Buying used espresso gear could be a dangerous enterprise. Earlier than you make the leap, right here’s what to contemplate.

BY JON FERGUSON
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Have you ever ever imagined what it will be like to mix “Automobile Speak“ radio and “Expensive Abby“ to create a column that focuses on espresso gear service points? Our new “Tech Speak On-line” sequence may simply be your reply!

On this recurring column, gear professional Jon Ferguson can be offering responses to widespread questions on espresso tech and serving to troubleshoot points that baristas, café homeowners, and different espresso professionals have about any and all espresso and brewing gear. In at this time’s installment, he’ll be discussing what to bear in mind earlier than buying a used espresso machine.

Bought a query for Jon about café gear? E mail techtalk@baristamagazine.com and let him know!

This Week’s Query: How a lot is a used two-group espresso machine worth—and is it value shopping for one?

Jon’s Response:

It is a nice query with many caveats. A transparent reply that I like to present to these inquiring on used machines is to deal with it like shopping for a used automobile.

Solutions to the next questions will help decide the worth of a machine, but there’ll at all times be variables coming into play that may drastically change issues. (Nobody significantly enjoys having their questions answered with extra questions, however that’s the identify of this sport. I do know this can be a painful train, however bear with me.)

Inquiries to Ask:

• What’s the unique MSRP of the make, mannequin, and yr of the machine?
• Does the machine have service data? How full are they?
• Is the unit at present operational, and can you “take a look at drive” the machine?
• Are you skilled with the precise machine to have the ability to decide its full operational situation?
• Can you have the unit seemed over by an skilled espresso gear service technician who’s conversant in the machine and in a position to correctly diagnose the well being and situation of its inner elements?

If the entire above solutions come again in a good method, and the machine has been completely inspected by an area service technician, you might be nearer to creating a greater vary for its worth—however this will even result in additional questions:

• How a lot will the machine value to keep up?
• Are all of the components nonetheless out there for the machine (CPU boards, proprietary components, and so on.)?
• Does the machine require any modifications to your counter area (electrical configurations, plumbing, counterspace space: width, depth, peak, weight, and so on.)? What could these extra prices entail?

When Issues Go Improper

With out scaring anybody an excessive amount of, it’s vital to notice that purchasing a used espresso machine with out asking your self the above questions can find yourself being fairly expensive.

In a single excessive case, a person introduced me an espresso machine to restore that he had purchased used. He had been advised it was “working”—however the vendor had saved it in his storage over the winter, inflicting the water inside the warmth exchanger to increase and bust. This induced the water from the espresso brewing line to enter into the steam boiler continuously, overfilling the boiler and making the whole espresso machine non-operational.

The customer had paid almost $3,500 for the machine—and to interchange this warmth exchanger would make the restore almost as costly as shopping for a brand new machine of the identical make and mannequin.

In Conclusion

The in need of it’s, figuring out the worth of a used espresso machine is far more difficult than wanting up what the worth of a used automobile can be, because the automotive trade has far more infrastructure, certifications, and rules in place than the used espresso machine market. To my information, there aren’t any basic Kelley Blue Guide-type guides for used espresso machines. Even when there have been, I might personally nonetheless need to kick the tires, within the proverbial sense. If I couldn’t try this, I might extremely rethink my buying resolution.

For comparability, I can’t bear in mind the final time I purchased a automobile with out seeing if I may begin it, or checking to see if the body was rusted out. If in case you have by no means purchased a used automobile, the identical primary rules usually apply to musical devices, bikes, bicycles, and so forth—but the implications may very well be extra urgent when dealing in industrial restaurant gear, the place not solely your personal security could also be in danger, however that of workers and prospects, too. 

With that being stated, from somebody who has made loads of errors and some good selections in his life: Be affected person, be agency, and ask the vendor if you’ll be able to pay an area espresso gear service technician to completely examine the machine earlier than you commit to buying the unit.

Lastly, it’s at all times good to ask the native espresso gear service firm what machines they might have (new and used) on the market, too. They may have some nice strategies.

Be protected on the market. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jon Ferguson has almost 20 years of expertise throughout varied sides of the espresso trade. He believes that with a deeper understanding of kit used all through the whole espresso provide chain, we are able to acquire a deeper respect for the labor and expertise required to rework fruit seeds into the drinks all of us dearly love. 

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