It may sound very boring but there is evidence that if you don’t clean your machine it could make you sick. Whatever the evidence it makes sense that you should always keep your equipment clean, whatever brewing method you use.
Research suggests that one in five people who own a coffee machine have never cleaned or descaled it, so we know this isn’t the most popular job. But if you don’t clean the machine then you won’t be getting the best tasting coffee.
Basic Maintenance
Ok, wipe down the outside of your machine daily and also clean any removable parts. If using coffee pods, use a fresh pod each time and choose filtered water rather than tap. Change the water after each used, leave the lid off to air out the machine and replace filet as required.
If your machine has a steam wand make sure you get excess milk out after each steam by releasing some steam through and ensure you thoroughly wipe milk off the wand. In addition after each expresso, if the machine isn’t going to be used for a while, we recommend you empty the grounds from the filter basket rinse it with some water, wipe with a damp cloth and run some water through to rinse out any remaining coffee. Coffee grounds left in the filter can in time be really difficult to remove.
Descaling
Sounds painful but most manufacturers suggest you descale every 3-6 months. Descaling is really important as it will help get rid of the deposits that build up over time which can affect the taste of your coffee. This will be worse if you use hard tap water.
Some people descale with white vinegar and water solution but depending on the system you have you may not be able to flush out the vinegar so be very wary of this. There are products you can buy and some machines will supply you with decaling tablets that they recommend you use on their machines. Most manufacturers suggest you descale every 3-6 months but this will depend on the water you use.
Your coffee machine will give you signs when it needs descaling and these could be; when you see leaking, excessive dripping from the spout, reduced water flow, water flow stops completely, your machine fails to heat up properly or you hear unusual noises.