Bringing a 1970s lever back to life
A fifty-year-old lever machine is mostly brass, a spring and four seals. Here is the order to work in, and the two faults that mean walk away.
Machine care
Gaskets, screens and seals: the parts with a service life, and when to replace them.
Articles
Buying a used espresso machine
Second hand is the cheapest route to a serious machine, and the fastest route to a boiler you cannot replace. What to check, what to walk away from.
Machine care: the jobs you only do once a year
Descaling on the interval your water actually dictates, gaskets, shower screens, a pump pressure check, and the point where a service costs less than a repair.
The weekly clean that keeps espresso tasting right
Backflushing, the group gasket and screen, baskets, the drip tray and the wand. Twenty minutes a week, and what each shot tastes like when you skip one.