Top 4 Simple Tips For Cleaning Your Espresso Machine
If you love coffee, then an espresso machine is a great investment for your kitchen. With this machine, you will be able to brew your favorite cup and have a good time. However, every time you do this, the espresso machine picks up layers of espresso debris, milk proteins, oils, and mineral deposits.
Your coffee will taste different because of this dirt pile up and you need to clean your espresso machine regularly so as to maintain the quality of the brewed coffee.
Other than this, regular cleaning helps maintain your espresso machine in the best condition for long and this eliminates the need for frequent replacements.
With that said, let’s now take a look at some for simple cleaning tips for your espresso machine.
1. Back-wash the espresso machine.
It is important to back wash your espresso machine regularly if you want to maintain the quality of the brew. Back washing it once every month is ideal if you use your espresso machine on a daily basis.
To do this, you will first of all have to put the blind filter inside the porta-filter and run hot water through it just as you would when making an espresso.
The blind filter is the solid filter element that comes with the espresso machine to prevent hot water from running through the porta-filter and making a mess of the whole exercise.
Run hot water for about 5 seconds and then let it cool for another 10 seconds as the water collects on the drip tray. Add a gentle cleaning agent to the porta-filter to properly clean the espresso machine. Make sure that the cleaning agent you are going to use in this case is suitable for your machine so as to avoid damage the delicate elements on the inside of the machine.
Repeat this exercise about 5 times so as to remove all the oils and accumulated debris.
Run fresh water several times to wash out the detergent. When starting this back washing exercise, make sure that the water tank if full so as to streamline the entire process.
Once this is done, your espresso machine will be free of the coffee oils and dirt that build up over time.
2. Brush the basket
You also need to clean the basket to keep your espresso machine in the best condition and to improve the quality of the brew.
Use a teaspoon or any other gentle kitchen tool to pull out the basket from the porta-filter.
Use a brush to give the basket a good scrub so as to remove any debris and dirt build-up. Make sure that the brush that you are using is gentle enough not to damage the basket.
Running hot water from the espresso machine as you clean it will make the cleaning exercise easier but you should be careful not to burn yourself. With a clean basket, you will make tasty coffee that everyone will enjoy.
3. Clean the steam wand.
Make sure that the steam wand is always clean by wiping it with a wet cloth after every use. This will ensure that milk doesn’t burn and stick to the wand to leave stains that are difficult to remove.
You also need to clean the inside of the wand regularly and for this, you will need a brush with a nifty pinhead that will allow you to access the interior part of the steam wand.
Insert the pin gently into the wand to remove any dry residue within the tube. This exercise will leave the steam wand clean and free of dirt that can ruin the quality of your espresso.
4. Clean the shower head.
Do not forget the shower head when working to clean your espresso machine.
The shower head is the metal filter that dispenses water into a cup and it needs to be cleaned regularly to maintain the purity of your coffee cup.
Get a brush and give it a good scrub. Run the brush across the entire shower head surface so as to get to the coffee oils that collect towards the edges.
Such oils and dirt give your coffee unnecessarily bitter taste and this is why you need to clean the shower head on a regular basis.
Conclusion
Dirt piles up on your espresso machine will affect the quality of the brewed coffee. It is for this reason why you need to clean the machine regularly and above are useful tips in that regard.
