Espresso Machine - Daily Guide
De'Longhi Eletta Explore - Your quick reference for making coffee drinks every day.
⚡ Quick Start (Your First 5 Minutes)
Morning Opening:
- Fill water tank (use filtered water)
- Fill beans (whole beans only)
- Turn on machine → Wait 15 minutes
- Attach milk jug when ready
Making a Drink:
- Place cup under spout
- Touch screen → Select drink
- Press START
- Done in 30-60 seconds
That's it! Machine does everything automatically.
🎯 Common Drinks You'll Make
How to Make Each Drink
Americano (most common)
- Place cup → Touch "Americano" → START
- Ready in ~30 seconds
Latte
- Make sure hot milk jug attached
- Place cup → Touch "Latte" → START
- Ready in ~60 seconds
Cappuccino
- Hot milk jug attached
- Place cup → Touch "Cappuccino" → START
- More foam than latte
Iced Latte
- Switch to COLD milk jug (blue one)
- Fill cup with ice first
- Touch "Cold Drinks" → "Iced Latte" → START
Making Drinks is Easy
The machine grinds beans, brews coffee, and froths milk automatically. You just select the drink and press START.
⚠️ Quick Troubleshooting
"Grounds Container Full"
What you see: Machine won't work, says "empty grounds" Fix: Open front door → Remove brown container → Empty in trash → Put back
"Fill Water Tank"
Fix: Remove tank from back → Fill with filtered water → Put back firmly
"Add Coffee Beans"
Fix: Open top lid → Add whole beans → Close lid
"Clean Milk System"
Fix: See manager - needs proper cleaning cycle
Machine Makes Weird Noises
Normal: Grinding beans, pump sounds NOT normal: Loud banging, grinding metal → Get manager
🧹 Your Daily Cleaning (End of Shift)
MUST DO Every Night:
- Empty grounds (brown container under machine)
- Empty drip tray (front bottom tray)
- Clean milk system ⚠️ CRITICAL!
- Remove milk jug
- Run "Milk Clean" from menu
- Rinse tubes with hot water
- Wipe outside of machine
- Refill water and beans for tomorrow
Milk System Cleaning
MUST clean milk system every night! Old milk clogs the system and makes customers sick. This is your most important cleaning task.
🆘 When to Get Help
Get a manager immediately if:
- Error code won't clear
- Coffee tastes burnt or bad
- Water leaking
- Grinding sounds wrong
- Touch screen not working
- You're not sure what to do
Don't try to fix these yourself!
💡 Pro Tips for New Staff
- Turn on FIRST when opening (takes 15-20 min to warm up)
- Check water and beans every hour during busy times
- Hot milk jug for hot drinks, cold jug for iced (they're labeled)
- Machine auto-cleans between drinks (wait for it to finish)
- If customer says "extra shot" → Ask manager (machine has settings)
📋 Opening Checklist
Do this when you arrive:
- ☐ Fill water tank (filtered water from RO system)
- ☐ Fill bean hopper (whole beans, not ground)
- ☐ Turn on machine (power button on side)
- ☐ Wait 15 minutes for "Ready" message
- ☐ Attach hot milk jug with fresh milk
- ☐ Make test drink if you're first person
📋 Closing Checklist
Do this before leaving:
- ☐ Empty grounds container
- ☐ Empty and wash drip tray
- ☐ CLEAN MILK SYSTEM (menu → maintenance → milk clean)
- ☐ Wipe machine exterior
- ☐ Refill water tank for tomorrow
- ☐ Refill beans for tomorrow
- ☐ Turn off machine (if policy is to turn off)
🥛 Milk Tips
Which milk to use:
- Whole milk = best foam, creamiest (default)
- Oat milk = best dairy alternative
- Almond milk = okay foam, thinner
- Soy milk = can work, sometimes separates
Milk freshness matters:
- Old milk won't foam right
- Smell milk before using
- Keep milk jugs in fridge between uses
❓ Common Questions
Q: Customer wants decaf? A: We need separate decaf beans - ask manager if we have them
Q: Can I make 2 drinks at once? A: No, machine makes one at a time. Just takes 30-60 seconds each.
Q: Customer says their drink is wrong? A: Offer to remake it. Machine is automatic, so if you selected right drink, it should be correct. Ask what's wrong and get manager if needed.
Q: What if it says "Descale Machine"? A: Tell manager. This is a long maintenance process, not for regular staff.
Q: Machine is in another language? A: Menu → Settings → Language → English
📞 Need More Info?
- Opening procedures: See Opening Checklist
- Closing procedures: See Closing Checklist
- Coffee drink menu: See Drink Categories
- Ask your trainer or manager if unsure!
📚 Advanced Info (Management/Trainers)
Click to see detailed specs, maintenance schedules, and troubleshooting
Machine Details
- Model: De'Longhi Eletta Explore (ECAM45086S)
- Purchase: Amazon Link
- Support: De'Longhi Support
- Features: 50+ recipes, cold brew, touchscreen, smartphone app
Specifications
- Water tank: 60 oz
- Bean capacity: 3.8 lbs
- Power: 1250W, 120V
- Size: 17.5"D x 10.25"W x 15.13"H
- Weight: 24.7 lbs
Weekly Maintenance (Sundays)
- Deep clean brew group (remove and rinse)
- Lubricate brew group
- Clean grinder area
- Inspect gaskets
Monthly Maintenance
- Replace water filter
- Deep clean with tablets
- Test all functions
Descaling (Every 2-3 Months)
- Use De'Longhi descaling solution
- Run descale program (45 min process)
- Don't ignore descale warning!
Error Codes
- E01: Brew group issue - remove/reinsert
- E03: Brew group dirty - clean thoroughly
- E04: Overheated - let cool 30 min
- E18: Grinder blocked - call service
Service Contact
- De'Longhi: 1-800-865-6330
- Warranty info on support page
- Management: [email protected]
Questions? Ask your manager or [email protected]