E61 Group Head | Backflush, Clean & Gasket / Screen Replacement

Join Tim as he gives an in-depth guide on how to maintain and clean any espresso machine with an E61 group head, and will include weekly routine backflushing and complete changing out of your group head gaskets and screens on an annual basis. Get your maintenance kit here: clivecoffee.co...
The machine used in this video is the Lucca M58 Espresso Machine by Quick Mill: clivecoffee.co...
For more knowledge on all things espresso check out our blog: clivecoffee.co...
Subscribe to our channel: www.youtube.co...
Instagram: / clivecoffee
Twitter: / clivecoffee
Facebook: / clivecoffeepdx
Pinterest: / clivecoffee

[@kikikimbro]

Thank you for this detailed walk through. I played and paused it as I progressed through my first full detergency cleaning of our Lelit Bianca. Super helpful.

[@craftedworkshop]

Just did the same thing with my Bianca!

[@discovery91]

Your videos are always the best! Very informative & detailed yet nothing unnecessary!

[@tonylewis1575]

A very helpful video, and I also only do a detergent backflush every 6-8 weeks.. But can I add, if you do a detergent backflush on an e61 you will need to lubricate the lever cam afterwards. If you don't do this may notice a squeak and will find the cam and the valve parts wear prematurely.

[@Yggdrasil42]

How do you lubricate the cam? I have the squeak problem.

[@tonylewis1575]

You have to remove the lever, and the cam, then apply Molycote 111 (or other food safe silicon grease) to the high points on the cam. This will stop premature wear, and the squeaking. Just look for videos on "lubricate e61 cam" on youtube

[@koreanyoon]

Very good instructional video clip! Actually, it is the best one that I have seen!

[@TheDustbinofHistory]

Never did the water flush. Flushed 2x with detergent in 7 months. No issues. Don't really use the brush because it seems too stiff.

[@johnreynolds7163]

Also what about descaling the boiler? .. what are the signs this needs to be done and would be ideal to see a lite, medium and major overall haul like remove from the machine & perform a critic acid bath. looking fwd to seeing a step by step video as it would also encourage one to purchase one knowing if all the maintaince documented, & years of expected use = would help with the $2500 sticker.

[@standupray]

That machine is very nice!

[@ashfanman]

Presumably the 6-8 week detergent cycle depends on how much you’re using the machine? What about light use - just two drinks per day?

[@markbarantsevich1293]

Do it every week. Once a week is completely fine, but 6-8 weeks is so wrong.

[@user-vo3ku2sf2d]

@@markbarantsevich1293 wtf are you talking about you do not need to backflush with detergent every week unless your are a cafe pulling 50 shots per day. E61 manuals literally tell you not to do detergent too often because you will be constantly stripping all the oils out of the gaskets, hence, every 4-6 weeks ymmv

[@bgm1911]

Fairly thorough, but I wish you would have mentioned/explained the screw that sits in the group head above the screen. On my E61, it gets extremely dirty, and if Im removing the screen for cleaning, it's takes very little effort to clean that screw.

[@4wolverines]

Just saw this, thanks. Question. When you did the soap back flush, the gasket & shower screen are still in the group head correct? I don’t think the portafilter will lock in without it right? Thanks

[@clivecoffee]

Hi there! Yes, you are correct. For the initial backflush you'll want the original gasket and screen to still be in the group head.

[@stevenzucchi]

Awesome video, thanks Bro!

[@DanzilF]

Informative, thanks. But I can't understand how we're calculating the cleaning frequency by time rather than by brews. Some people brew 6 coffees a day, some brew 1.

[@clivecoffee]

true, but backflushing with detergent on an e61 grouphead breaks down the lubricant in the camshaft more quickly, so generally, we recommend more water backflushes.

[@DanzilF]

@@clivecoffee thanks for answering. That also makes sense to me. I'm in fact backflushing mine with just water after every pack of coffee I go through (so that's like 15 brews on average). So far water was always clear (i.e. didn't have any coffee ground). But this could also be due to me dosing less in a bigger basket (so coffee is not sucked back in easily, I guess), and the machine being relatively new. I also switched to a smaller basket just today, so I'll keep an eye on the next water backflush. However I'm still unsure when I should be using detergent if I'm brewing one time per day on average.

[@clivecoffee]

You will have to eventually. Detergent is meant to remove coffee oils and residues that water cannot. @@DanzilF

[@johnreynolds7163]

What about the screw plate which can be seen once the dispersion screen is removed. is there a reco for when one would unscrew the plate as I ve seen some coffee grinds stuck in here which prevents H20 from flowing freely??

[@susiejt]

Excellent, thank you

[@caspertorneman681]

Maybe weird question, but what bag is that? I’ve been looking for something like that for a while!

[@ii_redz7738]

bottomless or naked basket

[@johnrobie9694]

Did you ever find out who makes that bag? I'm also interested.

[@ash4go]

how much is "a little bit of detergent"? Should specify, or show - is it 1 tsp? 1/2 tsp?

[@clivecoffee]

1/4 of a teaspoon.

[@guylomonaco5999]

Can i clean the screen and inside the portafilter with brillo?

[@playwme3]

Nice video. Just removed the screen and gasket for the first time. Machine is 7 years old. Oops. :0

[@clivecoffee]

Better late than never! Glad we could help.

[@HigherInfluence]

Awesome demonstration. If the gasket doesn’t appear damaged in any way does it still require replacing yearly?

[@nokante1]

It's good evidence that it needs replacing if your portafilter will turn past 90 degrees.

[@christopherma1718]

is it true detergent backflush is bad for IMS nanotech screens?

[@tendingtropic7778]

which machine is this? i love it

[@clivecoffee]

So do we. That's the LUCCA M58 with maple panels and knobs! clivecoffee.com/products/lucca-m58-espresso-machine-by-quick-mill

[@roblucchetti2993]

i would never use silicone in high heat, it has a tendency to deform. Rubber is really better for heat applications.

[@nomadsolos]

wrong! Silicone was developed specifically for heat applications. I know this as I was a rubber compounding expert in a Rubber Company for many years.

[@psychadeliq]

I'm torn on deciding how often to do the detergent backflush. One website says it should be weekly and here you say every 6-8 weeks. I get that detergent will also flush the lubricant inside the E61 head a bit but too few of detergent backflush will also clog those small passage ways. Any comment?

[@clivecoffee]

Great question. We've been recommending this schedule for years and use it with all of the machines in our showroom, as well as with our home machines. Following this schedule, we rarely experience any clogging within the screen this schedule wholeheartedly. That said, it's not uncommon to see buildup on the inner surface of the screen on occasion. For that, we recommend soaking the screen in detergent and using your brush of choice to give it a deep clean.

[@williamhull4883]

@@clivecoffee do you lubricate the gasket every time you remove it or only when you change it out?

[@clivecoffee]

only when you change the gasket about once a year @@williamhull4883

[@mojokulo]

What kind of machine is that? Looks sexy

[@clivecoffee]

The machine used in this video is the Lucca M58 Espresso Machine by Quick Mill (with wood customization options!). Check it out at Clive Coffee: clivecoffee.com/products/lucca-m58-espresso-machine-by-quick-mill

[@stevebryce6071]

You should really be more careful when recommending products. Molykote make a wide range of lubricant products - most of which are for industrial application and a lot of them are toxic.

[@angelaslaney1514]

way too slow; baled out at 1.45

[@snowman7234]

Listen at 1.5x speed. Thank me later.