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!!!! :):):):)

[@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. :-)

[@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...

[@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😊

[@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

[@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

[@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 !

[@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!

[@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.

[@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!

[@Georgo94]

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

[@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!

[@grafgra4]

Thanks James. This is what I call quality content. I might start spreading the word about the benefits of drinking coffee just by telling people they'll become as smart, as wit and credible as you sooner or later. Proud we have you in the community

[@DapumaAZ]

What I have found that works well for me (Rocket 9 One) is doing two water only purges after making a shot and in between each I clean off the external dispersion filter (where the water comes out without the portafilter on) and then do a third purge with the Porto filter on - each is only a few seconds, however that reduces much of the cleaning required for a machine that only pulls 1-2 shots a day Keeps most of the residue off, I can do a proper clean once every couple weeks

[@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!

[@evandrohoffmann9994]

James Hoffmann é um famoso barista que eu conheci hoje. Evandro Hoffmann é um produtor de café no Brasil.

[@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

[@DH-.]

It's summer on our side of the pond... Dunkin donuts iced coffee with an extra shot of espresso & dash of coconut flavor... Slammin

[@ViktorEnns]

Cleaning my grinder with oats has been effective. I've tried the pellets and they seem to have a very similar effect to oats. I've also had less of an aftertaste with oats than the pellets. The pellets leave a bit of a chalky taste after the first and second grinds after cleaning. Not a big deal but I prefer the oats. Oats are also drastically cheaper. My grinder is the Baratza Encore and I grind for filter coffee. Espresso grinds may have different results.

[@davidj6237]

Personal experience regarding descaling in batch brewers: I own a Moccamaster and we live in an area where we have to descale a lot... And from experience the performance is heavily influenced by scale building up. Reasoning would be, that they rely on a certain heating curve of the water to get pumped in the desired flow. With scale build up, the heating is slower than anticipated and therefore flow will differ and stuff like shower heads don't work properly anymore.

[@jakes9708]

I use a French Press and a grinder every day for my coffee. I purchase 2-3 kilos of coffee at a time. My cleaning process is to rinse and wipe down the press every day before making a new pot of coffee. This removes most of the buildup of coffee residue day to day. Then every time I use up my supply of coffee and I'm opening new bags, I do a deep clean where I use some dish soap and a scrub brush. I also clean my grinder and other equipment to remove oil buildup. I find that this keeps my equipment nice and my coffee tasting good. Now, I might try brushing the grinder chute weekly to see what that does. However, since I started using a spritz of water on my beans to combat static I find that I get less grounds stuck in the chute so it may not be that big of a deal for my setup.

[@AlbertWeijers]

Can you clean the burrs of your grinder, I just cleaned my hand grinder and of course that is easy, if you can't get to the burrs of your electric grinder I wonder how dirty they can get.

[@jakes9708]

My burrs are easy to clean, especially since I don't keep been in the hopper. The top burr is just held in place by the hopper. Once I remove the top burr, I can use the supplied brush to clean the bottom bur in situ. In fact, I believe the grinder with a hopper that James shows in this video is the same one I use.

[@BorrowedKnowledge]

I’ve had mixed results with cooked rice too. Decent for blade grinders but on my Niche it was a mess.

[@fermentedmilk9440]

I needed this video so much! Thanks James!

[@huma474]

White Vinegar also works for descaling , same basic idea as citric acid - you're just trying to perform the volcano experiment on the scale to make it go away

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

I was thinking of cleaning my friend's K cup machine with white vinegar. It had the cleaning warning ⚠️ come on.

[@joyeuse00]

zen and the art of coffee machine maintenance, excellent

[@MexicanCa]

Excellent video, I've been doing espresso for years and I learn so much today!

[@MondayMornings]

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

[@ungeekness]

Uh oh I'm only 28

[@greghoughton6189]

thank you - your videos are always entertaining, but I think this is the most useful yet

[@highnrising]

The reason I use a pour-over or Aeropress (depending on the day and my mood) and a manual grinder is that when you factor in the time and effort involved in cleaning the electric drip coffee maker and grinder, the manual coffee-brewing equipment actually consumes less time and is easier to use.

[@ninniasbieler488]

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

[@markym5002]

Why did you stop watching?

[@dw300]

Milton sterilising fluid for babies' bottles is good for removing stains. Not sure if it just bleaches, or actually breaks things down, but it does wonders on my mugs.

[@Bjarkediedrage]

I use a small hand-held air-compressor to clean my grinder. Can recommend just blowing it clean!

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

A newer car wash spot near me has cool small air blower. I might clean my travel mugs 🥤 there. When I was issued a vest, III body armor: security post 2022-2023 era, I'd clean my MOLLE gear, vest with the air pump. Grit, crud, crumbs etc would seep into it. ✅️

[@henrylitchfield3936]

Really appreciate your sharing this vid James!! I've just had to replace my machine as didn't look after it... need to get into stronger maintenance habits!

[@MJS-PS144]

So just disassembled my Delongi that I bought used and also have choked many shots myself. Lemme tell ya...that thing was caked and NASTY. Thanks James!

[@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.

[@gregc8567]

My tip: Run your finger along the inside of your water tank - if it feels slippery you need to wash it out with soap. (or remove the soap you last washed it with! :P )

[@GrantGuarino]

My espresso machine manufacturer (rocket) recommends against descaling entirely in the manual, is it a good idea to descale it anyway? It’s been a few years and I haven’t descaled it 😬 - Update: Decided to go ahead and descale anyway and I’m glad I did. The water that came out of the machine during the descaling process was incredibly discolored and I noticed the water flow coming out of my hot water top was increased after the fact. I decided to use James’s recommendation of a 20% strength solution since I hadn’t descaled in years, decided to run descaler through twice, and thankfully didn’t damage the machine in the process. I find it a little irresponsible on the manufacturer for explicitly recommending against descaling at all in the product manual as clearly the machine needed it. In the manual, they mention that it is “difficult to remove the descaling solution from the machine” For those wondering, I have Rocket Appartamento. As it is a heat exchanger, you just have to ensure you run the descaler through both the group and the hot water tap and then rinse both thoroughly. I also opened the steam valve for about 15sec for good measure when rinsing.

[@dtopa7524]

Not uncooked rice, instant or minute rice or par-cooked rice to clean out the oils in a burr grinder. Works great.

[@gchomuk]

Soaking my Moccamaster carafe with hot water and Cascade dishwasher detergent works great.

[@StephenEmmons-mx5yz]

Thank you SO much for including the Encore ESP! Would love to see it more here!

[@satchman2000retro]

living in Scotland we dont need to worry as much abiut limescale, but i didn’t know about the oil accumulation on the hopper. I have the sage machine younhad in your demo section, and its very easy to clean. it comes with a too, under the water jug for unscrewing and cleaning the steamer wand. Greag video though, ive learned everything about brewing coffee from your channel!

[@WillApplebyUK]

Guess who didn't know you could remove the shower screen on an espresso machine... watched this video and cleaned it for the first time in SIX YEARS. It was pretty grim. Fully expecting today's coffee to taste better :D

[@joebrewer6034]

Thanks, I really needed this. Went over to my Ascaso and popped out the shower screen for the first time. it was completely black on the back side.

[@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!

[@geoffplywood6112]

Dishwashers do a nice job on stainless steel bits and pieces like French press parts

[@fabiomora6491]

My manufacturer recommends vinegar and water to de-scale and that's what I do just once a year tho. idk that's good for a machine that i use almost every day

[@robfromgpw5243]

James, it would be wonderful for you to show how to clean a semiautomatic machine. Most of the manufacturers utilize the same internal guts of the brew portion. Though many imitators, there’s nothing like a James Hoffmann Primer to set one right.

[@kurtcostarica]

Hi James, thanks for the extremely useful video. I "discovered" your channel just a few days ago, and have been devouring the content. So many answers to so many questions I've had for years. A question: I didn't catch (or understand) the name of the Espresso machine cleaner; was it Onex? I'd greatly appreciate it if you (or someone knowledgeable) could write the names of some good, proven cleaners for my machines. Thank you very much, and everyone have a great day/evening, wherever you may be.

[@rasmusa380]

Amazing video and possibly well needed. (No comment). So what should one use to clean a Moka pot? Warm water and dishsoap? Citric acid and water? Would’ve loved to hear a little more as I do sometimes feel like mine gets a litle dirtier than ideal…

[@cruachan1191]

This might be very bad, but I was recommended by my local coffee shop to use sterilising solution to clean my bean to cup machine. We're in Scotland, so very soft water and no scale issues, they said it was much cheaper (at the time, machine has now been scrapped it was that long ago), obviously food safe as baby bottles are cleaned with it and very easy to get in every supermarket. Can attest to the Moka pot gasket, I thought I didn't like Moka pot coffee. Turned out that the one I inherited had a rubber gasket that had become plastic, so really wasn't doing its job anymore.

[@mattamiller2002]

I have a little plastic thing that blows out a puff of air when you squeeze it. It's great for flushing out my grinder. Super easy and effective.

[@scottmodha2195]

Well, thats my routine changed forever now! Off I go to have a good clean. 😄

[@scottmodha2195]

I was so inspired, that my Barista Express had a full service last night, back flushed, new brew head gasket, descale and a thorough clean up!

[@LimitedWard]

Hot tip to make cleaning the steam wand easier. If you find that your steam wand gets milk residue stuck on frequently, simply fill a milk pitcher with water and a few drops of detergent and steam it like you would with milk. The hot steam will froth the soapy water and get the milk off. As a bonus, this also helps clean your milk pitcher!

[@dominiccampbell947]

Careful James. I work in a farm yard. A lot of things pass my ick test fella.

[@alpsskiman]

I've found that denture cleaning tablets can be effective for removing residue from a stainless-steel carafe. Some warm water and one or two tablets left to dissolve should work within three to four hours, though letting it sit overnight yields the best results.

[@0wis105]

Thank you for this instructive video. Please, make a video in italian with as much social proof and qualification proof as possible to convince them to clean their moka pot. I've seen ones that were "never cleaned since my mama was using it because cleaning it will give a bad taste". Sorry for the nightmares now James...

[@sarahbyington2440]

who else is now guilt cleaning their neglected equipment?

[@1Three8Fiver]

Can't wait to see what the remixers do with this, especially when it comes to the wands, deposits and fishy hoppers.

[@christopherguy1217]

I might be cleaning my Gaggia Classic Pro too much. I use paper filters on top covered with a thin screen to keep the paper from floating around. I flush after every shot and back flush every day. I wash the portafilter and basket after every shot as well. No wonder it takes me more than 10 minutes to make a cappuccino. I was like that with my drip coffee machine as well, they mostly last but the de-scaling solution can weaken the cheap water tubes.

[@Amalgamotion]

We had a coffee service at a former job that did a horrible job of upkeep, they had at least 6 stations across the campus. And people would bring their own rigs at one point the complaints were so rarely addressed. That they would just swap the machines out after enough complaints made me wonder if that old machine was going for cleaning or if it'd just wind up at a place that wasn't complaining.

[@tigerag29607]

Fantastic video, alot that I knew, and alot that I didn't, love it.

[@MdrnGmngScks]

So glad I have a Flair 58 for espresso and Chemex Ottomatic for filter.

[@koffiezet]

For to clean any black buildup from my stainless steel carafe for drip coffee I regularly soak it overnight with some hot water and bicarbonate mixed into it, which is also an excellent food-safe cleaning product.

[@Robby_S.]

Most descaling agents from reputable manufacturers do not contain citric acid or vinegar, but amidosulphonic acid, as this does not attack anything in the machine. These descaling agents are therefore slightly more expensive than citric acid.

[@suepage5650]

Well that gave me an attack of the guilts - but in the nicest possible way!

[@samuelkim9794]

tip for removing basket. use an utensil as leverage to pop it out, like how you use random objective to open bear cap. There is usually a spring inside the portafilter. you can push the basket to the side, and if you hit the sweet spot where the spring is pushed back it, you can push and pull the basket it out easily. Lastly, get a better finger/grip strength or ask your rock climbing buddy ;)

[@abeloqui94]

Some dual boilers machine manufacturers don’t recommend the method described in the video to descale the machine. Following their instructions is probably best, but for a homebarista the method described is probably the best and easiest. So, would there be any issues/concerns on doing it maybe every few years instead taking the machine to a technician?

[@TheTriumfAnt]

Below the Breville/Sage water tank you should find a tool which is used to unblock and remove the steam wand tip.

[@drthmik]

I have to descale regularly I literally live near the largest calcite quarry on earth so our water is VERY hard As for my grinder, I open up the hopper and run it empty with a hand vac on the exit and it gets most things out pretty well so I only open it up to do a more thorough clean once a year or so

[@obsessedcloset2638]

I enjoy cleaning and servicing my equipment as much as I enjoy making coffee.

[@ilyjk4162]

We have videos about different aspects, qualities and techniques of preparing coffee, but I would like to know something about how water can influence the final result, as we know that there are different types and qualities of water, with compounds related to its composition, it would be interesting see a professional talking about it.

[@galat1a]

Thats the main reason I bought the Flair58. It might not be an automatic machine but it rarely needs cleaning and ita super quick without any tablets.

[@andrewmackay4237]

i removed the shower head for the 1st time because of this. it was black xD i never knew it came off. Time to test it out

[@purecoffeewater]

pure coffee water - pure taste, no scale buildup, no corrosion 😊

[@aarondavidson6409]

I would pay good money for a 1 hour standup coffee comedy show by James

[@srinaththumbu]

Hi James, Can you pls post a video on explaining acidity in coffee.

[@tonycannon3906]

De scaling done. Thanks Hoff. 👊

[@sarinhighwind]

I usually boil a white vinegar mixture in my kettle to descale that snd then use that to clean other stuff

[@CannedLaughter00]

I would recommend some Cafiza for the Moka pot. The bottom of the top piece is very narrow and impossible to clean. Also, the screen inside will be easier to clean than if you just use soap. As for my espresso machine, the manual says to not use bad water and send in the machine for cleaning 😒

[@jobrown04]

Thank you for reminding me to clean my grinder

[@BruceDuncan]

I glazed over for half of this... Commiserations from Scotland

[@joanvicencvallescervera8871]

You made it clear to flush the machine if the shot was too slow, but would also be recommended to clean the groupset by removing it? I get the feeling that without pressure a lot of coffee that got in would not just flush out

[@informalshaurmal]

Just got my new encore esp, this video came just in time :)

[@Nick-B78]

Hate to say it but we’ve had a Delonghi for 10 years this year, it cost me nearly £400 at the time, has made at least 6000 espressos (2/day on average) and I’ve never done more than run some descaler through it every couple of years and it’s still banging out great coffee 😊

[@garyn7067]

Did you check behind the shower screen? I was shocked on my Saeco. The manual did not have a maintenance/cleaning task to clean back there, and after 5 years . . . YUK !!! It was almost CLOGGED with coffee residue.

[@thedarb]

As a UNIX & Linux BOFH, your reference to RTFM pleases me. :)

[@LoreTunderin]

Very helpful video, however it leaves me wondering-- what about other mechanical maintenance? I've yet to take the plunge of purchasing a home espresso machine, however growing up around tools and farm equipment I'm always conscious of keeping things tightened, torqued, greased, and squared away. I understand many components such as motors, heating elements, fuses, pumps, and the like aren't meant to be user serviceable, however it would be good to know about common failures and signs of potential issues to come. Are there any telltale signs of common issues that we can be cognisant of to catch and prevent larger problems down the road? Are there any metrics worth tracking that might indicate a machine is on its last legs?

[@garyn7067]

The shower screen screw. DO NOT overtighten it. I make mine only finger tight. You could strip the grouphead where it screws into, or JAM the screw in, so you can't get it out the next time. I've had to deal with a few STUCK screws in old machines. One was so STUCK that I had to perform surgery with a Dremel, and use a screwdriver bit in a ratchet to get it out. I would watch for leaks. More likely the cause is a worn O-ring or gasket. Replace those and you have more years of use.

[@byroboy]

Cleaning the mocha pot is quite tricky, I can clean most easily but as is visible in the half machine, there is a small crease around the bottom that can't be accessed without a pipe cleaner. Even then it is fiddly.

[@Captn_Slow]

James, can you please spend some extra time to talk about how to maintain the steam wand if it is used primarily for, MAKING SCRAMBLE EGG??? ;)

[@bluephreakr]

Caring for your equipment is caring about yourself. That's _all_ there is to it.

[@y55t]

Just a warning to those using breville thermo jet machines. I killed my barista touch by repeatedly overtightening the group screen screw. If you over screw the thread pattern on the dispersion block wears away and basically the repairs are not worth it. Also the dispersion block started to get corrosion like spots, possibly from too frequent use of Cafiza.

[@JimmyNewCakes]

Steam wand cleaning... Felt that. It's particularly frustrating that that the manufacturer suggests to leave the wand to soak in a cleaning solution for an extended period of time, but the result is exactly as described: a boiler full of milky cleaning solution. Had to run an extended purge cycle to clear the boiler out, which literally wouldn't have been possible to do unless I had access to the restricted service program for the machine. In the future, I'm just soaking the tip.

[@dcashley303]

Is Hoffman getting jacked?? 💪

[@unclonghorn]

I’ve used Cheerios (buy off brand) to clean my grinder with great success. Much cheaper than the cleaning tabs.

[@savannahramirez3718]

Please please please do a review on the new kitchen aid espresso machine!

[@mikevarrecchia4264]

Me, someone who only owns an aeropress, watching this: "Hmm yes, very valuable information."

[@Gio-oc8bq]

For the descaling part: Would watch out for citric acid above 50 °C, since you might form stronger salts than lime, if left for too long. Also to get rid of coffee grounds in the grinder just use a drying fan and give it a gentle blast and catch the grinds. :)

[@markym5002]

The implications of what you’re saying beg for a more precise claim. I’m not a chemist, but it feels like we should be able to know for sure what happens to citric acid at 60C.

[@monseigneurmyriel5803]

great video. i wonder if there's any potential in a video about "rescuing" a good machine that's become unusable through disuse or neglect, maybe through more in-depth disassembly and repair/maintenance, or if that'd fall too far toward the mechanical side of things. are there dedicated espresso mechanics? i'm sure the temptation would be to just replace a machine, but i think equipment sustainability is just as important of a discussion as coffee sustainability.

[@garyn7067]

Probably too much variability of equipment. What you do on brand A, you can't do on brand B.

[@JeanTremblay-ts5zh]

I great video as usual ! What is the tool (screwdriver ? ) you are using at 4:10 ?

[@jackzhangxiao]

Never maintain and it's still working well.