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Buyer's Guide to the
Quickmill Andreja Premium


Classic old-world style E61 This guide will focus on one of the most popular espresso machine designs among home enthusiasts—the venerable "E61". If this name means nothing to you now, you'll understand why it is something special by the end of this article. One of the favorite espresso machine designs among home enthusiasts is unquestionably the E61. Named after the year the patent was approved (a year of an eclipse), its gorgeously sculpted and highly polished group is recognized as a hallmark of fine espresso machines. Comparing these three machines side-by-side for months confirms my "morning after" score comments in the Buyer's Guide to the La Spaziale S1: The design of the E61 group earns its reputation as the heart of an espresso machine that is forgiving of minor errors in barista technique. However, knowing how to maximize this forgiveness necessitates a certain understanding of how heat exchanger espresso machines work; the article How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love HXs explains the easily mastered techniques of HX brew temperature management. Even if you're familiar with heat exchangers, I think you'll agree it is worthwhile prerequisite reading. On the other hand, if you're anxious to learn more about the Andreja Premium, feel free to bookmark it for later and then continue straight ahead with First Impressions.

First Impressions

The Andreja Premium arrived double-boxed with the inner box held firmly in place by foam corner supports and Instapak side inserts to assure no shifting of the contents. The interior box is literally a cocoon of foam packaging composed of several puzzle-like pieces that together envelope the machine. UPS will be challenged to damage this puppy during shipment! It's easy to remove the foam inserts to reveal good grab points. If you're capable of lifting its 46 pounds of metal, you'll have the Andreja Premium on your countertop in minutes. The manufacturer thoughtfully taped down the drip tray to prevent it sliding out during this maneuver.

At first glance, the Andreja Premium looks a lot like other E61 espresso machines. Some of the noteworthy features of the Andreja Premium include:

  • Swivel "no burn" steam arm and swivel water tap made of stainless steel,
  • Two pressure gauges; one for the boiler pressure and another for brew pressure.

There are a number of internal differences that I'll return to shortly.

The Andreja Premium fits easily under standard-height kitchen cabinets with enough room to allow for cappuccino cups on top. If you have ready access to a water line, it's worth considering the optional kit that converts the Andreja Premium from a pourover tank model to direct-plumbing. The kit includes everything you'll need and the machine already has access holes for the requisite tubing. While it may seem to some like a needless luxury, you'll be surprised how often the tank needs refilling, since a cooldown flush and a short spritz to rinse the grouphead of loose grinds requires around 6-8 ounces of water. It's not uncommon to drain half the tank in one morning and go through several refills if you're serving company.

In addition to the convenience, direct plumbing also eliminates the need for weekly tank cleaning and avoids concerns about the boiler warming the reservoir. The only drawback is that the pump water that is normally vented back to the tank by the expansion valve will instead drain into the drip tray, requiring you to empty it more often. Each so, after a few weeks of enjoying this convenience, you'll wonder why you didn't convert it sooner.

If I haven't convinced you to go with direct plumb-in, you can at least look forward to a dead-accurate shutoff magnetic switch that detects a small float on the bottom of the tank. Unlike weight-activated switches which must be adjusted to avoid prematurely shutting off the pump, the Andreja Premium will drain the tank to precisely the same level each time.

Getting Started

The Andreja Premium includes re-written instructions of the original manufacturer owner's manual. The advice it offers is succinct and practical for the first-time buyer. It covers all the setup and first-time use questions you're likely to have, as shown by its table of contents:

Introduction
First-time Setup
Before Each Use
Normal Operation
Tips For Making Great Espresso
How to Froth Milk for Cappuccinos and Lattes
Regular Maintenance
We're Here to Help
Diagram

I especially appreciate the "First-time Setup" instructions that emphatically covered the steps to verify the machine is ready for use. While it pains me to admit it, I once burned out the heating element of a demonstration machine because of a wire that had come loose during shipment. I would have avoided the delay and cost of replacing the part if I had had the practical advice documented in the Andreja Premium's instructions.

[ed] In the spirit of full disclosure, please note that I organized and copyedited the Andreja Premium instruction guide. The original content was based on Chris' "customer question checklist" he had collected over the years. Despite my potential bias, I nonetheless consider it one of the better starter espresso machine instructions that I've read.

Once the water tank was filled and I had followed the first-time setup instructions, I let the machine warm up for a good half hour. The boiler's pressurestat setting was 1.2 bar at the top of the heating element cycle. The Andreja Premium has three indicators to tell you what's going on. The leftmost red lamp is the power indicator; it's on whenever the machine is plugged in and the power switch is in the on position. The other two lamps are indicators of the boiler's status: Green means it's up to temperature and red means it's heating.

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