To clean an espresso machine, flush the group head and wipe the steam wand after every use, rinse the portafilter and baskets daily, backflush with espresso machine detergent once a week, and descale every few months depending on your water. Coffee oils go rancid quickly and minerals build up inside the boiler, so a few minutes of regular cleaning keeps your shots tasting right and your machine working for years.
Always check your machine’s manual first. Backflushing and descaling in particular depend on how your machine is built.
Espresso machine cleaning, in short
A schedule for a home machine making a few drinks a day.
- After every shot: knock out the puck, rinse the basket, and run a few seconds of water through the group head. Purge and wipe the steam wand right after steaming.
- Every day: wipe the gasket and shower screen, empty and rinse the drip tray, and wash the portafilter and baskets.
- Every week: backflush with espresso machine detergent (if your machine allows it) and soak the portafilter and baskets.
- Every 1 to 3 months: descale, more often with hard water, less with filtered water.
What You Need
- Espresso machine detergent, in powder or tablets, made for backflushing. Cafiza is a common one.
- A blind basket: a portafilter basket with no holes. Many machines include one.
- A group head brush with an angled head, for the gasket and shower screen.
- Descaler made for espresso machines, or the one your manufacturer recommends.
- Milk system cleaner (optional), for the steam wand tip.
- Two microfiber cloths: one for the steam wand only, one for everything else.
Every Day: The Two-Minute Clean
Most of the cleaning that matters happens as you go. After each shot, knock out the puck, rinse the basket under the tap or the group head, and run water through the group for a few seconds with no portafilter in place to wash grounds off the shower screen. Lock the empty portafilter back in so it stays hot.
At the end of the day, wipe around the group gasket and shower screen with a damp cloth or brush, wash the portafilter and baskets with hot water, empty and rinse the drip tray, and wipe down the outside of the machine.
How to Backflush an Espresso Machine
Backflushing only works on machines with a three-way solenoid valve, which releases pressure into the drip tray when a shot ends (you will see a puff of water there). Many entry-level machines do not have one. On those, backflushing can force coffee and water where it should not go, so follow the manual’s cleaning method instead.
Backflushing pushes water, and once a week detergent, back up through the group head to dissolve the coffee oils that build up behind the shower screen and in the valve.
Weekly detergent backflush
About 10 minutes. You need a blind basket and espresso machine detergent.
- Put the blind basket in the portafilter and add the amount of detergent on the package, usually about half a teaspoon (or one tablet).
- Lock in the portafilter and run the pump for about 10 seconds, then stop for about 10 seconds. Repeat five times. Brown, foamy water will come out into the drip tray.
- Remove the portafilter, rinse it, and run water through the group head to wash off detergent.
- Repeat the 10-on, 10-off cycle five more times with clean water and no detergent.
- Pull one shot and throw it away to clear any leftover taste.
While you wait, soak the portafilter (metal parts only, not a wooden or plastic handle) and baskets in hot water with a teaspoon of the same detergent for 20 to 30 minutes, then rinse them well. Between detergent cleans, a quick backflush with plain water at the end of the day helps.
Clean the Shower Screen and Gasket
Even with backflushing, coffee builds up behind the shower screen, the metal mesh that spreads water over the coffee. Every month or two, unplug the machine and let it cool, unscrew the screen (usually one screw in the center), soak it in detergent solution, and brush out the group head behind it. Brush the rubber gasket around the group too.
Gaskets harden with heat and age. If the portafilter starts to lock in further than it used to, or water leaks around the edge during a shot, the gasket needs replacing, typically every 6 to 12 months on a machine used daily.
Clean the Steam Wand
Milk is the fastest way to make a machine unhygienic, so the steam wand needs attention every time you use it:
- Purge the wand for a second or two before steaming to clear water.
- Right after steaming, wipe the wand with a damp cloth kept just for that job, before milk dries on it.
- Purge it again for a couple of seconds to blow out milk sucked back into the tip.
- Once a week, soak the tip in milk system cleaner or hot water, and clear the steam holes with a paper clip or the pin that came with the machine.
For better milk in the first place, see our guide to how to froth milk.
How to Descale an Espresso Machine
Scale is the chalky mineral deposit left by hard water. It builds up in the boiler, pipes and valves, slows the flow and can eventually stop a machine working. How often to descale depends on your water and how much you use the machine: monthly with hard water, every two to three months with average tap water, and less often with filtered or softened water. Many machines have a descale light or a set reminder.
Descaling a single-boiler or thermoblock machine
About 45 minutes. Follow your manual if it gives a different method.
- Empty the water tank, remove any water filter, and mix the descaler with water as the package directs.
- Turn the machine on and let it heat. Run about half the solution through the group head and a little through the steam wand.
- Turn the machine off and let the solution sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Turn it back on and run the rest of the solution through the group and wand.
- Rinse the tank and run at least two full tanks of fresh water through the group and wand, until there is no taste or smell of descaler.
Some manufacturers advise against home descaling for these machines, because loosened scale can block valves. They recommend preventing scale with filtered or softened water and having the machine serviced instead. Check before you descale.
Most espresso machine makers warn against vinegar: it is weaker on scale than a proper descaler, can be hard on seals, and leaves a smell that is hard to rinse out.
The best way to cut down on descaling is to use better water. Our guide to coffee and water explains what to look for.
Espresso Machine Cleaning Schedule
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| After every shot | Rinse the basket, flush the group head, purge and wipe the steam wand |
| Daily | Wipe the gasket and shower screen, wash the portafilter and baskets, empty the drip tray, wipe the outside |
| Weekly | Detergent backflush (if your machine allows it), soak the portafilter and baskets, soak the steam wand tip |
| Every 1–2 months | Remove and clean the shower screen; clean the grinder |
| Every 1–3 months | Descale (depends on water hardness); change the water filter if your machine has one |
| Every 6–12 months | Replace the group gasket and shower screen if worn |
Use more often if you make many drinks a day, less often if you make one or two a week.
Super-Automatic and Pod Machines
Bean-to-cup machines have their own cleaning and descaling programs and usually their own cleaning tablets, so follow the prompts on the screen. If the brew unit comes out, rinse it under warm water once a week and let it air-dry. Empty the grounds drawer daily so it does not grow mold. Pod machines mostly need descaling and a wipe of the needle and capsule holder. For drip machines, see our guide to cleaning a coffee maker.
Signs Your Machine Needs Cleaning
- Bitter, ashy or rancid taste even with fresh beans: old coffee oil in the group or portafilter.
- Uneven spray from the shower screen: clogged holes; remove and clean the screen.
- Slow flow or weak pressure: scale, or a clogged screen.
- Steam wand sputters or is weak: blocked steam holes or scale.
- White flakes in the water: scale; descale soon.
If shots still taste wrong after a full clean, the problem is probably the grind or the beans. Our espresso troubleshooting guide and our guide to what espresso is can help.
Common Questions
How often should I backflush my espresso machine?
With detergent, about once a week for a machine used daily. With plain water, at the end of each day if you like. Only backflush if your machine has a three-way solenoid valve.
Can I use dish soap?
For hand-washing the portafilter, baskets and drip tray, yes, as long as you rinse them well. Do not put dish soap through the machine: it foams and leaves a taste. Use espresso machine detergent for backflushing.
Can I put the portafilter in the dishwasher?
It is best not to. Dishwasher detergent can discolor the metal and damage wooden or plastic handles. Baskets are usually fine, but check the manual.
Former roastery owner and coffee tour operator. Steve spent five years roasting coffee for his own shop and wholesale customers. More about Steve