How to Clean an Espresso Machine: Step by Step

In short: rinse and purge after every session; on three-way solenoid machines, backflush with water daily to weekly and with cleaner about weekly to monthly depending on use; descale every 1–3 months depending on water hardness. The full schedule, including gasket and shower screen checks, is in our espresso machine maintenance guide.

Skipping it dulls flavor and encourages channeling as oil coats the shower screen. After rinsing, smell the basket: if it smells oily, it needs a soak.

1. 1

   Knock the puck and rinse. The portafilter and basket under hot water straight away.

2. 2

   Flush the group head. For 3–5 seconds with no portafilter attached.3–5 seconds

3. 3

   Purge and wipe the steam wand. With its own damp cloth while warm.

4. 4

   Empty the drip tray. When the float rises; standing water breeds odors.

1. 1

   Backflush with water. Blind basket in, run 5 cycles of 10 seconds on, 10 seconds off.10 seconds

2. 2

   Soak the steam wand tip. For 15–20 minutes in hot water with a pinch of cleaning powder.15–20 minutes

3. 3

   Scrub the gasket groove. In circles with the group brush; packed grounds cause poor sealing.

1. 1

   Add 1/2 teaspoon of Cafiza or Puly Caff to the blind basket and lock it in.

2. 2

   Run the brew for 10 seconds, stop and wait 10 seconds; repeat for 5 cycles.10 seconds

3. 3

   Rinse the blind basket, then run 5 water-only cycles to flush the cleaner.

4. 4

   Pull one blank shot, then a test shot, and taste for any chemical note.

5. 5

   Soak the basket and shower screen for 20–30 minutes in hot water with 1/2 teaspoon of powder, then rinse and dry.20–30 minutes

6. 6

   Inspect the group gasket while the screen is off; replace it if cracked or hard, or if the portafilter handle now swings past about 6 o'clock.

Milk protein bakes on fast. Purge for a second or two and wipe straight after steaming. If the jet looks uneven, clear the tip holes with a steam wand brush or straightened paperclip. Still not frothing? See why a steam wand stops frothing.

Every shot leaves oils and fine particles in the group head, shower screen and portafilter. Those oils oxidise into a bitter, stale film. Meanwhile, hot water leaves limescale in the boiler and pipes, which slows flow, changes brew temperature and eventually clogs the machine.

Milk residue in the steam wand is a food-safety issue as well as a flavour issue, because warm milk feeds bacteria quickly. Cleaning therefore has three separate targets: oils (group and basket), milk (steam wand) and minerals (descaling). Each needs a different product.

As examples from our reviews: the Gaggia Classic Pro has a three-way solenoid valve, so it can be backflushed (water daily to weekly, cleaner about weekly to monthly depending on use), while the Breville Bambino Plus and De'Longhi Dedica do not, so for those you clean the shower screen and basket by hand instead.

Check your manual before backflushing. Machines without a three-way solenoid valve should not be backflushed, because the pressure has nowhere to escape safely. Our cleaning tablets guide explains which products suit each type.

Whatever the type, wipe the group gasket and the rim of the portafilter after the last shot of the day, so dried coffee does not stop the portafilter sealing properly.

1. 1

   Purge the wand for a second before steaming to clear condensed water.

2. 2

   Wipe the wand with a damp cloth straight after steaming, before the milk dries.

3. 3

   Purge again for a second or two to blow out milk drawn back into the tip.

4. 4

   Once a week, soak the tip in hot water or a milk system cleaner and clear the holes with a pin if needed.

5. 5

   If the wand still smells sour, remove the tip and soak it separately.

Dried milk inside the wand is the most common reason steaming gets weaker over time. It also harbours bacteria, so wand cleaning matters for hygiene as well as performance. Our steam wand not frothing milk guide covers what to do if the wand is already blocked.

• Shots taste more bitter or stale even with fresh beans.
• The shower screen looks dark or has visible coffee stuck to it.
• Water flows unevenly from the group when you flush it.
• The steam wand is weaker or sputters.
• The drip tray or water tank smells musty.

Any of these means clean now rather than waiting for the schedule. Our espresso machine maintenance guide has a complete schedule, and how to descale a coffee machine covers scale.

Compare options in the cleaning tablet guide; for a full calendar see espresso machine maintenance. Machine hard to keep clean? Easy-access drip trays and removable shower screens help; see best espresso machines.