Not only is the external cleaning of the coffee machine important, but the internal cleaning is equally important!
If a machine is not maintained, it is easy to break down. The same goes for the coffee machine. If one day you find that the coffee tastes wrong, or the extraction not right, there may be a major problem with the coffee machine.
Therefore, we need to do a good job of cleaning to avoid these problems. For this there are two parts: daily cleaning and regular cleaning, which are aimed at Italian semi-automatic coffee machines with independent brewing heads (not suitable for fully automatic coffee machines).
The first: keeping the outside of the coffee machine clean is the most basic requirement, as no one wants to see a dirty coffee machine. Coffee stains should always be cleaned up after espresso extraction.
The second: What is more important is to wash the coffee residue in the water distribution sieve.
After the coffee is extracted, a small amount of coffee grounds on the surface of the powder cake will adhere to the water separator. If not cleaned, it will affect the flavor of the next cup of drinks. Therefore, after extracting the coffee, pull out the handle, turn on the brewing head, and rinse the residue on the powder water net. If the brewing head and the rubber ring in the outer ring cannot be washed directly with the water, you need to use a brush.
The third: the cleaning of the coffee handle, especially the shunt handle.
The coffee powder bowl should be rinsed after each extraction. Some people choose to ignore this when the cup volume is too large. The editor thinks it is not advisable. Of course, most coffee shops still follow this principle.
At the end of the day, when using the split handle, be sure to pry open the powder bowl and clean the inside of the handle. After a day of extraction, there will be many coffee residues and grease left in the shunt pipe in the handle. If not cleaned, it will give a foul smell, which will naturally affect the quality of the coffee that follows. (We saw someone that didn't wash the inside of the handle for a week, and the moment they opened it, I will never forget it).
This picture shows the condition after one extraction. Since Front Street mainly uses bottomless handles, it is difficult to imitate the dirt picture accumulated over many years.
Therefore, the editor recommends soaking in hot water 5g coffee machine cleaning powder for 30 minutes, and then rinse it with clean water, the effect will be more significant.
The fourth: Back brew to clean the inside of the coffee machine.
When making coffee, move the small handle up to a horizontal position, the micro switch behind the small handle is pressed, and the water pump will open. At this point, both the presoak valve and the pressure relief valve are closed, with the water inlet valve open. When hot water is injected into the open pipes and chambers of the brewing head, the pressure rises. And if the pressure exceeds 1.5 atmospheres, the presoak valve (expansion valve) will be opened, and the hot water enters the chamber. Thus, before the hot water fills the cavity, the coffee cake is pre-soaked with hot water at 1.5 atmospheres. Once the chamber is filled, the hot water pressure starts to rise again until there is the required pressure of 8-10 atmospheres.
After the coffee is made, move the small handle down to the vertical position, and the micro switch is turned off, the water pump stops, and the cam releases the water inlet valve ejector rod, closes the water inlet valve, and simultaneously presses down the presoak valve ejector rod and pressure relief valve. The ejector rod, the pressure relief valve, is opened, and the hot water under pressure in the cavity between the brewing filter bowl and the water distribution network, the cavities, are discharged from the pressure relief outlet to the coffee machine's drain tank
In this extraction process, a small amount of fine coffee powder will go into the pipeline through the water separation part. If it is not cleaned for a long time, a lot of coffee residue will be accumulated, which will affect the extraction.
Therefore, in order to clean the inside of the brewing head, we will use a "blind bowl", that is, a powder bowl without pores. Snap on the handle, then on the brew head to start brewing. It is recommended to control the time within 10 seconds, repeat several times, and pour out the water in the blind bowl each time. Usually, the coffee residue will fall out one or two times before.
Another step is to use the coffee machine cleaning powder to clean the inside of the machine. This is not for every day. If the machine is used frequently, it is recommended to do this once a week. If it is used at home, it is recommended to use 2-3 cups of extraction per day, once a month. Put 3g of coffee machine cleaning powder in the blind bowl, then close the handle to turn on the brewing head for 10 seconds. Pull out the handle, pour out the water on the surface (normally there is cleaning powder left in the blind bowl), and close the handle again, then repeat the cleaning 3 times.
Next pull out the handle, clean the blind bowl, turn on the brewing head at the same time, and release the water (the water at this time is mixed with cleaning powder foam and coffee residue). After the water is a little cleaned, buckle the handle and turn on the brewing head for 5 seconds, and repeat this step 5 times, pouring out the water in the blind bowl each time. Finally, use a brush to clean the water separator.
The fifth: regularly clean the water distribution parts, and replace the rubber ring and maintain the boiler.
If the water from the brewing head is uneven, it may be that coffee powder remains on the water distribution part. At this time, the powder water tubes needs to be opened and cleaned. Usually, this problem occurs in the water distribution in about half a year.
The function of the rubber ring is to ensure the tightness of the coffee handle. For a long time, the rubber ring will harden and its sealing will become worse. The most obvious feature is that the handle angle is greater than 90 degrees when the coffee handle is buckled. And then it needs to be replaced. The lifespan of the rubber ring is usually 6-12 months.
Long-term use of the boiler will leave a lot of scale (unless pure water is used), and then it needs to be cleaned by a professional. For a brand-new machine, it needs to be maintained every 1-2 years.