Our machine here at James Alpes are built to last, there are machine on the market which we first manufactured over 15 years ago that are still working every weekend and look just good as they did when they were made, however just as a car does our machines need a certain amount of care and maintenance to ensure they last a lifetime. Within our instructional CD package that is free with any purchase of a James Alps hog or spit roast machine there is a complete guide to maintaining your machine, however within this article we have includes a few key point and tips for our potential customers who are looking to buy a machine and are interest to know what type of up keep is required. It is important to note that all James Alpes machine are built to reduce maintenance costs and that the annual financial and time related cost should be minimal when compare to other machines available on the market.

• Zeus or Titan - One of the most important issues regarding maintenance can be identified by highlighting the differences between our Zeus and Titan models. Our Titan model is fully stainless steel and therefore requires almost no maintenance. It is very easy to clean and look extremely professional. It is the machine we recommend to all our customers especially those looking to use the equipment for public use in the catering industry. However we do understand that some of our customer need to work to a budget and Zeus machine meets this need. All the metals in contact with food are still stainless steel and the most visible item the doors are also in stainless steel, however the base of the machine is in Teflon powered coated steel. This material is more than up to the job but is important to note that the machine will need re-painting roughly every 4-5 years depending on its usage and how careful the owner is.

• Gas Parts - the gas parts are required to undergo and annual service check by a certified gas safe plumber. We here at James Alpe offer both on and off site servicing and can provide full servicing kits to any of our customers. It is extremely important if the machine is being used for commercial purposes that its gas safe certificate is up to date as this will affect your legal standings. The designed gas system is very simple and any trained plumber will easily be able to change parts as and when they are needed. The pilot lights and the thermocouples will need changing every 12 month but these parts are relatively inexpensive. In order to extend the life of the gas system WD40 should be applied to the gas value after every use and the pilot light should be thoroughly cleaned and checked after each use.

• Cleaning - it goes with saying that the cleaning of the machine straight after use will make cleaning easier and reduce any maintenance required on the machine. There is full cleaning instructions included with the purchase of any James Alpe hog or spit roast machine.