Is it better to leave an espresso machine on all the time, or turn it off? Hi Marc here from Whole Latte Love and I'm here with recommendations and advice from machine manufacturers on how leaving a machine on all the time or turning it on and off for use can affect its components.
For that, I spoke with Michael Hauck at Profitec in Germany. He’s visited our studio in the past and he’s the designer/engineer responsible for machines like their Pro 500 heat exchanger and Pro 700 dual boiler.
So the basic question was: is it better for a machine to be left on all the time or turn it off when not in use? According to Michael It’s best to turn a machine off when not in use.
He says the heating and cooling is gradual enough that it causes no detrimental wear and tear on machine parts due to thermal expansion and contraction. He went on to say that leaving a machine heated all the time reduces the lifetime of things like gaskets and electrical parts like signal lights, solid state relays, control boxes, solenoid valves, and motors.
Profitec’s general recommendation is to not leave unattended machines switched on. Michael uses a timer on his own home machine so it’s fully heated up and ready to go when he wants to use it.
Now If you go with a timer, be sure it’s rated to handle the power draw of your machine. I’m Marc. Thanks for reading and I hope you’ll come back soon for more of the good stuff on everything coffee, brought to you by Whole Latte Love.
