EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
The coffee machine revolutionised the way of making coffee. With just a few scoops, some water and the push of a button, you can get a great tasting espresso. We have also explained to you that the quality of a cup depends on the coffee beans and the coffee machine. But for what it’s worth, even the best coffee beans will not ever make up for what a dirty machine will bring to your drink. In fact, you won’t be able to get a perfect espresso if you don’t keep your equipment clean.
Cleaning your espresso machine might sound like the most boring step of this guide, yet it remains the most important of them all. Keeping your espresso machine clean will not only help in making great coffee but will also extend the lifespan of the machine. Ultimately, we will show you how to keep both your espresso machine and filters clean.
THE ESPRESSO MACHINE
EVERYDAY
- Give everything a good rinsing to remove all of the coffee residues
- Brush the heads of the machine clean with the special brush and flush afterwards. Repeat brushing and flushing several times until clean water runs out of the heads
- Place bank blind-filter in the porta filter and turn it in the machine
- Press the button continuously and let the water run for 5 seconds
- Because of the blind filter, there is no possibility for the water fo come out of the porta-filter. The water will run back, so all the pipelines in the machine are being cleaned as well. Repeat the last step 10 times.
THREE TIMES A WEEK
- Put the blind filter in the porta-filter
- Put 1 teaspoon of espresso detergent (powder) in the filter holder with the blind filter
- Place the blank blind filter in the portafilter and turn it in the machine
- Press the button continuously and let the water run for 5 seconds
- Because of the blind filter, there is no possibility for the water to come out of the porta-filter. The water will run back, so all the pipelines in the machine are being cleaned as well
- Repeat this last step 10 times
- The filter material must be removed from the machine and the dirty water is rinsed out well in the sink
- Repeat the above for every ‘head’ of the machine.
THE FILTER BASKET
EVERYDAY
- Remove the filter baskets from the portafilter
- Clean the baskets thoroughly with a clean cloth or an abrasive sponge (never use the scouring pad!)
- Put the filter baskets separate from the portafilters in a bowl or tray, filled with hot water. Make sure the handles of the porta-filter are not immersed in the water
- Pour in 2 teaspoons of espresso detergent and let soak overnight
- The next day, rinse the filter baskets and porta-filters with hot water so that all dirt and cleaning products are removed.
In the video below, we will show you how to maintain your coffee machine, step-by-step.
