Frequently Asked Questions
I have a home unit, can you service it?
Yes, but it depends on the make and model of your machine. Some home units are not designed to be easily serviced; they're mostly plastic and very fragile. We do not service those types of machines. If you have a home unit made by Rancilio, La Marzocco, Rocket, Nuova Simonelli, La Spaziale, Astra or any units with an E61 style brewhead, you're in luck! Please contact us to make sure we service yours!
Note: At this time, we do not service the follow home units due to lack of support from the manufacturers themselves in acquiring parts and support:
Note: At this time, we do not service the follow home units due to lack of support from the manufacturers themselves in acquiring parts and support:
- Jura
- Breville
- Nespresso
- Saeco
- Delonghi
Do you charge to inspect my machine?
We try to save you money as much as we can, therefore we try to avoid visiting a location just to do a visual inspection. That's why we like to keep in communication with our customers, or potential customers, to get as much information as we can about the machine/s with photos or videos. That gives us a better idea of your needs, it helps us come better prepared for a visit and ultimately, it saves you time and money.
Do you charge per mileage?
We don't charge mileage. We travel to all Chicago and Chicago-land suburbs with one fixed rate. However, when we do travel to other parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan, we do charge extra for travel.
What is a PM?
PM stands for Preventative Maintenance. That's what all coffee equipment needs on a regular basis. Manufacturers recommend this on their equipment to ensure their longevity and efficiency. It includes cleaning, rebuilding, and sometimes replacing certain parts that get worn down due to regular use. This prevents a complete failure of the components by addressing them before they fail, and thus, ensuring your machine keeps working without any down time. During our PM we test every component and follow a rigorous checklist to ensure consistency and thoroughness at each visit.
How long will it take to do a PM on my machine?
In order to save you money, we aim for our PM visits to last between 1.5 to 2 hours. However, if a machine hasn't been serviced in a very long time, it's very likely that it could take 2 hours or more. This does not mean that the machine will be down and unusable for the entire period; it depends on the machine and the issues being addressed. If the machine needs to be shut down, we will get permission from you first (we understand there are customers to please). The visits to our regular customers enrolled in our PM program are shorter because there have less issues to address. In short, the more regular the Preventative Maintenance is done, the shorter the visits.
How often does my machine need a PM?
For most commercial espresso machines, the manufacturers recommend a 6 month and a yearly PM. We have found this schedule system to be very efficient and effective at monitoring the life of your equipment.
Can you also inspect my grinder at a PM visit?
Yes! On every PM visit we test shots to make sure the grinder and the espresso machine are pulling shots that are up to your standards. We also carry replacement burrs for most grinders, in case we find the burrs are worn down and in need of a replacement.
Can I just drop off my machine at your shop?
No. The best way to ensure we will service your machine is to contact us, after we've confirmed with you the service we will schedule a day and time that is convenient for you to drop it off. Unfortunately, we will not accept any machine drop off without prior communication.
Do you sell machines?
Yes we do. If you are looking for pricing on espresso machines, grinders or brewers, send us an email to service@cafecareinc.com and we will respond with the available pricing. Alternatively, we might have some used equipment that have been serviced/rebuilt by us. Ask us what we have available!