The Professional Espresso Machine Deep Clean Guide
A professional-grade clean takes about 20 minutes, but only 5 minutes of that is hands-on work. This guide focuses on the 15-minute chemical soak, the most important step for removing carbonised oils that make coffee taste burnt. Set your portafilters to soak while you sweep the floor, then rinse and you are done.
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What you'll need:
cleaning
powder
blank
(blind basket)
cleaning
brush
cleaning
container
cleaning
solution
Remove the portafilter
Twist and pull the portafilter out of the group head. Remove the basket from inside — give both a quick rinse under hot water before you start.
Insert the cleaning blank
Slot the solid cleaning blank (blind basket) into the portafilter in place of your regular basket. It has no holes — that's what forces the water back through the group head.
Add cleaning powder
Measure out 3g (roughly one teaspoon) of espresso machine cleaning powder directly into the cleaning blank. Don't be tempted to add more — it won't work better.
≈ 1 tsp / 3gLock the portafilter back in
Twist the portafilter into the group head exactly as you would when pulling a shot. Make sure it's fully locked — a loose fit won't seal properly.
Run the brew cycle
Start your machine's brew cycle for 15–20 seconds, then stop it and leave for 60 seconds. This lets the solution work on the oils inside the group head.
Repeat 5 timesRemove and rinse the portafilter
Take the portafilter out, run the brew cycle briefly to flush the group head, then hold the portafilter in the stream of water to rinse it clean.
Repeat without powder
Go back to steps 3 and 4 — but this time leave out the cleaning powder. This flush cycle clears any powder residue from the group head before the next step.
Scrub the group head
Take out the portafilter again. Use your group head brush in a firm circular motion on the rubber gasket and shower screen — this loosens any grounds that are stuck. Run the brew cycle once more to flush everything out.
Repeat for any other group heads
If your machine has two group heads, run through steps 1–8 again for the second one. Each group head needs the same attention.
Soak everything in hot water
Fill your container with 1 litre of just-boiled water. Add 6g (2 teaspoons) of cleaning powder and submerge the portafilter, basket, and cleaning blank. Leave for 15 minutes, then rinse everything with hot water and dry thoroughly.
1l water · 6g powder · 15 minsMix your cleaning solution
Pour 500ml of cold water into your container and add 30ml of steam wand cleaning solution. Give it a gentle swirl — you don't want it foamy before you start.
500ml water · 30ml solutionSubmerge the wand and engage
Lower the steam wand fully into the solution. Turn it on for 5 seconds, then off. Wait a moment, then repeat 7 times. Remove the wand and wipe it clean with a damp cloth.
5 sec on · repeat ×7Rinse with cold water
Empty the container, refill with 500ml of cold clean water, and repeat step 2 exactly. This clears any cleaning solution residue from inside the wand before your next use.