so you found the e-r.studio coffee machine.

1 · water

the clear tank at the back holds the water. less than half full? lift it straight up and out, fill it with cold tap water to the max line, and push it back down until it sits flush.

2 · switch it on

the power button is on the right side of the black base, near the back. press it once. the three lights on top blink while it heats up. when all three stay lit, it's ready. about forty seconds.

3 · warm it up

a warm machine makes better coffee. leave the empty portafilter locked in, put any cup under it, and press the left button, the one with one cup on it. hot water runs through for a moment and stops by itself. pour it away.

4 · take the portafilter out

the portafilter is the handle with the metal cup under the machine. hold the grip, twist it to the left until it stops, and lower it out. it has no bottom and holds one basket: nothing to take apart.

5 · fill it

stand it on the counter, cup up. fill the basket with coffee ground for espresso, fine like powdered sugar, until it's heaped a little over the rim. about 18 grams, or two heaped tablespoons.

6 · level it

the round tool next to the machine has two faces. the one with three blades is the spreader. set it on the basket, blades down, and spin it a few times. the coffee ends up level and the extra gets pushed off.

7 · press it down

flip the tool to its flat face, the tamper. press it straight down onto the coffee, firmly, like closing a stiff drawer. the surface should come out flat and smooth. quarter turn, lift off, and wipe loose grounds off the rim with a finger.

8 · lock it in

lift the portafilter up into the bell under the machine with the handle pointing left, push it up, and twist to the right until it feels firm. it ends up pointing roughly at you.

9 · brew

one cup on the grille, right under the middle of the basket. press the middle button, the one with two cups on it: that's the dose for this basket, not a cup count. it lights up and the pump hums. it stops on its own after about half a minute, or press it again to stop earlier.

10 · watch the stream

after a few seconds coffee drips, then streams out of the open bottom. it should gather into one stream from the exact centre.

bad pour? no harm done: tip it out and start again at step 5.

11 · milk, only if you want it

press the right button, the one with the steam cloud, and wait until its light stays on. hold a jug under the black wand on the right, open the knob on the side for a second to spit out water, and close it. dip the tip just under the milk, open the knob, and steam until the jug is too hot to hold comfortably. close the knob.

12 · the wand, right after

wipe the wand with a damp cloth and open the knob once more for a second, so no milk dries inside.

the wand is hot.

13 · knock it out

twist the portafilter out again. the used coffee is now a firm puck. hold the portafilter upside down over the knock box, the bin with the rubber bar, and knock the edge of the cup against the bar once or twice. rinse the basket under the tap.

14 · tidy up

the metal grille at the front lifts off, and the black tray under it pulls straight out. empty both into the sink, rinse, and slide them back. if you steamed milk, wipe the wand once more.