How to Clean an Espresso Machine

Your espresso machine may have an automatic light that signals when it needs cleaning, or you might just notice that your espresso is tasting a little funky. Either way, routinely cleaning the machine is necessary to keep your morning java tasting fresh and delicious.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Brush
• Screwdriver
• Damp cloth
• espresso machine cleaner
• pin or paper clip
• pipe cleaner

1. Turn the machine off and unplug it before getting started.

2. Carefully read and follow the manufacturer's instructions that came with your espresso machine.

3. Wipe off the outside of the machine with a damp cloth.

4. Backflush the machine as often as is recommended by the manufacturer. This should be done about twice a week.

5. Unscrew the group head using a screwdriver. Remove it.

6. Scrub the parts of the group head, including the screen and the brass dispersion plate, with a brush and plain water until everything is clean. You may have to soak these parts overnight in water mixed with an espresso machine cleaner.

7. Clean the milk wand with a damp cloth, or remove it and soak in warm water to remove milk residue. If needed, use a pipe cleaner to remove residue inside the wand, and a pin or paper clip to unclog the steam hole.

8. To decalcify the interior, run a mixture of one part white vinegar water to one part water through the machine. Following this, run plain water through the machine two or three times.

9. Reassemble the machine.

Tips & Warnings

• Depending on what type of machine you have, you can also use either a tablet or a powder formulated especially to clean espresso makers. Follow manufacturer's instructions.
• It is suggested that you clean your machine at least twice a week, or daily if you are producing a large volume of coffee.
• There are special brushes made to clean the group heads of espresso machines.
• Never put soap in your espresso machine.

[surrealchereal]

on 6/24/2008 Thanks for that advice coffeegirl.
I used baking soda in mine after not being able to find the cleaning tablets anywhere in town! The local starbucks manager recommended it. Now I have water flowing again, I'll ck out the Durgol you mention.

The Joe glow stuff looks good for cleaning my portafilter but I wish I could use something from around the house that would unplug those little holes.

[coffeegirl]

on 11/8/2007 DON'T use vinegar on espresso machines. It can damage some components of espresso machines and the plastics inside the machine will absorb it and start to pass on odour and taste to the espresso. The machine will also not last as long. Some people say use citric acid, which I would caution against as well because it basically coats the minerals and builds up over top of them, clogging the thin tubes inside the machine. Ideally, always buy a product that is specifically for descaling an espresso machine if you want it to last for a long time. Personally, I have found Durgol brand to be very reliable and much faster. The frequency of this procedure varies according to the hardness of water. Soft water might only need descaling once a year, whereas if you are using spring water, you should do it monthly.