Best practices: how to effectively clean your home coffee machine

Too often ignored, proper and frequent maintenance practices are essential. Here is how to clean the coffee machine to enjoy a quality espresso.

• Hygiene and flavor: these are the two main reasons why it is important not to neglect the maintenance of the coffee machine.
• Failing to clean the appliance can lead to the proliferation of impurities and bacteria that alter the quality of the coffee.
• Unlike the Moka, the coffee machine does not need to be cleaned daily, but approximately once for every 300 coffees.
• To avoid limescale deposits from jamming the mechanism of this closed system, it is necessary to descale the coffee maker.
• How to clean the coffee machine? It is recommended not to use vinegar for descaling, as its smell is persistent. Better to opt for a descaler, which is odorless and specifically designed for this operation.

Periodic maintenance

Making coffee is the best wake up routine one could wish for. It is an integral part of our days: at home, at work, while traveling. Moka remains the most popular coffee preparation method in Italy. However, the number of people who choose to buy an espresso machine is growing. Manual, with grains, pods or capsules like our Gioia: there are so many different types. There is, however, one thing that they all have in common: the need for periodic and proper maintenance. This is necessary not only for the machine to function at its best, but also to keep the quality of your espresso high. So let us find out when and how to clean the coffee machine at home.

Why it is important to clean the coffee machine

Before we focus on how to clean a coffee machine effectively, it helps to understand why it is important to do so. In short, a neglected espresso machine won't last as long as one that receives constant care and attention. Moreover, if regular maintenance is lacking, the quality of the coffee tends to deteriorate over time.
To sum things up, it is essential not to neglect maintenance and understand how to clean the coffee machine. Mainly because:

• insufficient cleaning could lead to the proliferation of mold and bacteria, potentially harmful to one’s health;
• failure to descale can cause the mechanism to jam, leaving a residue that ruins both the closed system and the flavor of the coffee.

To avoid unwanted problems like these, make sure you routinely clean your home coffee machine.

READ ALSO: How to clean the coffee pot at home: natural and effective remedies

Follow the rhythm: 1 wash for every 300 coffees

How, then, can one clean their coffee machine and, above all, how often should it be washed? There are some signs that help to understand when it is time to do some maintenance. For example, when your coffee tastes different than usual. Or when the machine does not work well, is noisier or takes longer than it should when dispensing.
Periodic cleaning of the coffee machine should be carried out according to the frequency of use. The more it is used, the more often it needs to be cleaned. In general, it is good practice to carry out a thorough cleaning when a steady reduction in flow rate is observed in the dispensed coffee stream. As a rule, descaling must be done at least once for every 300 coffees made or, every 3-4 months. Much also depends on the degree of hardness of the water used.

READ ALSO: How to remove limescale from a Moka for state-of-the-art coffee

How to clean the coffee machine externally

The home coffee machine allows you to enjoy a creamy and tasty coffee every day. However, wear and tear of its components can lead to the device progressively deteriorating. The same happens with a Moka, where the valve and gasket must also be regularly maintained.
Failure to clean risks ruining what ends up in the cup. Understanding how to clean the coffee machine helps to guarantee one can continuously make state-of-the-art coffee. In general, cleaning the home espresso machine is a fairly simple operation, within anyone's reach. Let us see in detail what to do. To clean the body of the appliance, simply use a slightly damp microfiber cloth. Aggressive detergents, which could damage the surface, should be avoided at all costs.

READ ALSO: The Moka valve: a tiny component of remarkable importance

Pay attention to each component

The maintenance and cleaning procedure of the espresso machine involves very simple steps. It is important to note that all components must be regularly cleaned. For instance:

• it is advisable to rinse the tank every day. And, no matter what, do not leave water in it for more than 5 days. If this happens, it is a good idea to change the water and dispense 50 ml without a capsule before preparing the coffee.
• The removable container full of used capsules should also be checked: it is good practice to remove it periodically and empty it out when full.

The drip tray and the cup holder also need to be washed. To do this, one could use water and dish soap. As for the Moka pot, these components should not be put in the dishwasher, because they could come out damaged.

READ ALSO: New Moka? Here is what to do to get off to a good start

How to descale a coffee machine

On our journey to discover how to clean the coffee machine, let us now take a look at the descaling process. This is the main step for cleaning and maintenance. In fact, normal use of the machine with natural tap water or bottled water leads to the formation of limescale. To proceed with descaling the coffee machine, it is advisable to pour a dose of descaling solution into the water tank. Many resort to vinegar: after all, it has disinfectant properties, it is versatile and conveniently found at home. But be careful: vinegar has a rather strong odor that alters the taste of subsequent coffees. It is, above all, very persistent: it could still be perceptible even after 20/30 espressos. Therefore, it is not advisable to clean the coffee machine with vinegar, , as well as with lemon. Better, rather, to opt for a descaler, odorless and specifically designed for this application. Coffee machine owners can use one dose of Bialetti descaling solution (or equivalent), provided it is non-toxic and suitable for this domestic appliance. Then proceed as indicated in the instruction manual. The operation takes approximately half an hour to complete.

NOTE
¹ Caffeine, but not other phytochemicals, in mate tea (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hilaire) attenuates high-fat-high-sucrose-diet-driven lipogenesis and body fat accumulation
² Coffee Consumption and Serum Lipids: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials
³ Linee Guida per una sana alimentazione, CREA

Caffè a perdere: incipit vincente

Si arriva, quindi, al terzo passaggio essenziale con una Moka nuova: cosa fare per farle “assaggiare” l’odore del caffè? Il classico consiglio della nonna è quello che, effettivamente, fa la differenza. Si tratta, in sintesi, di preparare tre caffè a perdere:

• si riempie la caldaia di acqua, a temperatura ambiente, fino al bordo inferiore della valvola;
• si mette un po’ di macinato nel filtro;
• a questo punto si assembla la caffettiera, ponendola sul fuoco.

Gli infusi ottenuti non vanno versati in tazzina né consumati. Questa operazione fa sì che gli oli e le cere naturalmente presenti nel macinato creino una lieve patina isolante e protettiva all’interno della Moka. Un elemento invisibile, ma di grande rilevanza per proteggere le preparazioni future. Se non per sempre, per un lungo segmento di vita.