The Beginner’s Guide to Coffee Machine Maintenance

[@jameshoffmann]

Click my trainwell (formerly CoPilot) link go.trainwell.net/james-hoffmann to get 14 days FREE with your own expert personal trainer!

[@somefreshbread]

How dare you call me out at 12:30.

[@pezz38]

@@somefreshbread Phhh i was sure it was me..

[@imnotgivingyoumyname810]

I can't stand modern espresso machine cleaners, many have forever chemicals. I get why some use it. With my puck screen I've never had an issue with the shower screen but I do check. Great video sir, really enjoyed it.

[@Shottty101]

I did not put together why the name change until you mentioned... Oof on the AI association.

[@nateattinello1464]

James! Any chance you have any guidance on cleaning and maintaining lever machines like a Victoria Arduino Athena Leva??

[@matz4k]

30 Minutes of Hoffmann calling me dirty is exactly what I needed today.

[@jamesrkelly76]

I'm filthy!

[@Alnakar]

I didn't pass the finger test

[@Crime_Lab]

@@Alnakar try the thumb :):):)

[@OmniPlatypus]

Hames Joffmann will have a field day with this one.

[@Crime_Lab]

@@OmniPlatypus OMJ! you are so right!!!! :):):):)

[@fsxmaniac]

You presume that maintenance is a boring topic to me? I’m coming fresh from an hour long video about the functioning of a dishwasher. Do carry on

[@Bodhihana]

Technology Connections is my shit

[@tammasus]

TC right?? Same here, watching while working out. People just staring at my phone like wtf this dude watching

[@arthurdent8086]

Another Alec fan!

[@theunheardprophet4315]

Technology Connections?

[@BobKimball]

I learned so much from that video

[@li-hsienyen9310]

Learned a new Acronym today - RTFM = Read the Manual

[@m420-nd1if]

IWTFJ i want James

[@AlexeyRamensky]

*Read the F Manual

[@derCrummel]

As a colleague said: The "F" stands for "fine" or "fantastic".

[@NCVluminati]

THE FORKIN MANUAL

[@con-f-use]

Potty mouths all of them. It clearly means "read the friendly manual".

[@anna-mariacovich6675]

I was staying with my dad after he had surgery and I noticed that the portafilter of his premillenium la pavona was looking pretty dirty so I tried to clean it... Cut to 3 hours later, we have the machine in pieces and have chipped and polished away probably 30 years worth of coffee particles using his dremel tool. Everything that moved got a bit of vegetable oil lubrication and we put it back together. I heard him get up around 5am to make coffee, because he was so excited to see what difference it made. He has been struggling for years to pull a really good shot, adding thermostats and pressure gauges, playing with the grind... he takes a sip an exclaims "this is best shot I've ever had from that machine!!!" I wish I'd tried it before and after now.

[@Robdutton91]

You’re a good son, your dad appreciates you

[@Bengisu-dmr]

Impressive

[@tombancroft5089]

well played sir. I lost my father this year and moments like this are what it's all about

[@tombancroft5089]

correcting myself - well played madame :)

[@anna-mariacovich6675]

@@tombancroft5089 good spotting. :-)

[@stevenmacdonald9619]

As a Northerner that spent a few years living in London, my heart goes out to all there. The water is just calcium carbonate, with a little added water.

[@robertrhoadesofficial]

It's true! I hate buying so much bottled water for coffee, but this isn't the Lake District!

[@cruachan1191]

I'm Scottish, many years ago was staying at a mate's in Bristol and was very hungover the next day. Went to get a glass of water expecting the cool, clear stuff we get out the taps here. I got a glass of lukewarm chalk.

[@Lexander__]

Not from the UK but from Arizona, we have the same thing. It's to the point that the water tastes bad without filtration and people attach water softeners to the intakes of their homes.

[@lyleallan5124]

Because of the water where I live (Jersey, USA), I put in a distiller. I mix with that Third Wave and they claim that combination will not require descaling. I have also read, although can't confirm, that distilled alone is not good for the machine.

[@Neenerella333]

​@Lexander__ We have since the 80s! Desert water needs to be recycled as much as possible, but they add so much chlorine. Also, the lime crusties. I had a filter on my shower head too. In Chandler, you could tell when the municipality had just dosed the supply. I'm in NM now, with a well, but the literal limestone is just as crusty, so we have a softener.

[@NonaPaskemin]

I love how James Hoffman is able to be so polite while he's also being super sassy

[@jpkatz1435]

He is a genius at that because he admonishes without rankor, an amazing talent.

[@zuai]

12:37 "you know who you are" saw deep into my soul and I am ashamed 😔

[@Michalosnup]

Definitelly never happened to me

[@Grumpist1]

what'd he say fuck me for?

[@jakelannetti3128]

It hit me right in my core

[@Hookat88]

I felt threatened by James and now I'm a different person

[@wisdomofthewolf]

12:30 or 12:31, I think, actually...

[@dawsonjohannes613]

I ran a student run cafe in university as an engineering student. This video makes my heart so happy, as during my time I implemented a comprehensive PM program and documented all maintenance procedures for all of our equipment. Lots of late nights spent disassembling and cleaning the equipment that had not been maintained for years. Group head gaskets were hard as rocks.

[@tctruffin]

"See how that goes [smirk]" The voice of experience.

[@billeterk]

Startling

[@Secretlyanothername]

Who knew coffee maintenance could generate such entendres

[@sal_alaa]

Timestamp please?

[@HorsePuncher]

@@sal_alaa20:30

[@kamilduszak226]

I work at DeLonghi repair service and You can't even imagine how badly some people maintain their coffee appliances. Both espresso and automatic coffee machines. We get A LOT of reports of "the machine doesn't froth the milk" and easily 90% of the time it is due to the clogging of the milk carafes and steamwands with old crusted milk. Also there is a lot of reports about the machine "loosing its pressure over time" and of course during the diagnose we see that the portafilter is literally clogged with old coffee. KEEP YOUR APPLIANCES CLEAN and RTFM and You will be happy with Your coffee machine for long years :) If You have any questions, feel welcome to ask, I'll try to answer :)

[@carahindes4341]

Do you use anything special to clean that old crusty milk?

[@kamilduszak226]

@@carahindes4341 For the milk carafes nothing special, You just need to take the carafe apart and soak it for about 10-15 minuts in warm water with dishing soap, than clean it with a sponge and/or a brush (brush is definitely better), rinse it and that's it, preferably after every use just rinse it under running water and you won't have to thoroughly clean it so often. Also the cleaning process is for sure depicted in a user manual. For steam nozzles if the situation is bad, You need to declog it with some wire from the exit hole (for example You can straighten a paperclip and use it). For maintenance, there are a lot of cappuccino cleaners to buy, use it as the instructions on the bottle inform. Usually You just soak the nozzle in a solution and shoot a couple of steam bursts and let it sit as long as the instructions say than rinse the inside with a couple of steam bursts.

[@zachwalter5593]

Are delonghi machines compatible with back flushing?

[@kamilduszak226]

@@zachwalter5593 Only La Specialista series from Prestigio model (EC9355.M) up

[@kamilduszak226]

@@zachwalter5593 Only La Specialista series from Prestigio model (EC9355.M) up are

[@marcberm]

Finding the manual PDF is a step that is not to be overlooked. As a force of habbit, I now search/find the PDF version of the manual for every non-trivial thing I buy (small appliances, tools, electronics, etc.) Renaming the files as something you'll recognize, and keeping all of them in a folder on your hard drive and/or a thumb drive saves unimaginable aggrivation and frustration later.

[@cutelittlemoose]

I save them and email them to myself so I can forever search my email for the pretty obvious names (brand plus item category plus manual, any other searchable terms/code words easy to throw in there)… helps when a gadget gets retired and I don’t really want to keep wasting space on new ones with files I almost never access and have no reason to keep private since Google and Bozo Bezos the Clown already pretty much know everything I own just from my browsing paired with my IP address.

[@bennylloyd-willner9667]

I often d/l the pdf of models when deciding what machine/tool o buy. I like to get better info on internals and how to service/maintain stuff than the marketing material gives. "Easy to clean" just isn't enough😊 It has another pro to it; when I eventually get the product, I am eager to start using it and having read the manual already, I'm good to go😊

[@doudou1178]

The topic did seem boring, but because James Hoffman said it was important I watched the whole thing. Turned out it was not boring at all because, well, James Hoffman of course!

[@th4tw3irdg1rl]

I don't own an espresso machine, I live purely on pour overs, but I was told not to skip this video and I'll use any James video as background noise because his voice is just that nice.

[@DScythe888]

same, very glad to be in the pour over gang. maintenance is a helluva lot easier lol

[@markym5002]

Same. It pays off even when you’re not actively listening - like a cat with its ear trained inJames’s direction. At its most basic it’s rejuvenating sensible noise. At its most advanced, it teaches you a lot about coffee. Thanks James!

[@joshc4136]

Pour over here as well. I live cleaning my kettle and other gear. Makes it shiny and new all over again.

[@treyrmason]

As a coffee technician, I really appreciate you putting this out so that people can show love to their equipment (even though it might diminish my business a little bit 😉) I will say, the amount of espresso cleaner demonstrated in the blank portafilter disc is pretty excessive. For most folks, it probably wouldn’t be an issue to use too much. However, I can’t count the number of times I’ve been called by a cafe because there’s no flow through their groups, and the issue was that they’re using too much cleaner and rinsing wasn’t sufficient to clear it out of the solenoid valve. That causes it to solidify and the plunger in the valve gets stuck closed. If you’re lucky, you can do an extended soak with cleaner to release the residual gunked cleaner. If you’re unlucky, I have to come open your machine to clean out the cleaner from your group valve (ironic and expensive). Happy brewing (and cleaning), everyone 🤠

[@michaelwilliams5110]

Also seems like a good idea to dissolve detergent before backflush, would this reduce clogging?

[@rossstewart9475]

@@michaelwilliams5110 It might, but blank baskets have quite a small volume and are shallow: The amount of water used in a single backflush is very small, probably as little as 10ml in some machines and rarely more than 25ml, and if you're using a solution of cleaner and water you'd probably also want to preheat it before pouring it into your blank, so we're already adding multiple steps to the process; The more complicated and fiddly you make the cleaning process, the less likely it will be done routinely - and a good routine is the best way to maintain any piece of equipment. If not preheating, you'd want that solution to be sufficiently concentrated that it amounts to only a few % of the total volume of liquid involved in a single backflush. Each backflush dumps the cleaner down the waste at the end of the cycle: With granules this is fine, because the first cycle has only dissolved a portion of the cleaner you added to the basket and on it's second run it dissolves a little more; With a liquid detergent all of the cleaner is already in solution, will be dumped out on the first flush, and you'd then need to pull the portafilter and refill with liquid cleaner before starting the second flush. The other reason why we might not see the best results using a pre-diluted cleaner would be that there will be some mild abrasive cleaning provided by the granules as it dissolves into solution during the 3-5 flush cycles you'd typically want to run. Finally, whilst I don't know the exact chemistry here the cleaner we use to backflush releases gases as it dissolves into solution: I wouldn't be surprised to learn that much like cleaning with bicarbonate of soda, that the gaseous emission as the cleaner dissolves aide in the process; At the least I'd imagine the pressure this creates would help to drive the detergent back up towards the solenoid.

[@michaelwilliams5110]

@@rossstewart9475 Thanks for the detailed reply! Very thoughtful

[@sandymacdonald4810]

Just cleaned the work Breville espresso machine on Fri morning and the coffee I pulled tasted so good. It's usually me that does the cleaning and I hadn't made time to do it. Made such a difference. Thanks for the reminder 😊

[@daanbl]

After watching this video I cleaned my espresso machine more thoroughly than I ever thought possible. And honestly, I dare to say my coffee now tastes clean as well :D

[@worawatli8952]

I love how my Breville has "Clean me" reminder light that come up when it has reached its maintenance cycle, it kept me doing routine cleaning of it without fail. And it has auto-cleaning, just put in the cleaning basket with detergent and let it clean itself, all of these kept lazy person like me on time with maintenance. It's been over 3 years and problem free.

[@juystafanreview2532]

Yep, I do the same. It keeps me honest.

[@worawatli8952]

@@juystafanreview2532 Whenever someone asked about getting first espresso machine, I always recommended looking into one with cleaning functions, it's essential stuff, like oil-change light on cars, it's something that should be on every machine, yet it doesn't. Ideally you want to do shorter interval, but warning lights keep people from going too far and get into problems.

[@LJ-wo1wf]

@@CorruptedDogg I think that's okay, erring on the side of "too clean". I'd rather it do like you say instead of having a mineral buildup sensor that might fail anyway.

[@ginaherold]

@@CorruptedDoggyou can hit the steam button and dismiss the cleaning reminders if you’d like to ignore them for a while 😅

[@LairdDavidson]

If it's the same Breville that I have the person who sets it up for you tests the water and calibrates the cleaning cycle with the machine so it's accurate. You can also do it yourself if you move to another area for example.

[@fynn2350]

I like how when the Niche is grinding, James is resting his hand on it. It looks like a motivating hand on the back to reassure the grinder that it can do it.

[@NHK99914]

Hear me out. This may not be one of the most popular/viewed videos he makes right off the bat but given the growing number of home cafes it will be watched by people for a long time.. Especially for beginners. Thankful for this video now and there will be more ppl thanking later on for years to come

[@Chefkraken]

We recently deep cleaned our coffee brewer for the first time in ages, and it then created the single best cup of coffee I've had in years. It's well worth the effort to maintain a clean machine!

[@LeavinMyTown]

THANK YOU JAMES FOR DOING THIS! Working in hospitality I am so sick of being told different things by different people about how to clean an espresso machine. I just want something to set the record straight!

[@Call_Me_David]

While I do happen to have some citric acid right now, it's generally rare that I do. However, I almost always have vinegar on hand. Most vinegars I've seen range from 4% to 7% acetic acid, and it is also non-toxic and food safe. I've been using it for years to descale and just generally clean anything coffee related. Also, since I wear dentures, I always have denture cleaning tablets on hand, and they work great for removing coffee stains from stainless cups and mugs. Clean it really well with soap and water, then rinse it clean, fill it to the top with hot water and drop a tablet in and let it sit over night.

[@Drunkenvalley]

I don't own a coffee machine, but I guess I'll watch just about anything James presents just cuz it's hella neat.

[@molloyju]

That's how I started, just got my first hand grinder..

[@MumrikDK]

I drink instant, yet here we are.

[@romangiertych5198]

I don't even like coffee!

[@PaulLemars01]

Run, don't walk. Avoid James Hoffman at all costs. Don't get sucked in by his mellifluous tones and oh-so reasonable delivery. It's too late for me. Before I knew it, I'd spent over five thousand dollars on coffee gear and now I have a $70 a month coffee subscription not to mention the other approximately $30 a month I spend each month on 'interesting' roasters. Crack is probably cheaper and nowhere as addictive.

[@Hez0]

Maybe buy a moka pot and some ground coffee? That and a gas stove is all you need to make your own at home! It amazes me how simple that contraption is. You'll have fun with it, for sure.

[@kevadu]

I'm a big fan of manual lever espresso machines for home use. Not only are they generally cheaper and give you a lot of control, they are so much easier to clean and maintain.

[@jamesprater7192]

Me too! Problem is I don’t think a manual lever will provide the nerdy types with enough to do 🤔

[@Robdutton91]

@@jamesprater7192you might want to think again, there are more variables with a manual machine. They’re not very forgiving, takes a long time to dial in your shots

[@carloscoronel5245]

Yes!!! As a happy Robot owner, I can confirm this :)))

[@mlbody1234]

As a regular descaler of my Gaggia happy with things, had never removed the shower head - OMG how was anything passing through this!! All clean and flowing now. Thanks James

[@biscuitygudness]

i can barely even drink coffee because i'm so sensitive to caffeine, but hobbies of all kinds fascinate me and coffee is no exception. so of COURSE i'll watch a video about cleaning a bunch of apparatuses i don't even own, hell yeah!

[@fynn2350]

Decaf specialty coffees are starting to become a thing, so depending on where you live, this might be something you could look into. I'm pointing out specialty coffee here because while regular supermarket coffee is somewhere between bad and okay, supermarket decaf is usually a complete atrocity. Coffee circle recently had very good selections of decaf and they also brew them in their shops. So if you ever find one of their shops, decaf espresso or latte is totally an option.

[@Shocker99]

Are you an interesting person because of your caffeine sensitivity or because you watch KZbin channels dedicated towards caffeine? 😂 ;) i do the same but with the different trades

[@whyamiwastingmytimeonthis]

IT’S -NOT A PHASE, MOOM- NOT A HOBBY, coffee is an absolute necessity for survival!

[@KamisatoElias]

I recommend drinking coffee only after having a large meal and you’ll be completely fine

[@Ampldad]

Check out decadent decaf. I’m the same as you and their coffee is exquisite

[@kleinebre]

YES! I've been advocating clean equipment for ages. No matter the price of your equipment, if it's not kept clean you won't be able to make good coffee with it. If you pull a shot of clean water and it's not as transparent of water, you're doing it wrong. "It's not seasoning, it's just dirt" - spot on.

[@homonym7638]

‘Making sure the exit chute is clean is the number 1 task’ I’m gonna go ahead and say it’s more of a number 2 sort of thing

[@markgreensabroad]

😂😂

[@philipsullivan3920]

....nice!

[@Robdutton91]

Also feel the need to throw in “you don’t want a fishy hopper”, about 20:05

[@davidriddell3400]

I'm more amazed that James only cleans his exit chute once a week. I do mine at least daily.

[@MrHuweii]

My coffee machine has been out of service for more than two months now because the boiler wasn’t filling anymore and I assumed that I needed to change a piece but never took the time to do so. After watching your video I tried putting citric acid in and just solved the issue. Thanks for the tips ❤ Keep up the great work y’all !

[@NickOnFire1490]

Literally today I was going to descale my new espresso machine and I was about to look up a tutorial. Perfect timing.

[@owensparks5013]

Please ensure you literally clean it. Metaphorically cleaning it would be less productive.

[@Konarcoffee]

I am dreading doing it for the first time but now this video is here and I have the same exact machine so, ugh, I guess it's a sign to actually do it

[@ogh4x]

Why does your new machine have scale?

[@leroythecoffeegeek4611]

You shouldn’t need to descale a new machine.

[@NickOnFire1490]

@@leroythecoffeegeek4611 I meant relatively new, I’ve had it for 4-ish months lol

[@offsideundo]

"Fishy Hopper" will be added to my collection of character names for my novel. Thanks!

[@cutelittlemoose]

Will it be someone’s drag name?😂

[@danielfarrant8170]

I have a Sage (Breville) machine which I thought I was doing a good job of cleaning until I watched this! I put espresso machine cleaner through it once every couple of months and descale it every other time, I rarely take the shower screen down so I did while watching this video and found literal limescale chunks sat in it! very glad I've found this video, I'll be adding the bean hopper and shower screen to my maintenance schedule as I don't clean either of them currently!

[@vornamenachname8854]

May I ask, how did you remove and reattach the shower screen? I have the same one and the manual doesnt mention removing the shower screen unfortunately…

[@danielfarrant8170]

@@vornamenachname8854 there is a bolt in the center of it, remove that using an allen key and carefully pry round the edges to remove the screen being careful not to bend the edges (at your own risk!).

[@czesawcz]

"(RTFM) Read the manual" Made my day :D Thank you!

[@stuetaylor]

I've been questioning whether my machine needs replacing, but this reminds me i don't clean it properly. Perfect timing, thank you.

[@atflst6053]

"See how that goes" - best part of the video. Very helpful. Thank you!

[@andrillaf]

Thank you for making this video! I recently cleaned my espresso machine for the first time after 2 1/2 years of owning it, because I realized it was probably important-only recognizing just how important after seeing all of the build up. Thankfully my machine lets me know when I need to descale, so I've been doing that. I appreciate the detailed explanation on all of these!

[@Orphioux]

The perfect video to watch while enjoying my scrambled eggs a la cappucino machine.

[@EvilBillz]

I have been following you for the last couple months trying to educate myself on coffee. It has been eye opening and has really made me pay more attention. Today's video prompted me to do a deep clean of our OXO coffee grinder. What an absolute PITA to clean not to mention how absolutely filthy and disgusting it was. As an almost impossible machine to completely clean, I am at this moment choosing it's replacement. Thanks so much for your exquisite work with so much attention to detail that is helping me to raise my coffee game! Cheers!

[@CJMGSanchezGarrido]

After seeing this, my first reaction is „Oups!“. I didn‘t think about the water coming back up the line after a shot. So to the kitchen we go, time to give it a good clean to start fresh. Thank you for all the tips.

[@ben61820]

Post more! We love you. Changed my whole coffee experience, this channel did.

[@GardeningwithDave]

Thank you James for teaching me the ropes during Covid on how to use my aeropress at home. Love from California mate!

[@harsha1306]

I don't think I've ever religiously watched a 30 mins video on maintenance. But I do love how much useful stuff you managed to add into this video. I do keep my espresso machine clean and remember to purge the grouphead and steam wand after every use but I'd never heard of removing the shower screen to clean it. I should do that now and hope I won't be shocked by what I find in the there

[@NukeyStreams]

Were you shocked? Honestly was shocked, I am the same as you and didn't know you could easily clean the shower head, didn't even think about it honestly. Learned about it like 2 weeks ago and I was 100% shocked with it lol.

[@garyn7067]

@@NukeyStreams I was SHOCKED, cuz my manual did not include that as a maintenance task. And YUUK !!!! 5 years of coffee residue. Luckily the puck screen kept it from being worse than it was.

[@NukeyStreams]

@@garyn7067 WOW 5 years?? Honestly I don't even know where my manual is at 😂 I hope that wiped away well, for me it was surprising but the moment I put a sponge on the shower screen it immediately wiped away, pretty cool actually

[@hnrksch]

A much needed video! I was procrastinating descaling my machine for years. After watching this i immediately did it and it was super easy lol. Fun fact: 15 years ago i worked as maintenance for gas station coffee machines and you would never believe the amount of mold, rot, scale and decomposing dead mice that was inside of these machines. Gas stations have come a long way since then but it used to be bonkers

[@mikaelpettersson2389]

Hi James, I have done all the cleaning steps up to now, except for one: The shower head. So today I bought the correct torx key to open it, and... let's say that was the best spent 40Fr on a tool set and best spent 20 minutes of watching your video! The taste difference before-after was tremendous! Thanks a lot! Now I can make the best barista espresso out of my 600fr Lelit Anita PID!

[@sera1807]

did a before and after shot between cleaning my grouphead, grinder, and portafilter and the difference was staggeringly noticable. ty!

[@JasonMorford]

Literally the best video you've ever made imo.

[@8leggedsquirrel521]

Thank you for being psychic. I needed this. I was going to do this later today. You're the best James.

[@WonderChinchilla]

Another great piece of maintenance advice: dusting! Many of us (not me... but... other people) tend to accumulate quite a few gadgets/devices/brewing mechanisms that tend to just... sit there. Even though they look cool and you definitely remember how to use them but you just are saving it for a special occasion, the tops/sides may accumulate dust, and it's a lot easier to remove a small layer of week old dust than it is to remove months old caked on dust. Just a quick brush once a week or a couple times a month makes your coffee stuff not only looking nicer but probably tasting better too - nobody wants dust brewed with their coffee. Also remember to clean your vacuum pots! Some of them come with a cloth filter that is a magnet for becoming disgusting and rinsing it under the sink and letting it dry is generally not sufficient. If you did that with your paper filters it wouldn't be sufficient, so it's generally not sufficient for a cloth one too. Nice video!

[@danielchin8073]

Love it! Another tip for getting old coffee residue off of something that you're hand washing is to make a paste out of baking soda and dish soap with just a little water and scrub with that, being careful to use little enough water to avoid dissolving the baking soda. Most of the time I don't reach for the specialty cleaner that I also have for machine internals.

[@mikeobrien1118]

I honestly had no idea about checking behind the shower screen until watching. Thankfully it appears between fairly regular flushing and my puck screen, I had no coffee at all stored up. But great to know for future deep cleanings! Always learning something new when I watch. Thanks James!

[@TheYimyam]

This got me to get up and clean my espresso machine because I'd been neglecting it for a couple weeks... The horrors I have witnessed were a sobering enough experience to motivate me to clean *so* much more regularly

[@ApothecaryTerry]

I've just started shopping for my first proper coffee machine and this was my major concern about getting one, this video couldn't be more perfectly timed!

[@tiang5132]

So happy to see my machine as one of your examples (bambino plus). :) this makes me feel confident I made the right choice

[@originalkhawk]

when it comes to cleaning i have always had success with cleaning my basket after every shot (obviously) rinsing off my portafilter with hot water after every shot, cleaning my portafilter with soap and water at the end of the day, flushing my machine (running water trough it without a portafilter) after every shot for a few seconds, clean the shower screen every weekend, and backflushing it every weekend

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

I use a simple 5 cupper ☕️ . I replace them every 6mo-10mo or so. The cheaper models have the heat element wear out, break. I wash out the glass coffee container often. Grinds can seep into sections too. Clean that too.

[@DavidGasperoni]

I have a Sage Bambino and a Baratza Encore, both featured in the video! Luckily Madrid's water is so soft that descaling can be very infrequent, but I'll be ready whenever I want to do a proper cleaning of my machine. I'll also start cleaning the head or water shower, whatever is called. Never thought of disassembling that!

[@kissgergo5202]

12:31 can't wait to see this in a Hames Joffman video 20:26 and this one

[@SirNichosis]

For those in the US I highly recommend PURO as your espresso machine cleaner. Have used it for years and it is pure magic

[@fermentedmilk9440]

I needed this video so much! Thanks James!

[@donnarafiki7252]

Such a rewarding video to watch for someone who descales and cleans all coffee machines, drip trays and kettles at every house I ever go to, even if it's a first time visit😂

[@jeohist]

27:00 I found it worthwhile to replace the rubber gasket with a silicone gasket in my moka pot. Bought it from E&B Lab, quite satisfied. Also curious to hear your recommendations for hand grinders. I'm cleaning them every time I grind different coffee (3-4 weeks), but maybe that's too infrequent?

[@mikafoxx2717]

I'm honestly surprised that Bialetti doesn't sell silicone seals. Unless you forget it on a hot burner after brewing it doesn't really take damage, but I've loved the silicone seal and how much easier it is to see the coffee buildup under it.

[@JensThestrupToft]

It of course depends on how much you grind. I do about 30 grams a day and find every 3-4 weeks a little too infrequent. Fine particles of coffee will build up and make the coffee taste more and more bitter and sharp over time. I try to clean every 1-2 weeks, and I screw the grinder (1zpresso) apart and take both the inner and outer burr out each time.

[@PhosphorAlchemist]

I just cleaned my kettle with citric acid a few days before I saw this. My water is fortunately quite soft but over a year I was getting a patina of mineral deposits from daily use. The citric acid worked a treat, and it was $2.50 from the grocer's bulk bin for enough to repeat the cleaning 10x over. Plus crystal citric acid can be used for cheese sauces and sour candy. The equivalent concentrate solution bearing a popular consumer brand was $15. It's less flexible, but still quite accessible.

[@eTiMaGo]

I'm just waiting for the Hoffman Cometh version, probably about personal hygiene :D

[@diannalocke997]

Love your channel! Just visited the Indianapolis area (Indiana) and there are so many coffee shops and roasters in the surrounding area! Love visiting the different coffee shops. First thing I thought of was you! You need to see what's happening in Indy! ☕☕☕☕☕

[@9TheEarth7]

This will really help me clean my Aeropress

[@vecdran]

Clean under the rubber plunger tip! That's it.

[@sallys2423]

The rubber part of the plunger can get really gross after awhile if you only rinse it. I scrub it with dish soap periodically.

[@georgepagakis9854]

That's why this guy has so many subscribers. He should be called Dr. Hoffmann :) Doctor of Coffee!!!! Thank you for this amazing video!!!!!!!!!

[@m420-nd1if]

Expert tip no. 7: If you never open the machine you will pass every ick test.

[@iannicholls2790]

Except the taste test...

[@ernestoalcantara4061]

Thanks for the well produced video on espresso machine and grinder maintenance! I must now increase my shower head cleaning to once a week instead of monthly. However, and most wonderfully, I can decrease my descaling frequency to once a year since my water is pretty much neutral and little scale forms in my machine. My wife can now appreaciate all the gadgets and cleaning stuff I have because she can taste the difference between the cappuccinos I make for her and the ones she gets at Starbuck’s.

[@martinhudson6530]

Hi James. Thanks for all your helpful videos. Re maintenance, I live in London, and bought the KitchenAid Artisan grinder and espresso machine, and the Sage Brewer 3/4 months ago. I am only disappointed that the Sage carafe is accumulating a brown film inside, and my hands are too big to get inside it. Can you please advise on the best cleaner to purchase for each of these machines? Can I use citric acid for everything, or different agents for different jobs?? Thank you

[@-delighted]

For testing burrs, I've read to drag a fingernail lengthwise over it. It should shave a tiny bit of the nail off.

[@Weeem]

Shout out for Urnex Cafiza2 ( @10:00 ) Not just coffee equipment, but a general all-round soak cleaner. We have some ceramic pans that tend to last only a couple years at a time. I put Urnex in one that was needing replaced and it brought it back, shiny like new. All we had to do after was re-season it and it was good as gold. Amazing stuff.

[@MondayMornings]

you know you're over 35 when you enjoy a cleaning video

[@ungeekness]

Uh oh I'm only 28

[@JeremyFoster-ve6kq]

@@ungeekness I'm only 20. James is fun!

[@soluna2252]

Maybe one of your most important videos. While not the flashiest in topic a super important one and i'm glad you made it.

[@m420-nd1if]

My Moka Pot cleaning regime: Let it cool down until the next time you use it, then discard the puck and then lightly rinse without soap

[@Shadowguy456234]

That doesn't leave residues after awhile?

[@m420-nd1if]

@@Shadowguy456234 You scrub it off with warm water

[@Frostbiker]

I "brew" baking soda, then "brew" water a couple of times. It does a decent job and cleans the little brewing tube as well.

[@olslimy6428]

Once, my cousin came over and started using my grinder to make an espresso. He was surprised that we're using the same grinder but for some reason my grinder "worked 10x better" than his at home. The weird part was that we're using the same grinder. Cue to when he got back home and complained again as to why his grinder was a lot more worse than mine. He asked which better grinder he could get, maybe even a better burr set that he can upgrade his to. I told him to take a pic of his grinder and I saw how caked up the whole thing was. Like actual caked grounds on the hopper and all the other external parts. I asked him when was the last time he cleaned his grinder since you need to open the grinder up and clean regularly - to which he asked back, "wait, you can open the grinder and clean the insides? Turns out he had been using it for 3-years straight and never clean the burrs or anything. He thought his metal burrs had somehow got blunt, when really it was just the caked up grounds on stuck on the burrs that did it. tl;dr: Clean your grinder everyone. Doesn't need to be every day or every week, but you'll need to clean it after some time.

[@travisvwright]

So only use Cooked rice for grinder cleaning. Got it.

[@garyn7067]

Be careful of WHAT rice you use. My rice would turn to paste if you put it into a grinder. Maybe if you left it out for a week to dry out.

[@ShannonGraceM]

I have a manual grinder and I never thought about the burrs. Thanks for reminding me! it's been grinding beans for ages and my coffee tasted off coming back from vacation. Cleaned the coffee monster and never thought about the grinder. Did the taste test and yep, fish, now I need to figure out how to take the infernal thing apart.

[@LogicalQ]

Grinder maintenance might also make a good video

[@jacqalas]

I feel it is time to do my yearly clean because this video really inspired me.

[@ninniasbieler488]

Is it just me, or has James been working out? Edit: Should have kept watching :D

[@markym5002]

Why did you stop watching?

[@bitslammer]

Great video and more reasons for me to love how easy it is to be a diehard Aeropress user. Doesn't get any easier to keep clean.

[@evan]

Clearly the working out has been working out! NICE ARMS MAN

[@theailona]

As a casual drinker, I was pretty proud of myself for doing daily maintenance even without being aware of the consequences of not doing them (back flushing, steam wand wiping and purging, as well as keeping the underside of my shower screen clean). That's until James said to disassemble the shower screen and clean INSIDE it. I didn't know you were supposed to clean inside or even if it was removable! I've had my machine for 4 years now. Let's just say it took me a while to get the shower screen off after unscrewing, and even a while longer to clean inside 😭 I’m looking forward to my cup tomorrow!

[@garyn7067]

RTFM, but that wasn't in the FM. So like you I did not know I had to clean behind the shower screen. And when I did it YUK, so much coffee residue.

[@theailona]

@@garyn7067 yeah, same. I (metaphorically) ran and downloaded a copy of the manual so I can use the search function, just in case I missed it when I first read the printed manual. It's not there 😐

[@Uxkkun]

So, cooked rice. Got it.

[@yorusign]

Ive got my current home espresso machine for free due to a lack of maintenance. Its previous owner gave it away after it stopped working. It turned out it never got descaling in 3 years of ownership. 3€ of descalerand an hour of regular cleaning/maintenance later i got a fully functional espresso machine that has served me well gor the past year and a half. :)

[@virgh]

How many people immediately went and cleaned their coffee gear after seeing this video? 🙋‍♂

[@paulcampbell6803]

I hadn’t yet done a shower screen clean. It looked a bit like the one James had, and there was an accumulation around the gasket. I had recently back flushed, but the shower screen is all clean now!

[@Georgo94]

Brilliant, I have just finished descailing my coffee machine and now I see this. That is perfect timing Mr James!

[@sarahbyington2440]

who else is now guilt cleaning their neglected equipment?

[@redgator12]

Quick tip: a lot of coffee cleaners are a mix of sodium percarbonate (OxiClean), sodium carbonate (Washing Soda) and salt. I work with Bean-to-Cup and batch-brew machines for a living, and a vast majority of the cleaners we use for removing coffee oils and residue buildup are about 30% sodium carbonate and 30% sodium percarbonate, plus some other cleaners like hydrated silica, sodium laurel sulfate, and ethoxylated alcohols.

[@runnerup15]

I don't know why I'm watching this, I only have a french press

[@GulliNL]

Halfway through this video I stopped trusting my machine's automated tally of hard Dutch water and started a descaling routine. Thanks James!

[@angelandra]

This video came out at the right time for me because I descaled my machine yesterday

[@rodepet]

Finally a cleaning vid! I used to have a filter coffee machine, but where I live now it started to taste bad and even cleaning the loose parts and flushing with detergent didn't get the taste back... Got rid of the machine... After finding this channel I did pourovers with the filter in my cup and I finally had nice tasting coffee again. Now I have the dripper with a switch, a little hand grinder and I keep my beans in the freezer. And now... after all this time... I learn I could've used citric acid..... Thank you for the cleaning vid!!!

[@loost68]

Watching your videos, is one of life's blessings. Thank you

[@LungenStrudel]

Well, I read the F manual of my Rocket 58 dual boiler, which stated I must not use citric acid because it would do something to the surface of the boilers. They recommend a full disassembly only, such that I was searching for someone capable of doing that. After not finding anyone here in Vienna, Austria, and not descaling my machine for three years because of that, I finally gave in to citric acid, which, at least on the outside, was no big deal.

[@richardemerson8075]

Absolute solid (and spotless) gold info. 11/10, would descale again... eventually.

[@themountainnetwork]

Great vid! - Key takeaway= cook your rice before using it to clean your grinder

[@cherbhy3]

This video should be sponsored by CAFELAT because this is why I love my Robot. Yes, you need to clean all three pieces you use to brew… but you don’t need to worry about back flushing, descaling, a drip tray, a water tank and the like. It’s a wonderfully simple machine.

[@johnpublic168]

Thank you James, you motivated me to improve my pour overs. It is getting better and better. Now obsessing over water.

[@KR-be8eq]

Inspired me to finally do a deep clean of my espresso machine, thanks James

[@kristianlawrence]

I tried to ignore this video and skip past it a few times, but I knew deep down I’d have to come back and watch it. Let’s do this.

[@ponycarguy]

Just recently was gifted my first espresso machine (a breville bes810 duo temp). So I am very much new to espresso haha. When I got it I cleaned it up to the best of my knowledge and ability. While I haven't been getting wonderful espresso it has been making pretty good coffee drinks how I usually enjoy it. Wasn't until this video I realized I was supposed to clean under the filter screen haha. Just took it off and goodness gracious it had a ton of disgusting build-up underneath 😵. Now my machine is completely cleaned and descaled to the best of my ability. Thanks for the tips and all the videos you do!