How to Clean Your Coffee and Espresso Machines

At-Home Barista Tips

Keeping your coffee maker clean is important in preventing clogs, bad-tasting coffee, and to maintain the machine for long term use. 

Your coffee maker will run well and provide you great tasting coffee. Here are some at-home-barista tips on how to clean your coffee and espresso machines.

Daily Cleaning

Wipe it down after each use. Keeping up with a brief cleaning routine daily can help extend the life of your coffee machine. 

Espresso Machine:

• After it is finished brewing, dump the coffee grounds (you may want to add them to your composter). 
• Rinse the porta-filter. 
• Scrub the porta-filter with a dish brush.
• If you use soap, make sure it's an unscented variety that won't impart flavors to your coffee.
• Allow all parts to air dry before reassembling.
• Wipe the exterior of the machine.

Drip Coffee Maker:

• Remove the filter and grounds (great for your garden, add the grounds to your composter).
• Rinse the basket of the coffee maker.
• Scrub the basket with a dish brush (again, use unscented soap). 
• Wash the drip coffee maker's carafe with hot water and unscented soap. 
• Allow basket and carafe to air-dry before reassembling. 
• Wipe the coffee maker's exterior.

Weekly Cleaning

Espresso Machine:

• Perform a “back-flush” if your espresso machine has a three-way valve. If it does not have a three-way valve, do not attempt a weekly back-flush. Use a half teaspoon of white vinegar or cleaner into a “blind” filter (no holes) and add it into the porta-filter. Turn on the pump and let it go until it quietens down. Turn off the pump and wait for the cleaner to be forced through the machine and into the drip tray. Repeat this process several times with plain water to wash out the cleaner.
• For regular espresso makers without a three-way valve, simple soak your porta-filter, basket, and steam wand in a mix of white vinegar and water.

Drip Coffee Maker:

For drip coffee makers, a weekly cleaning is not usually necessary if you're keeping up with the daily regimen. However, if you're using the coffee maker more than usual — such as several times a day with no chance to clean it properly — then you may want to perform the monthly cleaning (as outlined below) on a weekly basis. 

Monthly Cleaning

Espresso Machine:

• De-calcify your machine once a month or every other month. This removes calcium and hard water deposits that build up in the espresso machine. You can use a de-calcifying agent specifically made for espresso machines. It comes in packets, and you put a packet of the solution into the reservoir, stir, and turn on your machine. 
• De-calcification is not necessary if you have a charcoal filter in your espresso machine that you change every other month. 

Drip Coffee Maker:

Each month, send a mixture of white vinegar and water through your drip coffee maker. How much vinegar and how much water and how many times to send the mix through varies with each model. So check your coffee maker's instruction booklet for details. The following tips are general:

• Pour a mix of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water into the reservoir. 
• Run your drip coffee maker as usual with the basket in place (no filter). 
• Pour out the vinegar solution once it's cooled.
• Run 2 pots of clear water through the machine to remove the vinegar. 

Conclusion

Machine maintenance is a priority if you want to have great tasting coffee and get the most life out of your machine. The amount of use you put your machine through will ultimately determine the cleaning routine frequency.

You can set a reminder in your calendar for any of these cleaning cycles:

1. Daily cleaning
2. Weekly cleaning
3. Monthly cleaning