How To Backflush An Espresso Machine

An important daily process for better brewing

During the routine procedure for making an espresso, small bits of ground coffee and oils can get built up in the group head.

If left without cleaning, this residue can, add a stale taste to your freshly brewed coffee which seriously lowers the quality of your drink.

When it is time to clean – either at the end of the day or at the culmination of an extremely busy period – remove the filter from the group handles and set these to soak in cold water.

Fit your blind backflush disc (or your rubber blanking disc) into the group handle and add one teaspoon of espresso cleaner.

Place the handle back into the espresso machine and then press the ‘espresso’ button to flush water throughout the group head and piping which will remove any build-up of residue.

After this initial procedure you should then remove the handle and empty out the water and any leftover cleaning powder and coffee.

Repeat the cleaning procedure, but do not add any further cleaning powder.

Now, with a specific espresso brush, gently clean the group seal in a circular motion. Finally, place the group handle back into the group head and run some water through it to finish off the process.

Group handle cleaning

The same grime can build up within your group handle and filter baskets, so it is important to clean those as well. Luckily, this is a very simple procedure.

Remove the filter basket from the group handle and then place both in a bowl or container filled with hot water and a scoop of espresso cleaner and leave them overnight.

Then, the following morning, rinse the handles thoroughly with fresh water.

However it is important not to submerge the plastic handles as the prolonged exposure to the hot water could damage them.