3 Simple Cleaning Tips That Could Save You Money 

We all love a consistent coffee but I can attest to having a few poor tasting coffees from perfectly capable machines. But why is that the case?

The answer is simply really! Most often a clean machine, free from internal coffee build up, will contribute to a far more enjoyable espresso.

You’d be surprised to learn how easy it is to clean your coffee machine, yet many cafes don’t incorporate the correct processes in their daily cleaning procedure. Many machines look super shiny on the exterior with a clean working space, however we often find the inside is not a mirror image of the outside. So here are 4 super easy coffee machine cleaning tips baristas can easily implement into their daily routine.

  • Backflushing

All too often we hear the line “but I backflash all the time with water”, well do you wash your dishes with just water? The answer usually is no.  So what makes your machine any different?

The reason why you need to backflush your Commercial Coffee machine with chemical (regardless of its brand - LaCimbali, La-Marzocco, Expobar, Wega) is due to the discharge solenoid valve.  When a Barista completes the extraction of an espresso, a small amount of coffee is pulled back into the group head & into the threeway discharge valve.   Backflushing your coffee machine removes this build-up of coffee oils in the group head.  Not backflushing could result in solenoids failing or blocked group heads, which can be difficult to properly clean; all of which could have easily been prevented with a simple daily back flush.

  1. Place the blind filter basket into the group handle.
  2. Place the recommended amount of cleaning chemical into the basket, I personally recommend Cafetto after trying many other products this has been the best for me.
  3. Place the group handle into the coffee machine.
  4. Run the group head for 6 seconds, and let it rest for 6 seconds – repeat this step 6 times.
  5. Remove the blind filter basket & repeat step 4 without chemical.
  6. Finally, put the clean portafilter into the group handle (with the standard basket) and run a shot of coffee through the group.
  •  Group handle

I’m not sure who came up with the idea of soaking portafilters in chemicals overnight but I am a firm advocate of not doing so. One perfect reason, leaving coated brass handles overnight can lead to the coating slowly coming off, leaving exposed brass, which results in the minerals being striped into the coffee!

So what is the best way to clean your group handles?

  1. Place a small amount of cleaning chemical into a stainless-steel Enough to create a foamed cleaning solution.
  2. Soak your group handles and baskets in the cleaning solution for a maximum of 10 minutes
  3. Rinse your handles and baskets under clean water, wiping away any excess oils with a clean cloth
  4. Place all the handles back into position/
  • Steam Wands

This one’s a super must! I have found machines steam arms completely blocked from build-up of milk residue. Its so simple, after every time you use this feature, a firm wipe with a damp cloth & conduct a purge for at least 5 seconds. By doing this you will lower the unwanted chance of milk build up in your steam wand.

I myself & all the technicians recommend doing the mentioned cleaning procedures every day in a cafe to ensure the coffee you offer will remain consistent. By failing to do these basic cleaning procedures you may begin to notice the Coffee machine acting odd including better tasting milk & stale tasting coffee.

Should you wish to implement Preventative Maintenance within your business please contact us on (03) 9322 4777 or check out our other blog post here.

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