Instructions

for the

Vetrano
By

Contents
Introduction
First-time Setup
Before Each Use
Normal Operation
Tips For Making Great Espresso
How to Froth Milk for Cappuccinos and Lattes
Regular Maintenance
We’re Here to Help

Chris’ Coffee Service, Inc.

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Introduction

First of all, thank you for your business!

You are going to love your Vetrano – it combines beauty, value, and great brewing for making the
best espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes you’ve ever tasted! These instructions include hints that
will help you get started quickly.

First-time Setup

• Before connecting your machine to your water source, test your water for hardness using
the provided test strips.

Fill a glass with cold tap water; dip the tip of the test strip into water for one second, then
pull the strip out of the water and hold it horizontally for fifteen seconds. After fifteen
seconds, compare the color of the strip to the chart on the side of the package to determine
how many grains of hardness is in your tap water. Three grains or less of hardness is
acceptable.

Note: Should your water’s hardness level exceed three grains, contact Chris’ Coffee
Service to discuss your options for addressing this problem, unless you have already done
so prior to your purchase.

• Inside the drip tray, there is a plastic bag. Inside the bag are two washers. One washer is
for the braided water line that connects to the bottom of the machine, the other end of the
water line has a female John Guest fitting. If you do not wish to use the female John Guest
Fitting, you will need a washer on that end.

Before plugging the machine in, verify the steam and hot water valves are closed. The brew
lever should be pointing straight down.

• Plug the machine in and turn the power switch to the on position.

Your pump will start filling the boiler in approximately three seconds and should be full in
approximately 45-60 seconds. Note: You will know when the boiler is full - the pump will
stop running. If your machine does not fill the boiler in 60 seconds, turn the machine off.

Wait five minutes and then turn the machine back on. If the pump starts running again and
continues to do so for another 30 to 60 seconds, unplug the machine - something is not
right. Before calling us please be sure you have water getting to the machine.

When the pump stops, place whichever portafilter you intend to use into the group. Next, lift
the brew lever to start the pump and keep the lever up until water comes out of the
portafilter. Your machine’s heat exchanger is now full.

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The machine should now be heating up (Red light to the right should be on). Keep the
portafilter locked into the group. It will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes for the boiler to
pressurize. You may hear some hissing and gurgling noises as the boiler heats up and the
vacuum break seats; this is normal.

Before Each Use

• Verify the steam and hot water valves are both closed. Your brew lever should be pointing
straight down.

• Place whichever portafilter you intend to use into the group. Turn the power switch on.

Normal Operation

• The top gauge is your boiler pressure gauge. Proper pressure ranges are from .9 to 1.4 bar
maximum as a matter of desired steam capacity. Our technicians set the boiler pressure to
shut off at approximately 1.2 bar before shipment. If you wish to adjust the boiler pressure
of your machine, you can go to the bottom of our web site and click on FAQ, which stands
for ‘Frequently Asked Questions’. There you will find not only a link to explain and show you
how to adjust your pressure stat setting, but also how to make other adjustments you might
want to perform in the future. You can also contact our service department at 800-724-3459
between the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST Monday thru Friday for instructions.

• Although your machine may reach its operating boiler pressure in as little as ten minutes, it
is not ready to make espresso. To make great espresso with thick, rich crema, everything
must be hot: the brew group, the portafilter, and the cup you are brewing into. It will take
between 30 and 40 minutes for the group and portafilter to reach proper brewing
temperature.

• The boiler pressure cycles about 0.2 bar between the high and low point. That is called
your dead ban. For example, if your machine is set so the maximum pressure is 1.2 bar
(green light illuminates), the heating element should come on at 1.0 bar (red light
illuminates). This on-off cycle will occur approximately once every minute and the heating
element will only be on for five to ten seconds.

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Tips For Making Great Espresso

Golden rules according to Dr. Illy

Each 30ml espresso requires seven grams of finely ground coffee, tightly compacted
(approximately 30 pounds of pressure) and should take between 18 and 23 seconds to extract.

Great espresso made easy according to Chris

Let me begin by explaining the three main variables of preparing great espresso.

1. Quantity of ground coffee,

2. Tamp firmness, and
3. The grind.

Quantity of ground coffee. Inside your portafilter insert basket, there is a ridge about 1/4" down
from the top. That is where the retainer clip that holds the insert basket in place is located. This
ridge is not meant to be a tamp line; however, it serves very nicely as a reference for beginners.
Loosely fill the basket to the top or slightly mounding over the top. You will then compress (tamp)
the grounds to approximately the height of the ridge. Your first compression of the ground coffee
should be very gentle, just enough to slightly compact the coffee. Then gently tap the side of the
portafilter to knock grounds that are up on the inside wall of your insert basket loose. Now you
make your 30 pound tamp. Next with less than 5 pounds of pressure, twist the tamper 360
degrees to polish the surface of the ground coffee. If you have done it right the tamper should sit
inside the basket and be level, not higher on one side than the other. You are trying to prepare the
ground coffee to be hit with 125 PSI of water pressure. At 125 PSI the water will take the path of
least resistance. Your objective is to be sure there is NO PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE. If not
done properly, you get channeling and squirters. Our FAQ section is a wealth of information with
links to some of the best articles I have ever read or seen and they also have pictures to guide
your lesson.

Tamp firmness. The only thing you need to remember about tamping is consistency. Don't press
with five pounds of pressure in the morning and fifty pounds of pressure when you come home
from a tough day at work. If I apply twenty pounds of tamp pressure and you apply thirty pounds,
my grind will be slightly finer than yours will be, but we can both achieve the same result – great
espresso.

The grind. Before discussing the grind, allow me to share a tip to make this even easier. Take
your double filter basket out of your double-spouted portafilter and put it into the single-spouted
portafilter. Why did I have you do this? Simple – it is always easier to make double shots than
single shots. This is because doubles are more forgiving if you have slight variations in the two
previous variables: quantity of ground coffee and tamp firmness.

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Adjust your grind so that when you activate the pump, the flow of coffee coming out of the
portafilter spout looks like the tapered tail of a mouse and has approximately the thickness of
ballpoint pen filler.

Now, last but not least, when is it done? The coffee tells you when it is finished; simply observe
the color of the crema. When the crema changes from a reddish brown color to a lighter blond
color, it is done; stop brewing by pressing the lever all the way down. If you run the pump after the
color has begun to change to light blond, you will only dilute the coffee and extract undesirable
bitters.

If you really want to know what is happening, purchase a bottomless portafilter. You will get
instant feed back. There is also a link to an article in our FAQ section on how to use the
bottomless portafilter.

You have to admit that is a lot easier than using shot glasses and timers!

Tip: Get into the habit of disposing of the spent grounds immediately after brewing espresso.
After disposing of the grounds, return the portafilter to the group and lift the lever up for three to
five seconds to rinse away excess oils and loose grounds. By regularly following this procedure,
you will greatly reduce the tar-like buildup on the dispersion screen that occurs if you allow coffee
oils to dry and bake on the hot group.

How to Froth Milk for Cappuccinos and Lattes

First, let’s talk about some of the first things you need to learn in order to become ‘barista-like’ in your
techniques.

Milk – whole milk works best to steam, both in technique and in flavor! Lower fat milks contain mostly
water which will not foam well and will be almost tasteless when steamed. After all your hard work
you will be left with a less than desirable tasting beverage.

Milk – your whole milk needs to be as cold as possible to ensure the creamiest, sweetest, and best
tasting micro-foam. Once the milk has reached a temperature between 150-160 degrees, you must
stop the process. The longer amount of time you have with the cold milk gives you that extra time to
continue making the milk creamy and sweet tasting. Milk heated above 160 degrees will be burnt and
taste terrible.

Frothing Pitcher – keeping your stainless steel pitcher in the freezer is another tip which helps keep
the milk its’ coldest. The size of your pitcher is relative to the size and number of drinks you will be
preparing at the time. Of course our recommendation on pitcher choices would be our own “Pro
Barista Steaming Pitcher” which has become the pitcher of choice of the renowned baristas* who
helped train Chris’ Coffee Service in this frothing technique. These baristas felt the Pro Barista
Steaming Pitcher promoted a user friendly rolling of the milk which made it simple to create thick
micro-foam for pouring Latte Art.

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Amount of Milk – Too little milk in your frothing pitcher will cause splashing when you turn on the
steam arm; too much milk will cause overflow and make a huge mess. The pitcher must be filled
between 1/3 and ! full to have the maximum capacity for properly steaming milk. If your pitcher has
a spout, fill it to half an inch below where the spout starts.

Stretching the milk – refers to the initial heating of the milk and the forceful introduction of air into
the milk (using the steam wand pressure) – stretching the consistency of the milk. Stretching
continues until the milk reaches an approximate temperature of 100 degrees (body temperature).

Texturizing the milk – refers to the next phase of frothing whereby the steam wand is submerged in
the milk and the pressure continues to roll the milk. The process breaks down the large air bubbles
into tiny air bubbles which then creates the smooth and creamy texture that is most desirable.

Technique

As you face your espresso machine, point the steam arm over your drip tray and open up the steam
valve in order to purge out any unwanted water that may have collected inside the wand due to
condensation – you do not want that added to your delicious beverage!

Next, position the steam arm so it is facing directly toward you and slightly angle it 45 degrees from
the base.

Holding your half-filled steam pitcher with the handle facing you, submerge the tip of the steam wand
approximately an inch below the surface of the cold milk. Your pitcher bottom should be parallel with
the countertop. The steam arm should gently rest in the spout of the steam pitcher. Now slightly tilt
the pitcher left, keeping the arm away from the side of the pitcher. Open the steam valve completely
and position the pitcher so the tip is just below the surface of the milk. This action creates the
‘stretching’ of the milk – in other words, adding air to the milk. When done properly, the sound you
hear at this point resembles ‘sucking’. You continue this until the milk reaches an approximate
temperature of 100 degrees.

After your milk has reached this ‘body temperature’, submerge the tip of the steam arm approximately
one inch below the surface of the milk. This process continues to roll the milk over itself again and
again – breaking the large air bubbles into tiny air bubbles – resulting in a new, creamy and sweeter,
texture of the milk. When your milk has reached approximately 155 degrees – turn the steam valve
off.

Helpful Tips and Information

• When turning the steam valve off, always keep the tip under the surface of the milk for
approximately 3 seconds. If you pull it out too soon, you will destroy the nice velvety micro-
foam.
• While texturizing the milk, if you lower the tip too far into the milk you create turbulence rather
than rolling. Turbulence will not make micro-foam.

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• If there are a few bubbles in the milk after you have finished, wait 5-10 seconds to allow all the
remaining bubbles to surface, then simply tap the edge of the pitcher on the counter and swirl
the milk slightly and they will disappear. This is often a good time to purge your steam arm
and wipe it down.
• Be sure to keep your steamed milk moving/swirling until you are ready to pour since milk has a
natural tendency to separate.

Regular Maintenance

Backflushing is a vital maintenance procedure you must follow to help keep your machine running
flawlessly for years to come. There are two types of backflushing; one with plain water, and the
other with espresso machine cleaner.

Plain water backflushing should be done at least once a week, however if you are so inclined,
feel free to backflush with plain water as often as you like. It won't harm the machine and keeps
the dispersion screen clean.

To backflush, you use the portafilter’s blank insert (the round stainless steel disk without holes).
To remove your single or double portafilter basket, use the blank portafilter insert. Turn it upside
down and use its edge to pry the basket out of one of your portafilters. (If you always make double
espressos, you may choose to keep the blank portafilter insert in your other portafilter so you
always have one ready.) Next, place the blank insert into the portafilter and slap it hard with the
palm of your hand to secure it in place.

To perform a plain water backflush, place the portafilter into the group and snug it firmly. Next,
raise the brew lever all the way up for 15 seconds, and then lower it all the way down. Water will
forcefully discharge out of the bottom of the group into the drip tray; this is normal. Repeat three to
five times.

Backflushing with espresso machine cleaner is the same procedure as above with a few minor
differences. The first difference is backflushing with espresso machine cleaner only needs to be
done approximately once a month or every 35-50 espressos. I don't recommend backflushing with
cleaner more often than once every three weeks since overuse will remove oils that lubricate the
brew lever and valves. You can water backflush as often as you prefer.

To begin, place 1/3 of a teaspoon of espresso machine cleaner into the blank portafilter insert,
then lock the portafilter into the group. Now follow the same procedure as above until the cleaner
is dissolved and the water runs clear (about 5-10 flushes). Remove the portafilter from the group
and rinse thoroughly. Then take a damp cloth and wipe the underside of the group. After you have
finished this procedure, I recommend you pull a shot of espresso and dispose of it to cure the
group. You're finished and ready for another month of espresso.

Note: I only recommend using either Puro Café or Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaner
because they are specially formulated for this purpose. The use of other cleaners may affect the

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performance of your machine and could even damage it. In our FAQ section on our site there are
links and articles on such things as back flushing and some very well written ones on general
espresso machine maintenance.

We’re Here to Help

Enjoy your espresso machine and remember, should you have any questions, either visit our FAQ
section at the bottom of our web site or contact my staff or me by phone at 800-724-3459 or by
email at [email protected].

Please remember: Save the shipping carton and all the packing material that came with your
machine. This is very important should you need to return your machine to us. If you do need to
send your machine back for any reason, you must first call our service department and obtain a
Return Authorization number prior to shipping. Be sure to insure your machine and pack it
securely. We can’t be responsible for any damage that might occur while in transit to us. Properly
packing your machine with the original carton and packing material minimizes this possibility.
Should it be necessary for you to file a damage claim with the shipper, we will of course be happy
to assist you with the required forms.

Thanks again for your business,

Chris

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