Congratulations on your new LUCCA Tempo Espresso Machine! This guide contains everything you need to set up and operate your single-boiler espresso machine.
Please read through the entire setup guide before following along. If you have any questions, contact our team at Clive Coffee. Additional information can be found in the LUCCA Tempo User Manual.
Step 1: Inspect the box and the machine for damage
- Remove the machine from the box and place it on a stable, level surface.
- Before adding water and turning on the machine, inspect for damage that may have occurred during shipping. If you notice any damage, contact us immediately.
- Save all packaging in case of returns and repairs.
Step 2: Water quality and filling the reservoir
- Before introducing water to your machine, it's essential to test it to ensure it's adequately soft, around 50 ppm (parts per million). To learn more about our recommendations for water quality, check out our blog post, The Importance of Water and Your Espresso Machine. Do not use distilled or Zero water in your espresso machine, as the machine will not register that the reservoir has been filled.
- Remove the water reservoir from the side of the LUCCA Tempo. Fill the tank with filtered, softened water and return the reservoir to the machine.
- Please note that you may have to fill the reservoir again after the initial boiler fill phase.
- The LUCCA Tempo is only operational off of its internal water reservoir and does not have the option to be plumbed into a water source.
Step 3: Turning on your machine and filling your boilers
- Your machine is set for use on a 110V outlet. Before starting the machine, check if the steam valve is closed. Check to ensure the machine is off (the power button is on the rear of the machine) and the drip tray is inserted accurately.
- Plug your machine directly into a grounded socket (do not use an extension cord) and turn it on by pressing the power button on the back of the machine. The ON position is indicated by the I symbol, and the OFF position is indicated by the O symbol.
- Once the main power switch is turned on, the PID will turn on, and all three backlights of the buttons on the front panel will flash simultaneously.
- After a few moments, all buttons will stay illuminated, and the PID will display the following messages in succession: lnl, P 1.6, F 1.2, and 1 St. After the last message appears, press the coffee brewing button to fill the boiler manually. A 30-second countdown will begin on the PID display. Once the countdown is complete, the boiler will be filled, and the machine will begin heating.
- Note: You may need to refill your water reservoir during or immediately after this process. This operation only needs to be completed once during the initial setup of the espresso machine. Once the PID reaches its set temperature (around 8-9 minutes for 93 °C/199°F), allow an additional 5 minutes for the portafilter to come to temperature with the grouphead.
- Place the portafilter into the group head to ensure maximum temperature stability.
- At this point, your machine is ready to pull your first shots.
Step 4: Pulling your first shots & dialing in
- Ensure the steam valve is fully closed and the flow control paddle faces you forward.
- It's essential that you use a coffee that has a roast date on the coffee bag and not a best-by date. Optimal espresso consumption is within a month of the roast date.
- It's essential that you use a scale to measure your ground coffee dose & your liquid espresso yield.
- It's essential to have a starting espresso recipe to help guide you. A good starting point is 18g of ground coffee, 25-30 seconds of extraction, and 25-35g liquid espresso yield.
- With coffee in your portafilter, lock it into the group head, press the coffee button to begin brewing espresso, and press the coffee button again to stop. If you are using a scale, you can monitor your shot time and shot weight simultaneously.
- If your shot pulls too fast or gushes, you need to make an adjustment on your grinder in the fine direction (usually clockwise on stepless adjustment grinders and lower numbers on stepped grinders). NOTE: When making a grind adjustment in the fine direction, you are pulling the burrs closer together. It's crucial to grind a little coffee while adjusting in the fine direction to avoid jamming your grinder. Make incremental adjustments.
- If your shots pull too slowly or no liquid comes out after a long time lapse, you must make an adjustment to make your grind coarser. Make incremental adjustments. If your shot is still pulling too slowly, make another adjustment. Repeat.
- Taste & enjoy!
Step 5: Steaming milk & dispensing hot water
Since the LUCCA Tempo is a single-boiler/dual-function machine, you must pull your shot first, switch into steam mode, steam your milk drink, then manually refill the boiler. You do not have on-demand steam, and you must follow these steps to be successful.
- Dispensing hot water: Ensure that the flow control paddle is in the front-facing position. Press the hot water button. The LED will remain lit, and the PID will display (_A_).
- After several seconds, the pump will run, and the water will come up to temperature.
- Place your mug or receptacle under the steam wand tip. Open the steam knob, and the wand will dispense hot water.
- Close the steam knob all the way and then press the hot water button once to return to regular operation.
- Steaming milk: After pulling your shot, prepare your milk pitcher and press the steam button once.
- The PID will display (SUP), which indicates that the steam temperature is rising to your set steam temperature.
- Once at the set steam temperature, the PID will read _S_, indicating that you are ready to steam. This process takes about 40 seconds.
- Open the steam knob to release some water into the drip tray. Shut the steam knob off.
- Submerge the steam wand in your milk pitcher to slightly expose the steam tip on the surface of the milk.
- Open the steam knob to begin steaming.
- When you've finished steaming, clean the steam wand with a microfiber towel and purge it into the drip tray for a few seconds.
- Press the steam button once more to continue regular machine operation.
Step 6: Refilling the boiler
After steaming milk, the temperature is too hot to brew coffee. Thus, you must manually refill the brew boiler and cool down the machine.
- After steaming is finished, press the steam button once. The display flashes the current temperature with dashes, which means the temperature is too high to brew espresso.
- Press the coffee brewing button for 30 seconds and the machine automatically circulates water through the cooling the circuit.
- When the ideal temperature is reached, the display shows _C_.
Step 7: Keeping your machine clean
- Backflushing your machine with detergent and cleaning your steam wand should be done every 1-3 months, depending on how often you make espresso.
- Get the Espresso Cleaning Kit.
- Learn how to clean your espresso machine
For help dialing in your equipment or pulling shots, check out the articles below or reach out to our team of coffee experts and technicians.