🔧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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1
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.
2
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.
3
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.
4
Backflush with Cafiza after your last shot of the day
5
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.
6
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
7
Replace the group head gasket once a year, sooner if you see dripping around the portafilter
8
Change the water filter cartridge on whatever schedule the manufacturer prints
3 months, but I go closer to 10 weeks.
9
Check the steam wand tip O-ring if you get spitting instead of a steady hiss
10
keep the drip tray and knock box dry overnight
mold in a drip tray is disgusting and totally avoidable
11
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.
12
run a blind basket + Cafiza cycle if you notice the shot time creeping up for no reason
13
flush the group head with hot water before every shot, not just the first one of the day
14
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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