Preparing Espresso - Capresso EC300 123.05 Instruction Manual

2. Make sure the Control Knob is in the "O" position.
3. Turn on the machine by pressing the Power Button located on the side
of the machine. The indicator light on the Control Knob begins to blink
red as the machine begins to heat.
4. Place the sieve inside the portafilter (without coffee) See Fig. 3 for proper
sieve placement.
5. Make sure the thumb guard does not cover the sieve.
6. Align the portafilter to the "INSERT" on the left side of the brew
head, while pushing the portafilter up. Turn the portafilter firmly to the
right towards the "LOCK" on the middle of the brew head, until it
feels tight.
NOTE: In the beginning it might not be possible to turn the portafilter
all the way to the "LOCK" position. Just make sure the portafilter is
firmly placed. Over time the portafilter can be moved closer to the
"LOCK" position.
7. Place one or two espresso cups underneath the portafilter. Once the
indicator light illuminates solid blue, the machine is ready for coffee
brewing.
8. Turn the Control Knob to the left towards the "Cup icon". Hot water
will be pumped through the portafilter into the cups.
9. Turn the Control Knob back to the center towards the "O" to stop the
flow of hot water.
CAUTION! Never leave the machine unattended during brewing or
steaming. You always must turn the Control Knob back to the center
position towards the "O" position to stop brewing.
10. Empty the cups and remove the portafilter. All parts are now pre-warmed.
TIP! Place espresso cups upside down on the warming platform on top
of the machine. When the machine has been turned on for approximately
15 minutes, the warming platform will be heated and can be used to
pre-warm cups instead of using hot water from the machine.

5. Preparing Espresso

5a. Selecting the Coffee Grind
This is an important step in the espresso making process as the
finely ground coffee must have uniform consistency.
• The correct grind should look like salt.
• If the grind is too fine, the water will not flow through the coffee and
cause too much pressure to build up in the machine. These grinds look
like powder and feel like flour when rubbed between fingers.
• If the grind is too coarse, the water flows through the coffee too quickly,
preventing a full-flavored extraction.
Tip! Be sure to use a quality burr grinder for uniform consistency. Blade
coffee grinders are not recommended for espresso brewing because the
grind is not as consistent.
• If you are experiencing problems with taste (bitter, sour, under extracted, etc.)
adjust the grind size of the coffee and/or switch the brand or roast of
whole bean coffee.
8.