Crew Review: How to Clean Your Home Espresso Machine (The Right Way)

Even the most enthusiastic home espresso hobbyist doesn’t always maintain their machine the way they should. We bet the same could be said for you if you’re reading this article. The thing is, proper cleaning and maintenance of your coffee gear protects the investment that you’ve made in your espresso setup, and helps keep your drinks tasting their very best. The problem? There’s lots of advice out there about what you do and don’t need to do to maintain your machine. The solution? We’ve got the answers you need!

What We Cover in This Video

• The cleaning products hiding in your kitchen cabinet that are quietly wrecking your machine’s finish
• Why vinegar and dish soap have no business touching your machine’s internals (hint: residue = funky-tasting shots)
• Backflushing 101 — the internal clean most people skip entirely
• How to purge and de-gunk your steam wand so it stops smelling like last week’s latte
• The descaling question: when to DIY and when to phone a friend (that’s us)
• The actual secret — staying on top of it instead of waiting for a science experiment

Quick Answer: How Often Should You Actually Clean It?

Cleaning your espresso machine can mean a lot of things. A quick wipe-down of the case and touch points is something you’ll want to do every day to protect the finish of your machine. Purging the steam wand should be done after every milk drink to prevent buildup. Backflushing, descaling, and other internal cleaning is a bit more usage and machine dependent, which is why these are things users actually skip. The rule of thumb here is that generally the easier the maintenance, the more often you should be doing it. This means that those quick exterior tasks like a wipedown or a steam wand purge should be done more regularly than internal cleanings like backflushing and descaling.

The Outside: What to Skip, What to Reach For

In the video, we take you through some maintenance and cleaning steps on the actual Rocket Giotto that we use around the office, so it is a busy machine! The first thing to note about external cleaning is that you’ll need to avoid ammonia-based cleaners. This means no bleach, Bar Keepers Friend, or other abrasive cleaners. These will ruin the finish and eat away at the machine’s case. We recommend using a microfiber cloth and some hot water for daily wipe downs. If you have stubborn water stains you can use a few drops of vinegar with that water, and even ammonia-free glass cleaner for chrome casing. Just remember to stick to water for any wood or plastic components. The real key here is to make sure you do this quick cleaning every day to prevent stains from setting. This will mean that you only need about a minute of your afternoon coffee routine instead of having to scrub days of buildup.

The Inside: Where Most People Slack Off

The things people tend to skip the most are backflushing and steam wand purging. Unfortunately, these are also the two regular maintenance needs that have the biggest impact on the flavor of your drinks. Backflushing is a bit tricky as the needed frequency will change based on your machine and usage. We recommend doing it at least once a week, but if you make lots of drinks you may need to do it more frequently (busy cafes backflush at least once a day). For this task you can use Cafiza backflushing detergent or a similar product. Make sure you don’t use dish detergent or vinegar as these will make your espresso taste terrible! Purging your steam wand is much easier to remember - just do it after every use! A quick purge takes seconds and will keep your wand clear of buildup. To keep it as clean as possible you can remove the tip and soak it in some Rinza every month or so.

Descaling: DIY or Call in the Pros?

Descaling is the trickiest piece of espresso machine maintenance. Some machines (such as superautomatics and machines without boilers) include instructions on how to descale them in the owner’s manual. In these cases, you can definitely follow those instructions for frequency and the process of doing the maintenance. When it comes to machines with traditional boilers though, it’s usually time to call in a professional. Draining a boiler at home is challenging and getting it wrong can completely ruin your machine. For this reason, we’d recommend giving us a call or starting a live chat to see if we can help, or looking up local technicians. We’re also here if you’re ever unsure about your machine’s maintenance!

Cleaning FAQs