On the Preparation of Coffee

1) Turn it on!

The "on" button we're looking for is the recessed silver one on the top of the machine, waaaaay in the back.

2) A Message!

It's alive!

If the machine is fresh out of the box, or if a user is unlucky, the screen on the left will flash "Fill Tank". Coffee is mostly water, and any good machine will have a reservoir for it. Here the machine is indicating that the reservoir is empty, so unless the coffee need was not that great, it needs to be filled.

3) Fill it up (with water)

With this machine, the tank is on the left and transparent, so it's pretty obvious when it is empty and you can often mentally prepare yourself for the trek to the water fountain before you decide to turn it on. If you don't need coffee that bad, now is the time to abort.

Removing the tank is easy. The outlet stop is good and doesn't leak any water. Installation is the opposite of removal.

4) Rinsing

The machine self rinses after heating up. This is why we keep a cup under the spout. It's easier and cleaner to empty a cup than the tray that it otherwise dumps into.

5) Fill it up (with beans)

The bean reservoir is on the right. There is a dial to adjust the grind size depending on the roast. Darker beans require a coarser grind (with this machine).

6) Select the style

The knob on the left allows the user to choose between regular coffee, espresso, or ground coffee (which requires filling the smaller "ground coffee" reservoir on the top in front of the "on" button). Once you've selected your desired style, press the knob to start.

Right after pressing the knob, the user has the option to determine the coffee "strength". Default is Regular, turning to the left will select "Light", turning to the right will select "Strong", and turning further to the right will select "Extra Strong."

Once the coffee has started to pour, the user can adjust the water volume, again by turning the knob. Default is 6oz.