Espresso machine needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. It helps to make good espresso with natural flavour and taste as the deposits on the filter and reservoir can ruin the taste of espresso. Furthermore, the periodical cleaning of the machine ensures that your coffee is hygienic and does not invite diseases.

Cleaning and maintenance of your machine also make it durable and long lasting. Regular maintenance is also must for better working condition.

Here are a few things that you should follow while cleaning your machine on a regular basis:

• After you have made your coffee, let the machine become cool. Before you clean it, turn off the machine and remove the plug.
• Do not clean the machine by immersing it in water or placing it under running water.

Descaling tablets	Water filter prevents lime deposit

• Instead, take a piece of wet cloth or sponge and clean the dirt off the body of the machine.
• Now, open the filter holder and wash it with warm water & soap and rinse it and drain.
• Also remove the filter.
• Carafes can be cleaned using mild detergent but do not use dishwasher.
• Make sure that you do not use cleansers made of strong chemicals as they can damage the parts of your machine. Some parts like thermo jug needs careful cleaning as it contains a glass bulb inside.

• Clean the outer parts of the machine with damp cloth or sponge. To remove the deposits from the machine, use the backflush method with following procedure.
• Fix the blind filter (with no holes) in the filter handle.
• Let the water flush through group head and keep shaking the filter handle so that shower screen and other inner parts are completely rinsed with water.
• Now, stop shaking the filter and keep it firm and let the water run through the group head for half a minute.
• Then, let the pressurized water pour out.
• Now, repeat this procedure for a few times.

As a weekly routine, you need to clean your machine the same backflush procedure. However, the procedure slightly varies as you will use cleaning tablets or powder with usual backflushing. On average, after 35 shots of espresso, you would need to use cleaning powder.

Cleaning tablets

The method is as follows:

• Put the cleaning powder in the blind filter before it is inserted.
• Let the water flush through group head and keep shaking the filter handle so that shower screen and other inner parts are completely rinsed with water.
• Now, stop shaking the filter and keep it firm and let the water run through the group head for half a minute.
• Then, let the pressurized water pour out.
• Now, repeat this procedure for a few times.

Your coffee machine needs descaling depending on the water used and the frequency of usage. The natural symptom of clogging of valves and water paths with lime deposits will be slowness in brewing cycle and it may occur between every three and four months.

If soft water is used, you can descale your machine after 80 uses while descaling is necessary after 160 uses if filtered water is used. When filtered hard water is used, descale the machine after 80 uses.

The steps of descaling procedure are as follows:

• First, remove the filter holder.
• For descaling, you can use descalers like white vinegar or Urnex. Fill the water reservoir with vinegar solution.

Descaling tablets	Water filter prevents lime deposit

• Switch on the machine. Now, the solution will rinse the boiler and pipes.
• You can use backflushing to rinse the pressure release valve with the solution.
• Let the machine run for 30 - 50 minutes.
• Then, empty the coffee machine and refill the reservoir with water.
• Run the machine and this will rinse the inner parts of the coffee machine.
• Repeat it with clean water 2 or 3 times until the descaler is completely flushed out of the machine.