Home › Guides › How to Clean an Espresso Machine
4 minthe daily routine
Weeklychemical backflush
Monthlyscreens and gaskets
2different jobs: clean vs descale
1. Why cleaning matters more than you think
Coffee is roughly fifteen percent oil, and oil goes rancid. Every shot leaves a film behind in the basket, on the shower screen, in the group gasket and along the drain path. Left alone for a week, that film is what people are actually tasting when they say a machine makes bitter coffee — and no amount of dialling in fixes it.
The second reason is mechanical. Coffee residue hardens into a varnish that stops solenoid valves seating properly, and dried milk protein narrows steam wands until the wand whistles instead of stretching milk. Both are avoidable with about four minutes of work a day.
Cleaning and descaling are different jobs and the products are not interchangeable. Cleaning removes coffee oils and milk residue. Descaling removes mineral scale from the boiler, and it is covered separately in our descaling guide.
2. What you need
Essentials
Espresso machine cleaning powder or tablets, a blind (blank) basket if your machine backflushes, a group head brush, a clean dry cloth for the steam wand, and a second cloth kept only for the bench.
Worth having
A soak container for baskets and portafilters, a small screwdriver for shower screen removal, spare group gaskets, and a milk-line cleaner if your machine has an automatic milk system.
Use a product made for espresso machines rather than a household cleaner. Dish soap leaves a scent, bleach is never appropriate anywhere near a brew path, and abrasive pads destroy the finish on stainless. Everything you need is in cleaning products and brushes.
⭐ The one product every machine needs
Cafetto EVO Espresso Machine Cleaner
Backflush powder · removes coffee oils · for weekly use
This is the workhorse of espresso cleaning: a backflush powder that strips the coffee oils out of the group head, shower screen and three-way valve. If you buy one product for your machine, buy this one and use it every week.
✓ Strengths
- Dissolves the oils that cause bitter shots
- Works for backflushing and for soaking baskets
- A small dose goes a long way
⚠ Consider
- Only for machines with a three-way valve when backflushing
- Must be rinsed thoroughly afterwards
Best for: Every traditional espresso machine, home or commercial.
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⭐ Easiest to dose correctly
Cafetto J25 Cleaning Tablets
Pre-dosed tablets · no measuring · 60 per pack
Tablets solve the problem powders create in a busy bar: nobody measures. One tablet is one dose, which means the routine gets done properly whether it is the owner or a new starter doing it at close.
✓ Strengths
- Pre-measured, no scoop needed
- Hard to over- or under-dose
- Convenient for staff routines
⚠ Consider
- Slightly higher cost per clean than powder
- Still needs a thorough water rinse
Best for: Cafes and any machine cleaned by more than one person.
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One habit worth building: keep the steam wand cloth damp, folded and dedicated. A cloth that also wipes the bench is how milk residue ends up back on the wand tip.
3. The daily routine
This is the routine that does ninety percent of the work. It takes about four minutes at close.
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Purge and wipe the steam wand after every use. Not at the end of the day — after every single milk drink. Purge a short burst of steam to clear milk from inside the tip, then wipe the outside with the damp cloth while it is still hot. Dried milk on a wand is many times harder to remove.
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Knock out and rinse the portafilter between shots. Do not leave a spent puck sitting in the basket for an hour; it bakes on and the basket holes clog.
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Flush each group briefly. Run water through the group for a second or two after pulling a shot to clear grounds from the shower screen.
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Backflush with water at close. If your machine has a three-way solenoid valve, insert the blind basket and run the pump in short bursts, several times, with plain water. Traditional E61 and most commercial machines backflush; many single-boiler and tank-fed home machines do not — check your manual first.
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Brush the group and wipe the gasket. The group head brush gets under the lip of the gasket where grounds collect.
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Empty and rinse the drip tray and drain box. This is the part everyone skips and the part that smells first.
4. The weekly routine
Once a week, the daily routine gets a chemical step and a soak.
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Chemical backflush. Add the dose of espresso machine cleaning powder specified by the product into the blind basket, lock in, and run the pump in short bursts with pauses between them so the detergent circulates through the solenoid. Then remove the basket and flush repeatedly with plain water until there is no trace of foam. Under-rinsing is the single most common mistake — the shot after a backflush should taste of nothing at all.
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Soak baskets and portafilters. Dissolve cleaner in hot water and soak the baskets, spouts and the metal part of the portafilters for the time the product states. Keep the plastic handles out of the water. Scrub, rinse thoroughly, and dry.
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Deep-clean the steam wand. Soak the wand tip in a milk-line cleaning solution, then clear the tip holes with a pin and purge.
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Clean milk pitchers properly. Milk pitchers build a film that a quick rinse will not shift. Wash them with a proper detergent, not just hot water.
⭐ For the milk side
Caffe Assist Steam Wand Cleaning Powder
Milk protein remover · for wand soaking · 500g
Wiping a wand removes what is on the outside. Milk protein that has baked inside the tip needs a soak, and this is what does it. If your wand has started whistling or the steam pattern has gone uneven, this is usually the fix.
✓ Strengths
- Clears milk residue from inside the tip
- Restores steam flow and pattern
- Also works for pitchers and milk lines
⚠ Consider
- Needs a soak container
- Rinse and purge fully before the next drink
Best for: Any machine that steams milk daily.
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5. The monthly routine
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Remove and clean the shower screens. Unscrew each screen, soak it in cleaning solution, and scrub both sides. Check the dispersion block behind it while you are in there.
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Inspect the group gaskets. A gasket that has gone hard, cracked, or that lets the portafilter sit further round than it used to is due for replacement. Leaking around the group during a shot is the obvious symptom.
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Empty and wipe the bean hopper. Oils from the beans coat the walls and go rancid. Wash, dry completely, then refill.
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Clean the grinder chamber. Brush out the chute and burr area, or run a grinder cleaning product through it.
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Check the water filter. Note the date and replace on schedule — see water filters. A filter left past its life stops protecting the boiler.
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Clean under and behind the machine. Pull it forward, clear the drain line, and check for weeping fittings.
⭐ The step everyone skips
Cafetto Grinder Cleaner
Grinder cleaning granules · food-safe · 450g
Coffee oils coat the inside of a grinder just as they coat a group head, and a brush only reaches the chute. Cleaning granules run through the burrs and carry the residue out, which is why a grinder clean often changes the taste more than a machine clean does.
✓ Strengths
- Reaches the burr chamber a brush cannot
- Removes rancid oil residue
- Quick - takes a few minutes
⚠ Consider
- Purge with beans afterwards
- Not a substitute for stripping the burrs periodically
Best for: Every grinder, home or commercial.
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6. Cleaning versus descaling
These get confused constantly, so to be precise: cleaning removes organic residue — coffee oils and milk — from the brew path and the wand. Descaling removes inorganic mineral deposits from inside the boiler and heating elements. Backflushing with cleaning powder does nothing for scale, and descaler does nothing for coffee oils.
How often you need to descale depends almost entirely on your water. Machines running on filtered or properly treated water go far longer between descales than machines running straight from a hard supply. Fitting a filter is cheaper than descaling frequently, and much cheaper than a boiler element. The full method is in our step-by-step descaling guide.
⭐ For scale, not oils
Cafetto LOD Liquid Descaler
Liquid descaler · for boilers and heating elements · 1L
This is the other half of maintenance, and it is not interchangeable with the products above. Descaler dissolves the mineral deposits that build inside a boiler and insulate the heating element. How often you need it depends almost entirely on your water hardness.
✓ Strengths
- Targets scale rather than coffee residue
- Liquid form is easy to dose
- Protects the element, the most costly failure
⚠ Consider
- Check your manual - some machines must be descaled by a technician
- Never mix with cleaning powder
Best for: Machines running on hard or unfiltered water.
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7. The cleaning schedule at a glance
| Task |
Frequency |
What you need |
Skipping it causes |
| Purge and wipe steam wand |
Every use |
Damp cloth |
Blocked tip, milk taint |
| Group flush and knock out puck |
Every shot |
Nothing |
Clogged basket holes |
| Water backflush |
Daily |
Blind basket |
Residue in the solenoid |
| Drip tray and drain box |
Daily |
Hot water |
Odor, drain blockage |
| Chemical backflush |
Weekly |
Cleaning powder |
Bitter, oily shots |
| Basket and portafilter soak |
Weekly |
Cleaner, container |
Uneven extraction |
| Shower screens off and soaked |
Monthly |
Screwdriver |
Channeling, poor dispersion |
| Gasket inspection |
Monthly |
Spare gaskets |
Leaking group |
| Hopper and grinder clean |
Monthly |
Brush, grinder cleaner |
Rancid taste |
| Descale |
Per water hardness |
Descaler |
Scaled boiler, element failure |
8. Common mistakes
Under-rinsing after a chemical backflush. If the next shot tastes soapy, you did not flush enough. Keep going with plain water until it is neutral.
Using vinegar as a general cleaner. Vinegar is a weak descaling acid, not a degreaser, and it can attack seals and leave a smell that lingers for days. Use products formulated for espresso equipment.
Backflushing a machine that cannot be backflushed. Machines without a three-way solenoid valve have nowhere for the pressure to go. Check the manual before you fit a blind basket.
Cleaning the wand only at close. Milk protein bonds to hot stainless within minutes. Wipe it every time.
Letting the water filter lapse. An expired filter is not neutral; it stops protecting the boiler while you assume it still is.
If a machine has been neglected for a long stretch, a service is usually more sensible than a heroic cleaning session — gaskets, screens and seals are cheap, and our technicians can bring a tired machine back properly. Get in touch through the contact page.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I clean my espresso machine?
Wipe and purge the steam wand after every milk drink, flush the group and knock out the puck after every shot, and backflush with plain water plus empty the drip tray daily. Once a week, do a chemical backflush and soak the baskets and portafilters. Once a month, remove the shower screens, inspect the group gaskets, and clean the hopper and grinder.
What is the difference between cleaning and descaling an espresso machine?
Cleaning removes organic residue - coffee oils and milk - from the brew path, group head and steam wand, using an espresso machine cleaning powder. Descaling removes mineral scale from inside the boiler using a descaling acid. They are different products for different problems: backflushing does nothing for scale, and descaler does nothing for coffee oils.
Can I clean my espresso machine with vinegar?
It is not recommended. Vinegar is a weak descaling acid rather than a degreaser, so it will not remove the coffee oils that cause bitter shots, and it can attack seals and gaskets while leaving a smell that lingers. Use a cleaning powder or tablet made for espresso machines, and a proper descaler when scale is the issue.
How do I backflush an espresso machine?
Fit a blind (blank) basket into the portafilter, lock it into the group, and run the pump in short bursts with pauses so pressure builds and releases through the three-way valve. Use plain water daily and a dose of cleaning powder weekly, then flush repeatedly with plain water until no foam remains. Only machines with a three-way solenoid valve can be backflushed, so check your manual first.
