A commercial espresso machine is the most expensive thing on most cafe benches, and the one that gets the least instruction. This is the King Carlos Coffee guide to the Bezzera Moda PID, 2 group and 3 group: what the venue needs ready before it arrives, how it is installed, how to program it, how to clean it every day, and what maintenance keeps it pulling the same shot in three years as it does on day one. It is written for the owner and the staff who will use it, in the order you will need it.
King Carlos Coffee supplies and installs the Moda for the cafes, pubs, clubs and offices we roast for. If you are weighing up a supplier, start at our wholesale coffee page.
Before the machine arrives: what the venue needs ready
Installation day goes smoothly or badly depending on four things that have to be in place before the machine is unboxed. The venue owner arranges the electrician and the plumber. Give them this list.
- Power. A 2 group needs a 25 amp flat pin outlet, a 3 group needs 32 amp, Clipsal industrial type, within 1.2 metres of where the machine will sit. The alternative is for the electrician to hard wire the machine with an isolator switch. Either way it is a dedicated circuit, not a shared power board.
- Water. A cold water tap with a 350 kPa pressure limiting valve (PLV) and a 10 mm male fitting. The PLV matters: mains pressure varies from street to street and the machine wants a steady supply.
- Drain. A waste point, 40 to 60 mm, under the machine area. Espresso machines drain constantly during cleaning and the drip tray empties through this line.
- Bench. A 60 mm hole in the bench under the machine area so the power, water and drain all run through cleanly, not draped across the front.
Make sure the electrician and plumber are done and tested before the install is booked. An installer standing in front of a bench with no outlet is a wasted day for everyone.
Installation
The Moda is installed by Bezzera Australia or by King Carlos Coffee, nobody else. The installer connects the services, fits the water filter, fills and pressurises the boiler, sets the PID, programs the groups to the KCC recipe and runs the first cleaning cycle with your staff watching. Plan for the grinder to be calibrated the same day: the machine cannot be programmed properly until the grinder is giving a consistent 22 g dose. That process is in our Mazzer Robur S calibration guide.
Know the machine
Across the front: a steam tap at each end, the hot water tap, the TFT display in the centre, and a set of three round buttons for each group: 1 cup, 2 cup and the program button marked with a star (*). On a 3 group there are three sets. In this photo the display reads 122 C, which is the boiler at working temperature.
The TFT home screen. Left side: G1 and G2, the live temperature of each group head (G3 as well on a 3 group). Centre: the boiler temperature in degrees. The ring around it is steam pressure, 0 to 2.5 bar. Top right: date and time. This photo was taken while the machine was warming up, which is why the groups read 70 and 71 C and the boiler 45 C. Ready for service it reads 88 C on the groups, about 123 C in the centre and the ring sitting on 1.2. PID means the machine holds the temperature you set instead of drifting around it.
The settings menu is where everything is set: Temperature (groups and boiler), the cleaning cycle, Date and Hour, Auto on/off (the timers), Language and Counters, with a second page behind it. The back arrow top left returns to the home screen.
- Group head temperature: adjustable from 88 to 94 C. For KCC blends we set 88 C.
- Boiler temperature: 121 to 125 C. We set 123 C.
- Timers: set the machine to turn itself on and off by day and time. It saves power overnight and means it is hot when the first barista walks in.
(this is at machine off and not connecteed, at operation top stem needle is 1.2Kpa and bottom gauge for water is idle at 3-5 bar and goes to 8-10 bars when activated group head)
The pressure gauge. One dial, two scales and two needles. The outer scale, 0 to 2.5, is steam pressure and should sit at 1.2 bar. The inner scale, 0 to 15, is water or group head pressure. At rest it shows line pressure, 3 to 5 bar. The moment you start a shot it should jump to 8 to 10 bar, the green band. That jump is the sign of a healthy pump. If the steam sits well below 1.2, or the pump does not climb past 8 during a shot, call your KCC rep.
The taps. The steam and hot water taps on the Moda are soft turn, quarter turn taps. A quarter turn gives you steam, half a turn is fully open. Do not wind them around like a garden tap. Close them softly too: there is no need to crank them shut, and doing so wears the seal. Soft open, soft close, every time.
Programming the groups
Two rules make this simple. First, the left group is the master: whatever you program on the left group, the middle and right groups copy. Second, program the machine only after the grinder is calibrated. The machine stores a volume of water. If the dose in the basket is not consistent, the shot in the cup will not be either.
Method 1: program by volume
- Grind a calibrated 22 g double and lock it into the left group.
- Put a measuring glass under the spouts.
- Press and hold the * button until the group lights start to flash. You are in program mode.
- Press the 2 cup button. The shot starts.
- Watch the glass. At 60 ml, press 2 cup again to stop.
- Wait for the machine to finish flushing. The 2 cup button on every group is now set to that volume.
- Now the single: 11 to 12 g in the single basket, same steps on the 1 cup button, stop at 30 ml.
Method 2: program by weight (the way we recommend)
Volume is a rough guide. Crema, bubbles and the thickness of the coffee change how much liquid 60 ml really is from one shot to the next. Weight does not change. So once your staff are comfortable, program by weight instead, and re-do it regularly.
- Exactly the same steps as Method 1, but put scales under the group with the cup on them, and tare to 0.0 before you start.
- Double: 22 g of ground coffee in, stop at 44 g of espresso on the scale.
- Single: 11 to 12 g in, stop at 23 g. Both are a 1:2 ratio, 1 g of dry coffee to 2 g of espresso.
- Then verify: pull a shot on the middle and right groups and weigh them. They should match the master. If one does not, program it again from the left group.
The shot should land in 25 to 31 seconds from the moment the pump starts. If the weight is right but the time is wrong, the fix is on the grinder, not the machine.
Every day: the cleaning routine
This takes about 15 minutes at close and it is not optional. Old coffee oils go rancid inside the group in a day, and rancid oil is the bitter, ashy taste customers blame on the beans.
1. Backflush each group
- Take the basket out of the portafilter and fit the blind basket (the one with no holes).
- Add one full scoop of espresso machine cleaner and lock it into the group.
- Press * and 1 cup together. The machine runs an automatic cleaning cycle and the lights blink when it is finished.
- Remove the handle, tip out the cleaner, lock it back in empty and press * and 1 cup again. This rinse cycle lets the water do its job.
- Put the normal basket back, pull one shot of coffee and throw it away. That clears any residue so the first customer tomorrow does not taste cleaner.
- Do all of this on every group.
2. Steam wands and tips, while the cycles run
- During service, purge the wand before and after every jug: a short blast of steam into the drip tray, then wipe with the wand cloth. Milk left on a hot wand bakes on in minutes.
- At close, clean the tips with a small brush or a straightened paper clip to clear every hole, and wash the wand with a soapy sponge.
- Do not soak the wands. They are built to be wiped and brushed, not left in a jug of chemical.
3. Portafilters and baskets
- Once every group has been flushed, take the baskets out and hand wash them.
- Rest the portafilters so that only the metal head sits in a bucket of hot water with one spoon of espresso cleaner. Keep the handles out of the water.
- Soak for 15 minutes, then scrub the inside of the head with steel wool or a sponge until there is no residue left.
- Wash with hot soapy water, rinse, fit the baskets and lock the portafilters back into the groups overnight so they stay hot and clean.
4. Drip tray and drain
Empty and wash the drip tray and grate every day, and pour a jug of hot water down the drain box so the waste line does not build up coffee sludge. If the machine area starts to smell, the drain is almost always why.
Good habits that stop most problems
- Three cloths, always. One for the bench, one for the steam wand only, one for rinsing and wiping the portafilter. Never swap them. It is basic hygiene and it stops milk ending up in the coffee.
- Nothing on top of the machine but cups. No chux, no tea towels, no folded cloths. The machine breathes through the top and it must stay ventilated and clean. Cups warming up there are fine.
- Check the hoses. Regularly look under the bench for kinks in the water and drain lines and confirm water is flowing freely.
- Leave it on. The pressure stat and PID keep the machine at temperature with very little power once it is hot. If you do turn it off, allow about 20 minutes to heat up the next morning. Better still, set the on and off timers on the PID and let the machine do it.
- Know where the water isolation valve and the power isolator are before you need them.
Water filtration
Water is most of what is in the cup and it is what kills boilers. The filter depends on where you are.
- QLD, NSW and VIC metro: a BWT 2500 cartridge filter is the general fit.
- SA and WA: the water is hard enough that a reverse osmosis (RO) system is highly recommended.
King Carlos Coffee keeps track of when your filter is due and changes it. You do not need to put it in a diary.
Service
Have the machine serviced at least once every four months to keep it in top shape: group gaskets and shower screens, pump and pressure checks, boiler safety and the filter. Contact your KCC rep to book it. Between services, the gauge and the daily clean are your early warning system. A gasket that is finished shows itself as a leak around the portafilter during a shot; call it in rather than tightening the handle harder.
Common questions
Why does the left group matter so much?
It is the master. Programming the left group writes the same setting to the middle and right groups, so you only program once. Always verify the other groups afterwards.
Why program by weight instead of volume?
Crema and the viscosity of the coffee change how much space the same espresso takes up, so two shots that look identical at 60 ml can weigh quite differently. Weighing 44 g out of 22 g in repeats every time.
What should the gauge read?
Steam at 1.2 bar on the outer scale. Pump pressure 3 to 5 bar at rest and 8 to 10 bar while a shot runs on the inner scale.
Do I really need to backflush every day?
Yes. Coffee oils turn rancid within a day and that taste ends up in the cup. One chemical cycle, one water cycle, one thrown shot, every group, every close.
Can I soak the steam wand overnight?
No. Wipe and purge during service, brush the tip holes and wash with a soapy sponge at close.
How long does the machine take to heat up?
About 20 minutes from cold. Leaving it on, or using the PID timers, means it is ready when you are.
Who installs and services it?
Installation is by Bezzera Australia or King Carlos Coffee. Service is every four months through your KCC rep, who also tracks and changes your water filter.
A well installed, well programmed and well cleaned Moda will pull the same shot for years. If you want a roaster that sets all of this up on your bench, trains your staff and stays on the end of the phone, start at the wholesale coffee page, and pair it with the Mazzer Robur S calibration guide so the grinder is right before the machine is programmed.
