Espresso Gears
Brewing Essentials
Coffee Accessories
Gear & Equipment
Wipe and purge the steam wand after every use, rinse the portafilter and basket daily, backflush weekly with espresso machine cleaner if your machine supports it, and descale every one to three months depending on how hard your water is.
A dirty espresso machine does not just look bad. Old coffee oils go rancid and show up in your cup as bitterness, milk residue clogs the steam wand, and mineral scale quietly shortens the life of the machine. The good news is that a short routine keeps all of it in check.
After Every Shot or Drink
Run a little water through the group head to flush out loose grounds, and wipe the steam wand with a damp cloth right after steaming milk, then purge it for a second. Milk dries hard inside the wand if you leave it, and that is the number one cause of weak steam.
Every Day
Empty and rinse the drip tray, rinse the portafilter and basket, and wipe around the group gasket where stray grounds collect. Rinse the water tank and refill it with fresh water. This takes about two minutes and prevents most buildup.
Every Week: Backflush
Backflushing pushes cleaning solution back through the group head to dissolve coffee oils. Put a blind basket (one with no holes) in the portafilter, add the dose of espresso machine cleaner recommended on the product label, and run short cycles of about ten seconds on and ten seconds off, then repeat with plain water to rinse. Check your manual first, because this only works on machines with a three-way solenoid valve, and some machines should not be backflushed with chemical cleaner at all.
Clean the parts that touch coffee and milk often. Descale the parts that touch water on a schedule.
Every 1 to 3 Months: Descale
Water leaves mineral scale inside the boiler and pipes. If your water is hard, descale about every month; if it is soft or you use filtered water, every two to three months is usually fine. Use a descaler made for espresso machines and follow its instructions, then run several tanks of fresh water through to rinse.
The Myth: Vinegar Works Just as Well
Vinegar is a popular DIY descaler, but it can damage rubber seals and gaskets over time, and it leaves a smell and taste that is hard to flush out completely. A purpose-made descaler is gentler on the machine and does a better job on scale.
A clean machine pulls cleaner shots, too. If your espresso tastes off even after cleaning, our sour and bitter troubleshooting guide will help you track down the cause.
Keep Your Machine Running
The right accessories make daily cleaning quick and keep every shot tasting clean.
