A simple question pondered by baristas, coffee machine engineers, café managers and the like: Should you turn your espresso machine off at night?
The answer isn’t completely black and white, it depends on the type of machine you use, how busy your mornings are, and your priorities around energy use, staff time, and equipment longevity.
Search the question on Google or reddit coffee forums and you'll hear a number of different opinions on both sides of the argument. These are the most commons reasons stated:
Let's discuss.
Arguments For Keeping Your Machine Turned On
Amount of Energy Used for Reheating
The energy required for heating the machine back up from room temperature is said to be more than the energy required to keep the machine at a stable hot temperature overnight.
Reducing Long Heat Up Times
Long heat up times: many commercial coffee machines, particularly larger espresso machines with metal boilers, often require at twenty to thirty minutes to heat up to brewing temperature.
Eliminating Impact on Thermal Stability
Espresso machines produce their best coffee only when they’re fully heat-soaked. Even once “up to temperature”, the group heads and internal components may take an extra 10–20 minutes to stabilise. This is largely diminished by modern espresso machines.
Damage to Gaskets and Seals
Allowing your coffee machine to cool completely and heat back up again is thought to put extra stress on silicone gaskets and seals. Though these parts are designed to wear over time anyhow, the repeated expansion and contraction may cause them to wear out faster.
Mineral Deposits
Reasons For Turning Your Machine Off
Energy Savings
Most espresso machines and bean-to-cup systems draw a meaningful amount of power just staying hot. Turning them off overnight can reduce your energy consumption and lower operating costs, especially if you’re closed for long periods.
Reduces Wear on Components
Running a machine 18–24 hours a day keeps the boilers, valves, and electronics under constant heat load. Switching off can give the machine a break, potentially prolonging the lifespan of certain components.
Encourages Proper Cleaning
Shutdown routines typically link with end-of-day cleaning. Turning the machine off often means staff follow the full clean-down process rather than leaving the machine partially cleaned but still on.
It Depends on Machine Type
The best approach often comes down to how your machine is built. Some machines are designed to stay warm for efficiency and consistency, while others, especially models with smaller boilers or on-demand heating systems, tend to be more efficient when switched off completely.
Every machine behaves differently, so it’s always worth checking the manufacturer’s guidance. Most brands clearly state their recommended overnight routine in user manuals or online support pages. And if in doubt, ask your equipment provider, they’ll know what’s best for your specific setup.
What Do We Recommend?
So, our recommendation, if available, would be to utilise the energy saving and automated on/off features built into your coffee machine.
ECO or energy savings modes are designed to keep your coffee machine at a temperature that strikes the most efficient balance between keeping the water hot overnight, and reheating the water the next morning.
Automatic machine on/off timers also mean that you can set the machine to be on and properly heated up before you open your coffee outlet for the day, eliminating the potential 30 minutes before you're ready to brew consistently delicious coffee.
If those aren't available, we recommend turning your machine off at night and turning it back on at least 30 minutes before service the next day, ideally 1 hour before.
