If you've heard people talking about backflushing an espresso machine and quietly nodded along while having absolutely no idea what they were talking about, don't worry. It sounds far more technical than it actually is.

Backflushing is simply a method of cleaning the internal parts of an espresso machine's group head by forcing water and cleaning detergent backwards through the system.

Done properly, it helps remove the old coffee oils, fine particles and sticky residue that ordinary rinsing doesn't always reach.

And considering your espresso passes through this part of the machine every time you make a coffee, keeping it clean is probably a good idea.

So, What Exactly Is Backflushing?

When you normally make espresso, water travels through the group head, through the coffee and into your cup.

During backflushing, you replace your normal filter basket with a blind filter or blind basket. Unlike an ordinary espresso basket, it doesn't have any holes in the bottom.

When you start the brew cycle, the water therefore has nowhere to escape.

Pressure builds inside the group head before being released through the machine's exhaust or three-way valve. This process helps flush coffee residue from areas inside the machine that you can't easily reach with a cloth or brush.

Why Bother Backflushing?

Coffee is surprisingly messy stuff.

Coffee beans naturally contain oils, and every espresso leaves tiny amounts of those oils and fine coffee particles behind inside your machine.

Over time they can accumulate around components such as:

• The group head
• The shower screen
• The three-way valve
• The portafilter and filter basket
• Other internal coffee-contact surfaces

The problem is that old coffee oils don't remain fresh forever.

They become stale, sticky and unpleasant, and eventually they can contribute to bitter or dirty flavours finding their way into your espresso.

You can buy fantastic coffee, use an expensive grinder and spend ten minutes obsessing over your extraction time – but if yesterday's coffee residue is still sitting inside the machine, you're not exactly giving today's espresso the best possible start.

Before We Go Any Further: Can Your Machine Actually Be Backflushed?

This is important.

Not every espresso machine is designed to be backflushed.

Backflushing is normally associated with machines fitted with a three-way solenoid or exhaust valve, but you should never simply assume that your machine has one.

Before attempting to backflush an espresso machine, check the manufacturer's instructions for your particular make and model.

If the manufacturer doesn't recommend backflushing, don't do it.

There are plenty of espresso machines – particularly smaller domestic models – where inserting a blind basket and attempting to backflush the machine would be inappropriate.

What Do You Need?

For a conventional detergent backflush you'll normally need:

• A compatible espresso machine
• A blind filter basket
• Espresso machine backflush cleaning detergent
• Your normal portafilter
• Clean water

The detergent is specifically designed to break down the coffee oils and residue that accumulate inside espresso equipment.

Our PAZAZZ Coffee Residue Remover & Backflush Cleaning Powder comes in a 900g tub and can be used both for backflushing suitable espresso machines and for soaking removable components such as portafilters, filter baskets and shower screens.

Backflushing an Espresso Machine: The Simple Version

Your machine manufacturer's instructions should always take priority, but the basic process normally looks something like this:

1. Insert the Blind Filter

Remove your normal filter basket from the portafilter and replace it with the correctly sized blind basket.

Because the blind basket has no outlet holes, it allows pressure to build inside the group head.

2. Add Backflush Cleaner

Add the recommended quantity of espresso machine cleaning detergent to the blind basket.

You don't need to fill the basket with powder. More detergent doesn't automatically mean a cleaner machine.

Follow the dosage instructions supplied with the cleaning product and your espresso machine.

3. Lock the Portafilter Into the Machine

Install the portafilter exactly as you would when making espresso.

4. Run a Short Brew Cycle

Activate the brew cycle for approximately 8–10 seconds, or for the period recommended by the manufacturer.

Stop the cycle and allow the machine to release the pressure.

5. Repeat the Process

Repeat the short on-and-off cleaning cycle several times.

A typical cleaning routine might involve around 5–10 cycles, although again, your machine manufacturer's instructions should always be followed.

6. Rinse Thoroughly

Remove the portafilter and rinse the blind basket thoroughly.

Then repeat the backflush process using clean water only to remove any remaining detergent from the machine.

Don't skip this stage. Espresso machine cleaner belongs in the cleaning process, not in your next flat white.

What About the Portafilter and Baskets?

The inside of the machine isn't the only place where coffee residue accumulates.

Take a close look underneath an old filter basket or inside a heavily used portafilter and you'll often find brown, sticky coffee deposits that simple rinsing hasn't removed.

A coffee residue remover can also be used as a soaking cleaner for suitable removable components, including:

• Portafilters
• Filter baskets
• Blind baskets
• Shower screens
• Drip trays
• Other suitable coffee-contact components

After soaking, everything should be rinsed thoroughly with fresh water before being returned to the machine.

Be careful when soaking portafilters with wooden, painted, coated or otherwise sensitive handles. If in doubt, immerse only the metal components or follow the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations.

How Often Should You Backflush?

This is where you'll find plenty of different opinions.

There isn't really one universal cleaning timetable because a machine making four espressos every Sunday morning has a very different life from one making several hundred drinks every day in a café.

As a rough guide, a domestic machine receiving regular use might receive a detergent backflush every one to two weeks.

A busy commercial machine may require cleaning much more frequently – potentially as part of a daily cleaning routine.

Your machine manufacturer may specify its own cleaning interval, in which case that's the recommendation you should follow.

Can You Backflush With Water Only?

Yes – on machines designed for backflushing, a water-only backflush can form part of routine maintenance.

It can help remove loose coffee particles from the group head and valve.

But water alone isn't particularly effective at breaking down the oily residue that coffee leaves behind.

That's why a periodic detergent backflush is normally used alongside more frequent water-only cleaning.

Is Backflush Cleaner the Same as Descaler?

No. They solve two completely different problems.

Backflush cleaner is primarily designed to remove coffee oils and coffee residue.

Descaler is designed to remove mineral deposits and limescale caused by water.

Think of it this way:

• Brown sticky coffee residue? Coffee machine cleaner.
• White or chalky mineral deposits? Descaler.

Using one doesn't eliminate the need for the other.

Does a Dirty Espresso Machine Really Affect the Coffee?

It certainly can.

Freshly roasted coffee contains oils that contribute enormously to its flavour. Once those oils have been sitting inside a hot espresso machine for days or weeks, however, they're no longer exactly fresh.

New coffee passing over old residue can pick up unwanted flavours.

If your espresso has developed an unexplained bitterness or slightly stale character, cleaning the machine should therefore be somewhere near the top of your troubleshooting list.

The Good News: Backflushing Isn't Complicated

Backflushing has acquired a slightly technical reputation because it involves pressure, valves and parts of an espresso machine that you can't actually see.

But the routine itself is remarkably straightforward:

1. Insert the blind basket.
2. Add the correct amount of cleaner.
3. Run a short cleaning cycle.
4. Repeat several times.
5. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.

That's essentially it.

A few minutes of regular maintenance can help prevent layers of old coffee residue building up inside one of the most important parts of your espresso machine.

PAZAZZ Backflush Cleaning Powder

If your espresso machine is suitable for detergent backflushing, our PAZAZZ Coffee Residue Remover & Backflush Cleaning Powder is designed for removing coffee oils, tannins, staining and residue from espresso equipment.

The large 900g tub makes it particularly useful for cafés, restaurants, offices and other regular users, while home espresso enthusiasts can use the same powder for both periodic backflushing and cleaning suitable removable coffee machine components.

Clean machine. Better coffee. Every time.

View PAZAZZ Coffee Residue Remover & Backflush Cleaning Powder 900g »