We've sold enough Bacchi now that I'm fairly confident I know most of their foibles, almost all of which have been eliminated by improved manufacturing and component design since the first Bacchis were released to market.

We sold a Bacchi the other day to a great guy, but he just couldn't get consistent results from it, so he returned it as he should.  This wasn't helped by the fact he had an entry level grinder, but even so I fully expected it to deliver consistent results.

The machine came back to us last week, and today I finally had a chance to have a look at it.  Almost instantly it was apparent what the issue was; the piston was not sliding freely.

I have blogged on this before & I think the message needs to be re-enforced.

I have suggested to CaffeMotive, the manufacturers of the Bacchi, that the grease they are using is far too sticky for the job it needs to perform in the Bacchi, and it even seems to go quite hard and caked.  This gives you a Bacchi with a sticky piston, rather than one that has a silky smooth movement.  This in turns gives you variable performances from your Bacchi, which if you are anything like me, is infuriating.

So for a very modest outlay you can get the best out of your Bacchi by removing all the factory lubricant with surgical alcohol (available from Boots) from both the cylinder walls and the seals and wiping it clean.  Then replace with Dow Corning's 111 Molykote.

When you have done this the piston in the Bacchi should snap back to its resting position when you push it upwards with both thumbs like a steel trap.  It really should snap back with not even the slightest binding, grabbing, or hesitation.  If it doesn't it will benefit from the Molykote treatment outlined above.

The returned Bacchi that was thought to be defective is now delivering consistently exceptional espresso after a simple change from the factory lubricant to Dow Corning's 111 Molykote.

Try this simple trick to really get your Bacchi running at its best - it is a complete transformation in performance.

I just wish the manufacturer would review the lubricant they use at the factory so this really minor issue could be eradicated as it is a blight on an otherwise exceptional product.

There is no other stove top machine in the world that makes real espresso.  Bacchi or nothing.  The rest are only fit for paper weights.

Take a Bacchi camping with you this Summer - espresso in the outdoors is brilliant.