Does not belong in your espresso machine.

Click Here for more information about descaling your espresso machine.

This short article will focus on keeping your espresso machine clean of coffee residue. This is different than Descaling.

One of our favorite cleaners is from Puly. It has a great foaming action and really does a nice job.

The directions on how to use this product are on the bottle as well as in the User Manual of your espresso machine. If your espresso machine is capable of “backflushing”, then please refer to your User Manual on how to do this properly, or search YouTube for a video there a lot out there. Backflushing with no cleaner is acceptable anytime.

Which type of machine do you have?

Manual
This cleaner can be used for soaking the portafilter basket/head in to make sure your basket is always clean. These machines would not use this product internally, but a little solution on a wet rag will clean the outside without messing up any patina.

Semi-Automatic
These types of machines may or may not be able to perform a “backflush procedure”. You would need to make sure that your espresso machine has a 3-way dispensing valve giving it the ability to be backflushed. All e61 group head espresso machines need to be cleaned on a regular basis depending on usage.

Fully-Automatic
Yes and yes again. These machines require cleaning all the time depending on usage. From the drip tray to the removable brew group. If you use your espresso machine every day, then a decent brew group cleaning once a month should be ok. Some machines have an actual cleaning program cycle that it can go through. Less sophisticated fully-automatics can be spot cleaned by setting your machine to accept pre-ground coffee and then instead of coffee grounds, just put cleaner powder. If you have never done this before, prepare to be shocked.

How does the cleaning procedure work?

For espresso machines that use a portafilter, you remove the perforated portafilter basket and put in one that has no holes, or a “blank”. It is now a little dish that will hold a small amount of cleaner. After you put it back on the machine, activate the brew cycle for a few seconds then shut it off. The detergent water will then flush out of the 3-way valve into the drip tray. Repeat until the water runs clear.

Fully-Automatics
You can either run the machine program or use coffee cleaner like pre-ground coffee.

First, and most importantly, it depends on the type of espresso machine you have.

This article will focus on home espresso machines. Commercial espresso machines (or machines that are plumbed in) never need descaling. We know that you are using filtered water and are keeping up with filter changes, so the chances that something else will fail on the machine is greater than an issue caused by scale. For more information on water filtration click here.

If your espresso machine has a screen that displays a message that says something like “Descale Now”, then it is perfectly fine to do what it ask. Consult your machine user manual for the proper descaling procedure

In general, there are several different types of espresso machines that exist. They operate on the same premise that a quality espresso shot is dispensed at 9 bars of pressure (130.5psi). The difference, when it comes to descaling, lies in how the hot water is created and how it is dispensed internally.

Type	Image	Description	Boiler Size	Descale?
Fully-Automatic (Super Auto)		The water in this style machine is typically heated on demand. This means that the cold inlet water is routed through a heated metal block that has a maze style path with a diameter roughly the size of a sewing needle. You could imagine how quickly bad water could clog these up! These machines will need to be descaled and usually will display a message when it is time to descale.	On-Demand
Pro-Sumer		Normally, purified drinking water is put in a reservoir tank and when the machine calls for water, it is gravity fed to the pump and dispensing commences. If the steam boiler calls for water, it will continually fill the boiler until it reaches a certain level and is satisfied. Whether a single or double boiler, these machines do NOT need to be descaled. If you would like to read our humble opinion on why this is, then read on.	~ 1 liter
Semi-Automatic		Similar to a pro-sumer espresso machine, water is added into a reservoir tank and is pulled out of the tank when the user activates the pump. One of the main differences in these machines vs the pro-sumer machines is that these require the user to manually fill the boil for proper use. The pro-sumer machines will keep the steam boiler full automatically. In this style machine, usually the steam boiler shares the same space as the hot water boiler. In the pro-sumer machines, there is usually a heat exchanger in the steam tank to heat the group head dispensing water. These machines can usually be descaled without any issues, but feel free to read our humble opinion on why these probably do not need a descaling.	~ 1 cup
Manual		These fun machines accept a pour of water directly into the boiler. By unscrewing the cap to put water in, you can actually inspect the heating element to see if there is scale building up. The best thing about these is that usually there are no small orifices to get clogged up, so these can take some serious usage before descaling is needed.	~ 4 cups	Maybe? Ok, NO.

Our humble opinion on why you should never descale your espresso machine (unless it asks you to).

A descaling procedure involves putting acid (most commonly citric acid) in the water supply reservoir and filling the boiler. This means that your pump is ready to go through a work out and your machine is going to hate you.

There are at least 3 problems that arise when you do this.

• the descaling solution does its job and dislodges chunks of particulate that is then sent downstream in efforts to be pushed out of the tiny group head or hot water wand orifices. This one speaks for itself.
• the acid solution is corrosive and wears things like gaskets and o-rings.
• secondly it takes forever to actually flush your boiler out after you have filled it with acid.
• keep in mind that most pro-sumer espresso machines utilize a heat exchanger inside the steam boiler. So, if your steam boiler is already full of water, then you would just be pushing descaling solution through the heat exchanger and out the group head.
  
  Still Interested? Keep reading.

Let’s keep things simple and assume that the magic number is 1.
– The espresso machine boiler takes about 1 L of water.
– A powdered descaling solution packet of 30 grams is mixed properly with 1 liter of water – The main pump will operate at 1 liter per minute (1 L/min).

Bring in the Math. Please be warned this is not for critical application and is just for fun. We have been known to make errors in our collegiate exams, rendering pages and pages of calculations useless. Whoa!!

In a few ways, this is a perfect scenario of a Differential Equations mixing tank problem. Let’s see how long it takes to completely flush out the boiler that is full of descaling solution

Note: For the math below, we are going to skip the step of pre-mixing the acid solution in the water reservoir with the current water contents of the boiler.
We will do that math in a little bit to see what amount of acid is actually in there to start when adding descaling solution to a boiler already full of water. For this math experiment, we are just going to assume that the boiler is empty and we just filled it with 1L of our descaling solution. In our case, it was 1 liter of water mixed with one 30g powdered descaling packet.

How to find the amount of solution A (acid) in the tank at any time, and after a specific amount of time has passed.

We will start with the mixing problem formula (da/dt​​=C​_1​​r​₁​​−C​₂​​r​₂​​) and just plug things in.

C₁ = 0 kg/L since no acid is being added to the boiler. We are flushing it out with clean water.
r₁ = 1L/min is the rate at which our clean water is flowing into the boiler to flush it out.
C₂ = a/(1+t) kg/L because we do not know how much acid is leaving the tank, but we know how much acid solution we started with.
r₂ = 1L/min because the water leaves the boiler at the same rate the machine is pumping.

After this math, the differential equation is simplified to:

a = C/1+t

So if we have:

C = .03kg because that is how much acid powder we had in our packet.
t = 1… for one minute.
a = .015kg or 1.5 grams.

This math works out. In 1 minute of pumping, the acidic descaling solution concentration is cut in half. This also means that if we went with one 30g packet of descaling powder mixed in 1 L of water and then added this to an already full boiler of water, we would end up with half of the concentration of the original acidic descaling solution. Is it being effective at all at this point? Probably not.

What happens if we let the pump run continuously for say 5 minutes pumping fresh water (that’s 5 liters) in the boiler in order to get rid of the acidic descaling solution. How much acid powder still remains?

C= .03kg because that is how much acid powder we had in our packet.
t = 5 … for 5 minutes
a = .005 or .5 grams.

So after stressing the pump out by running 5 liters of water through the machine, you still have a 1 liter boiler with water that has .5 grams of acid in it. How does your shot taste?

Wikipedia
Espresso Machine
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Coffee
Coffee Bean

Local Coffee Roasters (contact us to be added to the list!)
Mississippi Mud
Sump
Stringbean
Shaws
Blueprint
Northwest
Living Room
La Cosecha
Coma

Espresso Machine Manufacturers
Synesso
Wega
Astoria
Faema
La Marzocco
Modbar
Slayer
La Cimbali
Salvatore
Rocket
Rancilio

Espresso Machine Sales
Espresso Outlet
Seattle Coffee Gear
Whole Latte Love
European House Gifts (La Pavoni)

It has been a few years since this post has been updated and in effort to try and keep up with changing espresso machines and the current tech of our day, I have decided to keep it simple and streamline this post using espresso machines currently available on Amazon as examples.

Hopefully, after looking over some of these machines, you will come away with the answer to the question, “Which type of HOME espresso machine should I buy?“. This list is in no particular order and is more of a guide to the different types of home espresso machines that are on the market. If you are an experienced espresso drinker, we will try and highlight a few different features of machines that might help in a future machine purchase if necessary.

For ease of nomenclature, we will consider roughly 4 types of espresso machines: Manual, Semi-Automatic, Fully-Automatic and Pro-Sumer.

• Manual – The beans are ground and loaded in the portafilter by you (the user). The pressure created to dispense a quality shot comes from the force of the user. Meaning you literally have to move a lever up and down to get espresso to come out of the machine. Professional or commercial lever style espresso machines use a giant spring to assist in the lever pull pressure creation.
• Semi-Automatic – The beans are ground and loaded in the portafilter by the barista. Then, instead of pulling a lever, the barista toggles a switch that activates a mechanical pump to instantaneously deliver 9 bars of hot water through the ground coffee in the portafilter. Semi-Automatic machines also come in versions that are volumetric in design. This allows the barista to program shot times, since the machine knows how much water it has dispensed.
• Automatic or Fully-Automatic or Super-Automatic or even Super Duper Espress-o-Matic – Relax. Push a button. Walk away. Really, the only manual thing about these machines is the cleaning and up-keep. Once the user pushes a button, the machine takes over and will grind the beans and dispense an espresso shot. Whether it will froth milk automatically at your desired level or talk to your toaster is all in the fine details.
• Pro-Sumer – Similar to a Semi-Automatic, but typically better in construction. Normally, these models have a heat exchanger inside the boiler to allow you to pull a shot and steam milk at the same time. Some of the higher end or more expensive models are dual-boiler. One tank for the steam milk frothing and one tank for dispensing espresso shots. Many Pro-Sumer models utilize the e61 Grouphead and some are custom with volumetrics. These can also work ok in a low-volume eatery, but not ideal for a high-volume cafe or coffee shop.

The most important thing in choosing an espresso machine is making sure it has all the features you are looking for.

Of course it has to look good on your counter, then after that, make sure it will do what you need it to do. If you have a family of 7, morning milk based espresso drinkers, you might need to choose a Super-Automatic that has a milk jug style attachment on it as opposed to a frothing wand. Maybe you are flying solo on your coffee mission and want to dive into the intricacies of every coffee bean varietal known to man. A manual machine or semi-auto would be more your speed.

Whether you pay $500 or $15,000, an espresso machine is designed to deliver 9 bars (130.5psi) of hot water dispensing pressure.

After the machine list, there are some common espresso machine tools, accessories and cleaners that we find useful.

All of the links on this page should properly go to a corresponding Amazon product page. We tried to include as many Prime options as possible, but in reality you will find greater options and variety elsewhere.

Manual Espresso Machines

La Pavoni Europiccola

Visit the Flair store on Amazon

Semi-Automatic Espresso Machines

Rancilio Silvia

Gaggia Classic Evo Pro

Visit the Ascaso store on Amazon

Fully-Automatic Espresso Machines

Visit the DeLonghi store on Amazon

Visit the Phillips store on Amazon

Visit the DeLonghi store on Amazon

Pro-Sumer Semi-Auto Espresso Machines

Visit the Rocket Store on Amazon

Accessories

Espresso Tamper
There are all kinds of different tampers available. The most common size is 58mm. Traditionally, tampers have a smooth flat base, but now you can find some that convexed or grooved. This one seems like a nice traditional tamper.

Espresso Distributor / Tamper
After grinding the coffee beans into the portafilter, a espresso distributor helps level and distribute the grinds evenly and tamps at the same time.

Tamper Mat
These are nice because it has a little groove so the portafilter won’t slip.

Tamper Stand
Simple Tamper storage. Keeps the bottom of your tamper smooth and free of scuffs and scratches. There are many variations of a tamper stand. We like this one because it is compact and it serves the purpose for a reasonable price.

Portafilter Stand
Holds your espresso portafilter on a scale so that you can easily weigh the coffee dose. Very nice!

Milk Frother
Some fully-automatic machines require a jug of milk in order to make a latte. It turns out to be a hassle and a waste. This is perfect for the user that likes a little frothed milk. Or a lot of frothed milk. Check out the best milk residue cleaner.

Steaming Pitcher Rinser
Probably more for the cafe setup, but these are great for rinsing your steaming pitchers after you froth milk. If you do not want to cut a hole in your there is a countertop version. There is even one for under the counter.

Cleaners

Descaling Solution
Typically used in fully-automatic machines. A Citric Acid Cleaner That Is Odorless And Safe For the Environment. We also like Puly.

Coffee Cleaner
An industry standard for cleaning coffee residue. Used in machines that utilize a 3-way valve for back flushing and cleaning the group head. We have also had good experience with Puly Caff.

Milk Frother Cleaner
You should always purge and wipe down the steam wand after every use, but in case you forgot. A excellent cleaner for nasty milk residue. We have also had good experience with Urnex Rinza.

Tools

Group Head Cleaning Brush
Great for cleaning the group head of a traditional espresso machine that uses a portafilter. Has a pre-measured scoop on the handle for the right amount of cleaner. Not for fully-automatic machines.

X-ACTO Knife
The best way to remove a stuck group head gasket is to slice through it carefully with a sharp x-acto knife and then pry it out with a small-screwdriver or with a hook from the hook and pick set below.

Hook and Pick Set
Do you like to keep up with your own group head maintenance. The hook is nice to get stubborn gaskets out. This set is also nice.

Magnetic Retrieval Tool
Not really necessary on this list, but they come in handy in a lost screw situation from time to time.

Flashlight
We have used this flashlight for quite some time now and it has been quite reliable.

110v to 220v Step-Up Transformer
Good for when you purchased your machine outside the United States and need to go from 110v to 220v.

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