Portafilter Cleaning - Barista Exchange2024-03-29T12:20:56Zhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/portafilter-cleaning?feed=yes&xn_auth=noyikes! its really important t…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-12-20:1688216:Comment:9870372010-12-20T20:43:17.097ZLisa Harrishttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/LisaHarris
<p>yikes! its really important to clean the portafilters and the machine daily. you will notice a big difference in taste so be sure to sample the espresso afterward...you are in for a tasty treat!</p>
<p>yikes! its really important to clean the portafilters and the machine daily. you will notice a big difference in taste so be sure to sample the espresso afterward...you are in for a tasty treat!</p> Orr... since they're like $5,…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-12-20:1688216:Comment:9869872010-12-20T18:52:16.186ZBryan Wrayhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/BryanWray
<p>Orr... since they're like $5, instead of paying someone to stand over an open flame and torch the screen, then scrub and scour it and end up with $10-$15 in labor, you could just buy new ones ;)</p>
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<p>-bry<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Chris said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/portafilter-cleaning?commentId=1688216%3AComment%3A986572&xg_source=msg_com_forum#1688216Comment986686"><div><p>A neat trick taught to me by one of the heroes at the local…</p>
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<p>Orr... since they're like $5, instead of paying someone to stand over an open flame and torch the screen, then scrub and scour it and end up with $10-$15 in labor, you could just buy new ones ;)</p>
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<p>-bry<br/> <br/> <cite>Chris said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/portafilter-cleaning?commentId=1688216%3AComment%3A986572&xg_source=msg_com_forum#1688216Comment986686"><div><p>A neat trick taught to me by one of the heroes at the local espresso maintenance and repair shop:</p>
<p>Really nasty dispersion screens can be cleaned with a gas stove or a propane torch. Hold the dispersion screen in the almost invisible part of the gas flame until it glows red and stops smoking.* After it cools, simply brush off the ash, rinse, and re-install. It'll change the finish colour of the screen, but it works really well.</p>
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<p>*All the caveats about open flame and red hot metal apply, if you can't figure out that you're supposed to be using tongs or pliers or some such and be really careful, maybe you should be buyihng new...</p>
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</blockquote> A neat trick taught to me by…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-12-20:1688216:Comment:9866862010-12-20T03:53:47.226ZChrishttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/Chris60
<p>A neat trick taught to me by one of the heroes at the local espresso maintenance and repair shop:</p>
<p>Really nasty dispersion screens can be cleaned with a gas stove or a propane torch. Hold the dispersion screen in the almost invisible part of the gas flame until it glows red and stops smoking.* After it cools, simply brush off the ash, rinse, and re-install. It'll change the finish colour of the screen, but it works really well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*All the caveats about open flame and red…</p>
<p>A neat trick taught to me by one of the heroes at the local espresso maintenance and repair shop:</p>
<p>Really nasty dispersion screens can be cleaned with a gas stove or a propane torch. Hold the dispersion screen in the almost invisible part of the gas flame until it glows red and stops smoking.* After it cools, simply brush off the ash, rinse, and re-install. It'll change the finish colour of the screen, but it works really well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*All the caveats about open flame and red hot metal apply, if you can't figure out that you're supposed to be using tongs or pliers or some such and be really careful, maybe you should be buyihng new...</p> Lauren,
Purocaff may be good,…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-12-19:1688216:Comment:9865722010-12-19T23:37:15.996ZShadowhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/Shadow
<p>Lauren,</p>
<p>Purocaff may be good, but any type of backflush detergent will work just fine. JoeGlo, Cafiza, Full Circle are all good. Some people use straight TSP or OxyClean. Can't comment on either because I haven't tried 'em.</p>
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<p>Backflushing is important for any machine with a 3-way solenoid. Don't know about commercial levers as I haven't used one so I wouldn't try doing it to one.</p>
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<p>The "goldish" color you speak of in the portafilter is the brass. That is…</p>
<p>Lauren,</p>
<p>Purocaff may be good, but any type of backflush detergent will work just fine. JoeGlo, Cafiza, Full Circle are all good. Some people use straight TSP or OxyClean. Can't comment on either because I haven't tried 'em.</p>
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<p>Backflushing is important for any machine with a 3-way solenoid. Don't know about commercial levers as I haven't used one so I wouldn't try doing it to one.</p>
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<p>The "goldish" color you speak of in the portafilter is the brass. That is because the chrome/nickel plating has worn/scrubbed off over time. It is very much OK to lightly scrub screens, dispersion discs and baskets if you use a soft bristle brush. Sometimes a simple soak/rinse isn't enough to remove all the crud.</p> You need to back flush and yo…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-12-19:1688216:Comment:9862592010-12-19T08:16:44.772ZLauren Thuhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/LaurenThu
<p>You need to back flush and you need to purocaff your portafilters.</p>
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<p>Put a little bit of purocaff in a blank basket and turn it on for 5 seconds, off for 10 seconds repeatedly, then while you have the water running on the group head, jiggle the portafilter around to loosen any grinds that have built up around the seal in the grouphead. Soak the portafliters (with baskets, dispersion screens and screws removed, but place those in as well) in a bucket of almost boiling water and…</p>
<p>You need to back flush and you need to purocaff your portafilters.</p>
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<p>Put a little bit of purocaff in a blank basket and turn it on for 5 seconds, off for 10 seconds repeatedly, then while you have the water running on the group head, jiggle the portafilter around to loosen any grinds that have built up around the seal in the grouphead. Soak the portafliters (with baskets, dispersion screens and screws removed, but place those in as well) in a bucket of almost boiling water and a bit of purocaff. Don't let them sit too long, because it is corrosive to metal. I usually let them sit for 30 mins to loosen the oils. Then use a green scrubbie (not metal based, like steel wool. no no!) and scrub until you can see the shiny metal underneath, usually gold-ish in colour. You won't need to scrub the baskets and dispersion sceens, just rinse them and put them back. Rinse everything thouroughly, and pull a shot before you use the portafilters again (in case any purocaff residual was left in the grouphead/portafilter.)</p>
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<p>Coffee oils building up is always hard to clean and detriments the potential that your coffee has - it can make it taste stale, acrid and rancid. The first cleaning will be tough, but every day cleaning will make it easier every time.</p>
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<p>Check out puro caff here, and make your boss and co-workers read it. It will make your coffee quality so much better! <a href="http://www.purobrand.com/" target="_blank">http://www.purobrand.com/</a></p>
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<p><br/> <br/> <cite>Andre Guimond said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/portafilter-cleaning#1688216Comment979482"><div><br/> <br/> <cite>Nathanael May said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/portafilter-cleaning?commentId=1688216%3AComment%3A979411&xg_source=msg_com_forum#1688216Comment960961"><div>Bryan already sort of mentioned this, but if she recommended never cleaning the portafilters, did she also not mention the incredibly important act of backflushing your groupheads regularly? Please let us know if not.<br/> <br/> Good grief.</div>
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<br/> <br/> Yea, No one ever mentioned this. i picked it up on my own. The owners feel that the machines are a huge investment and that if anyone else touches them it will end up broken. So actual good cleaning of the groupheads and such rarely happens. The other people who I work with think cleaning the machine is windexing the chromey parts. Sure it looks nice and clean but the coffee its putting out is sub par at best because of the poor cleaning of the group heads and portafilters. Is there anything else you guys think I should know about cleaning the parts? Its hard to clean the group heads when I'm one of 5 people using the maching and I;m the only one back flushing the groupheads, coffee gets caked on the insides of them and its near impossible to clean. Suggestions?</div>
</blockquote> Kenneth, that implies that yo…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-12-18:1688216:Comment:9859022010-12-18T21:12:56.360ZShadowhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/Shadow
<p>Kenneth, that implies that you shouldn't try backflushing a lever machine. The "solid head" part of that statement would mean having a blind filter in the portafilter. I'm guessing a machine such as yours has no 3-way solenoid.</p>
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<p>Never used/cleaned a commercial lever machine. I'd recommend brushing the screen/group area often and possibly removing the screens/dispersion discs (if applicable) and giving them a good soak at least once a week.</p>
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<p>Maybe somebody with…</p>
<p>Kenneth, that implies that you shouldn't try backflushing a lever machine. The "solid head" part of that statement would mean having a blind filter in the portafilter. I'm guessing a machine such as yours has no 3-way solenoid.</p>
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<p>Never used/cleaned a commercial lever machine. I'd recommend brushing the screen/group area often and possibly removing the screens/dispersion discs (if applicable) and giving them a good soak at least once a week.</p>
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<p>Maybe somebody with commercial lever experience will offer more help than I can.</p> I am a little confused. I hav…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-12-18:1688216:Comment:9857572010-12-18T14:36:50.413ZKenneth Womackhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/KennethWomack
<p>I am a little confused. I have an Astoria lever (AL2) gas model. How does one clean inside the delivery? The manual is not clear about this, only stating "do not clean with a solid head if you have a lever machine."</p>
<p>I am a little confused. I have an Astoria lever (AL2) gas model. How does one clean inside the delivery? The manual is not clear about this, only stating "do not clean with a solid head if you have a lever machine."</p> Brady, you are such a guru =)tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-12-14:1688216:Comment:9833662010-12-14T11:34:21.729ZVictoria Wilcoxhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/VictoriaStubbs
<p>Brady, you are such a guru =)</p>
<p>Brady, you are such a guru =)</p> Agreed with previous posters.…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-12-11:1688216:Comment:9815532010-12-11T15:10:04.164ZBradyhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/Brady
<p>Agreed with previous posters. Make sure that the screen is clean inside and out. Also make sure that any jetbreaker or shower plates are clean. Also, shower screens should be replaced a couple of times per year, perhaps its time to replace them.</p>
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<p>If you find that there is lots of water right at first, then it tapers off, you may be dealing with a machine issue - a partially obstructed jet, clogged screen, or crusted up injector tube (depending on machine construction). On…</p>
<p>Agreed with previous posters. Make sure that the screen is clean inside and out. Also make sure that any jetbreaker or shower plates are clean. Also, shower screens should be replaced a couple of times per year, perhaps its time to replace them.</p>
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<p>If you find that there is lots of water right at first, then it tapers off, you may be dealing with a machine issue - a partially obstructed jet, clogged screen, or crusted up injector tube (depending on machine construction). On some machines, you'll know this is happening because you'll hear a little whine for a few seconds after you stop the shot.</p>
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<p>If you mean the spitting and sputtering that occurs (along with a crackling sort of sound) due to flash-boil, this will settle down once you've flushed enough water through to cool things down. This can take 10-20 seconds on super-hot machines that have been idle for a while.</p>
<p><br/>Hope that helps.</p>
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<p><cite>Andre Guimond said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/portafilter-cleaning?page=3&commentId=1688216%3AComment%3A981481&x=1#1688216Comment981178"><div><p>The portafilters go in fine, just when rinsing the portafilter of purging the group head (I believe its called) water can sometimes come out small spurts in different directions and its bubbles and doesn't always come down evenly.</p>
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</blockquote> as joe suggested before your…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2010-12-11:1688216:Comment:9814812010-12-11T09:09:59.469ZGraeme Duhamelhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/GraemeDuhamel
<p>as joe suggested before your shower/dispersion screens may either be loose or theres a build up behind and they need scrubbing and soaking.<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Andre Guimond said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/portafilter-cleaning?xg_source=activity&id=1688216%3ATopic%3A957373&page=3#1688216Comment981178"><div><p>The portafilters go in fine, just when rinsing the portafilter of purging the group head (I believe its called) water can sometimes…</p>
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<p>as joe suggested before your shower/dispersion screens may either be loose or theres a build up behind and they need scrubbing and soaking.<br/> <br/> <cite>Andre Guimond said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/portafilter-cleaning?xg_source=activity&id=1688216%3ATopic%3A957373&page=3#1688216Comment981178"><div><p>The portafilters go in fine, just when rinsing the portafilter of purging the group head (I believe its called) water can sometimes come out small spurts in different directions and its bubbles and doesn't always come down evenly.</p>
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