Coffee Machine Descaling Tutorial & Home Coffee Machine Cleaning Guide! Home Coffee Machine Maintenance Methods & How to Replace Gaskets

Due to the widespread popularization of coffee culture and the growing demand for coffee, many manufacturers have launched espresso machines suitable for home use, commonly known as home machines. Compared to commercial coffee machines, home machines are not only more compact in size but also more affordable in price. As a result, more and more friends have purchased coffee machines and started making espresso at home.

However, FrontStreet Coffee believes that most friends who purchase coffee machines are not coffee professionals. Therefore, when it comes to coffee machines, many people don't understand how to clean them properly. Without regular cleaning habits, long-term use of coffee machines can easily lead to various problems. For example: weak steam, uneven dripping of hot water from the brewing head, unstable extraction pressure, water leakage after securing the portafilter, and so on... Don't worry, FrontStreet Coffee is here today to share how daily maintenance and deep cleaning of coffee machines should be performed. This will allow your coffee machine to be used for a long time, and your wallet won't have to bear "unexpected disasters." So let's start with the daily cleaning of coffee machines.

I. Daily Cleaning of Steam Wand

After frothing milk, a small amount of milk residue remains on the steam wand tip. If not removed promptly, this milk will be baked by the residual heat of the steam wand after steam emission, carbonizing and forming milk scale. Milk scale not only clogs the steam holes but can also easily produce odors due to spoilage over time.

Therefore, we can prepare a clean, damp cloth. Immediately after frothing milk, use this cloth to wipe the tip, then turn on the steam again for an empty burst to expel any milk remaining inside. This completes a simple cleaning of the steam wand.

II. Daily Cleaning of the Dispersion Screen

The dispersion screen is the part of the brewing head closest to the coffee puck. When we finish extracting coffee and remove the portafilter, a lot of coffee powder will adhere to the dispersion screen due to pressure release. If not removed promptly, this coffee powder will be dried by the high temperature of the brewing head, affecting the extraction and taste of the next cup of coffee.

Therefore, the dispersion screen is also an object that needs key cleaning! However, it has two cleaning methods. One is simple cleaning: after extraction is complete, we open the water valve and release hot water once to quickly carry away the coffee powder residue on the dispersion screen. But this method cannot remove coffee powder from areas outside the dispersion screen, so at the end of each day's use, we need to use a brush combined with water release to clean the surrounding areas.

III. Daily Cleaning of Portafilter

If you're using a split portafilter, you'll also need to clean the inside of the portafilter at the end of the day. Because after a day of extraction, the pipes inside the portafilter will inevitably have accumulated a lot of coffee stains. If not cleaned promptly, long-term accumulation will also affect the taste of the coffee. Not only that, but it will also affect your health.

Therefore, after daily use, we'd best pry out the filter basket and rinse the portafilter. For friends using bottomless portafilters, cleaning the filter basket is sufficient, after all, their main cleaning target is not the portafilter but the coffee machine crazily splattered by the bottomless portafilter!

That covers the daily cleaning of coffee machines!

Next, FrontStreet Coffee will talk about deep cleaning of coffee machines! Since everyone's usage frequency varies, you can decide on the timing of deep cleaning based on your own usage. For example, for frequent users who make 10 or more cups a day, cleaning every few days (daily cleaning is best) would be appropriate. For those who use it less frequently, for example, one cup a day... well, you can decide for yourselves~

I. Deep Cleaning of Steam Wand

Even after we complete daily cleaning, a lot of milk will remain in the crevices we can't reach during cleaning. Therefore, during deep cleaning, we can detach the tip, place it in any container, then take out the coffee machine's cleaning powder, mix it with hot water, and soak it (the steam wand can also be soaked together).

When you're ready to use it the next day, simply take it out, clean it thoroughly, and reassemble it! The cleaning effect of the cleaning powder is excellent - it can basically dissolve and remove all hidden dirt in the crevices!

II. Deep Cleaning of Coffee Machine Pipes

At the end of extraction, a lot of hot water will remain in the filter basket because it cannot be discharged in time. When the coffee machine releases pressure, it will suck this hot water back and discharge it through the outlet. Since the water has already come into contact with the coffee powder, what's sucked back up is not just hot water, but also many coffee substances. These substances won't be completely discharged from the outlet but will remain in the pipes! If we don't clean them promptly, these stains will accumulate more and more, eventually affecting coffee extraction.

Therefore, after multiple uses, we can perform backflushing on the coffee machine to clean the pipes! The specific method is to replace the perforated filter basket on the portafilter with a non-perforated blind basket, then add some cleaning powder, and secure it to the brewing head. Then start the extraction button to let the hot water dissolve the cleaning powder and clean the dispersion screen. After about 10 seconds, stop the extraction, and the hot water with cleaning effect will flow through the pipes and discharge from the outlet, cleaning the pipes in the process. Repeat three times without removing it.

III. Replacing Coffee Machine Gaskets

If we experience dripping or heavy leakage during extraction, it means the gasket has aged and its sealing effect has deteriorated. At this time, we need to purchase gaskets online and replace them! As for the specific replacement method, since coffee machines vary, FrontStreet Coffee suggests everyone contact the manufacturer for inquiries. Generally, the lifespan of gaskets is around six months to a year.

IV. Other Items Requiring Cleaning Attention

The remaining main items are the water tank in the coffee machine and the maintenance of the water supply system's filter element. They will accumulate more scale over long-term use, and if not cleaned regularly, they will hinder extraction to some extent. Therefore, we need to replace and clean them regularly. Generally, the filter element can be replaced once a month. The water tank cleaning cycle can be longer, but since it involves disassembly, friends with less hands-on ability should preferably contact a technician for cleaning~

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Important Notice :

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FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473