Recently I had a live experience that prompted me to write this post. My dear mom and her super-automatic machine. When I visited and "pulled" a coffee, it only came out of one of the spouts. When I asked when the machine was last cleaned, my mother shrugged and said something like: "The machine will let me know if it needs something".
Neglecting Cleaning
With super-automatic machines, certain models may regularly prompt you to clean them. A portafilter machine, however, does not. What a shame, because this topic is so important and is treated so negligently by so many people, just like cleaning windows.
The Effects of Dirt
We all want delicious coffee. We concern ourselves with the right choice of beans, filter water to protect the machine, work carefully with timers and scales, practice latte art... and then nobody cleans up afterward. A dirty workspace is not pleasant and brings unpleasant flavor notes with it. Coffee has oils that stick to parts of the machine and are not delicious at all—they become rancid. Particles of ground coffee also get lost in the tiniest crevices and can get stuck. Cleaning is so easy and goes super quickly and should become routine.
The Right Cleaning Method
At the end of all our barista courses, machine cleaning always takes place. Together we go through all the steps. For this we use our Clean Powder for coffee machines, which is very economical because you only need tiny amounts per cleaning. You can also add a cleaning brush if you like.
- Unless otherwise recommended by the machine manufacturer, put 5g of the powder into the blind basket.
- Start the brew and let it run for about 10 seconds.
- End the brew.
- Repeat this process several times until the powder is completely dissolved.
- Then rinse thoroughly with plenty of water.
We recommend weekly cleaning of portafilter machines.
Cleaning the Shower Screen and Portafilter
Then remove the shower screen from the shower and clean it under warm water with a cloth or soft brush. The Screen Remover is suitable for removing the shower screen, or you can use a spoon like Michel in the video.
Also remove the basket used from the portafilter (please do not try with sharp objects like a knife → risk of injury) but for example also with the Screen Remover. Now remove coffee residue from the shower, feel free to use the brush to get into the crevices. Finish everything with a Barista cloth / dry.
Done.
