I've done it both ways with the Speedster. On 24/7 for the first year or so and on in the morning/off in the evening since. Didn't notice any difference on my electric bill but I prefer not to have it running while we sleep. I also turn off the water feed to the machine when I shut it down for the day.

JohnB. wrote:I also turn off the water feed to the machine when I shut it down for the day.

Or use a Water Controller if you are afraid of water leaks, assuming your machine also has mechanisms to prevent damage from running if it cuts water off(mine does). It works great but requires more AA batteries than expected (4x AA per ~4-6 months).

I do both

I have the very latest model of the T1, and Elektra recommend to have it turned on 24/7, but not in full operational mode.

They recommend that the Machine is put in Night cycles after the last session (not to be mistaking with standby, As the heating elements keeps the machine Slightly warm)

What the effect will be of Running the machine this way, I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if this removes some of the downsides with the other options.

And then it reduces the Warm up time drastically.

Although I have to turn it off when I use the oven And I usually turn it off when I'm not at home for a longer period of time.

My two cents:

Its only practical to leave powerful machines 24/7. Smaller machines it doesnt matter. I leave my 3 group cimbali on all the time and bill is the same if I do cold starts as compared to 24/7.

Reasons:
1. it takes about a good hour to get a large machine up and running.
2. Only the initial startup uses lots of amps. Once the boiler (ONLY a very large boiler) is up to temp it doesn't require much energy to keep it at temp as the boiler just retains so much thermal energy.
3. I was talking to my roaster (Social coffee and Tea) about what they do with their slayer. They say they leave it on for the above reasons plus no risk in parts breaking. They told me they had an incident when they turned off the machine 2 parts broke b/c of thermal expansion/contraction of the metal components in general. Their theory is that parts crack/get damaged when temperatures fluctuate.

Pros for me:
Espresso 24/7 YUM

We're back to disputing the first law of thermodynamics?

galumay wrote:I am amazed at the result of the poll, I would have expected most of us would leave our machines on all the time!

As i said in my initial response, its not even something I have ever considered doing - it would be interesting to collate the results and drill down into the reasons people choose to turn their machine off.

I keep my machine on during the day on the weekends as I usually drink coffee through out the day.

During the week I only drink a latte in the morning, makes no sense to keep it on the whole day.

I also always turn the machine off overnight whether during the week or on weekends.

Bob_McBob wrote:We're back to disputing the first law of thermodynamics?

Isn't sitting down with a good cup of espresso all about reinventing the universe (and its laws)?

adan0327 wrote:Its only practical to leave powerful machines 24/7.

La Marzocco Strada only takes 9 minutes to bring the steam and brew boilers to temperature. Of course it's not yet temperature stable at that point, but it is in less than an hour. It accomplishes this fast warmup by having a smaller brew boiler and preheated incoming water; it's only 1.3 liters per group, which is smaller than some consumer espresso machines (e.g., the Expobar Brewtus brew boiler is 1.7 liters).

adan0327 wrote:I leave my 3 group cimbali on all the time and bill is the same if I do cold starts as compared to 24/7... Only the initial startup uses lots of amps. Once the boiler (ONLY a very large boiler) is up to temp it doesn't require much energy to keep it at temp as the boiler just retains so much thermal energy.

Er, no. See Leaving a Prosumer HX Espresso Machine On DOES NOT SAVE ENERGY for more details.

adan0327 wrote:They told me they had an incident when they turned off the [Slayer] machine 2 parts broke b/c of thermal expansion/contraction of the metal components in general.

I've read similar stories and yet automobile engineers have managed to design systems which suffer more significant temperature swings as a matter of normal use and yet run reliably year after year. Why not espresso machine designers? For what it's worth, the service manager at Counter Culture Coffee has been running their equipment on timer for over a year as part of their "go green" initiative; I'll ask him if he's noted an uptick in repair problems.

I haven't turned off my Brewtus IV-R in three months. I bought a timer, but there's not enough room for the plug plus the timer. I tried turning it on right after I wake up in the morning, but it was a hassle.

The electricity bill difference is too small to notice, and I decided that I really don't care about the (unknown) effects on the machine's longevity. This is just easier. I bet my refrigerator would last longer if I unplugged it for 8 hours overnight, but I don't see myself doing that either.

My kitchen has a 20 amp fuse and 6 sockets. On the first is my Strega, Macap and Graef espresso. Second a phone and a hot water kettle. Third the (electrically heated) dishwasher. Fourth the (also electrically heated) washing machine. Fifth the microwave oven.

If I would leave it on 24/7 I would probably have an electrical meltdown