The longest your gear should ever go without a wipe is a single coffee. The whole game is doing tiny amounts of work, often, instead of a big cleaning push that you put off forever.
We’ve organised this by frequency rather than by piece of gear, so you can skim “daily” in 30 seconds.
Daily — the 30-second routine
Do these every time you finish brewing, before the coffee in your cup gets cold.
- Wipe the steam wand immediately after use with a damp microfibre cloth. Dried milk is a tax on tomorrow you.
- Knock the puck out of the portafilter and rinse the basket under hot water. If a puck is sloppy or cracked, fix it tomorrow (see the →Gravity Leveler & Distributor).
- Run a blank shot — water with no coffee — to flush the group head.
- Rinse the →milk jug immediately. Dry inside with the cloth.
- Wipe the →tamping mat and the counter where grounds landed.
Weekly — 5 minutes, once a week
Pick a day. Sunday morning is a classic. Do these before your first brew.
- Backflush the espresso machine with plain water using a blind basket. Pump, release, pump, release — five cycles.
- Soak the basket and shower screen in hot water with espresso machine detergent (Cafiza, Pulycaff, any generic). 15 minutes. Rinse like you mean it.
- Empty and rinse the drip tray. Yes, even if it’s only half full.
- Brush out the grinder hopper and chute. Coffee oils go rancid; you don’t want a week-old film flavoring tomorrow’s shot.
Monthly — 20 minutes, once a month
Put this in your calendar. We mean it.
- Backflush with detergent (Cafiza or equivalent). Five cycles with detergent, then five with plain water to flush it out.
- Descale if your machine asks for it (most modern machines have an indicator). Use the manufacturer’s descaler or citric acid solution. Follow the manual — descaling incorrectly can void warranties.
- Take the grinder apart enough to clean the burrs (consult its manual; some are easy, some are an ordeal). A grinder cleaning tablet works well and is beginner-friendly.
Pour-over gear
- The →Portable V60 and the →Sharing Pot want hot water and a soft sponge after each use. Skip the dishwasher — heat cycles aren’t kind to walnut handles.
- The →Storage Tubes should be hand-washed every couple of weeks. Coffee oils film the inside; the beans still taste fine but the glass goes cloudy.
The Sensory Cup
Porcelain is forgiving. Wash by hand with warm water and a soft cloth — no abrasive sponges, no hot/cold shocks, no dishwasher if you can avoid it. It’ll outlast every other thing in your setup.
If you’re ever in doubt: tiny amounts of work, often, beats a big project. The best gear is the gear you’ve cleaned.