Mornings are not just the same when the Espresso Maker in New York City goes on the fritz. While there are repair places throughout the city, many of the issues the machine may be facing can be corrected at home. Here are some troubleshooting tips to get the machine back up and running and make the morning something to look forward to again.
If the espresso being made seems to taste bitter or the machine seems to be taking an overly long period of time to finish brewing, it may simply need to be cleaned. To clean the inside of the machine, one could buy a commercial cleaner specifically made to be used within espresso machines or they could just use a homemade mix of about three ounces of vinegar and about 20 ounces of water. Just pour the mix into the intake container and run it through. Follow that up with a few cycles of pure water and it will be as good as new.
If the machine is suffering from a scaling problem, the solution takes a bit longer but is nonetheless still pretty easy as a DIY chore. Descaling does require a commercial product to get rid of the buildup as it will consist of hardened minerals that are clogging the machine. Dissolve the commercial descaling solution into the intake container per the instructions on the package. Drain about one cup of water out of the steam wand. Wait about 30 minutes and then drain about one-quarter of the intake through the steam wand and another quarter through the brew head. Repeat the process and the machine should be absolutely scale-free.
If the Espresso Maker in New York City stopped working midway though making the espresso, there is a strong likelihood it has become vapor-locked. This happens when vapor that has been super-heated places an inordinate amount of pressure on the water pump. This is a very easy fix. Turn the machine off and let it cool down. After the machine is cooled, fill the reservoir with water and open the knob on the steam wand. Wait for about two minutes and turn the brew button on. Wait two minutes longer and then turn the brew button off but leave the steam wand open. Wait for two minutes longer and the pressure inside the machine should be equalized again.
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