How To Backflush Your Espresso Machine: Don’t Skip This Step!
Keeping your espresso machine clean means it will last longer and deliver better tasting shots throughout its lifetime.
Espresso can be an expensive and time-consuming hobby. First, there’s the money spent on the machine, coffee grinder, and coffee beans. Then there are the hours spent dialing in the perfect grind size, coffee dose, and shot timing. So why not spend an extra 5 minutes protecting your investment and ensuring your coffee always tastes great?
That’s backflushing for you. It’s quick, easy, and inexpensive. There’s no reason not to do it. So follow along while I show you how.
What Does Backflushing An Espresso Machine Do?
Backflushing allows you to clean the inside of your espresso maker without having to open it up and take it apart. It flushes cleaning solution through the shower screen, group head, and three-way solenoid valve to remove the old coffee oils and built-up deposits of coffee grounds.
Note that you can only backflush espresso machines with a three way valve. Those without typically have a different cleaning method dictated in the user manual.
What You Need
- Backflush disc
- Backflushing detergent
At A Glance
Time:
5 – 10 minues
Extra notes:
- A backflushing disc is also known as a blind filter or blank basket. It comes with your espresso machine and looks like a filter basket without holes.
- Some brands sell special cleaning tablets, but buying a jar of backflush detergent – like Urnex Cafiza – is usually more affordable.
- Don’t be tempted to use a cleaner not specifically designed for espresso machines. It might be less expensive, but it can permanently damage your machine.
How To Backflush An Espresso Machine
Being diligent about cleaning isn’t the most fun part of using an espresso machine, but it’s perhaps the most important. Fortunately, it’s not difficult. Here’s an easy step-by-step guide.
Step 1. Prepare your espresso machine
Ensure that the water reservoir is full and the drip tray is empty. Depending on the size of your drip tray, you may need to empty it periodically as you backflush, so keep an eye on it.
Some espresso machines have automatic cleaning cycles, in which case follow the instructions in the manual to prepare the machine.
Pro tip: With any espresso machine, always remove the portafilter right after pulling a shot and turn the pump on for a few seconds to rinse the shower screen with hot water. This simple step keeps everything as clean as possible in between backflushes.
Step 2. Prepare the portafilter
Pop the filter basket out of the portafilter and replace it with the blind filter. Add either one cleaning tablet or ½ teaspoon of back flushing detergent to the top of the disc. Lock the portafilter into the group head.
Step 3. Perform the backflush
Activate the brew cycle as though you were pulling a shot of espresso. Water will be pumped against the blind filter basket, and pressure will begin to build.
Listen carefully. After about 10 seconds, the machine will go quiet. Turn off the pump, and the three-way valve will blow the cleaner up into the brewing components, releasing it into the tray where you’ll see soapy water emerge.
Repeat this process 5 to 10 times until the water released into the tray no longer looks frothy.
Many automatic and super-automatic espresso machines come pre-programmed with cleaning cycles – for example, Breville and Jura machines. In this case, simply follow the manufacturer’s guidance in your User’s Manual.
Pro tip: To clean the filter baskets while you backflush the machine, let them soak in a solution of 1 teaspoon of cleaning powder in 1 liter of water.
Step 4. Make sure the machine is free of cleaner
Remove the portafilter from the grouphead, and give it and the blind basket a good rinse with water. Then set up to backflush again without detergent. Backflush twice more using only water.
Finally, take the portafilter out again and run the pump for a few seconds to flush water through the system to make sure no detergent is left. Empty and clean the drip tray.
Pro tip: To be 100% sure there are no off-flavors in your next drink, pull and discard a shot of espresso (using cheap, stale, or preground coffee if you happen to have some) before preparing and enjoying your next brew.
Final Thoughts
Backflushing an espresso machine is one of the easiest and quickest forms of maintenance. Once you’ve done it a time or two, you’ll probably be able to do it faster than you can read this article. And the results speak for themselves. Your coffee equipment will last longer, and the quality of your espresso will improve. Hard to argue with that!
FAQs
You should backflush every 200 shots pulled, which equates to roughly every 3 to 6 months, depending on how often you’re drinking espresso. Many machines have a built-in counter to monitor this, and some even alert you automatically.
You should perform a backflush with just water more often – again, depending on use. I recommend once every week or two for an average home user.
Descaling is a type of espresso or coffee machine cleaning that removes deposits of limescale from the machine’s internal plumbing using an acidic solution rather than a detergent. You do not need to descale an espresso machine as often as you backflush. If you use filtered water, you may not need to do it at all.
Prosumer and commercial espresso machines typically need to be descaled by an expert technician.
If you don’t backflush and clean regularly, residual coffee deposits become stale and rancid, causing your coffee to taste bitter (1). Additionally, built up coffee particles can cause clogs in the dispersion screen, which will impact water flow and cause uneven extraction (2).
Yes, regular backflushing with just water is a valuable maintenance task that should be performed a few times a month. Simply follow the steps above, but insert the blind filter without the cleaner. It’s a much quicker procedure because you don’t need to worry about rinsing out any remaining cleaner.
References
- Sainsbury, B. (2021, September 29). How to drink coffee like a true Italian. Retrieved from https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/how-to-drink-coffee-like-a-true-italian
- Aloe, R.M. (2021, September 24). Shower Screens for Espresso. Retrieved from https://towardsdatascience.com/shower-screens-for-espresso-e56357f083b6
