The E61 group head is one of the more popular brew groups, and is seen on a number of different brands of espresso machines like Rockets, Alex Duettos, older ECM machines and some Quick Mills. In fact, the E61 is one of our favorite types of brew groups since it is designed to provide consistent heat, enabling your water temperature to stay the same from the boiler to the moment of extraction. However, just like any other brew group, it is important to clean and perform regular maintenance on the E61 so it continues to produce tasty shots day after day. Luckily, we’ve made the job easier by creating a Tune Up Kit for the E61 Brew Group for both 8mm and 8.5 mm gaskets. “Why are there two different sized kits?” you may ask. The reason is the metal on metal friction from your portafilter rubbing against your brew head will wear down the “ears” on your portafilter. As a result, there will be a gap between the brew head and the portafilter, causing the portafilter to no longer sit straight in the machine. This is normal and will happen on most machines, but to get it sitting properly again you will need to start using a 8.5mm gasket. Thus, to help you out, we have also made an E61 Brew Group Tune Up Kit with a 8.5mm Gasket. However, even though you know that doing preventative maintenance on your machine is important, the process can sound a little daunting. After all, once you take the brew head apart there are all of those little pieces to keep track of and then you have to figure out how to put everything back together. The reality is reassembling your brew head it is isn’t too difficult, and we even include step-by-step instructions in our tune up kit for E61 brew group (as well as all our other parts kits) to help you out. If this isn’t enough to dispel your fears, you can allow along with Brendan in this guided video.
Tech Tips: SCG’s Tune Up Kit for E61 Brew Group
Brenna is a dedicated espresso machine reviewer with a keen eye for detail and performance.
