To ensure that your espresso tastes perfect for a long time, regular care of the espresso machine is unavoidable. Here’s how to clean them properly.
Cleaning is the be-all and end-all for the espresso taste
Coffee drinkers who have found exactly the ideal variety for themselves want to be able to enjoy it in a relaxed manner for a long time. But after just a few weeks, the taste can diminish if one important factor is ignored: residues remain every time the portafilter machine is used. If they are not removed, it can spoil the taste. Regular cleaning of the machine should therefore be given at least as much attention as selecting the right type of coffee.
Proper and thorough cleaning of the espresso machine removes soluble particles and oils that have accumulated during the preparation of coffee. This process should happen about once a week. However, it is not enough to just roughly clean the device.
What needs to be cleaned before and after use?
While the thorough basic cleaning of the portafilter machine only needs to be done once a week, there are also individual parts of the portafilter machine that should be cleaned after each use or once a day. These mainly include the milk foam nozzle, the sieve and the water tank.
milk foam nozzle
If you like your espresso nice and creamy, you can also use the milk frother nozzle to froth the milk. In order to remove the milk residues, the milk foam nozzle – also known as the steam lance – is best cleaned immediately after use. the process of cleaning the milk system takes very little time and effort and saves you dried milk residues in your espresso or removing them from the steam lance. If milk residues have formed, the steam lance can be soaked. This will loosen any residue from the milk container. Another option would be cleaning with the help of a short burst of steam, which blows out milk residue. A clean and slightly damp cloth is then sufficient to wipe the lance.
Sieve
This does not have to be cleaned immediately after each use, but preferably after a few espressos. Depending on how many espressos are made each day, this can vary from once a day to every few days. The portafilter machine screen is cleaned by removing it from the portafilter and then simply wiping it with a cloth. It is understandable why the milk froth nozzle and the sieve of the portafilter machine have to be cleaned often. But what about the water tank?
water tank
The water tank is no different either. Because just like it can also be observed with the kettle, for example, deposits form in the water tank over time because the water remains there for some time. This is also the case with filtered water. Accordingly, it must be cleaned. The water tank of the portafilter machine is cleaned and descaled by rinsing it with warm water. After that, new, preferably filtered, water can be poured in. The water tank should be rinsed out after each refill. It is best to turn on the portafilter machine with hot water before each new espresso, but without using the portafilter (empty cover). This allows espresso residues to be removed as you pass through. A positive side effect is that the water is then already at the right temperature for the next hot drink.
