03/08/2026
Episode 2 of the Caffenu Technician Series: A Day with Jacques Cilliers
Before the first call comes in, a workshop is just empty benches and waiting tools. Then the phone rings, and the day takes its shape.
We spent a day with Jacques Cilliers, Head Technician at Equiserve, who was recently named Technician of the Year at the The Coffee Magazine Awards. Twenty years into the trade, his take on the win was characteristically understated:
"It's obviously a tap on the shoulder. People don't always see the hard work and effort, research, that goes into this whole thing... hopefully it's inspiration to other technicians, younger guys in the industry."
On this particular call: two La Marzocco machines, steam wands leaking, a possible overpressure valve issue. Jacques diagnosed it in two sentences. Getting to that point took two decades.
What stood out most wasn't the fix. It was his explanation of why the basics matter:
"Using Caffenu cleaning products on a coffee machine removes all the oil residue on the grouphead, and that prevents a bad taste to the coffee... descaling also helps to prevent scale build-up on the machines, and it obviously prolongs the lifespan of the machine."
No sales pitch. Just twenty years of seeing what happens when machines aren't looked after properly.
Read the full article here: https://caffenu.com/technician-of-the-year-a-day-with-jacques-cilliers-of-equiserve/
