Cleaning your espresso machine every day is the easiest and cheapest way to protect the taste of your coffee. Coffee oils and milk residue build up and cause bitter, stale flavours, and over time lead to faults in the gaskets, shower screen and valves. The routine below can be done in 10–15 minutes at the end of service.
During the day
Steam wand: Wipe it with a damp cloth after every use and give it a short purge of steam. Dried milk is much harder to clean.
Group head: Run a short flush of water before inserting the portafilter to remove old coffee grounds.
Portafilter: Knock out the coffee puck after every shot and wipe the basket with a dry cloth.
At the end of service
1. Backflush with a blind filter
Fit a blind filter in the portafilter, add the amount of espresso machine cleaning powder recommended by the manufacturer and run the machine’s backflush programme (if there isn’t one, run for about 10 seconds, stop, and repeat 5–6 times). Then repeat the process with clean water and no powder.
2. Shower screen and gasket
Brush the shower screen under the group head and around the gasket with a group brush. Removing the shower screen once a week and soaking it in cleaning solution keeps water distribution even.
3. Portafilter and baskets
Soak the portafilter and baskets in a solution of hot water and cleaning powder, then rinse. Don’t immerse the portafilter’s plastic handle in the solution.
4. Steam wand
Clean the steam wand tips with a milk system cleaner and check that the holes are clear.
5. Drip tray and exterior
Empty and wash the drip tray, and wipe the body with a soft cloth.
Weekly and periodic checks
Empty the grinder hopper and wipe away coffee oils.
Check when the water softener needs regenerating or the filter needs changing.
Check the group gaskets — hardened gaskets cause leaks and loss of pressure.
Regular cleaning reduces the need for technical service, but doesn’t eliminate it. Contact the KEF technical service team for scheduled maintenance of your machine.
