7
votes
Accepted
Consequences of wrongly cleaning espresso machine with vinegar?
I'll answer as a chemist and not as a coffee expert, but occasional exposure to vinegar won't substantially damage a piece of aluminum. Also ingesting traces of aluminum isn't toxic.
- 228
6
votes
Accepted
Running an empty grinder
No it's not a problem. Producers know that people at home often single dose their coffee, so I assume they consider that when producing a grinder (in fact most coffee shops that do pour over grind ...
- 2,217
6
votes
Accepted
Espresso machine fish tank smell
You've got colonies (of bacteria, and perhaps algae.)
I'd be looking for something a bit stronger than vinegar or citric acid in the sanitizing line, though either of those might be a good place to ...
- 851
5
votes
What are low-maintenance and plastic-free options for making coffee?
A French Press lasts forever. Or until you drop it, whichever comes first. I have a stainless steel thermos French Press which is bullet proof and keeps coffee warm for hours.
Or you could be a ...
- 416
5
votes
What can I use to clean my machine as a substitute for original cleaners?
In case you're still searching for alternative cleaning materials, I would recommend citric acid. You can easily find it pretty cheap on Amazon. Its the same concept as vinegar, but without the smell -...
- 190
4
votes
What can I use to clean my machine as a substitute for original cleaners?
I have had multiple Breville products, and according to their recommendations, a good substitute is half white vinegar and half water. I've been using my current espresso machine for 2+ years, and ...
- 41
4
votes
What can I use to clean my machine as a substitute for original cleaners?
After a while, I have managed to receive the products themselves. Therefore, it is better to mention what sits inside these products, directly reading from the packages.
The descaler is mostly citric ...
- 7,788
3
votes
Accepted
Is it hard to clean an Automated Expresso Machine?
The clear answer: It depends.
First, not all fully automatic models are constructed in the same way. Which also means the required effort varies between brands and models. Some are pretty self-...
- 4,298
3
votes
Consequences of wrongly cleaning espresso machine with vinegar?
Diluted vinegar will not damage the boiler or hoses in your espresso machine. The reason that most commercial cleaners use citric acid is that vinegar has a penetrating taste and odor, so it will take ...
- 131
3
votes
What can I use to clean my machine as a substitute for original cleaners?
I'm not sure on the cleaning tablets, but I've heard Urnex Dezcal mentioned for a good descaler on multiple forums and it looks like a lot of people are using it for coffee machines based on Amazon ...
- 1,364
3
votes
How to clean an Iberital MC2/Challenge grinder that is stuck?
A couple useful posts found in a thread linked below. Text below is two user posts. LeeWardles post seems to have been accepted by the original poster as being correct information, but you can check ...
- 1,364
2
votes
Accepted
thread locker / sealant for espresso machine maintenance
You can use pretty much every kind of drinking water sealant that you would use in home installations. You DIY–/ Homework–market (I do not know the English word), normally has such stuff. Just make ...
- 236
2
votes
How to verify grinder switch works
By checking if it grinds.
Let's think about the mechanism of a grinder. Why grinders may get damaged if you adjust them when the burrs are not rotating?
A perfect coffee grinder design is a very ...
- 7,788
2
votes
Accepted
Keurig K155 intermittent water level detection failure
Most coffee machines use magnetic water level sensors. I do not see a reason why Keurig does not have.
You may see the basic idea on this page, I copy the animation here to make it easier to ...
- 7,788
2
votes
Accepted
My home machine is broke. The single basket works but the double basket doesn't. Can baskets be broken/worn out?
It's basically impossible for us to know what exactly causes the problem, but it does seem to me as if the basket is clogged with something. Probably built up residues of the coffee and fiber that's ...
- 2,217
2
votes
What are low-maintenance and plastic-free options for making coffee?
What nobody has mentioned so far is a simple pour-over setup. Basically like the drip machine, just without the automatic and plastic parts.
Assuming that you have an electric or stovetop kettle (or ...
- 4,298
2
votes
Accepted
Regular service intervals
I have used a La Pavoni Euro piccolo manual daily for 10 years. I have descaled it about once a year using vinegar. Recently I have switched to citric acid because it is easier to rinse out the ...
- 416
1
vote
Overview of common pipe dimension and threads used in espressomachines
There are lots of ways to make mistakes with threads.
European machine screws will be metric. But the diameter of the male thread will be smaller than the nominal size. For instance, a 8mm bolt is 7....
- 416
1
vote
Damaging effects from water in pre-ground coffee container/funnel DeLonghi ecam550.65sb?
I have not got any experience on this machine, but very probably no harm occurred.
In most automatic machines pre-ground funnel is a shortcut to the tamping mechanism. So, the coffee put in the funnel ...
- 7,788
1
vote
What are low-maintenance and plastic-free options for making coffee?
Most types of stainless steel are not fully rust proof. For a good compromise between high effectiveness rust resistance and cost, look for products made of 316 stainless steel. This type of steel is ...
- 1,730
1
vote
Accepted
Weird espresso leak Delonghi Perfecta ESAM5600SL
Finally someone recommended descaling, the pipes were blocked which was causing everything to leak out. Descaling the machine took care of it!
- 41
1
vote
Bialetti Moka Express Pot
This may be an anecdotal answer, but it's coming from a friend that really cares that their aluminium moka pot stays in a prime condition as long as possible:
If you want to minimize visual changes in ...
- 11
1
vote
How to clean Delonghi Caffe Corso's pre-ground coffee funnel?
Such automatic machines have a mechanism inside that tamps the pre-ground coffee (put through the funnel) and then pulls an espresso automatically.
I cannot say if it really harms the mechanism, but ...
- 7,788
1
vote
Espresso machine fish tank smell
I personally would check the brewchamber to see if there is any old water buildup that could possibly be getting moldy.
I know nothing of the Expobar Office Pulse machine, but if a water intake is ...
- 11
1
vote
Espresso machine fish tank smell
Are you able to go the diluted vinegar route, and cleaning ever available surface on the device with the same solution?
Afterwards, flushing it with fresh water for awhile should rid it of that smell....
- 11
1
vote
How can I solve the filling problems of my Keurig?
I typically clean with vinegar and water but may I make a suggestion... ditch the Keurig!!
I have heard that if you overfill custom k-cups grounds can get pulled into the water supply lines that may ...
- 1,364
1
vote
How can I solve the filling problems of my Keurig?
You need to descale the entire path of the water takes.
Our office Keurig suffers the same symptoms occasionally. When they occur, we use the Keurig descaling solution and the instructions located ...
- 243
1
vote
Consequences of wrongly cleaning espresso machine with vinegar?
I've always use the diluted vinegar method and never had any issues, making sure to run a few cycles of fresh water afterwards. I never emptied into the carafe, though; always into another bowl or ...
- 31
1
vote
How to maintain the flow rate of Hario Woodneck cloth filters as they age?
Try putting a glob of coconut oil on the filter and then sprinkle a little baking soda and salt on too. Scrub with a stiff plastic toothbrush/nailbrush followed by a warm vinegar/lemon juice dosing, a ...
- 121
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible