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Sunday, November 13, 2011

How to Clean an Espresso Machine

Sunday, November 13, 2011
Whether you are a professional barista in charge of a high-end coffee bar or an occasional user of your own kitchen based espresso coffee maker, it is essential to clean and maintain the machine regularly in order to be assured that it delivers to the highest standard.

Cleaning the exterior of your espresso machine is a relatively simple task and should be carried out on a regular basis to ensure your coffee maker is aesthetically pleasing to your customers or visitors. This can be achieved using a cloth soaked in hot water, a neutral cleaner can be used if you need to remove splash marks or coffee grounds.

To ensure that your machine delivers the highest standards of coffee consistently always make sure that the internal workings are kept clean.

Daily Cleaning

After the daily use of your coffee maker you should carry out the backflush procedure using a blind filter (a blind filter looks similar to an ordinary filter but it has no holes). Place the blind filter into the filter handle, run water through the group head whilst simultaneously jiggling the filter handle to rinse the water around the shower-screen and the seal on the underside of the group head. Then tighten the filter handle, run water into the group head for about 10-15 seconds and release the pressure as if you had just finished drawing an espresso shot. Repeat this last action 3 or 4 times to rinse any residues out of the pressure release mechanism.

Regular Cleaning

It is recommended that your espresso machine is cleaned after every 30 uses or so using cleaning tablets or powder. Citric acid is a natural, cost-effective cleaner and can be used to carry out this procedure. Place 3-4 tablespoons of the citric acid into the blind filter and repeat the procedure described in "daily cleaning" leaving around 30 seconds between each backflush. Finally, remove any excess citric acid from the blind filter and run the procedure one more time using clean water to ensure the system is completely clean and no traces of the citric acid are left in the system.

Every 3-6 months

To prevent lime-scale build-up in your espresso machine it is advisable to run a de-scale program every 3-6 months depending on the hardness of water in your area. Empty the water reservoir and fill with an appropriate amount of de-scaling solution (2 tablespoons of citric acid per litre of water is recommended).

Run the machine to fill the boiler and pipes with the de-scaling solution. If your coffee machine has a heat-exchanger mechanism make sure that you run water through both the hot water wand and the group head as they have separate pipes and sections in the boiler. Run some of the de-scaling solution through the hot water wand and group head. Also, on professional machines use the backflush procedure to run some of the de-scaling solution through the pressure release valve. Leave the coffee maker switched on with the de-scaling solution in it for around half an hour and then empty the water reservoir and refill with clean water. Flush the clean water through the boiler, pipes, steam wand, hot water wand, group head, and pressure release valve - you will probably need to use 1 or 2 full reservoirs of clean water. When you are satisfied that the boiler and pipes are full of clean water make at least one cup of coffee and throw it away. It is recommended that you use PH test strips to check that all the de-scaling solution has been rinsed out.

Once you have finished the cleaning process enjoy a well-earned cup of coffee from your immaculate espresso machine!

Tony Levine is the sole owner of Delonghi Coffee Machines. For further information and product reviews visit www.delonghicoffeemachines.org

By Tony Levine

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