How to Replace Coffee Machine Gaskets! Why Is Espresso Machine Pressure Unstable? Why Is Espresso Machine Steam Weak? Why Isn't Milk Foam Frothy? How to Deep Clean an Espresso Machine

Sometimes when coffee tastes bad, besides not using the right parameters, it might also be caused by long-term lack of cleaning of the coffee machine.

Occasionally, friends might ask FrontStreet Coffee about situations where, even when using the same amount of coffee grounds and grind settings while making espresso, the extraction pressure fluctuates greatly, extraction time varies, and the coffee taste becomes inconsistent. In such cases, it's highly likely that the problem lies with the coffee machine itself! Because it hasn't been cleaned for a long time, or some parts are damaged and haven't been replaced, this directly affects the extraction process.

Besides the case mentioned above, we might also encounter the following situations due to prolonged lack of coffee machine cleaning during the extraction process: weak steam that can't properly froth milk; low pressure that can't extract coffee flavor; water leakage affecting coffee extraction; and easily leading to extracted coffee with off-flavors... Recently, more and more friends have reported these situations, so today FrontStreet Coffee will share again how we should clean and maintain our coffee machines. This is truly important because only with regular cleaning and maintenance can coffee machines operate stably, and their lifespan can be extended as a result.

How to Clean and Maintain Your Coffee Machine

First, FrontStreet Coffee wants to share about surface cleaning that we can easily do during daily use! This is very simple, with only two steps: one is to run some hot water through before and after extracting coffee, aiming to remove coffee grounds attached to the surface of the dispersion screen; the other is to wipe the steam wand with a damp cloth after frothing milk, aiming to remove milk that's sticking to the steam wand and about to solidify (after wiping, remember to purge to expel milk from inside the wand).

Although these two operations are simple and inconspicuous, they can effectively prevent extracted coffee from having off-flavors and reduce the chance of steam wand clogging. For more diligent friends, you can also use a brush to clean the residue in the brew head before finishing the daily work of the coffee machine (before closing up and shutting down), which can further reduce the occurrence of off-flavors.

Now that we've covered daily cleaning, next FrontStreet Coffee wants to share about deep cleaning. As the name suggests, deep cleaning means cleaning the coffee machine more thoroughly. The frequency of deep cleaning depends on how often the coffee machine is used. For example, coffee shops with high daily output might need to perform deep cleaning every night before closing. For those with lower output, like home users who make less than a few cups a day, you can choose to clean every few days, or once every 1-2 weeks.

Backflushing

First, we need to understand backflushing! During daily extraction, some extremely fine coffee grounds, coffee oils, and coffee liquid will be sucked back into the coffee machine's interior due to pressure release after extraction, scattered in the dispersion screen outlets, pipes, and other places. If these internal deposits are not cleaned regularly, when they accumulate to a certain amount, they will affect the extraction.

The way to clean these deposits is the backflushing method mentioned earlier by FrontStreet Coffee—this is a cleaning method that utilizes the reverse water flow generated during the coffee machine's pressure release. It can help us clean unreachable areas inside pipes and dead corners in the brew head, making it very convenient. The practical operation is also very simple! FrontStreet Coffee has shared this multiple times before. First, we replace the portafilter basket with a blind basket that has no holes at the bottom (usually given as a gift when purchasing a coffee machine), then pour a small amount of coffee machine cleaning powder into the basket and lock it onto the brew head. Finally, just start the coffee machine, wait about 10 seconds for hot water to fill the basket, and then close the extraction to let the machine release pressure.

At this point, the cleaning powder in the basket will combine with hot water and then flush and clean the pipes during the pressure release back-suction process, finally being discharged from the water outlet. Repeat 3-4 times to complete the backflushing and finish the cleaning.

Cleaning the Steam Wand

Besides the brew head, the steam wand faces similar problems. During cleaning after frothing milk, we can only wipe off the milk stains attached to the surface of the steam wand, while some milk residue will remain inside. Therefore, we need to use special methods to remove these milk stains, otherwise they will clog the nozzle, reduce steam intensity, and affect milk frothing.

Similarly, cleaning the steam wand also requires cleaning powder. First, we prepare a cup of hot water and pour a small amount of coffee machine cleaning powder into it. Then remove the steam wand nozzle and place it in this cup of cleaning water to soak—for 30 minutes or overnight is fine.

After soaking is complete, we use some slender cleaning brushes to scrub the inside of the nozzle, and finally rinse with clean water—the steam wand cleaning is complete!

Replacing the Gasket

Another relatively simple, replaceable part is the gasket. The gasket mentioned by FrontStreet Coffee here mainly refers to the rubber ring inside the brew head. Its function is to fix the dispersion screen and promote the formation of a sealed environment during the extraction process.

When used for a long time, the gasket will age, and its sealing effect will become less effective, which will directly affect coffee extraction, making it less stable. At this point, we need to replace the gasket to prevent it from affecting coffee extraction. So under what circumstances can we determine that the gasket has aged? There are two very obvious phenomena to verify. The first is water leakage during coffee extraction—this happens because the aged gasket doesn't seal as well, so hot water leaks from the gaps. Another sign is that when locking the portafilter handle, we need to lock it to a deeper depth than before—this is caused by excessive wear of the gasket.

When the above two situations occur, we need to replace the gasket. The specific method is also very simple: first find the corresponding model of gasket for this coffee machine from an online store, then place an order. When the item arrives, follow the video steps provided by the merchant to replace it~ Different machines have different replacement methods, but you almost don't need to worry about not being able to put it back together, because basically they're all very simple. Take FrontStreet Coffee as an example—FrontStreet Coffee's machine is a Lelit V3, and its gasket replacement method is to pry out the old gasket and then press the new gasket back in, it's that simple.

Water Tank/Boiler

Finally, there are some areas where FrontStreet Coffee recommends having professionals handle the cleaning! The built-in water tank/boiler of the coffee machine will accumulate certain scale and stains after prolonged use. If not cleaned regularly, these deposits will accumulate more and more, directly affecting coffee extraction and taste. Therefore, FrontStreet Coffee recommends regularly cleaning the water tank and boiler. But because these are relatively complex, for friends who aren't very handy, it's best to have professionals come for on-site cleaning. As for the frequency... similar to the gasket, once every half to a year is fine.

Other...

Additionally, friends who have equipped their coffee machines with water systems should regularly replace the filter cartridges. Water quality has a significant impact on extraction, which FrontStreet Coffee has mentioned in previous articles, so we won't elaborate too much here. Also, there's the bottomless portafilter—many friends use bottomless portafilters to extract espresso. Although we rinse with hot water after extraction and clean the portafilter with a dry cloth, unlike with regular portafilters, the bottomless portafilter still has many dead corners that are difficult to clean.

So for friends who use bottomless portafilters to extract coffee, you can disassemble the portafilter basket when closing up at night, and use a brush and clean water to scrub the inside of the portafilter, washing away the deposits. This way, the portafilter won't easily retain off-flavors that could affect the coffee taste.

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Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473