We learned about the features and functionality of the Rancilio Classe 9 Xcelsius last week, so this week we are going to dive a little deeper and talk about what you can do with the machine’s programming and settings. With its variety of features and menus, the Classe 9 Xcelsius may seem a little intimidating at first glance. However, even though there are a lot of options on this high-end machine, it is really easy to use and get through. This is largely because Rancilio does an excellent job of explaining what every button on the machine does. In fact, you don’t even have to pull out your manual to look up the functions out each button, as Rancilio has printed a guide showing which features each button controls right on the bottom front of the machine. The top row of icons shows you what each button does when you are in the programming mode of the machine. In this mode, you have a button for plus, minus, enter, escape and for programing the volumetric control. Once you are in programming mode, you have normal options like setup, Xcelsius module, counters, iSteam, cleaning cycle as well as data interfaces and diagnostics that are really just for techs. The true fun begins when you delve further into the setup option. In this mode you can adjust the pressure setting on your machine, which is cool since on most other machines you have to access their internals to make these kinds of changes. You can also change your dose setting and pre-infusion time, track the length of your shot and even save energy by reducing the amount of power the machine uses at night. The bottom row of icons shows what buttons control the cleaning, manger and volumetric controls on this machine. Each of these controls comes with several helpful functions. For instance, on the cleaning module you can set the Classe 9 Xcelsius to do an automatic backflush and the volumetric control allows you to set your brewing parameters by volume instead of impulses. A few of our favorite features are the counter, which allows you to see how many times a button has been hit. This enables you to make sure this button as been hit roughly the same amount of times as drinks you’ve charged for, putting control over accounting features back in your hands. We also like the renew boiler water function, which is really unique and only offered by Rancilio, which allows you to flush all the water out of your boiler and replace it with fresh water. Last, but not least, on the front of the machine are two buttons, which are the buttons that actually make this Classe 9 an Xcelsius machine. The first of these two buttons is marked with an “O,” and is the power button that allows you to turn each group head on and off. The second button, or “X” button; will take you into the barista mode of the Xcelsius. Here you can control the temperature profile for each group head and change it up, down and also modify the start and end temperature of your brew. The downside is the barista mode is one of the more limited options on the machine, and is really intended for making minor adjustments as you can only change your temperature setting by about five degrees. Yet, if you press and hold down the “X” and “O” buttons together, you are able to access the tech mode on the machine, which gives you a much larger temperature variance (ten degrees) to play with.
Although there are a few features to get accustomed to on this machine, the nice part is your tech should have set up most of the major options for you, so you will just have to make minor adjustments. However, whether you fully utilize all the options on the machine or not, it is nice know what they control. To find out more about each setting, watch as Brandon takes us on more in-depth tour of the programing of the Rancilio Classe 9 Xcelsius. Before you know it, you’ll have your machine dialed in to make the perfect cup of coffee!