🔧the maintenance schedule I ignored on my first machine

learned all of this the hard way on a Rancilio Silvia that started tasting like metal at month 14.

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Test your water hardness before you touch anything else

I skipped this for a year and just guessed. SF tap runs harder than people think, cheap strips from a pool supply store work fine.

Descale every 4-6 weeks on unfiltered SF water

every 3 months if you're actually running filtered or bottled. the Silvia's boiler scaled up so bad the pump started screaming.

Use Dezcal or citric acid, never vinegar

Vinegar smell gets into the gaskets and lingers for weeks. Single origin espresso tasting like a salad is not it.

Backflush with Cafiza after your last shot of the day

Soak portafilter baskets and shower screen in Cafiza weekly

The crema looked worse and worse and I blamed the beans for a month before I finally pulled the basket and saw the buildup.

Wipe the steam wand immediately after every use, not after the session

dried milk in the tip = weak microfoam and you'll never know why

Replace the group head gasket once a year, sooner if you see dripping around the portafilter

Change the water filter cartridge on whatever schedule the manufacturer prints

3 months, but I go closer to 10 weeks.

Check the steam wand tip O-ring if you get spitting instead of a steady hiss

keep the drip tray and knock box dry overnight

mold in a drip tray is disgusting and totally avoidable

descale immediately before any trip if the machine will sit for 2+ weeks

Stagnant water in the boiler is worse than regular use. Dial it in again on day one after a long break.

run a blind basket + Cafiza cycle if you notice the shot time creeping up for no reason

flush the group head with hot water before every shot, not just the first one of the day

keep a paper log of descale dates taped inside the cabinet

the one thing that actually made me consistent. a note app doesn't work, you have to see it

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