Espressoparts Blog Site

Q1 2012 – Quarterly Espresso Machine Group Maintenance

espressoparts — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:55:51 +0000

A post from our recently launched newsletter sent out to our subscribers.

3 weeks into 2012 and time for our quarterly group maintenance reminder.If you or your business is already on a regular quarterly espresso machine group maintenance regimen, congratulations you are far ahead of the curve.

For those of you who are not replacing your espresso machine’s group gaskets, group screens, and portafilter baskets regularly this email is a service Espresso Parts provides especially for you. We send out 4 quarterly espresso machine group maintenance reminders on or near the beginning of each business quarter. This is the Q1 notification for the calendar year 2012.

Why would you want to perform regular maintenance on your espresso machine groups so often? Great question. We have provided some of the basic answers for you below.

New Products

Before we delve into the depths of scheduled group maintenance we thought we would share a few of our new and exciting products with you.

	EP5 & Compressore Tampers in Bamboo Wood Last Friday we released versions of our Compressore and EP5 espresso tampers in natural bamboo wood. Not only is bamboo a sustainable renewable source of eco-friendly wood materials but these tamps just plain look and feel great. The handle surface is as smooth as can be and these bamboo handles are light weight and strong focusing the majority of the weight towards the tamper base, right where you want it. Espresso Parts Design 5 Espresso Tamp ~ Bamboo Starting at $58.45 Compressore Espresso Tamp – Bamboo Starting at $68.45

	EP5 & Compressore Tampers in Walnut Wood Walnut is hard, dense, tight-grained and polishes to a very smooth finish. The color ranges from creamy white in the sapwood to a dark chocolate color in the heartwood. When kiln-dried, walnut wood tends toward a dull brown color, but when air-dried can become a rich purplish-brown. Because of its color, hardness and grain, it is a prized wood, making it perfect for the barista work area. Espresso Parts Design 5 Espresso Tamp ~ Walnut $65.45 Compressore Espresso Tamp – Walnut $65.45

	NEW Bonavita Gooseneck Kettles The unique gooseneck spout provides terrific water control for manual coffee brewing and tea time. The Brushed Stainless Steel and gooseneck spout add an attractive, unique styling to your kitchen. Dishwasher safe and easy to fill. Bonavita 1.0 L Gooseneck Kettle $29.99 Bonavita Electric 1.0 L Gooseneck Kettle $49.99

	Bonavita 8 Cup Coffee Brewers One of a small number of coffee brewers certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s Certified Brewing Equipment Program. The filter basket allows for easy filling, brewing, and cleaning. The High Quality Stainless Steel finish adds attractive, unique styling to your kitchen. Other features include high quality thermal carafe that keeps coffee warm longer, an easy to fill water tank, a 1400W heater for fast brewing and ideal water temperature, a showerhead provides full coffee grounds saturation, and is easy to clean. Bonavita 8 Cup Coffee Maker with Thermal Carafe $149.99 Bonavita 8 Cup Coffee Maker with Glass Carafe $129.99

	Espresso Parts Bag by Rickshaw Question: How to get all your Barista gear, and then some, to your coffee gig? Answer: The Espresso Parts Custom Skull Rickshaw Bag. Each bag is recyclable and created with sustainability in mind. Velcro strips on the inside allow you to custom organize how and what you bring with you via accessory holders (not included) so you won’t have to keep digging around for what you need. Printed with our trademark Skull Cup and Portafilter-Wrench Crossbones logo and name. Espresso Parts Custom Skull Rickshaw Bag $90.00

The Importance of Quarterly Espresso Machine Group Maintenance

It should be common knowledge that minor espresso machine group maintenance should be done quarterly or at the very least twice a year. We try our best to preach it here at Espresso Parts. What this means is that group gaskets, group screens, and portafilter baskets should all be changed simultaneously in conjunction with a very thorough group head cleaning.

Why so often?

Let’s start with taste: Build up of coffee oils around the gasket can adversely affect your espresso’s flavor.

Preventive maintenance: Over time your gaskets can become “baked” in place making them difficult to replace at best.

Changing the gasket, screen, and basket together: Over time the mating surface and bottom of the portafilter basket will inevitably wear. By the time symptoms like leaking portafilters become noticeable you have may have a bigger problem on your hands. Basket replacement suddenly becomes critical and expedited shipping charges may have to be paid to get the new portafilter baskets quickly. Your new $7-12 portafilter basket just cost you $40 or so. Don’t let it happen to you.

Tutorials

Over the years we have developed a nice set of tutorials for general espresso machine maintenance.

The Parts

Below you’ll find a selection of group gaskets, portafilter baskets, group screens, and even some kits that contain all you might need to perform your next group maintenance. We stock parts for most makes and models of espresso equipment. If you do not see parts for your machine search the Parts section on our website.

Espresso Machine Cleaning Products View Full List
Espresso Parts – Espresso Machine Backflush Kit EP_CLEANKIT $45.20	Espresso Parts’ Espresso Machine Cleaning Kit Deluxe EP_CLEANKIT_DLX $54.95	Espressoparts Espresso Machine Cleaner / Puro Caff EP_CLEAN $11.55	Pallo Coffee Tool Espresso Machine Brush – Black PALLO_CT-BLACK $10.66
Espresso Parts’ Espresso Machine Cleaning Combo EP_CLEAN_COMBO $18.15	Pallo Coffee Tool Replacement Brush Bristles – Set of 3 PALLO_BR1 $10.66	Stainless Steel Backflush Disk (Blind Portafilter Disk) F_156 $7.76	Brown Microfiber Cloth Towel 16″ x 16″ EP_MicrofiberBR $3.30

Espresso Machine Group Rebuild Kits View Full List
La Marzocco Group Head Kit MZKIT3 $21.90	Nuova Simonelli Group Head Kit SKIT1 $17.41	E-61 Group Head Kit FKIT1 $14.27
Portafilter Baskets View Full List
Espresso Parts HQ 14 Gram Double Portafilter Basket EPF_870N $6.25	Espresso Parts’ HQ 14g Ridgeless Style Double Portafilter Basket EPMZ_107A $6.95	Espresso Parts’ HQ 14g Ridgeless Style Double Portafilter Basket EPW10813 $9.63	Espresso Parts HQ 21g Triple Portafilter Basket EPMZ_108 $12.38

Group Screens View Full List
Espresso Parts HQ E61 Group Screen EPF_228N $8.23	La Marzocco Group Head Screen MZ_L107 $8.40	EP Sproline – Precision Group Screen and Screw (La Marzocco) EP_TX_SCREENKIT_LM $124.36	EP Sproline – Precision Group Screen and Screw (Nuova Simonelli) EP_TX_SCREENKIT_NS $124.36
Go to EspressoParts.com for a full list of espresso machine cleaning products and replacement parts.

BamBOOYAH!

espressoparts — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:50:39 +0000

Last Friday we released versions of our Compressore and EP5 espresso tampers in natural bamboo wood. Not only is bamboo a sustainable renewable source of eco-friendly wood materials but these tamps just plain look and feel great. The handle surface is as smooth as can be and these bamboo handles are light weight and strong focusing the majority of the weight towards the tamper base, right where you want it. Head on over to Espresso Parts and check these out things for yourselves.

Espresso Parts' new Bamboo EP5 Espresso Tamp

Espresso Parts' new Bamboo Compressore Espresso Tamp

Espresso Parts Bag by Rickshaw…

espressoparts — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:52:08 +0000

Now available for purchase…. http://www.espressoparts.com/EP_SKULL_BAG

The Espressoparts Team wishes all of our

espressoparts — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:23:19 +0000

The Espressoparts Team wishes all of our friends and family around the globe, a Happy Holiday Season! http://ow.ly/i/o9Ih

Hiroshi Sawada visit Olympia

espressoparts — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:31:49 +0000

Hiroshi in Oly 12-2011, a set on Flickr.

We got to spend part of the day with Hiroshi Sawada yesterday. I did catch some good action when Olympia Coffee allowed him to take over the bar for a bit and work with Jared Gum. Wish I had my camera on more throughout the day, although TZ had his and maybe he will will add to the set soon.

-DW

Your New Years Resolution…

espressoparts — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:21:14 +0000

Is to keep you espresso machine even cleaner in 2012. Today’s EP Holiday Special can help with that.

This special Backflush & Basket kit comes with:

1 Espresso Parts HQ 14 Gram Double Portafilter Basket (EPF_870N)
*Additional baskets (up to 5, 6 total) only 4$ EACH!
This is one of the laser cleaned and finsihed baskets, with consistent hole size and shape for even espresso extractions….
1 Stainless Steel Backflush Disk (Blank or Blind Portafilter Disk) (F_156)
1 Espresso Parts Espresso Machine Cleaner (EP_CLEAN)

Free Shipping this weekend at EP

espressoparts — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:12:14 +0000

If you have put your Holiday coffee gear shopping off so far you are in luck. Espresso Parts is offering Free ground shipping anywhere in the continental United States when you make a purchase with us Saturday December 17th and Sunday December 18th. Furthermore if you are lucky enough to be located in the Central or Western United States the odds are great that you will receive your packages before or on Friday December 23rd.

Use the super secret code FreeShipping
Mind the caps people… This offer is not valid with any other discounts.

30% OFF PARTS TODAY

espressoparts — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:03:33 +0000

Stock up on those general maintenance and even emergency parts today and you will get 30% off. Today we are offering a steep discount on all our parts. Head on over to our Part sections, load your cart up and use the discount code HolidayParts and save big. Today only!

EP Holideal for Thursday December 15, 2011

espressoparts — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:19:11 +0000

EP Holiday Special for Wednesday, December 14th

espressoparts — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:57:18 +0000

The Bonavita/Hario Pour Over Kit

Bonavita Non-Electric 1.0 L Gooseneck Kettle – The unique gooseneck spout provides terrific water control for manual coffee brewing and tea time. The Brushed Stainless Steel and gooseneck spout add an attractive, unique styling to your kitchen. Dishwasher safe and easy to fill.

Hario V60Dripper 02 – Flavor of a flannel drip with the ease of paper filter. The cone adds depth to coffee for a tastier brew. A quick water flow for light taste, a leisurely flow for more depth. The one big hole allows you to change taste with the speed you pour water. Spiral ribs for maximum powder expansion.

The Bonavita/Hario Pour Over Kit – This Pour Over essentials kit includes:

1 Bonavita Non-Electric 1.0 L Gooseneck Kettle (BONAVITA_KETTLE)
1 Hario V60 Dripper 02 Clear Plastic (HARIO_V60_02PL)

Espressoparts Blog Site

Q1 2012 – Quarterly Espresso Machine Group Maintenance

New Products

EP5 & Compressore Tampers in Bamboo Wood

EP5 & Compressore Tampers in Walnut Wood

NEW Bonavita Gooseneck Kettles

Bonavita 8 Cup Coffee Brewers

Espresso Parts Bag by Rickshaw

The Importance of Quarterly Espresso Machine Group Maintenance

Why so often?

Tutorials

The Parts

Espresso Machine Cleaning Products

View Full List

Espresso Machine Group Rebuild Kits

Portafilter Baskets

Group Screens