is put back into use. Do not turn on the machine if the water-level indicator is at the lower level or before the boiler is filled with water. In this way the heating element is not damaged. The Olympia Cremina is protected by a thermostat against overheating and overpressure.

Final Words

Your Olympia Cremina machine is a fabulous machine built to last and serve you for may years. Take care of it, and it will take care of your coffee needs for may years...

You can also download this article as a pdf file by clicking this link: Download Olympia Cremina PDF

IMPORTANT RESOURCE:

If you want to learn more about espresso and how to make a perfect shot
click here for the advanced espresso guide!
OR RETURN TO THE MAIN MENU

Get High Quality Espresso In Our Store

(Additional Sources of Information: www.home-barista.com )

Thorough maintenance requires much more than rinsing out the porta-filters and wiping off the steam arm. There are steps that need to be taken on a daily and weekly basis, to ensure that your machine will give you years of quality service.

A great place to begin talking about maintenance is well... at the beginning. Before an espresso machine can produce a quality drink, it must have a constant supply of quality water. A water filtration system should be in place for the espresso machine and it must be regularly serviced. Many filters diminish their water flow as they deteriorate and this can cause costly damage to your machine. In addition, if a water softener is in place, it must be regenerated on a regular basis. Your service tech or a local water conditioning company should be able to help you determine the process and interval to service your particular filtration system.

One of the most important and most often overlooked areas of an espresso machine is the group head. This area requires special attention because it is where the coffee actually comes in contact with the machine. Think of your ingredients, (coffee and milk) as software, and your machine as hardware. Any place that the hardware and the software integrate, you must pay careful attention to cleaning and maintenance.

A simple and essential part of your maintenance routine must include backflushing. Backflushing consists of removing one of the filter baskets from a porta-filter, replacing it with a blind filter (one without holes) placing it into each group head, and then dispensing water from the group as if pulling a shot. Run the machine in this manner for about 15 seconds and then stop. The blind filter will cause the water to pressurize, and when you stop extracting, it will flush back through the group screen and group solenoid (hence the name) and help to clean out any accumulations of coffee grounds and oils that may have formed.

Backflushing Video

Because this process creates a great deal of pressure, it is a good idea to keep hold of the porta-filter handle during backflushing to prevent it from being forced back out of the group head. This technique can be done periodically with water alone, but at least once a week you should backflush with an NSF approved detergent such as Purocaf or Urnex Cafiza. To use the detergent, simply place a teaspoon on top of the blind filter before backflushing. Run the group in 15 second intervals several times. After backflushing with Purocaf, it is important to remove the porta-filter and run the group again to rinse out all remaining detergent. At this point it is a good idea to backflush several more times with water only, to ensure that no detergent remains within the solenoid discharge valve. In addition to rinsing, one or two shots of espresso should be extracted through each group to "re-season" the machine. One important exception to note is in regards to piston operated machines. Do not backflush piston machines ! Instead, just replace the screens and gaskets on a regular basis.

After backflushing, porta-filters and screens can be soaked in detergent diluted at a ratio of 1-2 teaspoons per quart of very hot water. Be sure however to rinse the portafilters well before re-using.

This process will greatly reduce the amount of coffee oil accumulation within the group head and solenoid and help to ensure great tasting espresso. In addition to backflushing, the group gaskets should be cleaned every day to help maintain a positive seal between the group head and the porta-filter. This is best accomplished using a specially designed group cleaning brush and hot water to vigorously scrub around the sealing surface.

Other daily maintenance should include, purging and cleaning of the steam wands with warm soapy water and a non-abrasive cloth to remove all milk residue. This is a good time to carefully examine the steam wand for damage such as cracks or signs of the chrome plating flaking off. Either condition would require immediate replacement of the wand. As a final daily routine, the drain tray should be removed and a pitcher of hot water should be carefully poured into the drain cup to help rinse accumulated coffee grounds out of the cup and down through the drain hose.

Even with regular backflushing, the group head shower screens must be periodically replaced, as coffee oils will eventually build up and clog the screen. You may notice your espresso shots tasting less than perfect as a result. Another sure sign of screen buildup is water spraying out in all directions rather than an even and constant flow while running the group with the porta-filter removed. Either of these should prompt you to replace the screens, which can be done quite easily.

source: www.espressoparts.com

Ο οδηγός αυτός απευθύνεται σε όσους γνωρίζουν ήδη τα πολύ βασικά για τη δημιουργία εσπρέσο καφέ.

Απαραίτητες Τεχνικές Πληροφορίες

Δοσολογία αλεσμένου καφέ = 7 γρ ± 0,5 (μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν και 8γρ ανάλογα) Θερμοκρασία νερού σε επαφή με τον αλεσμένο καφέ = 88°C ± 2°C (προσωπικά θεωρώ καλύτερη τη θερμοκρασία 90-93°C) Θερμοκρασία εσπρέσο στο φλυτζάνι = 67°C ± 3°C Πίεση Νερού = 9 bar ± 1 Χρόνος Διήθησης = 25 seconds ± 2.5 δευτερόλεπτα Ρευστότητα = 45°C > 1.5 mPa s Λιπαρά > 2 χγρ/χλ Καφείνη = 100 χγρ/φλυτζάνι Χιλλιοστόλιτρα (ml) στο φλυτζάνι (με την κρέμα) = 25 ml ± 2.5

Παρασκευή Εσπρέσο Καφέ Βήμα-Βήμα

1. Χαρμάνι Εσπρέσο - Ο καφές που χρησιμοποιείται για το εσπρέσο πρέπει να είναι αναμεμιγμένος (στο 99% των περιπτώσεων χρησιμοποιείται χαρμάνι), με σκοπό να επιτευχθεί ένα ισορροπημένο, γλυκό και βελούδινο στη γεύση αποτέλεσμα, πλούσιο σε άρωμα, και γεμάτο σε σώμα. Ο καφές θα πρέπει να είναι απόλυτα φρέσκος.
2. Καβούρδισμα - Οι βαθμοί καβουρδίσματος που χρησιμοποιούνται για το εσπρέσο είναι από μέτριο σκούρο έως σκούρο. Η χρυσή τομή κατά πολλούς είναι το σημείο εκείνο όπου έχει μόλις αρχίσει το δεύτερο κρακ. Στο καβούρδισμα αυτό (Βενετίας-Vienna), το σώμα είναι αυξημένο, η γλυκήτητα φαίνεται περισσότερο ενώ δεν κρύβονται τα ιδιαίτερα γευστικά χαρακτηριστικά του καφέ από το στυλ καβουρδίσματος. Τα λάδια του καφέ αν υπάρχουν πάνω στους κόκκους πρέπει να είναι ελάχιστα!
3. Άλεσμα - Το σωστό άλεσμα είναι από τους πιο σημαντικούς παράγοντες για ένα καλό εσπρέσο. Το άλεσμα ρυθμίζεται ανάλογα με το χαρμάνι, τη μηχανή και την υγρασία περιβάλλοντος, για να επιτευχθεί χρόνος διήθησης του εσπρέσο στα 25+-2.5 δευτερόλεπτα.
4. Μύλος Καφέ - Υπάρχουν διάφοροι τύποι μηχανών αλέσεως του καφέ. Οι μύλοι με λεπίδες είναι εντελώς ακατάλληλοι για εσπρέσο. Οι επαγγελματικοί μύλοι με πέτρες είναι οι ιδανικοί (conical ή flat burrs). Ο ρυθμός περιστροφής στις πέτρες πρέπει να είναι χαμηλός για να μη ζεσταίνεται και αλλοιώνεται ο καφές κατά το άλεσμα. Γι' αυτό και οι επαγγελματικοί μύλοι έχουν μεγάλες πέτρες ώστε να μην χρειάζεται να δουλεύουν σε υψηλές στροφές.
5. Δοσολογία Καφέ - Ο φρέσκος καφές αμέσως αφού αλεσθεί, θα πρέπει να τοποθετείται στο φίλτρο του εσπρέσο (portafilter). Η δόσολογία που συνιστάται είναι 7 γρ ± 0,5 αλλά και 8γρ μπορούν να δώσουν καλά αποτελέσματα. Ο παλιός καφές θα πρέπει πάντα να πετιέται πριν αλεσθεί νέος. Ιδανικά θα πρέπει ο μύλος να αλέθει κάθε φορά μόνο την ποσότητα που χρειαζόμαστε (πχ Mazzer Electronic).
6. Κατανομή - Η κατανομή του αλεσμένου καφέ στο φίλτρο θα πρέπει να είναι όσο το δυνατόν πιο ομοιόμορφη, για να αποφεύγονται προβλήματα κατά τη διήθηση. Αν η κατανομή δεν είναι ομοίομορφη τότε το καυτό νερό υπό πίεση θα ακολουθήσει τη διαδρομή με τη μικρότερη αντίσταση κατά τη διήθηση.
7. Πάτημα του Καφέ (Tamping) - Αμέσως μετά τη κατανομή του καφέ, έρχεται το πάτημα του καφέ. Χρησιμοποιώντας ένα ειδικό αξεσουάρ, το tamper, που μοιάζει με έμβολο, ο μπαρίστας συμπιέζει το καφέ στο φίλτρο, για να γίνει πιο συμπαγής και να ελαχιστοποιηθούν τα κενά ανάμεσα στους κόκκους. Με αυτό το τρόπο το νερό αναγκάζεται να περάσει από όλο το καφέ κατά τη διήθηση. Αμέσως μετά τη διήθηση η τελαυταία πινελιά του μπαρίστα είναι το γυάλισμα του coffee pack, όπου εφαρμόζοντας ελάχιστη πίεση περιστρέφει το tamper, πάνω στο καφέ, για να γυαλιστεί η επιφάνεια και να γίνει ομοιόμορφη. Η πίεση που εφαρμόζεται κατά το πάτημα είναι 15 με 20 κιλά.
8. Νερό - Το νερό που χρησιμοποιείται για το εσπρέσο θα πρέπει να είναι φρέσκο και φιλτραρισμένο. Νερό με λανθασμένη αλατότητα μειώνει τη διάρκεια ζωής της εσπρεσομηχανής, και δίνει άσχημο στη γεύση εσπρέσο. Ένας τρόπος για ελέγξετε την ποιότητα του νερού είναι η εξής: βάλτε την εσπρεσομηχανή να τρέξει καυτό νερό σε ένα διάφανο ποτήρι χωρίς να τοποθετήσετε το γκρούπ. Παρατηρήστε αν το νερό έχει περίεργο χρώμα ή αιωρούμενα σωματίδια. Αφήστε το να κρυώσει και μετά πιείτε το. Αυτό είναι το νερό που χρησιμοποιείτε για το εσπρέσο οπότε ελπίζω να είναι καλό :-) Σε περίπτωση που δεν είναι καλό αφαλατώστε και καθαρίστε το μποίλερ, και ελέγξτε το φίλτρο του νερού
9. Θερμοκρασία Νερού - Η θερμοκρασία του νερού που χρησιμοποιείτε για το εσπρέσο πρέπει να είναι σταθερή και ρυθμισμένη περίπου στους 90-93°C. Η ιδανική θερμοκρασία εξαρτάται από διάφορους παράγοντες όπως πχ το χαρμάνι που χρησιμοποιείτε.
Πίεση Νερού - Η πίεση του νερού πρέπει να είναι ρυθμισμένη στα 9-10 μπαρ. Αν η πίεση είναι ρυθμισμένη ψηλότερα τότε ο καφές θα πρέπι να αλεσθεί πιο ψιλός και το αποτέλεσμα θα είναι πικρό.
10. Πίεση Μπόιλερ - Όσο πιο ψηλή η ρύθμιση του μπόιλερ τόσο μεγαλύτερη η θερμοκρασία και τόσο περισσότερος ο ατμός. Η πίεση φαίνεται συνήθως σε ένα μανόμετρο μπροστά στη μηχανή. Σε οικιακές μηχανές η πίεση πρέπει να είναι το πολύ 1,1 μπαρ ενώ σε επαγγελματικές το πολύ 1,2.
11. Χρόνος Διήθησης - Ο χρόνος διήθηση του εσπρέσο πρέπει όπως είπαμε να είναι 25 ± 2.5 δευτερόπλεπτα. Η διήθηση πρέπει να σταματαέιι όταν η ροή του εσπρέσο αρχίζει να γίνεται ξανθή (ξανθό=ξινό). Αν ο καφές είναι μπαγιάτικος ή χοντροκομένος ή δεν έχει δοσολογηθεί, κατανεμηθεί και πατηθεί σωστά η ροή θα γίνει ξανθή-κίτρινη πριν τα 25 δευτερόλεπτα.
12. Το Γκρουπ και το Καλάθι-Φίλτρο - Το γκρούπ θα πρέπει πάντα να είναι πάνω στην εσπρεσομηχανή, έτσι ώστε να παραμένει ζεστό, στη θερμοκρασία του νερού που φτιάχνουμε το εσπρέσο. Το καλέθι θα πρέπει να χωράει τουλάχιστον 16γρ καφέ (16-18), και να έχει ίσια τοιχώματα. Αν έχει καμπύλα τοιχώματα η διήθηση θα είναι προβληματική και ανομοιόμορφη.
13. Καθαρισμός Μηχανής Εσπρέσο -  Η μηχανή του εσπρέσο, το γκρούπ, τα φίλτρα και γενικότερα όλα τα εξαρτήματα θα πρέπει να καθαρίζονται συστηματικά με κατάλληλα καθαριστικά (όπως URNEX και PULLYCAF). Σε αντίθετη περίπτωση το εσπρέσο θα είναι χάλια!!!
14. Συντήρηση Μύλου Καφέ - Ο μύλος του καφέ, οι πέτρες, και τα δοχεία, θα πρέπει κάθε μέρα να καθαρίζονται. Ένας πολύ καλός εβδομαδιαίος καθαρισμός είναι απαραίτητος όταν γίνεται επαγγελματική χρήση. Ο μύλος ανοίγεται καθαρίζεται με πινέλα και ηλεκτρική σκούπα, και έπειτα ξανασυναρμολογείται και επαναρυθμίζεται. Υπάρχει βέβαι και η πρακτική λύση του URNEX GRINDZ! Όταν πια ο μύλος δεν αλέθει καλά, τότε καλό είναι να γίνει ένας έλεγχος στις πέτρες, για να δούμε αν χρειάζονται αλλαγή.
15. Περιβαλλοντικές Συνθήκες - Η υγρασία και η θερμοκρασία επηρρεάζουν τον υγροσκοπικό καφέ (απορροφά υγρασία). Για αυτό το λόγο ανάλογα με το περιβάλλον μπορέι να χρειάζεται και μια αλλαγή στη ρύθμιση άλεσης. Καλό είναι ο καφές σε κόκκους να μην είναι δίπλα σε μηχανές που παράγουν πολλή θερμότητα (εσπρεσομηχανή) για να μην αλλοιώνεται γρήγορα.
16. Φλυτζάνι Εσπρέσο - Τ φλυτζάνια καφέ εσπρέσο θα πρέπει να είναι πορσελάνινα με παχιά τοιχώματα για κρατούν την θερμότητα, και να μην είναι πολύ μεγάλα για να μην κρυώνει ο καφές και χάνεται γρήγορα το άρωμα στον αέρα.

Για να μάθετε περισσότερα για το καφέ εσπρέσο και να συζητήσετε με άλλους επισκεφθείτε το FreshCoffeeShop Φόρουμ