Clean the Espresso Machine

Ritual

A cleaning ritual is a taste decision.

Espresso machine group head being cleaned with brush and blank basket — Lot | 23 clean espresso brew guide

Old coffee oils taste like old coffee. There is no coffee good enough to survive a dirty group head.

End of every day: purge the steam wand, wipe it clean before it dries. Backflush with a blank basket and plain water — five short flushes. Wipe the portafilter, the screen, the drip tray.

Once a week: same routine but with an espresso detergent in the blank basket. Five detergent flushes, then ten with plain water. Soak the portafilter and baskets for fifteen minutes.

Recipe

DailyWipe + backflush water
WeeklyDetergent backflush + soak
MonthlyDescale (soft-water areas: skip)
ToolsBlank basket, group brush, cafiza

How to brew

  1. 0:00

    Purge the steam wand. Wipe it while it is still hot.

  2. 0:01

    Blank basket in. Five short water backflushes.

  3. 0:02

    Wipe portafilter, screen, gasket. Empty the drip tray.

  4. 0:03

    Weekly: detergent backflush, then ten water flushes. Soak baskets fifteen minutes.