Regular maintenance and cleaning of your espresso machine are essential for serving quality coffee at your coffee shop or having a brew at home. Neglecting to do so can not only compromise the taste of your coffee but can also (if you are using one in a coffee shop that is) turn away your customers. Therefore, it should be among your top priorities as a coffee machine owner, especially since your machine (if it’s commercial grade) is likely making hundreds of coffees each day.
Experts do suggest that with proper and regular care, most espresso machines can last between 9-10 years. Following their advice to extend the lifespan of your machine can make you and your customers happy.
Here are some helpful FAQ’s and tips to get you started.
How often should I clean my coffee machine?
It is recommended to clean your coffee machine once a month, although this can vary depending on the frequency of use and the type of coffee machine that you are using, many commercial-grade automatic coffee machines for example have their own automated cleaning cycles in place for the most part with cleaning only really needed for the milk container and coffee grind tray.
What should I use to clean my coffee machine?
It comes highly recommended that you should use a descaling solution or a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar to clean your workhorse coffee machine. It is best though to consult your machine manufacturer's instructions for specific recommendations. Some Delonghi Coffee Machines use Delonghi Softballs for their cleaning cycle while Eversys Coffee Machines use Eversys Cleaning Balls as part of their cleaning cycle.
How do I descale my coffee machine?
To begin the process of descaling your coffee machine, you will need to have available at your disposal a descaling solution or a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar. It does differ per machine though so please do follow the manufacturer's instructions for your particular model of coffee machine. In general though as a rule of thumb, you will need to fill the water tank with the descaling solution, run the machine through a cycle, and then rinse thoroughly with a number of water-only cycles afterwards.
Here are the steps on how to descale your espresso machine:
- The most important step is to turn off your espresso machine and unplug it.
- Fill the water reservoir with a descaling solution.
- Turn on your espresso machine and run it through a cycle.
- Let the descaling solution sit in the machine for 30 minutes.
- Turn off your espresso machine and unplug it.
- Rinse the water reservoir and fill it with fresh water.
- Turn on your espresso machine and run it through a cycle.
- Check your espresso machine for any remaining scale. If there are any, repeat steps 4-7.
- Once your espresso machine is descaled, you can plug it back in and start brewing coffee again.
Here are some tips for descaling your espresso machine:
- Use a descaling solution that is specifically designed for espresso machines.
- Do not use vinegar or other harsh chemicals to descale your espresso machine.
- Be sure to rinse the water reservoir and machine thoroughly after descaling.
- Descale your espresso machine regularly to prevent scale buildup.
Here are some of the benefits of descaling your espresso machine:
- Improved taste: Descaling your espresso machine can remove mineral deposits that can make coffee taste bitter or sour.
- Increased longevity: Descaling your espresso machine can help to prevent mineral deposits from building up inside your machine, which can damage the machine and shorten its lifespan.
- Reduced maintenance: Descaling your espresso machine can help to reduce the amount of maintenance required for your machine.
If you are looking for ways to improve the taste of your coffee and extend the lifespan of your espresso machine, descaling is a great option.
How often should I replace the water filter in my coffee machine?
The majority of water filter manufacturers typically design their products to last for between 1.5 to 3 months, the specific duration can vary though and is dependent on the water hardness and frequency of use (specifically, the volume of water used). Therefore depending on your machine, it is not uncommon for your coffee machine to prompt you to change the filter after one month one time, and after two months the next.
Can I clean my coffee machine with soap and water?
The short answer is no don’t do it! It’s generally not recommended to clean your coffee machine with soap and water as this can leave a soapy residue behind that will affect the taste of the coffee. Instead, a better option would be to use a descaling solution or a mixture of water and vinegar.
Can I put my carafe in the dishwasher?
That depends, it can vary depending on the type of carafe that you have and also the manufacturer's recommendations. Your best bet here would be to consult the machine manufacturer's instructions for their specific recommendations. Generally speaking though, glass carafes can be washed in the dishwasher, and some plastic carafes too depending on the type used but stainless steel or thermal carafes may need to be washed by hand.
What If I need my coffee machine repaired?
We can help you with that, whether it’s online or on-site get in touch with us and book a coffee machine service, we can repair and service most commercial coffee machines including the following:
- Astoria,
- Casadio,
- ECM,
- Eureka,
- Eversys,
- LaCimbali,
- Mazzer,
- PuqPress,
- Rancilio,
- Rheavendors,
- SanRemo and Slayer.
Furthermore, we can also service domestic equipment including Braun, De'Longhi, Kenwood, Braun, Saeco and Phillips and more. Get in touch and let’s see what we can do for you.
