Preparing a Machine for Temporary Closure

It is unfortunately apparent that many venues may need to temporarily close in the coming weeks due to the effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. Please be assured that we are here for you in these uncertain times and please get in touch for any further advice or if you require help with any of the steps below.

If you do need to temporarily close, below are some instructions to ensure that your coffee equipment is ready to go to get you back up and running quickly.

Complete all regular cleaning and backflushing before shutdown
Preventative maintenance/servicing is best done before shutdown if possible so you can get back up and running quickly.
Remove beans from grinder hopper, grind out any remaining beans and empty doser of ground coffee (if applicable)
Turn off equipment
Unplug espresso machine and grinders.
With water mains still open, let the machine cool down. When close to room temperature, shut off water mains to equipment.
Drain boilers (requires a trained technician) for predicted closures of 3 months or more.
Order new water filters and change prior to reopening
Make a plan to restart and test equipment prior to reopening café, preferably at least a week prior to reopening as machines may need maintenance after an extended period of storage, even if serviced prior to shut down.
When you’re ready to re-open, open the mains and plug in the machine and grinder. If boilers have been drained, set the machine to power setting 1 (this will allow the boiler to fill without risking damage to the element) and the machine will start to fill. Once full, set the machine to power setting 2 to turn the element on. Run some water through the group heads and wait for the machine to heat up. Once machine is hot, test steam and hot water wands and listen for any hissing sound or leaks. If any function is not working or a hissing sound can be heard, turn off the machine and get in touch with us.

If unclear about any of these instructions, please get in touch and we will assist in any way possible.

Copywrite credit to La Marzocco, CWE, ECA and Witham’s Coffee