Automatic Coffee Machine Settings
This is the third in a series of three posts on getting the best out of your automatic coffee machine. In the first post we gave you some tips on the day to day cleaning requirements of an automatic machine, in the second post we gave you instructions on pilling the coffee line and descaling your machine. If you keep your machine clean and well maintained it will pour delicious drinks and keep running smoothly for many many years. However, to get the best coffee out of your machine, you will need to make sure that you have the grinder and shot length set correctly. We cover these aspects in this post.
The Grind
Setting the grinder on an automatic coffee machine is usually something that you do when you first get a brand new machine. Once it is set correctly, you don’t need to adjust it very often. There are two main reasons why you might want to change the grinder setting. Either after have you changed to a different blend of coffee or after you have cleaned and descaled the machine but can’t get the coffee tasting quite right.
You will know that the grind needs to be changed on your coffee machine because the coffee is either pouring too fast or too slow. You are looking for a nice slow and steady pour. If the coffee is dripping out, the grind is too fine and needs to be adjusted to be more coarse. If it is coming out thick and fast, the grind setting is too coarse and needs to adjusted to be more fine. Here is how it should look:
How Do I Adjust The Grind On My Automatic Coffee Machine?
To adjust the grind, most machine have either a lever on the side of the bean hopper or a wheel inside the bean hopper. This lever or wheel is often numbered, with the lower numbers for a more fine grind and the higher numbers for a more coarse grind. Always change the grind one notch at a time making two or three shots of coffee between each change. This will ensure that you are pouring shots with the new grinder setting (and not with left over grinds from the previous grinder setting).
The Ideal Length Of A Shot Of Coffee
When we talk about “the length of a shot of coffee” we are talking about the volume of coffee that is poured into your cup. This can influence the taste of your drink significantly. Too short, and you won’t get the full coffee flavour (especially if you drink coffee with milk). Too long, and you will over-extract the coffee (meaning it will taste bitter and be somewhat watery). The ideal shot of coffee is 30mls in volume.
How do I adjust the volume of coffee in my cup?
Luckily adjusting the volume of coffee is usually pretty straight forward on an automatic coffee machine. Simply hold your finger on the button. The machine will start to make coffee (as per normal). When you have around 30mls of coffee in your cup, let go of the button. This will programme the machine to pour that exact same volume of coffee, every time you press that same button.
That concludes this three part guide on getting the best out of your automatic coffee machine. We have covered the day to day cleaning requirements in our first post, pilling and descaling your machine in our second post and finally the settings of the machine in this post.
Did you know that if you rent a coffee machine for your office from Segafredo Zanetti, we will visit your office frequently to make sure your machine is setup correctly and pouring delicious coffee? Contact us to find out out more about renting a coffee machine for your office.
If you have a question about the settings on your automatic coffee machine, let us know in the comments below. We are here to help you enjoy great coffee.
