If you’re anything like me and you can’t get enough of that rich, velvety taste of a cup (or three) of the good stuff, you need to learn to take care of your beloved espresso machine. One of the most important parts of taking care of your espresso machine is backflushing it, which involves flushing out all the built-up grinds and oils left behind from previous brews. Cleaning this way will help keep that amazing taste alive!
What is Backflushing?
To keep your machine in tip-top condition, you should regularly backflush it. This involves forcing water and cleaner through the system to remove any build-ups that could later cause problems or bad taste. Repeat the flushing 5 times or until the water comes out clean.
How Often Should You Backflush?
If you want to keep your faucets in tip-top shape, you need to backflush them daily.
Home machines typically only need to be backflushed once per week, but it won’t harm your machine to use a cleaner or to backflush more often.
At the end of every busy business day, commercial machines should be backflushed with a sufficient cleaner. If business was slow that day, plain water may be sufficient to flush with.
You should use a backflushing cleaning chemical after every 200 coffee shots and more thorough machine cleaning once a week using espresso machine cleaning tablets or powder.
Don't forget to rinse the group head thoroughly with clean water whenever you use a chemical cleaner. Backflushing will ensure that your espresso machine is always ready for the next round of espresso!