How to clean an espresso machine

An espresso machine works by forcing pressurised hot water through a ‘puck’ of ground coffee compacted into a portafilter. This produces thick, concentrated coffee called espresso, which can be a drink in itself or diluted and used as a base for other drinks.

See our full guide to cleaning all types of coffee machines, including the coffee grinder which accompanies your espresso machine, in our free best practice to coffee craft guide here.

Cleaning regime for espresso machines

1. Remove the portafilter from the group, then use a screwdriver or tool to remove the basket.

2. Using a cleaning brush, scrub all residue coffee from the basket and inside the portafilter, as well as inside the group head. Turn on the group head to flush.

3. Place a blanking disk and half a teaspoon of cleaning detergent into the portafilter, lock it in place and activate to begin back-flushing.

4. Backflush the group head in line with your machine’s instructions, repeating for each group. Carry out a final backflush without detergent.

5. Put the basket, the portafilter and any screens into a hot solution of cleaning detergent for 15 minutes. Do not submerge the entire portafilter, just the metal part.

6. Remove and clean out the drip tray, ensuring the drain is clean and clear of blockages.

7. Wipe down the steam wands. If you need to remove hardened residue, place in cold water and turn on for a few seconds. Once hot the residue will wipe clean.

8. Never leave a steam wand soaking in water overnight because they will suck up dirty water into the boiler.

9. Clean exterior of machine with a damp cloth and light detergent.

We recommend JAVA coffee equipment cleaner, steam arm wipes, general surface cleaner and stainless steel cleaner. Available from www.java-proton.co.uk

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