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If you consider dried ground coffee treasure.  The area under the drain tray of an espresso machine is often an overlooked area, as evidenced in the image above.  The cleanliness of this easily accessible zone of mystery can tell you about the health of your machine.  This machine had a clogged drain hose - for an extended period of time.  The operator may not have noticed anything but a few drops of water under the machine for the duration of a shift,  most of the moisture would be absorbed by the built up solids, and repeated overflows of the drain box only added more solids.  To prevent this, always pour about a half gallon of hot water through the drain tray when performing closing tasks.

Removing the drain tray gives you an opportunity to check for water leaks.  Look over all plumbing connections for a white or brown or green crusty buildup.  The water will often evaporate or drip onto the lower frame of the machine and you may not see a puddle on the counter.  Catching a leak early can save you a potentially costly service call and prevent unexpected downtime.  The next time you clean the drain tray, don a headlamp and go spelunking!  You may be surprised what you find.