Espresso machine cleaning and backflush: a team schedule

Why does an espresso machine need cleaning every day?

Coffee leaves oils and fines in the group that turn rancid after a few hours and pass into the next espressos. Milk dries on the steam wands within minutes. Without daily cleaning, the taste of the coffee deteriorates gradually, and the team often does not notice until a guest points it out.

A clean machine also means fewer faults. Dirty baskets and gaskets hold pressure less well, and dried milk makes the steam wands harder to work with. Regular cleaning takes a few minutes a day and saves service visits.

What to do after every coffee?

Knock out the grounds and wipe the basket with a dry cloth.
Flush the group with a short burst of water before locking in the portafilter.
Right after steaming, wipe the steam wand with a damp cloth and briefly purge it with steam.
Keep separate cloths for the steam wands and the portafilters.

On the KB90 and Strada X, Steam Flush runs after every extraction: the group is purged with steam and rinsed with hot water. The Linea PB has automatic group flushing. These features keep the group cleaner during the day, but they do not replace the end-of-day backflush.

Backflush: how to do it at the end of the day?

Backflushing means flushing the group in reverse: pressurised water flows back through the shower screen and the valve, washing out deposits. It is done with a blind basket, one without holes.

Fit the blind basket into the portafilter and add espresso machine cleaner in the amount given in its instructions.
Lock in the portafilter and run the group for a few seconds, then stop. Repeat several times.
Remove the portafilter, rinse it and the group with clean water, then repeat the cycle without detergent.
Do the same on every group.
Soak the portafilters and baskets in the cleaning solution, then rinse them thoroughly.
Brush the group gaskets, and wash the drip tray and grille.
Soak the steam wands or wipe them with milk system cleaner, and purge them with steam.

Finally, leave the machine as recommended for your model. Some models have an eco mode, meaning a programmed switch to standby. We go through the settings when setting up the machine.

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Steam wands: clean after every milk

Milk dries on the steam wand within minutes, and once dried it is hard to remove and easily carries over into the next drink. That is why we wipe the wand with a damp cloth straight after steaming and briefly purge it with steam to clear milk from the tip.

At the end of the day we clean the steam wands with milk system cleaner and check that the holes in the tip are clear. A blocked hole gives uneven steam and poorer foam.

What to clean once a week?

Unscrew and clean the group shower screens, if your model allows this without service tools.
Thoroughly clean the steam wand tips.
Clean the grinders: the hopper, the coffee outlet and the area around the burrs, following the grinder's instructions.
Wash the panels, the body and the cup tray on top.
Check the group gaskets: report hard or cracked ones for replacement.

What about the grinder?

The grinder needs cleaning too, because coffee oils build up on the burrs and in the outlet. During the day we wipe the hopper and around the outlet, and once a week we clean the grinder more thoroughly, following its instructions. When you switch to a different coffee, it is worth running a small amount of the new beans through the grinder before you make the first espresso for a guest.

What to do periodically?

Periodic work is planned by the owner together with the service team. The most important items are replacing the water filter cartridge and a scheduled service, during which we check the valves, gaskets, pressures and the condition of the boilers. Group gaskets wear with normal use, so we replace them during the service.

We cover water and filters separately in the guide Water for espresso machines in venues. Clean water means less scale and less cleaning work.

The schedule in one table

An indicative schedule based on Colbergcoffee's experience. Use cleaning products as instructed.
When	What	Who
after every coffee	flushing the group, wiping and purging the steam wand, knocking out and wiping the basket	barista
during the day	wiping the drip tray and counter, emptying the knock box	barista
end of the day	backflush with detergent, portafilters and baskets in solution, drip tray, gaskets, steam wands	person closing the shift
once a week	group shower screens, thorough steam wand cleaning, grinders, panels and body	designated person
periodically	water filter cartridge replacement, scheduled service, group gasket replacement	owner with the service team

A printable schedule: a table of daily tasks for the whole week to tick off, plus a list of weekly and periodic tasks. Hang it by the machine.

Download the schedule (PDF)

The most common cleaning mistakes

Backflushing with detergent several times a day instead of once at the end of the day.
Leaving the portafilters in the group overnight without washing them.
One cloth for the steam wands and the portafilters.
Descaling the machine with household products. Report scale to the service team.
No single person responsible for closing. Put them on the schedule.

frequently asked questions

How often should you backflush an espresso machine?

With detergent once a day, at the end of the day, on every group. During the day, flushing the group before each coffee is enough. Backflushing with detergent more often is not necessary.

What should you clean an espresso machine with?

An espresso machine cleaner for backflushing and portafilters, and a milk system cleaner for the steam wands. Use them as instructed on the packaging. Do not use household descalers.

Does Steam Flush replace backflushing?

No. On the KB90 and Strada X, Steam Flush purges the group with steam and rinses it with hot water after every extraction, so the group stays cleaner during the day. A backflush with detergent at the end of the day is still needed.

Who in the team should clean the espresso machine?

During the day, every barista cleans up after themselves. Assign the end-of-day cleaning to the person closing the shift and put them on the schedule. Periodic tasks are planned by the owner together with the service team.

How long does end-of-day cleaning take?

In practice, around a quarter of an hour on a 2-group machine, when the team does it daily and has the cleaners, blind baskets and brushes ready. Soaking the portafilters and baskets takes the longest, so start that before you move on to the drip tray and steam wands.

How often should an espresso machine be serviced?

Regularly, as part of a service plan. We set the frequency according to your venue's traffic. During a service we check the valves, gaskets, pressures and the condition of the boilers.

read also

La Marzocco Polska. We help cafés, restaurants and hotels choose a La Marzocco espresso machine for their traffic and menu, set it up and keep it in good shape.

espresso machine cleaning and backflush