I know some of you may already know this stuff but if you ask me, don't skip the lessons. Maybe you can find something you don't know.
Ofc you can find lots of different brands and models but generally, some parts are very very similar for example we call this section group head. Hot water comes from the boiler and passes thru the group head and shower screen than your compressed coffee particles with pressure. You can see the other 2 parts here. This is a milk steamer and this one is a hot water tap.
Generally, all the industrial machines have these too. Even bigger machines with two group heads also have two steamers so two baristas can work at the same time.
Our machine is a manual machine. There is a lever to activate the pump. There are button activated models too. Button models have manual and volumetric(automatic) ones. If there is only one button to start and stop that's a manual machine too."queue photo" If there are five buttons per group head that can programmable that's a volumetric (automatic) machine."queue photo". I will explain how volumetric machines work on another video.
Here is a gauge that we call a manometer. You can check the pressure inside the steam boiler and pressure at the pump. These pressure settings can be adjusted inside the machine. For the steam boiler pressure should be around one point five psi, two psi. Over that pressure is a little bit dangerous but don't worry the steam boiler has some countermeasures to stop blowing your machine. Like pressure stat or pressure release valves.
This machine comes with a PID module. Cheap or old machines handle the heating element with a thermostat. You can see the thermostat here. This part goes into the heating element from outside. It works chemically liquid inside this tube extends and pushes the springs inside the thermostat and cuts the electricity when it gets very hot. You can set the desired temperature with this little screw here.
Highend machines like this one are using PID controllers. a PID controller uses a PID formula to decide to open or close the heating element. PID means Proportional Integral Derivative ("effect maybe?") But we don't dive into it right now. It's for another course :) By doing this we are getting a more stable temperature control.
We call this part a dip tray. On industrial machines dip trays connected to drain under here. Again on industrial machines, there is a clean water inlet under with an electrical connection. There are some details about electrical connection and power but that's a topic for another lesson.
This machine also has a feature that lots of machines don't have. a pressure profiling paddle. Simply it controls the pressure by controlling the flow of water.
We call the top of the machine; heater. There are two types of heater. Active and Passive. The passive ones use the heat of the boilers inside. Active ones have heating elements inside to keep the cups warm so you won't serve cold beverages to your guests. It's a smart choice for outside bars and coffee trucks etc.
Let's talk about portafilters You can find portafilters with single/double spouts or bottomless we call it naked. I will explain why we use them in another video.
There are baskets in the portafilters. You can find a double and single basket with different sizes. again that's another lesson's topic. It's about the size of your dose actually. Your basket size is your dose size. Ofc It comes with your machine but you can change with a bigger size or high-end one.
There is an important topic that you should be aware of the steam wand and hot water tap. On cheap machines, they are not always made to touch. This machine has a double-wall design we call it cool touch. so I can touch the metal without burning my hand. If your devices are not double-walled there should be a rubber piece to hold it securely. Double-walled or not. Don't touch the tip.
You also need to be careful about the group heads. Even you don't activate the pump there is still water circulating to keep the group headshot for temperature stabilization. We call it siphoning. If your group head is cold, you take a shot and you taste it. The second one will be totally different. So you need to be careful and don't touch the group heads too.
Again for temperature stabilization, you need to keep your portafilter at your group heads. So you can take consistent shots.
To start your machine. some machines have only one button. And some industrial machines have two-level switches. The first level is like a self-test. It starts with everything but heating elements. The second level starts the heating element.
These knobs here for activating the steam wand or hot water top. How much you open it that much powerful steam will come out. some machines its lever action. and some of those lever-action ones have power control some of them don't. open and close. that's it.
If you want to steam milk in a small pitcher, you don't need to open full power. You can use less power to control small steamings.
