How often do you ch...
 

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How often do you change the water in your espresso machine?

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Mine gets an air lock in the tube which is a bugger to shift if I empty the tank, so I just top it up every now and then.

In theory some of the water could have been in there for years, and most of it has been in for weeks.

  1. Am I a minger?
  2. Will I die?

 
Posted : 11/08/2023 1:29 pm
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Am I a minger?
Will I die?

The coffee community shakes it head at you. You should be ashamed of yourself.
You will probably not die, it is being boiled after all.


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 1:33 pm
Mark reacted
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You will probably not die, it is being boiled after all.

I would hope not – I'd be throwing my espresso machine out if it was brewing at 100degC


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 1:35 pm
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The water gets replaced once it gets low. There's a minimum line, if it gets near that then I take the reservoir off and empty the rest in to the sink before refilling it straight from the tap. If I'm not using it much (once a day minimum) then it could be a couple of weeks between refills.

I don't like the idea of filling it up from a jug and being in your situation, but that's just personal preference. I'm sure you'll be fine.


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 1:37 pm
Flaperon, sc-xc and Murray reacted
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And the award for most STW thread of the week goes to


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 1:38 pm
AD and scuttler reacted
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I've no idea how they work, but surely the water gets used and emptied every time you make a cup so at some point the tank will need refilled. Sounds like you need to increase your hot mud drinking so the water can get replaced more frequently.


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 1:38 pm
thols2 reacted
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What coffee machine for Legionella?


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 1:38 pm
Flaperon, tuboflard, funkmasterp and 2 people reacted
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Disgraceful. Fresh water every day.

Its descaling the thing I forget, until it gets blocked up that is.


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 1:39 pm
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What pocpoc said but with me and two daughters drinking coffee the water's lucky to be a day old


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 1:39 pm
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You mean you don't use shipments of water from a monk living on the west side of Marmolejo, part of the Andes in Chile? The nutrient levels and ph are are just in harmony to make the perfect espresso come alive unlike the mains tap water in the UK


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 1:45 pm
steveb, AD, kayjay and 5 people reacted
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so I just top it up every now and then.

me too, but only with

water from a monk living on the west side of Marmolejo, part of the Andes in Chile. The nutrient levels and ph are are just in harmony to make the perfect espresso come alive unlike the mains tap water in the UK

Obvs


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 2:02 pm
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Give the option I would fill it with the cold filtered tears of a virgin unicorn, but a jug full of United Utilities' finest every few weeks will have to do.


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 2:03 pm
funkmasterp and thols2 reacted
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water from a monk living on the west side of Marmolejo, part of the Andes in Chile. The nutrient levels and ph are are just in harmony to make the perfect espresso come alive unlike the mains tap water in the UK

Meanwhile on AndesMonkTrackWorld.com

water from the west side of London. The chloride levels are just right to make sure you don't die of dyssentry, it really makes the drinker stay alive


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 3:03 pm
Earl_Grey, Flaperon, garage-dweller and 7 people reacted
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It's worth cleaning the tank once a month or so at least, there can be a build up of scum in it.


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 3:15 pm
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I would hope not – I’d be throwing my espresso machine out if it was brewing at 100degC

Hopefully there isn't a strain of bacteria that survives above 96 but not 100, you knew what I meant, also, how many boilers over-reach and cool slightly getting the water to the group? I'm sure not yours of course John 😉


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 3:18 pm
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Tank?

mains-fed after passing through a PRV, particulates filter, charcoal filter, and ion-exchange beads. Though softening seems a bit redundant in manchester.

I am very remiss at changing the water in one of my steam ovens though. Usually wait for it to start getting algae 😳

if you’re adding fresh water every day or so it’ll be fine.


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 4:28 pm
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Rarely. Hasn't killed me yet.


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 4:48 pm
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When it says fill me.

Hasn't killed me yet.


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 4:57 pm
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Only bottled water for mine.  Replaced weekly, topped up daily. We live in a VERY hard water area, so a 5l water bottle every 4-6weeks is far less cost and environmental damage than monthly descaling.


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 5:03 pm
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What coffee machine for Legionella?

The Home Office is trying to force 50 migrants to live in my machine as we speak.


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 5:03 pm
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Only bottled water for mine.

I avoid bottled water for filling my bike bottles, the lack of chlorine can cause the bottles to get coated in a layer of clear slime in less than 24 hours.  So I'd avoid it in my coffee machine too.

My machine has a replaceable water filter built into it and despite being in a hard water area only asks to be descaler about 3 times a year and a new filter about twice a year. A 500ml bottle of descaled does 5 descalings so lasts about a year and a half.


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 5:22 pm
dc1988 reacted
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I can’t believe you don’t have this bloke come round and change it for you daily.

https://www.martin-riese.com/


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 6:25 pm
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and empty the rest in to the sink

I assume that was a typo and you meant you pour it on plants or similar rather than waste it!


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 6:30 pm
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Daffy
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Only bottled water for mine. Replaced weekly, topped up daily. We live in a VERY hard water area, so a 5l water bottle every 4-6weeks is far less cost and environmental damage than monthly descaling.

Normally just lactic acid aren't they? Is it environmentally damaging?


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 8:09 pm
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What coffee machine for Legionella

Bibby Stockholm available free from the UK government.


 
Posted : 11/08/2023 8:54 pm
kelvin reacted
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I've a grind machine (I know...I went from bean to cup, to capsule...but...)

Change water daily... Clean using espresso cleaner weekly....

DrP


 
Posted : 12/08/2023 6:16 am
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isn't this coffee homeopathy? that tiny bit of left over water being infinitely diluted, will definitely give your coffee that  authenticity and gravitas which sets you apart from the common STWer.


 
Posted : 12/08/2023 6:33 am
 rone
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Our annoying water just killed the boiler in my sage oracle.

After a year.

2.5l tank and use water every couple of days.


 
Posted : 12/08/2023 12:58 pm
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Interesting about bottled water and slime, I use bottled water and it leads to a slime build up. It takes a few weeks to build up and I'd rather clean the tank than regularly descale as I'm in a very hard water area.


 
Posted : 12/08/2023 2:09 pm
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For some reason I'm not sure why but I got more crema (?) if the water is old rather than just fresh  from the tap.


 
Posted : 12/08/2023 2:27 pm
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All you folks doing regular descales and hard water issues use the in tank filters for your machines ?


 
Posted : 12/08/2023 2:44 pm
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I must be the only one here who just fills it up from the tap when it’s getting near empty. Been using the same machine for 4 years now. Coffee tastes as good as the day I bought it. Clearly I’m not the connoisseur I thought I was.


 
Posted : 13/08/2023 12:04 am
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Mine is like the solera process in making Sherry.  New stuff poured in and mixed, so what comes out will contain small amounts of the oldest. And bacteria.  And, with my Gaggia Classic some of the bit left over in the machine after making a shot gets recycled back into the reservoir so its a proper petri dish in there.  And I use water that's been in a Brita filter jug that's been hanging around too.

The first few cups after a proper cleandown don't taste quite as nice as those after. Just like chips made after you've put fresh oil in the fryer.


 
Posted : 13/08/2023 7:50 am
 rone
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All you folks doing regular descales and hard water issues use the in tank filters for your machine

Yeah but he engineer told me to pre filter my water, and use a filter in the machine and descale every 2 months.

The idea it's cheaper to have a coffee machine at home has got beyond me.

£30 a month for decent beans

£500 for a single dose grinder because the grinder built in is rubbish.

£1500 for the machine itself.

And any extras cleaning tabs, descaler, filter.

And it's not even convenient - it's a whole ritual.

But I still enjoy the process.


 
Posted : 13/08/2023 7:57 am
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Yeah but he engineer told me to pre filter my water, and use a filter in the machine and descale every 2 months.

Was he on comission


 
Posted : 13/08/2023 9:57 am
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Or £300 for a bean to cup with what just be an average built in grinder...it may not be mega expensive but it makes better coffee than your average big brand coffee shop.

Mine says it's done 4737 shots/18 filters/30 descales. That's about £250 in filters/descaler and it must be getting on for about £10 years old. Replaced some infusers bits recently but can't remember how much they were. Maybe £150 of coffee a year? (Stab in the dark estimate)

I buy much less takeaway coffee now, if a takeaway coffee is a double shot and £3.50 that's £8,300 saved.  About 2/3rds of the coffees it makes are 'to go' when I'd normally buy coffee so that's still £5,500 saving.


 
Posted : 13/08/2023 10:08 am
 rone
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Was he on comission

No.


 
Posted : 13/08/2023 11:23 am
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Al Gow's famous* coffee machine up at his place, wheelcraft was on the go for decades.

You're supposed to(according to him) fill it with cold water, but I filled it with boiling water and it mysteriously broke a week later.

I have been unofficially been blamed for breaking it.

It was coincidental.

*Famous in it produced a tar like substance that could be used to pave the roads.


 
Posted : 13/08/2023 11:32 am
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Al's coffee was strong anytime I dropped by for a wheel build and payment for the coffee was drop off a wheel or just take it back to the East of Scotland for someone to pick it up
I sound like a tight got but I mix my fresh roasted beans with some Lidl or M&S Italian beans still get a great flat white and my fresh roasted last a bit longer for cracking flat whites


 
Posted : 13/08/2023 12:02 pm
 rone
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Or £300 for a bean to cup with what just be an average built in grinder…it may not be mega expensive but it makes better coffee than your average big brand coffee shop

I have a bean 2 cup at work.

It's okay, but doesn't really compare to good espresso. There's a trade off. Depends how fussy you are.

Although I'll admit sometime I'm almost pack up and go home about espresso frustrations.


 
Posted : 13/08/2023 12:04 pm
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doesn’t really compare to good espresso.

Prefer ristrettos. Moka pot is good for making it. Not sure if you can use one of these bean 2 cup machines, or are they adjustable on how much water you can put through. 😕


 
Posted : 13/08/2023 12:32 pm
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My trusty Magnifica gets a fresh tank every morning with our dragon plant, Norman, getting the leftovers.


 
Posted : 13/08/2023 1:45 pm
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I used to just top it up from a jug until I looked in the tank and observed a layer of green slime clinging to the inside. Now it gets refreshed completely every few days.


 
Posted : 13/08/2023 1:47 pm

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