Is The Little Guy environmentally friendly?

Yes! 


The Little Guy believes in environmental sustainability and has been manufactured with the environment top of mind. Refer to our environmental statement. 


The Little Guy is made with the highest quality materials to the highest international standards. Individual parts and materials have been sourced throughout the world and come from countries such as Germany and Australia. 


Each The Little Guy is hand polished and assembled in China prior to international delivery. In each of the processing and manufacturing stages, the strictest world standards have been applied to provide you with the highest quality product.

How does the little guy work ?

Visit the how The Little Guy works page to see how The Little Guy works or download the instruction manual.

Why does The Little Guy work on The Little Guy induction top but not on other standard induction tops?

Why does The Little Guy work on The Little Guy induction top but not on other standard induction tops? 


The Little Guy is made from high quality 304 Grade Stainless Steel that does not register with all induction cooktops, so we developed the optimum heating solution, our own Induction Top, that works perfectly with The Little Guy.

How long does it take to produce a cup of coffee from The Little Guy?

At 6:30 minutes you should begin to see some coffee brewing.

At 7:30 minuets you should have enough coffee for two single shots or one double shot. (I aim for 34 grams of brewed coffee out).


How much water does the water tank hold ?

  • The tank should be filled until the water is just level with the bottom of the opening.
  • If overfilled that is not a problem, it will just spill out when the cap is put on so just a bit messy.
  • If it is underfilled then it will reduce the coffee extraction.
  • The extraction quantity is fixed by the water pick up point in the boiler. Once the water drops below the pick up (about 1/3rd of the capacity) then steam will come through instead of water (indicated by hissing from the head) and the heat should be removed. 

Can I change the length of the extraction ?

The extraction quantity is fixed by the water pick up point in the boiler. Once the water drops below the pick up (about 1/3rd of the capacity) then steam will come through instead of water (indicated by hissing from the head) and the heat should be removed.

What if I want a full mug of coffee (I normally have a long black)?

The Little Guy is designed to produce two expresso shots, a total of 60mL, so to create a long black, add your coffee shot to a cup of boiling water. This is how a long black is generally made in a café.

How to make multiple coffees - cooling the little guy between shots.

  • Ensure heat source is off and excess steam has been released.
  • Wait until the little guy has cooled a little – for best results wait 20 minutes to restart.
  • Repeat as per instructions on page 09 of the manual.
  • Use oven mitts or a thick tea towel when handling the warm machine to refill with water in between multiple batches.
  • NOTE: Use care handling the little guy when warm.

Does The Little Guy get Hot?

Yes, there are warnings throughout the instructional manual and "HOT" is printed on The Little Guy neck, adjacent to the steam assembly. Do not touch the Little Guy when he is hot, except for the black handles. Do not move the Little Guy when any of the steel parts are hot. Do not place The Little Guy in a position where children can touch The Little Guy.

How tight should I screw on the boiler cap ?

Make sure you always tighten the filler cap by hand (you will still need to use the group cup to take it off). If it is too tight to do that then rub some cooking oil into the seal so that it spins more easily.

What Beans should I use with The Little Guy?

The Little Guy recommends that you select a coffee bean to your own liking. Note that the extraction from The Little Guy is slightly milder than a conventional commercial espresso machine and, if used correctly, The Little Guy produces a smooth even flavour. You can change the overall ‘taste' of your coffee by adjusting your milk quantity.


We also recommnd 36th Parallel Coffee Roasters. https://www.36parallelcoffee.com.au/


What Grinder should I use with The Little Guy?

The Little Guy produces quality espresso from ‘finely ground' coffee beans. As the grind recommended is slightly finer than your traditional espresso grind, we recommend that you ask your barista or coffee appliance retailer for a grinder that can grind coffee close to the consistency of a 'Commercial' grind.  

How do I froth Milk ?

Again, heat source combined with grind and dosing technique when loading your basket with coffee affects your crema. Refer to our Texturing milk video..



Why don't I have any steam pressure for milk? 

"Things to check: 

  • What is your heat source? The Little Guy requires an even temperature to create heat over the entire base, which is vital to producing good back pressure for your steaming your milk. If you are using a gas stovetop as your heat source, please refer to our Hints & Tips video.
  • Is your grind too course? If your extraction is running too quickly this indicates that there is not enough resistance in the basket, which is the result of a too coarse grind. A 'Commercial' grind works best with The Little Guy.
  • A squealing noise is a great indicator that there is not enough pressure for steam, so review your heat source and your grind and watch our Hints & Tips video. Refer to our Hints & Tips video. that demonstrates how to create the right steam pressure for your milk.

There is no or limited steam pressure and my espresso shots run short.

it sounds very much like there is an internal leak somewhere.  The body of the machine is hollow so a steam leak at the base can actually cause steam to come out between the head and the body (it can also happen if you accidentally splash water inside when filling it).  Two quick things you can check yourself - 

  • The Boiler Filler Cap Seal - this should be round and smooth without any nicks or cracks.  If this is leaking the steam will come out into the body.
  • The Steam Pin - if this isn't seating properly then steam will be lost out of the steam arm during the extraction.  The symptom will be drops of water or puffs of steam while the coffee is extracting.  It is normal to see a drop or two at the beginning of the extraction (it is the leftover steam from when you last used it) but it should stop pretty quickly.  You can also see if there is steam coming out by putting the end of the steam arm into a glass of water while you brew coffee.  As the air inside heats up you will get a few bubbles but a continuous stream means it is leaking.

If it isn't one of those two then, unfortunately, it will need to come back here for service.  It will need pressure testing and if it is a leaking tube then it needs special tools to disassemble the steam assembly.  Without the tools it is easy to break the internal valve.

Why don't I have crema like in the online videos?

Again, heat source combined with grind and dosing technique when loading your basket with coffee affects your crema. Refer to our extraction video.

How do I get the head seal out ?

Refer to the head seal video.



How often should I clean my The Little Guy? 

Every few months clean The Little Guy according to our Hints & Tips video.



How should I clean my The Little Guy? 

Cleaning The Little Guy's body — lock the group handle and boiler lid into place. Use a soft wet soapy cloth to wipe the Little Guy clean. Rinse under warm water and dry with a tea towel. Using a microfibre cloth also works well.

  • Cleaning the group handle — pull the basket from the handle and wash both separately in warm soapy water. Rinse, then dry with a tea towel or microfibre cloth.

  • Maintenance of the boiler — the boiler is solid stainless steel and has an electro polished surface. There is no need to empty the boiler when The Little Guy's in regular use. If you're storing The Little Guy for any longer than a week we do recommend using a clean absorbent cloth or towel to soak residual water from the boiler and dry the inside surface.

  • Removing the shower screen (refer to our Hints & Tips video for removal) — fold a tea towel into a soft pad, take The Little Guy and turn upside down, resting the top of the head on the tea towel. Using the allen key from The Little Guy Kit, remove the screw in the shower screen in The Little Guy's head. Gently leaver the black head seal from the inside of the head and remove the seal and shower screen together. Wash the screen in warm soapy water, rinse, then dry with a tea towel. Replace the screen and seal back into the head and secure the screw, using the allen key to tighten.

  • Clearing the steam wand nozzle — the nozzle at the end of the steam wand will be finger/hand tightened. Simply unscrew the nozzle, wash in warm soapy water and use a small paperclip, with blunt end, to clear the hole (avoid using a pin or anything with a sharp end). Rinse the nozzle with clean water and refit to the steam wand using your fingers to tighten.

  • This is all the maintenance required at home. Any work required beyond these simple steps will need to be carried out by a Little Guy authorized service centre.

  • Refer to our Hints & Tips video. for cleaning instructions. Or access the instruction manual for The Little Guy cleaning tips.

Do I use a descaler ?

The best way to clean the boiler is to empty the water (shake it out and use a cloth to soak up the balance) then fill with vinegar and let it stand overnight. 


 The next morning use a scouring pad (being careful not to scratch the body) to scrub and then rinse out the residue and vinegar. 


 The good thing about using vinegar is that it is entirely food safe so there is no concern about chemicals left behind. If you fill the boiler with water and then put it on the heat (without coffee) to boil through it will flush out the vinegar smell.

What do I do if my The Little Guy needs a service? 

Contact us using the service form and a member of our technical service team will contact you shortly to identify any issues with The Little Guy. 

After speaking to the service team, if The Little Guy still needs repair within the warranty period, we will be happy to repair under warranty.


WARNING: Repairs should only be attempted by qualified technicians.

Where can I buy parts and accessories?

Some basic consumer replaceable parts are available online.

For all other enquiries please contact us using the service form and a member of our technical service team will contact you shortly to identify any issues with The Little Guy. 


WARNING: Repairs should only be attempted by qualified technicians.

How often does The Little Guy require servicing?

Due to the unique design, with your regular care and maintance, The Little Guy does not require servicing by an authorized service centre. You can service The Little Guy yourself every few months by taking the head seal out when completing a general clean - see the "Using the Little Guy" section on this page.


WARNING: Repairs should only be attempted by qualified technicians.

What happens with the warranty on the little guy and other items NOT purchased through this site and Kaffeina Group Pty Ltd.

As noted on the site, the little guy has gone into receivership and is not associated with the Kaffeina Group. Warranty for all items not purchased on this site will NOT be covered by the Kaffeina Group. Please contact us and we will try and assist if at all possible.

I've read the FAQs but I still have a question about The Little Guy, who can I contact?

If you have any further questions, we'll be happy to answer them for you, please use the contact form to get I touch.


Contact us using the service form and a member of our technical service team will contact you shortly to identify any issues with The Little Guy. 


After speaking to the service team, if The Little Guy still needs repair within the warranty period, we will be happy to repair under warranty.


WARNING: Repairs should only be attempted by qualified technicians.