Technical Assistance

Joining the Costadoro family does not limit the customer to just product and equipment, it means being provided with proven, constant, efficient assistance, covering both technical and commercial aspects. Our highly professional personnel are always kept up-to-date with the latest developments and are always there when you need them!

Contact your Costadoro agent for any information or technical query or call +39 011 24 83 804 and our staff will put you in touch directly with the appropriate agent.

Checks and pre-assistance procedures

Costadoro coffee undergoes a strict inspection and selection process before being sold to our customers. For this reason, any irregularities that may occur will be due to external factors such as the coffee machine or grinder.

The eight golden rules for perfect coffee

1. Keep the packs of coffee sealed in a cool place and do stock rotation (check the batch number) in order not to use old coffee.
2. Avoid grinding large quantities of coffee and, most important, try to use up all the ground coffee before closing time. In the morning, always grind fresh coffee, adding any that may have been left over from the previous evening, so that the first coffees served will taste good.
3. The correct dose of ground coffee is 7g. It’s essential to keep the grinder-doser clean at all times and check dosing monthly.
4. Tamping the coffee in the portafilter. Level off the coffee well before tamping. In this way, the entire surface of the coffee bed provides adequate resistance to the water pressure and this gives the best results. We also recommend that the same force is always used when tamping so as not to change the coffee’s brewing parameters.
5. When taking the ground coffee from the doser, make sure the lever completes its full travel so that each dose is the same. Check that there is always enough ground coffee to fill all the segments of the star-shaped container. Always clean the edges of the portafilter thoroughly before attaching it to the brew group so that encrusted coffee residue does not build up on the gaskets.
6. Place the cups face-up in the cup warmer, and stack two cups maximum. For hygiene reasons, always pick up a cup by the handle. Cover all cups with a light-coloured cloth to prevent dust forming inside. When serving coffee always choose a hot cup rather than using one of the cold ones.
7. When frothing the milk, purge the steam wand and clean immediately. We recommend using a special sponge for the steam wand.
8. Always use a clean cold jug with fresh milk from the fridge for each serving of cappuccinos. Avoid reheating the milk, as its protein structure is broken down after it is heated once, making it indigestible. Therefore, always try to heat up the smallest amount needed.

FAQ

1. Does the coffee have a light crema? Does the coffee leave the spout quickly?
2. Does the coffee have a dark crema? Does the coffee leave the spout in drops?
3. Does the coffee not have a decent crema? Does the spout spit and spurt?
4. Does the crema disappear too quickly?
5. Are coffee grounds left in the cup?
6. Does coffee drip from the portafilter?
7. Do the spouts deliver differently?

1 – Does the coffee have a light crema? Does the coffee leave the spout quickly?

Possible causes Grinder:

• grind too coarse;
• weak tamping less than 12 kg;
• low dose of less than 7g;

Solutions:

• finer grind;
• increase tamping pressure;
• increase the dose;

Possible causes Machine:

• water temperature low – below 88° C;
• water pressure high – above 9 atmospheres;
• filter holes too wide;

Solutions:

• increase boiler pressure;
• decrease pump pressure;

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2 – Does the coffee have a dark crema? Does the coffee leave the spout in drops?

Possible causes Grinder:

• grind too fine;
• tamping too hard;
• dose greater than 8g;

Solutions:

• coarser grind;
• decrease tamping pressure;
• decrease the dose;

Possible causes Machine:

• water temperature too high – above 92° C;
• water pressure too low – below 9 atmospheres;
• filter holes blocked;

Solutions:

• decrease boiler pressure;
• increase pump pressure;
• check and clean using a blind filter, check and replace;
• clean.

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3 – Does the coffee not have a decent crema? Does the spout spit and spurt?

Possible causes Grinder:

• ground coffee is old;

Solutions:

• get rid of the coffee residue;

Possible causes Machine:

• pump pressure below 9 atmospheres;

Solutions:

• increase the pump pressure;

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4 – Does the crema disappear too quickly?

Possible causes Grinder:

• incorrect grind size of the coffee;

Solutions:

• correct the grind size;

Possible causes Machine:

• water temperature above 90° C;

Solutions:

• decrease the temperature;

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5 – Are coffee grounds left in the cup?

Possible causes Grinder:

• grinder burrs worn out;

Solutions:

• replace the burrs;

Possible causes Machine:

• enlarged filter holes or broken filter;
• inadequate cleaning of filter and portafilter;

Solutions:

• check or replace the filter;
• clean the filter and the portafilter;

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6 – Does coffee drip from the portafilter?

Possible cause:

• inefficient sealing of the group gasket;

Solution:

• replace the gasket;

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7 – Do the spouts deliver differently?

Possible causes:

• incorrect tamping of the coffee bed;
• blocked spouts;

Solutions:

• tamp perpendicular to the portafilter;
• clean the spouts.

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