Essential Cleaning for Coffee Equipment

Mar 15, 2025

Cleaning and Maintenance of Coffee Equipment

Importance of Cleaning and Maintenance

  • Essential to prevent bad tasting coffee and ensure longevity of equipment.
  • Helps maintain the value of coffee equipment for resale.
  • Manuals are available online for free as PDFs for extra guidance.

Categories of Coffee Equipment

  1. Espresso Machines
  2. Coffee Grinders
  3. Coffee Brewers
  4. Miscellaneous Coffee Equipment

Espresso Machines

  • Portafilters:

    • Keep baskets clean daily to avoid accumulation of old coffee.
    • Use dish soap and soft scour for cleaning; soak if heavily stained.
    • Naked portafilters are easier to clean.
  • Group Heads:

    • Clean the shower screen weekly to prevent coffee from accumulating.
    • Clean the dispersion block and gasket regularly.
  • Backflushing:

    • Essential for machines with a solenoid valve to prevent coffee residue build-up.
    • Minimum once a week using a small amount of espresso machine cleaner.
    • Frequent flushing after espresso shots can help.
  • Descaling:

    • Necessary to prevent limescale build-up.
    • Use citric acid for homemade descaling solutions.
    • Follow manufacturer's recommendations for descaling products.

Coffee Grinders

  • Exit Chute and Hoppers:

    • Clean exit chute weekly to prevent coffee from regrinding.
    • Regularly clean hoppers with dish soap to avoid rancid oil build-up.
  • Burr Chamber:

    • Clean grinder chamber as per manufacturer's guidelines.
    • Burrs need replacing every few hundred kilos of use.
    • Avoid using uncooked rice for cleaning.

Coffee Brewers

  • Filter Coffee Brewers:
    • Use espresso machine detergent for soaking filters and carafes.
    • Avoid accumulation of residues to maintain flavor.
    • Descale regularly to prevent performance issues.

Miscellaneous Equipment

  • Kettles:

    • Descale with citric acid if scale is present.
  • Moka Pots and Travel Cups:

    • Clean regularly; replace gaskets when brittle.

Additional Advice

  • Use espresso machine detergent for various cleaning tasks.
  • Consider water quality for both taste and machine longevity.
  • Regular maintenance prevents long-term issues and maintains quality.