LUCCA A53 Mini: Using Pre-Infusion

Learn how to use pre-infusion on your La Spaziale LUCCA A53 Mini espresso machine.

What is Pre-infusion?

Pre-infusion refers to a gentle saturation of the coffee puck before extraction. This process begins with a low-pressure soaking of the coffee bed before the machine ramps up pressure to 9 bars to begin extraction. This added step settles the coffee puck, minimizing channeling and improving shot consistency. Pre-infusion is an easy way to optimize extraction to help achieve a rich and balanced, delicious espresso.

Pre-infusion on the LUCCA A53 Mini

With the A53 Mini, pre-infusion is only possible with a pre-infusion chamber installed. During your initial purchase of the LUCCA A53 Mini, our techs here at Clive will install this upgrade for you. Otherwise, it's a simple part to install at home with our instructions for installation.

Instead of the pump pressure flowing straight through the group head into the coffee bed, the pre-infusion chamber diverts some of the flow inside the pre-infusion chamber. Once the three-way solenoid valve opens, this water saturates the coffee puck just before the vibratory pump engages to start extraction. Once installed, it's ready for operation. While the pre-infusion time is not adjustable, the volume of water held within the chamber will be consistent with every shot. 

Helpful Links

• Espresso 101
• What is Pre-infusion?
• LUCCA A53 Mini pre-infusion chamber installation
• LUCCA A53 Mini User Manual