Your CoffeeJack may arrive with the water chamber fully closed, making the base appear to be solid.

Simply turn the handle anticlockwise approximately 24 turns to fully open the chamber.

No. Simply rinse your CoffeeJack thoroughly with clean water before first use.

Do not use vinegar or chemical cleaners.

Any slight manufacturing odour will normally disappear after making your first two or three coffees. If you are particularly sensitive to it, simply discard the first few coffees while dialling in your grinder.

The most common cause is that your coffee has not been ground finely enough.

Refer to the troubleshooting flowchart. Most grinders need to be set close to their finest espresso settings—typically much finer than you would use for a conventional domestic espresso machine.

Your grind is too coarse.

Refer to the troubleshooting flowchart and adjust your grinder slightly finer.

Your grind is too fine.

Adjust your grinder slightly coarser and try again.

This usually indicates that the gauge has been significantly over-pressurised and the Bourdon tube has failed.

Replacement gauges are available from the CoffeeJack website.

We don’t recommend specific brands or models, but we strongly recommend a quality burr grinder (either flat or conical) with very fine adjustment steps—ideally around 8–12 microns per click.

The finer the adjustment increments, the easier it will be to dial in your CoffeeJack accurately.

This is usually caused by one of the following:

•⁠ ⁠Check that the shower screen is correctly seated inside the black gasket, with the smooth face outward and the sharper edge fully located in the gasket groove.
•⁠ ⁠Ensure you haven’t overfilled the basket. A typical dose is around 18 g, although darker roasts generally require slightly less coffee, while lighter roasts may require slightly more. If you use a puck screen, remember to leave sufficient room for it.
•⁠ ⁠Make sure the portafilter screw is fully tightened to compress the gasket evenly. Take care not to cross-thread it during assembly.

No. A puck screen is not essential.

However, it helps keep the shower screen and water chamber much cleaner, reducing the amount of routine cleaning required.

If you use one, simply reduce your coffee dose slightly to allow space for it.

As explained on the website, the stand also requires the Stand Adapter, which is sold separately.

Turn the Stand Adapter upside down.

You just found it! The dosing funnel and stand adapter are the same product.

TOP TIP: This product press fits inside the portafilter holder for easy transport.

Turn the Stand Adapter upside down.

You just found it! The dosing funnel and stand adapter are the same product.

TOP TIP: This product press fits inside the portafilter holder for easy transport.

Top Tip: Fit the Pressensor onto your CoffeeJack before removing the waterproof cap.

To remove the cap, either:

•⁠ ⁠carefully lever it off with a small flat-bladed screwdriver, ensuring you lift only the cap—not the body of the Pressensor; or
•⁠ ⁠hook a small Allen key under the edge of the cap and gently lever it upwards.

The waterproof cap is a friction fit, so it doesn’t always provide enough grip to fully tighten the Pressensor.

To ensure a watertight seal:

1.⁠ ⁠Screw the Pressensor fully onto the CoffeeJack.
2.⁠ ⁠Remove the waterproof cap.
3.⁠ ⁠Hold the seal firmly at the base of the Pressensor.
4.⁠ ⁠Use a screwdriver in the slot at the bottom of the pressure tube to tighten the Pressensor fully.
5.⁠ ⁠Replace the waterproof cap.

When correctly fitted, the top of the cap should sit slightly below the top rim of the CoffeeJack body.

Your CoffeeJack is supplied with the piston screw lubricated using a food-safe anti-seize grease.

Like any mechanical lubricant, this should be replaced periodically. Under normal home use we recommend servicing your CoffeeJack approximately once a year, following the dismantling instructions in the servicing video ().

Remove the old grease using kitchen towel or a cotton bud before applying fresh grease. The old grease will often appear black due to microscopic metal particles from normal wear. This is perfectly normal.

If water has entered the body of the CoffeeJack, replace the piston O-ring. Replace any other seals that show signs of wear or damage.

Replacement seals and grease sachets are available from the CoffeeJack website.

See the Maintenance section of the user guide for exploded diagrams and further servicing information.

For the best results, use freshly roasted coffee beans and grind them immediately before brewing.

Most supermarket pre-ground coffee is not fine enough for CoffeeJack.

If you don’t own a suitable grinder, ask a reputable coffee shop to grind the beans for a manual lever espresso machine.

Any roast level can produce excellent coffee—the choice is entirely personal.

Light roasts often produce brighter, fruitier flavours with higher acidity.

Medium and dark roasts generally produce richer flavours and significantly more crema due to their higher oil content.

If your main aim is thick crema, choose at least a medium roast.

Because different roast levels have different densities, you may also need to adjust your coffee dose. Refer to the troubleshooting flowchart for guidance.

Absolutely.

Many people prefer the cleaner, brighter flavours of light roasts.

Just bear in mind that light roasts naturally produce much less crema than medium or dark roasts, even when extracted perfectly.

Crema depends on several factors:

•⁠ ⁠sufficient brewing pressure (typically at least 6 bar)
•⁠ ⁠freshly roasted beans
•⁠ ⁠a suitable grind
•⁠ ⁠and, most importantly, the roast level.

Medium and dark roasts naturally produce far more crema than light roasts because they contain more surface oils.

Not necessarily.

For most coffees we recommend maintaining approximately 6–8 bar during extraction.

This generally produces a sweeter, less bitter espresso while still generating excellent crema when using medium or dark roasts.

If you prefer a stronger, more traditional Italian-style espresso, you can certainly extract at 9–10 bar. CoffeeJack is easily capable of achieving these pressures, although the handle becomes noticeably harder to turn and most users find it unnecessary.

Yes.

CoffeeJack works extremely well with turbo-style extractions, using a slightly coarser grind and lower extraction pressure.

Because the puck is less compact, take extra care when inverting the prepared basket. Many users find it easier to place the shower screen and gasket onto the basket first before attaching the complete assembly to the water chamber.

Frequently!

Even once you’ve dialled in a coffee, you’ll usually need to make small adjustments as:

•⁠ ⁠the beans age;
•⁠ ⁠you open a new bag of the same coffee;
•⁠ ⁠you change to a different coffee; or
•⁠ ⁠you change roast level.

This is why grinders with very fine adjustment increments are highly recommended.

The piston screw is fully lubricated before leaving the factory.

During the first few uses, the moving parts naturally bed in as tiny machining marks wear smooth, so the action should become progressively easier.

If the stiffness is only occasional, check that the protective jacket is not rubbing against the gear mechanism. Folding the top edge of the jacket down slightly and applying a few drops of food-safe lubricant (or even a little olive oil) to the upper edge can eliminate any rubbing.