If you have ever worked in a busy café, you will know how much of a beating the coffee machine takes. Thousands upon thousands of shots are poured every day and for the staff that operate this machine, a regular clean is essential. Luckily though, your home machine doesn’t require such a rigorous cleaning schedule. Whilst these fancy cafe machines are cleaned daily the choice is yours whether you want to give your home machine the same treatment. If you have the time, then that’s great! But these machines simply don’t need that level of care. Having said all of that, a regular clean can extend the life of your machine considerably and more importantly, give you better tasting coffee! So how do you go about cleaning your machine? First of all, you will need a machine to clean! Check out the Best Coffee Machines from Domayne today to get started.
The basics
Although your home machine is more tolerant to infrequent full cleans, you should still be doing some basic maintenance daily. Every time you use your machine you should give it a wipe down. For each shot of coffee goes through the machine you should be flushing out the group head, filter basket and, if you used it, the steam wand. This quick and easy cleaning routine should ideally be done before and after each cup of coffee is made. This can prevent problems associated with standing water and will ensure each cup of coffee is as delicious as the last.
Descale
Coffee is oily and can prove very hard to clean. Residue from use can build up in your machine and eventually cause corrosion. Depending on your machine and the amount of use, descaling should be done every few days and should only take about 15 minutes. Whilst the process is straight forward don’t forget to re-season your machine with a shot of espresso… just don’t drink it! Descaling products are designed to remove tricky coffee oils and can be purchased from all major super markets for very little money. If you are a more of DIY type then a solution of white vinegar and water can offer similar results to store bought chemicals. Just be wary and make sure you fully flush out your machine after using vinegar as some people claim they can detect an odour after using this solution.
Modern coffee machines like the Breville Coffee Machine are modern marvels of technology. Compact and easy to use but offering powerful options, these machines are capable of producing quality coffee in the comfort of your own home. Whilst they don’t cop the abuse a café machine will cop, it is important to maintain the machine regularly. A 20-minute descaling every few days, as well as a full flush before and after use will keep your machine safe and making perfect delicious coffees for years to come.
