Di Pacci — Care & Maintenance Guide · Updated August 2026 · RTO 45805
How to Clean a Coffee Machine — Step-by-Step 2026
✍️ Reviewed by the Di Pacci service workshop team · Updated August 2026 · ⏱ 15 min read
A clean coffee machine is the foundation of great-tasting espresso — more important than your beans, your grinder settings, or your technique. Coffee oils turn rancid within hours, mineral scale chokes boilers and pipes, and trapped grounds breed bacteria. This guide covers exactly how to clean a coffee machine step-by-step: from the 2-minute daily flush to monthly descaling — for home machines, prosumer machines, and commercial equipment.
⚡ Quick Answer — How to Clean a Coffee Machine
Daily (2–3 min): Flush group head 10 seconds · wipe and purge steam wand · empty drip tray and knock box · rinse portafilter basket.
Weekly (15 min): Backflush with cleaning powder · soak portafilter and baskets · scrub shower screen and gasket.
Monthly (30–45 min): Complete descaling cycle with dedicated descaler (never vinegar) · replace water filter · inspect group gasket.
Hard water note (Perth, Adelaide, regional Australia): Descale every 2–3 weeks rather than monthly. Test your water with hardness test strips.
Why Cleaning Your Coffee Machine Matters
Coffee residue accumulates in three distinct ways, each causing different problems:
🛢️Coffee Oils — Rancid Within 24 Hours
Natural oils from roasted beans coat shower screens, group gaskets, and baskets. Within 24 hours these oils oxidise and turn rancid — producing the bitter, stale taste that ruins even the most expensive specialty coffee.
🪨Mineral Scale — Builds Over Weeks
Australian tap water contains dissolved calcium and magnesium. These deposit inside boilers, heating elements and pipes — restricting water flow, lowering brew temperature, and eventually cracking expensive components.
🦠Old Grounds — Bacteria Breeding Ground
Trapped coffee particles in shower screens, group gaskets and drip trays become breeding grounds for mould and bacteria. Not just a flavour issue — a hygiene issue.
⚠️ Warranty Alert: Most Australian coffee machine warranties — including brands stocked at Di Pacci (Breville, Lelit, La Marzocco, Rocket, ECM, Expobar) — require evidence of regular cleaning and descaling. Machines that fail due to scale buildup may have warranty claims denied. Keep a simple maintenance log. From our service workshop: The machines we see reach a decade of daily use are almost always the consistently descaled ones. Regular descaling is the single biggest factor in how long an espresso machine lasts, and a modest yearly spend on cleaning supplies routinely prevents far costlier repairs.
Coffee Machine Cleaning Schedule — How Often
| Frequency |
Tasks |
Time Required |
Daily
After each use
|
Flush group head (10 sec) · wipe & purge steam wand · empty drip tray and knock box · rinse portafilter basket · wipe exterior |
2–3 minutes |
| Weekly |
Backflush with cleaning powder · soak portafilter & baskets · scrub shower screen & gasket · descale steam wand tip · clean reservoir · brush grinder chute |
15–20 minutes |
| Monthly |
Complete descaling cycle · replace water filter · remove & soak shower screen · inspect group gasket · check seals & o-rings · log maintenance date |
30–45 minutes |
| Every 3–6 months |
Replace group gasket if worn · professional service check · deep clean grinder burrs · replace shower screen |
Varies (professional) |
☕ Phase 1 — Daily Cleaning (2–3 Minutes) Quick tasks that prevent residue buildup and ensure every shot starts fresh
After pulling your last shot, remove the portafilter and run water through the group head for 10 seconds. This clears coffee oils and fine grounds from the shower screen and gasket before they harden overnight. The hotter the flush water, the more oils it carries away.
Pro tip: Wipe the inside of the group head with a dry cloth after flushing — this picks up the grounds the water didn't clear.
Immediately after steaming milk: (1) wipe the wand with a damp cloth to remove all milk residue, (2) purge steam for 2–3 seconds to clear milk drawn back inside the tip, (3) wipe again. Never let milk dry on the wand — dried milk protein is nearly impossible to remove without soaking and blocks steam holes, degrading microfoam quality.
Pro tip: Keep a dedicated steam wand cloth beside the machine. Wipe before you drink your coffee — not after. Milk bonds to stainless steel within seconds of cooling.
Drip tray: Empty daily — a full tray overflows and causes rust and mould underneath.
Knock box: Empty to prevent mould growth from wet grounds.
Portafilter basket: Rinse under hot running water to remove oils — don't soak in detergent daily.
Exterior: Wipe with a damp microfibre cloth.
☕ Phase 2 — Weekly Deep Clean: Backflushing (15 Minutes) The single most effective espresso machine cleaning task you can perform
⚠️ Not all machines can backflush. Backflushing only works on pump-driven espresso machines with a 3-way solenoid valve — typically mid-range and premium machines. Do NOT backflush steam-driven machines, Moka pots, capsule machines, or automatic bean-to-cup machines. Check your manual if unsure. Signs your machine has a 3-way valve: after pulling a shot, there's a "hiss" sound and the puck comes out dry.
What is backflushing? Backflushing uses a blind basket (a solid disc with no holes) to redirect water backward through the group head's 3-way solenoid valve. This flushes out coffee oils trapped in internal passages that normal brewing can't reach.
Insert a blind basket into your portafilter. Add ½ teaspoon of espresso machine cleaning powder (Cafetto EVO, Puly Caff, or similar backflush powder — available at Di Pacci). Lock the portafilter into the group head and place a container underneath.
Start the brew cycle (pump on) — run for 10 seconds. Stop the brew cycle — the 3-way valve forces dirty water out through the drain. Wait 10 seconds. Repeat this on/off cycle 5–7 times until the drain water runs clear.
What you're looking for: The water flushing out will be dark brown at first (coffee oils and residue). Keep cycling until it runs clear or light brown. If it never runs clear, your machine may need a professional service.
Remove the portafilter and rinse the blind basket thoroughly. Replace the blind basket (no powder this time). Run 3–5 more backflush cycles with plain water to flush all chemical residue. Remove the portafilter and flush the group head freely for 20 seconds. Cleaning powder left in the machine taints the next shot.
With the portafilter removed, use a stiff group head brush to scrub the shower screen in circular motions while water runs through. For a monthly deep clean, remove the shower screen screw, soak the screen in cleaning solution for 15 minutes, scrub, rinse and reinstall. A clean shower screen produces a visibly even, centred water spread.
Fill a bowl with hot water and 1 teaspoon of cleaning powder. Submerge the portafilter (handle up) and all baskets for 20–30 minutes. Scrub with a brush, then rinse thoroughly and dry. You can tell the baskets are clean when water flows evenly through all holes without any darker streams.
☕ Steam Wand Deep Cleaning (Weekly) The most neglected task in home espresso maintenance — and one of the most important
A blocked or dirty steam wand delivers uneven steam, produces flat microfoam, and harbours bacteria from dried milk proteins. A weekly deep soak costs 15 minutes and makes an immediate difference to milk texture.
Fill a small jug with hot water and add 1 teaspoon of milk line cleaner (Cafetto MFC or similar). Submerge the steam wand tip for 10–15 minutes. Run steam through the wand for 5 seconds while submerged to force cleaner through internal passages. Remove from solution, purge steam for 10 seconds, then wipe clean.
Inspect the tip holes after soaking. If any are still blocked by dried milk, use a fine pin or dedicated steam tip cleaner to clear each hole. Some machines allow you to unscrew and remove the tip entirely — soak, scrub with a small brush, rinse and reassemble.
Pro tip: Dedicate a separate steam wand cloth — never the same cloth you use for the group head or portafilter. This prevents cross-contamination of coffee oils onto the milk system.
☕ Phase 3 — Monthly Descaling (30–45 Minutes) The most important long-term maintenance task — scale buildup is the leading cause of machine failure in Australia
⚠️ Never use vinegar in an espresso machine. Vinegar is too acidic and damages rubber seals, o-rings and internal brass components — and it leaves a lingering taste that's very difficult to flush out. Always use a dedicated descaler such as Cafetto LOD, Dezcal, or Puly Milk. Food-grade citric acid solution is also safe and effective. Available at
Di Pacci →
Empty and rinse the water reservoir completely. Mix descaling solution per the manufacturer's instructions — typically 1 sachet or 30 ml per 1 litre of water. Fill the reservoir, then place a large container (2 litres minimum) under the group head and steam wand.
Machines with a built-in descale program: activate descale mode (check your manual) and follow the prompts.
Manual descaling:
Dispense 100 ml through the group head, then pause 5 minutes. Dispense 100 ml through the steam wand, then pause 5 minutes. Continue alternating until the reservoir is empty. The pauses are critical — they let the descaler dissolve scale between flushes. Don't skip them.
Pro tip: Treat the steam wand as a separate system — run dedicated solution through it to descale the steam circuit independently of the brew circuit.
Empty and rinse the reservoir three times. Fill with fresh cold water and run the full tank through the group head and steam wand. Repeat with a second full tank of fresh water. Pull and discard 2–3 test shots before making coffee you intend to drink. Descaler residue taints flavour and can damage components — this step is non-negotiable.
How Water Hardness Affects Your Cleaning Schedule
Australian water varies dramatically by city. Test your tap water with hardness test strips (available at Di Pacci) to set your descaling frequency:
Under 100 ppmSoft WaterDescale every 3 months — most capital city mains. Lower scale risk.
100–200 ppmModerate WaterDescale monthly — many Sydney and Melbourne suburbs. Standard schedule.
Over 200 ppmHard Water ⚠️Descale every 2–3 weeks. Perth, Adelaide, regional Australia. Install a water filter system.
Cleaning by Machine Type
| Machine Type |
Can Backflush? |
Descaling |
Special Notes |
Pump Espresso (Home)
Breville, Lelit, Rancilio
|
✅ Most mid-range & premium |
Monthly with descaler |
Check manual for 3-way valve |
Dual Boiler (Prosumer)
Lelit Elizabeth, ECM, Profitec
|
✅ Yes |
Monthly — both boilers |
May need separate brew/steam descale cycles |
Commercial
La Marzocco, Synesso, Slayer
|
✅ Yes |
Weekly–monthly (high volume) |
Water filtration essential |
Bean-to-Cup Automatic
Jura, Miele, Melitta, DeLonghi
|
❌ Self-clean program |
Monthly (automated) |
Follow automated cleaning prompts |
| Steam-Driven (Entry Level) |
❌ No |
Every 2–3 months |
Wipe group head, descale only |
Pod / Capsule
Nespresso, Illy
|
❌ No |
Every 3 months |
Wipe components, descale per instructions |
| Moka Pot (Stovetop) |
❌ No |
Rinse only |
Hand wash with water only — never dish soap |
Essential Coffee Machine Cleaning Products
🧴Backflush Cleaning Powder
Cafetto EVO or Puly Caff — removes coffee oils and residue from group heads, shower screens and valves. The industry standard for weekly backflushing.
Shop Cafetto →
💧Coffee Machine Descaler
Cafetto LOD Liquid Organic Descaler — food-safe, removes calcium and mineral scale without damaging seals, o-rings or brass components. Never vinegar.
Shop Descaler →
🥛Milk Line Cleaner
Cafetto MFC — dissolves milk protein deposits that daily wiping can't reach. Essential for steam wands and automatic milk systems. Weekly soak.
Shop Milk Cleaner →
💧Water Filter System
BWT or Bestmax filters reduce scale between descaling cycles — particularly important in Perth, Adelaide and regional areas with hard water.
Shop Water Filters →
You'll also need: a blind basket sized to your portafilter (54mm or 58mm), a stiff group head brush, microfibre cloths (dedicate separate cloths to group head, steam wand and exterior), and water hardness test strips. All available at Di Pacci →
Common Cleaning Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Using Vinegar to Descale
Vinegar corrodes rubber seals, o-rings and internal brass fittings, and leaves a lingering sour taste. Use a dedicated descaler — the cost difference is negligible and it protects an expensive machine.
❌ Skipping the Post-Descale Rinse
Descaler residue taints every shot and can damage components over time. Always flush at least two full reservoirs of fresh water and discard 2–3 test shots after descaling.
❌ Letting Milk Dry on the Steam Wand
Dried milk protein bonds to metal, blocks steam holes and harbours bacteria. Wipe the wand within seconds of finishing — make it muscle memory before you drink your coffee.
❌ Backflushing the Wrong Machine
Steam-driven machines, Moka pots and capsule machines don't have 3-way valves. Attempting to backflush them can cause serious damage. Check your manual first.
❌ Using Dish Soap on Coffee Equipment
Dish soap leaves a surfactant residue that ruins espresso flavour and destroys crema — nearly impossible to rinse from porous parts. Use only hot water or purpose-made cleaners.
❌ Only Cleaning When Coffee Tastes Bad
By the time flavour degrades noticeably, significant oil and scale buildup has already occurred. Follow the preventive schedule — it's always cheaper than reactive repairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
🔧 Professional Coffee Machine Servicing
Even with perfect maintenance, espresso machines benefit from professional servicing every 12–18 months. A trained technician can replace worn group gaskets before they fail, check boiler pressure and temperature calibration, inspect pump seals and o-rings, deep clean internal passages and valves, and catch small issues before they become expensive repairs.
Di Pacci offers professional espresso machine servicing across Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland, Perth and Port Macquarie. Our technicians service all major brands including Breville, Lelit, La Marzocco, Rocket, ECM, Expobar and Rancilio. Book a service →
About the Author Mik Di Pacci — Founder & CEO, Di Pacci Coffee Company
Mik Di Pacci has been supplying, installing and servicing espresso equipment in Australian homes and cafés since 2003. Di Pacci's service workshop (RTO 45805) maintains all major brands across five Australian showrooms — with hands-on expertise in what keeps machines running and what makes them fail. Call (02) 9758 0760 for cleaning product advice specific to your machine.
Keep Your Machine Running Perfectly Professional cleaning products · water filters · in-house servicing · free shipping over $200 · (02) 9758 0760
