Just got one of those machines, you know, you put in beans and add water and press a button, it grinds, tamps, infuses and brews espresso automatically.
What I'm wondering about (before taking the thing apart, I hesitate!) is how can it
1) Sense if it's out of beans?
2) Sense that the grinds basket is full?
3) Sense the water?
In all cases I suppose it can weigh things, but I don't think that's how it works.
It can sense if the grinds basket is removed, but I can hear what I assume to be a microswitch clicking.
I've looked as much as I can at the thing and I don't get it. There are no obvious holes or pokey bits sticking out.
It's a Saeco Vienna Superautomatica.
And yes, I know how the boiler temperature sensor works.