Almost as important to the quality of specialty coffee as expert preparation, is regular and thorough cleaning of your machine. Our barista Dennis explains why.
Hello, it's your barista Dennis again. Today we're talking about cleaning your portafilter machine.
Why is cleaning important?
If cleaning is neglected, there will quickly be problems and eventually the coffee will no longer taste good. The reason for this is coffee oil deposits in and around the brew group. The art of cleaning is to find a healthy balance between "excessive cleaning mania" and "no cleaning at all".
Cleaning agents for portafilter machines are known as coffee fat solvents - in other words, chemical cleaners. These are capable of dissolving coffee oil deposits so that they can then be removed by water or by manual cleaning with a brush. Every portafilter machine, regardless of whether it is a home barista machine with an E61 brew group or a gastronomy machine with a brew group including an electronic solenoid valve, has moving components within the brew group. Moving parts require lubrication. If you overdo it with cleaning, they tend to jam or wear excessively. If, on the other hand, you clean too little, the channels and moving parts inside the brew group will become clogged with old coffee oils.
Watch our video and sign up to our newsletter to learn more about cleaning your machine - how often, when and how.
Until then, best regards.
Your Barista Dennis
