How to Clean an Espresso Machine: Backflush & Descale

ECM Mechanika Max Espresso Machine—OPEN BOX

To clean an espresso machine, rinse and wipe it after every use, backflush the group with a blind basket (water daily, espresso machine detergent on the schedule in your manual) if your machine has a three-way valve, and control scale with soft or filtered water, descaling only the way your manufacturer specifies. Super-automatic machines such as JURA run their own cleaning, milk and descaling programs when the display asks. Below is how to clean espresso machine parts on a simple daily, periodic and as-needed schedule.

The steps cover the semi-automatic espresso machines and super-automatic espresso machines in our range. Your owner’s manual always has the final word, because procedures differ between designs.

Espresso machine cleaning schedule at a glance

Task	How often	Applies to
Flush the group head	After every shot	Semi-automatic
Purge and wipe the steam wand	Before and after every use	Machines with a steam wand
Rinse portafilter and basket, empty drip tray	Daily	All
Backflush with water (blind basket)	End of the day	Machines with a three-way valve
Backflush with detergent, soak portafilters and baskets	Profitec: every 150 shots or two months; La Marzocco: weekly routine	Machines with a three-way valve
Cleaning program with tablet	When the machine prompts	JURA super-automatics
Descaling	Depends on water hardness and the manual	All, unless the manual says otherwise
Professional service	Every 3 to 4 years (Profitec)	Profitec machines

How to clean espresso machine parts every day

This routine is for semi-automatic machines with a portafilter.

Flush after each shot. Knock out the puck and run water through the group head to clear leftover grounds. Rinse the portafilter and basket.
Purge and wipe the steam wand immediately. Breville’s milk steps end with a purge and a wipe with a damp cloth. La Marzocco adds: use a damp rag, never a dry one, and never leave it for later, because dried milk can block the wand.
Finish the day with a clear-water flush. Profitec’s routine is a blank shot with the portafilter in place until the water runs clear, then a water-only backflush (see below).
Brush the gasket area. Wipe or brush the group gasket and the rim where the portafilter locks in to remove trapped grounds.
Empty and rinse the drip tray and grid, then wipe the body with a slightly damp microfiber cloth.

How to backflush an espresso machine

Backflushing locks a blind basket (one with no holes) into the group so water cannot escape through the coffee. When you stop the pump, the water flows back through the group and out of the three-way valve into the drip tray, carrying coffee oils with it. That is why it only works on machines with a three-way valve. If your manual does not describe backflushing, or no blind basket or backflush disc came with the machine, do not backflush it.

Many prosumer machines include the tools: Profitec says the blind filter is required for group cleaning, the ECM Mechanika Max ships with a backflush disc and group cleaning brush, the ECM Technika V Profi PID includes a blind filter basket and cleaning brush, and the Profitec Pro 400 has a storage spot for the blind disc under the drip tray.

Water-only backflush (daily)

Put the blind basket in the portafilter and lock it into the group.
Start a shot, wait until the pump reaches full pressure, then stop it.
Repeat three or four times. This is Profitec’s end-of-day routine.

Detergent backflush (periodic)

Add espresso machine cleaning powder to the blind basket. Urnex’s Cafiza directions call for up to ½ teaspoon (3 g); Profitec uses half a teaspoon of coffee oil remover.
Lock in the portafilter and cycle the pump: Urnex specifies 10 seconds on and 10 seconds off, five times. Profitec runs 15-second cycles until the foam from the drain runs white.
Remove the portafilter and rinse it in the stream of water from the group head.
Lock it back in without detergent and repeat the cycles to rinse. Urnex calls for five, Profitec for ten.
Swap in a normal basket, pull one shot and pour it away.
Soak the portafilters and baskets in hot water with cleaner. Profitec also soaks the shower screen and dispersion plate when they come off easily, and wipes the machine afterwards because the cleaner can stain untreated metal.

Some machines automate or remind you of this. The Profitec MOVE has an automated backflush program, the Rancilio Silvia Pro has an automatic backflush function, and the Profitec Drive, Profitec Pro 500 PID and Mechanika Max show backflush reminders. The Profitec GO and ECM Synchronika II offer group-cleaning reminders.

How to descale an espresso machine, or avoid needing to

Scale comes from minerals in your water. The first line of defense is good water: La Marzocco suggests a filter jug or an under-sink filter for hard water, and Profitec writes that a machine filled with properly softened water can run for years without descaling. Filter compatibility depends on the model and version: the currently linked Profitec DRIVE and ECM Synchronika II manuals describe tank cartridges, so check the manual and adapter fitted to your machine before choosing a filter. The Drive and the Mechanika Max both show water filter change reminders.

When descaling is needed, manufacturers take different approaches, so follow your manual:

Profitec says descaling depends on water hardness, and its care guide says to descale as little as possible and recommends a full professional descale with the machine disassembled. It advises against pass-through descaling, because loosened scale can clog pipes and the agent may not rinse fully out of heat exchangers and multi-boiler machines.
La Marzocco suggests about monthly descaling with hard water and up to three months with well-filtered water. It warns that descaling weekly can do more harm than good, and notes that some machines should not be descaled at all.
JURA machines prompt you when descaling is due and run a program of about 40 minutes with JURA descaling tablets. With a CLARIS Smart filter cartridge in use, the E8 manual says the machine no longer has to be descaled.

Use only the descaler your manufacturer names. JURA’s manual warns that the wrong agent can damage the machine or leave traces in the water.

How to clean a JURA coffee machine

JURA super-automatics automate the deep cleaning, but a few daily habits still matter. Based on the JURA E8 instructions:

Daily: change the water and rinse the tank, and clean the fine foam frother any day you made milk drinks.
Routine care: empty and rinse the drip tray and coffee grounds container (the E8 alerts you when the drip tray is full). Empty the grounds container while the machine is switched on, because that is the only way to reset its counter. The manual’s maintenance table also lists rinsing the milk pipe and wiping the housing with a damp microfiber cloth.
Cleaning program: when “Clean” appears, start the program and drop a JURA cleaning tablet into the filler funnel when asked. It takes about 20 minutes and should not be interrupted.
Milk system cleaning: use JURA milk system cleaner and the supplied container. The JURA C9 includes a container for closed-circuit milk cleaning, and the JURA W8 includes a milk cleaning caddy.
Filter: replace the CLARIS filter when prompted. The E8 comes with a CLARIS Smart+ filter, and the JURA ENA 8 uses RFID to recognize its filter and remind you when cleaning and descaling are due.
Every few months: the E8 manual calls for changing the milk pipe and interchangeable milk spout about every 3 months.

Compare models in our JURA comparison or browse the JURA range.

Do not forget the grinder

Coffee oils build up in the grinder too. Profitec brushes its grinders externally and cleans the burrs monthly with grinder cleaning granules, and it advises against frequent disassembly because repeated reassembly can wear threads. See our espresso grinder guide for models with easy burr access.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I backflush my espresso machine?

Profitec does a water-only backflush daily and a detergent backflush every 150 shots or two months. La Marzocco recommends a weekly backflushing routine. Follow the interval in your own manual.

Can every espresso machine be backflushed?

No. Backflushing needs a three-way valve to release the water into the drip tray. If your manual does not describe it, do not do it.

How often should I descale an espresso machine?

It depends on your water hardness and your manufacturer. JURA machines tell you when, and a CLARIS Smart filter removes the need on the E8. Profitec prefers soft water and a professional descale when needed.

How do I clean a JURA milk frother?

Rinse the milk system after use, clean the fine foam frother daily when you have made milk drinks, and run the milk system cleaning program with JURA milk system cleaner.

For brewing technique, see our guide on how to use an espresso machine.

Sources

Model-specific water sources:

How to Clean an Espresso Machine: Daily Care, Backflushing and Descaling