I recently had another real-life experience that inspired me to write this post. My dear mom and her fully automatic coffee machine. When I was visiting and "pulled" a coffee, it only ran from one of the two spouts. When I asked when it was last cleaned, my mother shrugged her shoulders and said something like, "The machine will let me know when it needs something."
Neglecting cleaning
With fully automatic machines, it may be the case that certain models regularly prompt you to clean them. A portafilter machine does not do this. What a shame, because the topic is so important and is treated by so many as a chore to be avoided, much like washing windows.
The effects of buildup
We all want delicious coffee. We put effort into choosing the right beans, filtering water to protect the machine, working conscientiously with timers and scales, practicing latte art... and then nobody cleans up afterward. A dirty workstation is not pleasant and also results in unpleasant flavor notes. Coffee contains oils that stick to parts of the machine and are far from tasty; instead, they go rancid. Tiny particles of coffee grounds also find their way into the smallest cracks and can get stuck. Cleaning is so simple and super quick, and it should become a routine.
The right cleaning method
At the end of all our barista courses, we always clean the machine. We go through all the steps together. For this, we use our Clean Powder for coffee machines, which is very economical because you only need the smallest amounts per cleaning. You are also welcome to use a cleaning brush.
- Unless otherwise recommended by the machine manufacturer, place 5g of the powder in the blind filter.
- Start the extraction and let it run for approx. 10 seconds.
- Stop the extraction.
- Repeat this process several times until the powder has completely dissolved.
- Then rinse thoroughly with plenty of water.
We recommend cleaning portafilter machines weekly.
Cleaning the shower screen and the portafilter
Afterward, remove the shower screen from the group head and clean it under warm water with a cloth or a soft brush. For removing the shower screen, the screen remover is perfect, or you can use a spoon like Michel does in the video.
Additionally, release the filter basket from the portafilter (please do not try this with sharp objects such as a knife -> risk of injury) but instead use, for example, the screen remover as well. Now remove any coffee residue from the group head; feel free to use the brush to get into the crevices. Wipe/dry everything off with a barista cloth.
Done.
