Being thick here they don’t ship in a really thin plastic film?
Decent De1pro v1.45 - Niche Duo - Niche Zero - Decent is the best machine ever made -
How often do you deep clean your machine?
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Yours looks streets ahead of mine although that front panel is definitely an inferior finish to the rest of the shiny case, for exactly the reason you highlight …. it gets dirty. Notwithstanding that, mine’s a lemon in the splashback stakes.
BB are going to check on availability of spares with Lelit although they ‘no longer stock or sell the Elizabeth’. Sounds like the eath knell for LE if BB themselves aren’t carrying it anymore Maybe a spares stock for existing owners is called for soon.
skylark - Yeah. The spalshback panel is certainly not clean as the rest, but it’s clearly visible that the area often covered by the PF is still spotless :-) - So it must be just coffee oils/stains (in my case at least).
And I agree with you… It doesn’t seem to be the same finish as the rest of the machine.
You can see the issue yet BB cannot, hmm. Let’s see where we go with Lelit involvement. I’m not going to prejudge but ….
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skylark With stainless there are three different types of staining you can get:
- rainbow discolouration (this requires a lot of heat, more than an espresso machine)
- tea staining, this is surface corrosion and is a type of rust that can pit…unusual in espresso machines even with the lower stainless grades..usually happens if the surface passivation is damaged in some way on stainless steel outdoors.
- Yours looks like calcium deposits? the other most common stain
Calcium deposits won’t wash off, and stainless cleaners like method won’t remove them. You could try a vinegar on a microfibre cloth…work a smaller area and see if it comes off without damaging the panel (work in the direction of the b brush lines). If it does clean it off, do the whole panel. BUT, you absolutely must neutralise it by cleaning with a damp cloth, drying, then using method or similar non abrasive stainless cleaner. Don’t let it stay to long on brushed stainless.
If calcium deposits are left on too long and continually get damp…as they would on an espresso machine, then they can etch into brushed stainless.
@MediumRoastSteam doesn’t have those and neither do I, probably because I use RO water from the Osmio and MRS uses distilled. I could be wrong of course and would be very curious to know what water you use?
For what its worth, I had (every 2 weeks) religiously cleaned all surfaces of my Lelit E with cafiza impregnated wipes, followed with stainless steel cleaner wipes. The top of the unit was protected by a soft silicone grid mat, which avoided scratches, but tended to leave marks; these were removable with the wipes, and a little elbow grease. Sometimes this cleaning routine slipped to 1 month. But the routine kept the unit gleamingly clean.
Cheers Dave. I’ll certainly give a mild vinegar ‘patch’ a try. In every other way nothing I do is unusual. FYI I too have used use RO water from day one using water from the brew head to wipedown the front panel after each session followed by a microfibre dry off. I can see nothing wrong with the cleaning regime. The rest of the machine gets a rub over weekly, normally a Sunday night, alongwith an equipment clean and all is spick and span there. It’s just the front panel. Can I emphasise that there is no feeling of any surface issues. This is happening under the ‘skin’ so to speak. Does that make sense?
Exactly my routine except for the fact that I haven’t yet slipped back on the cleaning 😅. This is a strange one. Impatient me wants to crack on and use each and every cleaning product I can now get my hands on. Practical me says I need to wait and see if BB can sort me out. Keep you posted.
skylark I too have used use RO water from day one using water from the brew head to wipedown
If you’ve been using RO water, then don’t bother with vinegar, as those are definitely not calcium deposits or marks.
Use the water from the water tap, so it won’t pick any coffee oils you might have behind the shower screen. 👍
MediumRoastSteam If you’ve been using RO water, then don’t bother with vinegar, as those are definitely not calcium deposits or marks.
This would be correct….at this point I am at a loss to know what those marks might be?
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Well, I’ve cleaned the h*ll out of the panel this morning and those marks remain. Here’s a test for anyone able to do so …. breathe on the front panel, see what deficiencies are visible, polish off. Mine still shows all defects but the fact that they are visible when I breathe on them seems to contradict them being under the lacquer despite the lacquer being squeaky clean now. How would a degrease react I wonder?
Can I just add that these marks are holographic. Move to the extreme sides of the panel and it looks very flush and spotless. Move face on, as in daily use and its just ‘mottled’. Very apparent and just wrong. Hope BB can come up with a fix. Anyone ‘skinned’ a Lelit panel? Sacrilegious I know, but just thinking ahead.
skylark that they are visible when I breathe on them seems to contradict them being under the lacquer despite the lacquer being squeaky clean now. How would a degrease react I wonder?
There is no lacquer on the panel that I am aware of?
do they clear powder coat the shell?
Decent De1pro v1.45 - Niche Duo - Niche Zero - Decent is the best machine ever made -
The clay cleaner I mentioned above takes my brushed stainless bbq that is never covered back to show room and removes tiny rust and other stains that have sat in the sun and rain for weeks and months.
If it’s really that bad, I’d try that, maybe a test panel first.
However if it’s lacquered or coated , rather than brushed, then it will remove that. Although then you have a shiny surface that you can keep clean, just a different finish from before.
Sounds like you can’t make it worse though
Cuprajake do they clear powder coat the shell?
As far as I am aware it’s just your standard brushed stainless finish
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JHCCoffee clay cleaner
There are similar on Amazon too but I’mweaning myself off there. It’s a natural clay for France.
I’ve used it on my minima.
It really does repel water as the video shows but effect doesn’t last all that long.
simonc I kind of love websites like that.
If it can clean as quickly and as easily as that they can take my money gladly.
I’ll also be sure to use the same pot for both my alloy wheels, bathroom taps and coffee machine! 🤣
Seriously though, I reckon its worth a punt. Spent more on less in my life.
