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It is no secret that only a clean machine makes the best coffee. Any barista can testify to that, but did you know that there’s more to cleaning an espresso machine than just giving it a wipe down after every use? Today we look at cleaning your espresso machine’s group heads.
The group head is one of the most important yet most overlooked areas of an espresso machine. It is extremely important to keep this area clean as this is where the coffee meets the machine. Here we set out a step-by-step guide for how you can maintain & clean your group heads.
Regular maintenance and cleaning of your beloved espresso machine goes a long way, not only in saving you money on replacements & services but also in ensuring you get the freshest cup of coffee, every time!
The importance of cleaning your espresso coffee machine cannot be stressed enough. This holds true for both home, and commercial espresso coffee machines, though the latter does run a lot more coffee. Continue reading to learn why it is important to clean your espresso coffee machine. You can also watch our video to learn how to it easy and efficient!
Guess why we clean? Of course, for that coffee taste. But cleaning your espresso coffee machine also ensures that the machine itself stays in perfect working condition. How does cleaning ensure this? When you clean your espresso machine with the Caffenu cleaning powder, you effectively cleanse the machine’s internal components, by removing dirty coffee oils, odours and bitter tannins from your group heads, lines and valves.
When you thoroughly clean your coffee machine, you prolong its lifespan and also ensure that each coffee you brew is perfectly fresh, which is ultimately what we want from these amazing machines.
This cleaning powder is suitable for all manual and semi-automatic espresso machines. You can even use the espresso machine cleaning powder to clean removable parts, such as the filters, handles, drip trays and more!
Watch the video below and learn how to best clean your espresso machine with Caffenu cleaning powder. This 900 g jar of cleaning powder will be the best thing to happen to your coffee machine!
Coffee machines are essential pieces of equipment in households and the hospitality industry around the world. Coffee machines, both domestic and commercial, are quite durable, offering years of service. However, the durability and lifespan of a coffee machine is dependant on how you maintain it. That’s why it is important to take care of these essential machines.
It is easy to forget to maintain and take care of a coffee machine, especially in today’s fast-paced life. However, you want to remember to give it a clean at least every now and then! Even if you don’t use your machine often, each time you brew a coffee, residue still builds up in parts of the machine. These build-ups can quickly lead to blockage, and eventually machine malfunction.
Whether you use a capsule coffee machine, or an espresso machine, you need to give it a good clean to ensure the machine not only lasts, but also brews quality coffee. If you have a specific machine, but don’t know what you need to clean it, then read this blog to find out what cleaning products your coffee machine needs.
When you should clean your coffee machine is often dependant on the machine you have, and how often you use it. If you are unsure of how or when to clean your coffee machine, then here is a guide on the most popular coffee machines and how to clean them.
When it comes to capsule coffee machines, it is important to frequently give your machine a clean if you are a fan of brewing hot chocolate, or flavoured coffee, and tea capsules. These capsules tend to leave stubborn residues behind, and also the flavour. What’s great, though, is that many capsule coffee machines, have a cleaning capsule to easily remove the stubborn residues and build-up!
Moreover, another thing to consider with capsule machines, and other coffee machines alike, is the need to clean them when left unused for a while. This is because any coffee residue and oil that was left behind after the last use has had time to settle and likely become a breeding ground for bacteria. Any water left behind in the tank or pipes will also likely be old.
So, no matter what coffee machine you have, or how often you use it; you should always remember to clean your coffee machine!
Cleaning your coffee machine is vital for its lifespan, and the quality of coffee you drink. Here are the mistakes to avoid when cleaning these specific types of coffee machines.
Avoid using vinegar when descaling a coffee capsule/pod machine, such as a Nespresso® coffee machine. Vinegar leaves a smell behind, and it doesn’t effectively remove limescale build-up. Learn about proper descaling, and how you can achieve it.
Additionally, you need to flush out your machine to clean the parts where the coffee pours out. However, a common mistake made when doing this, is only running hot water through the machine.
Flushing the machine with water doesn’t effectively remove old coffee oils and residue build-up, not to mention the bacteria. See how a Caffenu® cleaning capsule thoroughly cleans a coffee capsule machine.
Don’t forget about cleaning your machine’s capsule basket and drip tray, which also requires frequent soaking. Simply use the solution after using a cleaning capsule to soak your drip tray and capsule basket, scrub gently and rinse.
A common mistake with cleaning espresso machines is not cleaning their parts often enough. You should flush the group head each time you brew an espresso shot, and wipe the portafilter down as soon as you can.
Avoid using steel wool or a metal sponge on steel surfaces like the steam wand and group heads. Doing this will make scratches without actually cleaning the parts. Use a gentle wipe such as microfiber.
Use a fast-acting cleaning powder to remove old coffee oils & build-up from your espresso machine’s group heads & valves, great for backflush routine. Soak removable parts: portafilters, filter baskets & shower screens.
Clean your espresso machine’s steam wand, or any steam wand for that matter, with a milk system cleaner. The milk system cleaner removes all milk solid build-up, and clears blockages.
Lastly, you also need to descale your espresso machine, to remove limescale from the machines heating source. Espresso machines which have a removable watertank can use a simple liquid descaling solution.
One mistake made here is only cleaning the coffee pot/carafe. All removable parts of a filter coffee machine need to be cleaned. Clean the pot and funnel using a Caffenu® cleaning tablet.
A filter coffee machine can also be descaled, as it builds up limescale. You can use a simple liquid descaling solution that you run through your filter coffee machine every 3 months for best results.
Use the right tools to clean your coffee machine. And ensure to clean all parts of it, not just the ones you can physically see. Send us a question if we can help in any way on what the best way is to clean your coffee machine!
The recent global developments and the ongoing pandemic we find ourselves in have made one thing clear: Daily cleaning routines are now more important than ever. This applies to many areas of your life, and your kitchen and household appliances like your coffee machine should be included. After all, you use it on a daily basis and want to ensure you drink germ-free fresh coffee.
If you want to enjoy your next cup of coffee, you need daily cleaning routines to keep your equipment clean. Unfortunately, very often the wrong cleaners are used. Incorrect detergents and soaps leave residues, odours and deposits that should have no place in your next coffee or tea.
Should you have been made to believe that hot water and a bit of vinegar will do the trick, you are unfortunately on the wrong track. There is a reason we use soap to wash our hands. And a detergent when washing dishes. The detergent part is needed to break down oils and remove bacteria and germs from your hands, dishes, and your coffee machine needs this too.
The same applies for removing mineral and calcium deposits (the white stuff you see in your kettle). You need an acidic solution to break down the residue. Decalcifying your espresso machine just with vinegar isn’t effective enough and can leave a bad vinegar smell. Vinegar and coffee? Not recommended!
To make it easy for you, we wrote a guide on the best way to clean your coffee equipment, simply find your coffee machine type below. “I regret cleaning my coffee machine”, said no one ever, we promise! And protecting yourself and your favourite beverage has never been more important.
Here is your guide on the most popular coffee machines and how to clean them correctly…
Don’t think that your coffee machine will clean itself when you flush it out with water. Hot water alone does not break down coffee oils. Machines such as Nespresso®, Lavazza A Modo Mio®, Caffitaly® require two food safe cleaning processes:
Firstly, run a Caffenu® cleaning capsule at least once a month through your machine to properly clean the machine’s coffee brewing chamber and rest of the front end. Tip: Use the cleaning solution afterwards to soak your drip tray and capsule basket, works like a charm!
Secondly, descaling. The Caffenu® Eco Descaler cleans the back end of the coffee machine’s internals, removing harmful calcium, lime scale and mineral build up. The Eco descaler also has a natural antibacterial action to give a hygienic clean. Your machine will thank you with hotter coffee, too! Descale every 3 months or when descaling light comes on. For generic usage instructions on how to descale, see here.
Bean to cup machines require two cleaning processes, cleaning with tablets and descaling.
Step 1: The Caffenu® cleaning tablets, specifically the retail blister pack is perfect for home use to remove dirty old oils and odours and should be used at least once a month.
For detailed instructions on how to use the cleaning tablets in your machine, see here.
Step 2: The Caffenu® Eco Descaler removes lime scale and should be used according to the user manual instructions supplied by your machine’s manufacturer.
Descale every 3 months or when descaling light comes on. For generic usage instructions on how to descale, see here.
Optional Step 3: If your coffee machine also has a steam wand, clean it with a milk system cleaner.
The milk system cleaner removes sour milk residues and also sanitizes your equipment. Find more info on how to clean here.
Step 1 & Step 2: To clean bigger machines, you should use the appropriate size Caffenu® cleaning tablets in a jar, along with the Caffenu milk system cleaner to thoroughly clean the machine, and remove bitter tannins, coffee residues and oils. The tablets should be used once a week if you use your machine a lot or at least once a month. This will keep your machine clean and prevent misfunction but more importantly provide great coffee.
For detailed instructions on how to use the cleaning tablets in your machine, see here. The milk system cleaner should be used regularly (at least weekly) to prevent milk blockages and ensure hygienic milk circuits. General instructions on how to clean your automatic one touch milk circuit can be found here.
Step 3: Any coffee machine/hot water appliance needs descaling so be sure to familiarise yourself with the Caffenu® Eco Descaler.
Don’t worry though, descaling is only required every 3 months or so. However, please be aware that not every machine have a descaling light to alert you, so be sure to descale anyway!
Cleaning your commercial coffee machine requires the Caffenu® Cleaning Powder. The fast-acting, concentrated formula ensures removal of old coffee oils, build up and bitter tannins from your machine’s group heads, lines and valves. It is also ideal for soaking removable parts like portafilters, filter baskets and shower screens. The powder is great to use in your daily backflush cleaning routine.
The Caffenu Group Head Cleaning Brush is a multi-functional tool designed with an ergonomic handle and unique water deflector fins which keep your hand safe from hot water while cleaning your group head, shower screen and group seal. It also has an integrated measuring spoon for easy and convenient dosing of cleaning powder.
Take your milk jug/pitcher, and mix milk system cleaner at a 1 to 10 ratio with water in jug. Eg. if jug can hold 500 ml, pour 50 ml of milk cleaner into jug and fill the rest of the jug with warm water. Operate steam wand several times in jug filled with solution, then let steam wand and any other milk accessories you’d like to clean sit inside jug with solution for about 20min. Take steam wand out of jug and wipe down with a damp cloth. Then thoroughly rinse jug and other accessories and fill with clean water. To rinse, operate steam wand in clean water several times. This will ensure your one-way valve stays clean, protecting your boiler and getting rid of milk deposits inside steam wands which can cause blockages. The milk system cleaner also contains a sanitizer for a hygienic clean.
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