Why cup trays get scratched

The unglazed foot ring on the base of a porcelain cup is effectively fine sandpaper. Set a cup down, slide it a few centimetres, repeat several times a day, and within months the tray on top of the machine carries a halo of fine scratches. On a machine like the Profitec GO and Profitec Go 2, where the top tray sits at eye level and is the surface you look at most, that wear is hard to miss. This mat is Profitec’s own answer: a synthetic leather layer that absorbs the abrasion instead of the tray.

What it does and does not cost you

On dual boiler machines with an actively heated cup warming tray, covering the surface is a genuine trade-off, since a mat slows heat transfer to the cups. The GO is different. Its top surface is a cup tray rather than a heated warmer, so whatever warming happens is incidental and there is little to give up by covering it. If you do preheat cups on the GO, rinsing them with hot water from the group is faster and more effective than leaving them on the tray anyway.

How it compares to the Wiedemann EspressoCover

The main alternative is the Wiedemann EspressoCover, also made in Germany from synthetic leather and also cut specifically for the GO. Wiedemann’s version attaches with adhesive dots on the underside and includes openings so heat can still reach the cups, which matters more on their covers for heated Pro-series trays than it does here. Profitec’s own version has the advantage of matching the machine it was designed alongside, and of being catalogued as a Profitec part, which is the simpler answer if you would rather not think about it.

Care

Wipe it down when you wipe the machine. Synthetic leather handles milk splashes and coffee drips without staining if they are not left to dry on, so a damp cloth after the morning round is enough. Anything abrasive will damage the surface texture, so keep scouring pads away from it. If you are pairing cups with the machine, thick-walled porcelain such as the Loveramics Egg Series is the usual culprit for tray scratches, and also the usual reason people end up wanting this mat.

Specifications