Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_6904450_prime-espresso-machine.html

Espresso machines can produce impressive lattes, americanos, and macchiatos, but as a luxury appliance they require special attention. Proper maintenance and care is key to producing years of satisfactory, reliable espresso drinks. The very first maintenance task to perform on an espresso machine is to prime it. New espresso machines have no water in their boilers, and they will need to be primed before use so that the heating element does not suffer damage. Espresso machines may also need to be primed after steaming milk or after a period of disuse.

Source: http://espressomachinetips.graduateblogspot.com/espresso-machine/how-to-keep-your-espresso-machine-running-smoothly.html

A home espresso machine is a wonderful thing, but it does require maintenance and care. If you want to get the longest life out of your investment, it is imperative to give attention to your espresso machine to keep your brew tasting fresh and delicious.

One of the biggest enemies of your home espresso machine is scale buildup, which is a buildup of minerals. Oftentimes, lime scale can build up inside your espresso machine, and it will affect how it functions. This scale will most often affect the boiler of your machine, and the mineral buildup will directly influence the taste of your coffee and espresso. If you do live in an area that has hard water, you need to descale your machine regularly, at least every 2 to 3 months. How often you descale your machine does depend on the hardness of the water that you use, how often that your machine is used, and how often water is left sitting in your espresso machine for long periods of time.

To begin descaling your machine, you need to turn it off and allow it to completely cool down. If you are working with a hot espresso machine, it can become dangerous, and it can also negate the effectiveness of the descaling product that you are using. Many people will descale their espresso machines with vinegar, but that is overall not a good product to use for the interior of your espresso maker. You can make your own solution of lemons and water, and there are also commercial solutions available for purchase to descale your machine. Some popular descaling solution brand names are CLR and Saeco. Many premium espresso machine manufacturers will also sell their own brand of a descaling product, which may be ideal for the brand of machine that you have.

To begin with, pour the descaling solution into the water reservoir of the machine. Turn on your machine, and allow water to pump through the steam nozzle for up to 30 seconds. Turn the machine off completely, and allow it to cool down with the descaling solution in the parts of the machine that hold water. Allow this solution to soak within the machine for up to 10 minutes, and turn the machine on again to pump the solution through for 60 seconds. After that, turn off the machine completely.

You can repeat this process up to five times, which will take around an hour. It is important to remember that this solution can leave a bitter taste in your machine, so you do need to rinse out the water reservoir completely and refill it. Finish this process by running clean and fresh water through the espresso machine up to three times.

Last of all, make a shot of espresso or pot of coffee, and throw it away completely because it could still have traces of descaling solution. Afterward, all you have to do is enjoy a fresh espresso product that is free from any taste of mineral buildup!

Source: http://www.espressoequipment.org/265/how-an-espresso-machine-works.html/

Espresso is a drink made by forcing water heated to just below boiling point through a filter packed, finely ground coffee beans.
A single serving of espresso is a 1. 25-1. 5 oz coffee concentrate covered with a thin layer of foam (called Crema). Known for its rich body and aroma, the bitter taste of espresso stops on the palette after each sip, the taste of satisfaction for coffee lovers.
While it is possible to construct a crude method of brewing, forcing hot water into the coffee using steam power, specialized machinery needed to prepare the perfect shot of espresso.
An espresso machine heats the water to the recommended temperature controls water pressure and may even provide an attachment of the steam nozzle to heat the milk and foam is added to the drink. The typical home espresso machine has a tank where cold water is poured. There is also a removable handle attached to a filter (called portafilter), which is just above the platform where you place the cup of espresso.
When the machine is on, the water tank is pumped through a heating element. Once this element heats the water to the desired temperature (about 190 degrees Fahrenheit), an indicator light informs the user of the process of brewing is ready to begin.
Before mixing, the user fills out the portafilter with ground coffee and tamping the grounds. The portafilter is placed in the machine and locked into place. A switch is overruled by the brewery that signals the pump to the machine to pressurize the chamber is heated to about 220 psi, forcing the water heater through the ground coffee, with a peak at the bottom the portafilter.
Once the glass is full, the espresso machine is switched off and a cup of coffee is ready to be enjoyed.

Although most espresso machines use this basic process for preparing an espresso, prices can vary from fifty dollars to thousands. Additional features of more expensive units have the capacity to moisten the soil before preparation begins, the pumps can produce higher quality more sustained pressure, the increase in heating systems, integrated water filter foam sticks.
Achieving a good cup of coffee from a machine at home does not cost thousands of dollars, however. Simple procedures can add the taste of coffee, even in low-end machines. Fill the tank with filtered water chemical reactions take place in the process of preparation. The type of coffee bean and the fineness of the grind has a direct impact on the overall flavor and should be tested to find the perfect mix.

Furthermore, of the compactness of the reasons for the portafilter affects the emulsification process, whose results are visible in the foam. Perhaps the most important quality of a good espresso is the freshness. Using the new grounds take full coffee flavor comes through. Coffee should be consumed within a few minutes of experience in brewing flavor. With a little experimentation, the same as ordered in a coffee can be enjoyed at home with a home brewer of espresso. The satisfaction of having perfect espresso infused, however, never be in a menu of Starbuck.

I know budgets are tight these days. I know everyone is trying to rein in their spending but please–please don’t settle for the first espresso machine you come across nor the cheapest! As we all know all things are NOT made equal, espresso machines included.

Go for quality. Make yourself familiar with the manuals of espresso machines. Pay attention to maintenance and pay attention to specifications, such as what kind of blend that the manufacturer recommends for a specific machine model. If the documentation gets too technical, ask an expert or an acquaintance who may know about espresso machines. Not all manufacturers have warranties. For example, BOSCH, has a “non-recoverable” component that cannot be replaced if it gets damaged under any conditions. BOSCH’s espresso machine could arrive at your doorstep damaged and the only thing that could be done with it is toss it in the dustbin.

You’ll do well to buy from reputable espresso machine manufacturers include Lelit and Ransilio. They’re first rate machines. They aren’t the most expensive ones out there but they’re not the cheapest. Both manufacturers have their own unique charm. Second rate espresso machines from manufacturers such as BOSCH, SIEMENS, ROTEL, KRUP and AEG aren’t such good investments. They may be temptingly cheap or expensive lures for the avaricious amongst us who must simply have the most expensive appliance, but the fact is, they’re all very generic. It’s suspected that these machines are assembled in the same factory but the different locations of production discourage this suspicion. The manufacturing of these espresso machines are similar right down to the uninspired logos. That said, the coffee produced with these espresso machines is acceptable–and by acceptable I mean it can be swallowed with a minimum amount of discomfort.

Now with this knowledge I blessed thee, go forth and make great coffee

I just talked today with one of the nicest and sweetest person I know-and is also one of my favorite customers. He bought a Lelit PL042 LET from me about 5 months ago. He heard of us through a friend that I had talked to a few days earlier prior to his purchase. It was my second local sale; therefore I was able to meet this customer in person-not just exchange emails over the computer. I haven’t seen him for a while, so naturally I ask how the machine is working. “What a toy I got!” he says delightfully, and starts to tell me how well the PL042 LET works and all the different espressos he experiments with.

He starts to talk about his old stand-alone grinder. I stop him in his sentence, wondering why on Earth he is not using the grinder on his $900 machine. After a little investigation, it turns out his grinder was set on #0 setting. This works well with Turkish coffee but not so well for espressos. When he returned home, he set his grinder to #5 and it works like a dream.

He e-mailed me his satisfaction and concluded he couldn’t wait to play around the settings some more. I could sense his happiness and, believe me, I was happy, too. There was no need for any repair- just a little more information on my product was needed. I learned an important lesson from this case: never assume the customer knows how to completely use the espresso machines. I am always here if there is any questions that needs answers. Just let me know.
Happy Grinding!