How to Clean a Breville Espresso Machine? (Tips and Tricks)

Feen Coffee is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.

Breville espresso machines are among the best appliances to brew high-quality coffee beverages at home. They are easy to use, cost-effective, and super-efficient. However, like other home appliances, your Breville espresso machine also requires regular cleaning and maintenance to function properly. Moreover, regular cleaning will also ensure you drink clean and hygienic coffee.

So, are you surfing the internet for some easy cleaning and hacks for your Breville espresso machine? We totally understand. The cleaning instructions in the user manual are usually written in an alien language, making it hard for the users to understand.

To give you a helping, we will guide you through a detailed process of cleaning your Breville espresso machine in this article. From regular maintenance to deep cleaning, you’ll learn everything. Now without making you wait any further, let’s dive right in!

Table of Contents

Why Should You Clean Your Breville Espresso Machine?

Before we begin with the cleaning process, it’s essential to understand the importance of religiously cleaning your Breville espresso machine.

Overtime residue and coffee oils buildup in the espresso machine can lead to a bitter and unpleasant taste in your coffee beverages. Moreover, the growth of mold, bacteria, and other microorganisms can risk your and your loved ones’ health. However, regularly cleaning your Breville espresso machine can eliminate these risks.

Additionally, regular cleaning and maintenance ensure the machine’s longevity and reduces the chances of malfunctions and breakdowns. Cleaning will remove all the clogs and mineral buildup to provide you with better performance and the best possible taste.

How Often Should You Clean the Breville Espresso Machine?

Apart from the cleaning and maintenance, the other part where most users get confused is, “how often should we clean our Breville espresso machines?” Ideally, you should clean your espresso machines after every 300 shots. Or else, deep clean them once a month for excellent performance and hygienic coffee.

How to Clean the Breville Espresso Machine: Step-by-Step Guide

There are two ways to clean and maintain your Breville espresso machine; Daily maintenance and cleaning and a deep cleaning cycle after every month or two. Below we will go through a step-by-step guide for both methods in detail. Keep reading!

What Cleaning Equipment Do I Need?

Here is a list of some tools and equipment you will need for both regular maintenance and deep cleaning of your Breville espresso machine:

Cleaning powder or tablet
Steam wand cleaning tool
A cleaning disk
A soft cleaning brush designed explicitly for Breville espresso machines
Water filter
A soft cloth or towel
Descaling solution
Allen key

How to Maintain Your Breville Espresso Machine?

It’s essential to religiously follow a daily cleaning and maintenance routine for your Breville espresso machines, especially after every use. The daily maintenance should take only 10 minutes of your day and will ensure better performance and longevity of your espresso machine.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on daily maintenance:

Clean the Group Head

The group head is the area where the portafilter rests. This compartment of a Breville espresso machine is the most exposed one to coffee particles and residue. Therefore, it’s essential to flush and clean the group head after every day or two.

It would be best if you began by removing the portafilter from the group head and filling in some water. Then, run a regular brew cycle to thoroughly flush the group head and remove the coffee particles and residue. Once done, wipe the group head with a soft cloth and put the portafilter back.

Wipe the Steam Wand

Steam wands are one of the most components of Breville espresso machines, and you should clean them after every brewing session to avoid clogs and blockages. Dried milk is the primary cause of these clogs and blockages.

To clean and unclog the steam wand, you can purge it or use the steam wand cleaning tool. If that doesn’t work, detach the steam wand from your Breville machine and soak it in warm water and cleaning agent for a while. This chemical mixture will remove all the blockages from the inside.

Clean the Drip Tray

Drip trays of Breville machines often overflow, causing minor and major spills in your kitchen and countertops. To avoid this hassle, it’s essential to clean the drip trays regularly. Luckily, every Breville espresso machine comes with an “Empty Me” sign, indicating it’s time to clean the drip tray.

When you see the sign, just pull the drip tray out, empty the leftover coffee in a bin or sink, and wipe it with a soft cloth. If the drip tray is very dirty, you can use a mixture of soap and water to clean it. Once done cleaning, completely dry the drip tray and attach it back to the Breville machine.

Clean the Basket, Filters, and Knock Box

It would help if you cleaned the portafilters and baskets of your Breville machines after every use to remove residue and coffee grounds. If left uncleaned, these residual coffee grounds can have severe adverse health effects. Here’s how you can clean the portafilters and basket:

Detach the basket and portafilter from your Breville machine.
Rinse the filter with hot water.
Let the basket sit under hot water for a while to remove the coffee residue.
If you find any clogs in the basket holes, you can open them using the steam wand cleaning tool.
Once dried, attach the portafilter and basket back to the Breville machine.

In the end, if you use a knock box with your Breville espresso machine, it’s important to clean and rinse after 2 to 3 days. If left uncleaned, the knock box can become a target of mold, mildew, and bacteria.

How to Deep-Clean the Breville Espresso Machine?

Apart from regular cleaning and maintenance, your Breville espresso machine also requires some extra attention after every two or three months. Yes, that extra attention is a deep and thorough cleaning and descaling.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to deep clean your Breville espresso machine:

Run A Cleaning Cycle to Blackflush

Running regular cleaning cycles after every two to three months is essential to keep your Breville espresso machines in top-notch conditions. These cleaning cycles are also known as backflushing, a cleaning method that removes dirt and coffee residue from all machine parts.

Luckily, all Breville espresso machines will give you a light notification when it’s time to backflush and run a cleaning cycle. When you get the notification, just follow these steps:

Put a cleaning disk inside the filter basket of your Breville machine.
After the disk, pour some cleaning powder or tablet inside the filter basket.
Shut the portafilter.
Fill the water tank of your Breville machine with cold water.
Run the cleaning cycle with the help of the user manual of your machine. Most Breville espresso machines have a specific “Cleaning Cycle” button.
Once the cleaning cycle ends, rinse and dry the filter basket, drip tray, and other parts with a soft cloth.

Change the Water Filter

Water filters in Breville espresso machines help in preventing mineral buildup and bacteria growth inside the machine. Therefore, it is essential to change the water filters of your Breville machine after every three months. Doing this will also ensure the durability and functionality of your espresso maker. Here’s how you can change the water filter:

Purchase a new water filter according to your Breville machine. After purchasing, soak the new filter in a glass of cold water for 5 to 10 minutes.
Water filters come with a calendar dial to help you remember when to change them. Make sure to set the dial according to the insertion date.
Remove the old filter from the water tank of your machine.
Install your new filter and close the water tank after filling it.

Descale

Descaling a Breville espresso machine is an important maintenance task that helps to keep it functioning properly and producing delicious coffee. Moreover, the descaling process helps to remove the mineral and grease buildup inside the water tank and other parts of the machine.

Ideally, you should descale your Breville espresso machine after every two to three months.

Here is how you can descale your Breville espresso machine:

First, you will need to purchase a descaling solution that is compatible with your Breville espresso machine. Breville also makes its own descaling solution that is recommended for its machines.
Make sure your espresso machine is turned off and unplugged.
Remove any water from the water tank and rinse it out with fresh water.
Mix the descaling solution with water according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Typically, you will need to mix one part descaling solution with four parts water.
Pour the descaling solution into the water tank and then fill the rest of the tank with fresh water.
Place a container under the group head to catch the descaling solution as it flows through the machine.
Turn on the machine and allow it to run until half of the water tank has emptied. Then, please turn off the machine and let it sit for 15 minutes to allow the descaling solution to work its way through the machine.
Turn the machine back on and allow it to finish running the rest of the water through the machine.
Once the water has finished running through the machine, rinse out the water tank and fill it with fresh water.
Run the machine again to flush out any remaining descaling solution from the machine.
Repeat the rinsing process until the water coming out of the machine is clear and free of any descaling solution.
Once you have finished rinsing the machine, wipe it down with a damp cloth and let it dry.
That’s it! Your Breville espresso machine should now be descaled and ready to produce delicious coffee again.

Cleansing the Grinder

Some Breville espresso machines come with built-in grinders. If you have one, you’ll have to clean the coffee grinder deep too. Doing this will save the grinder from malfunctions and breakdowns.

Here’s how you can clean the grinder of a Breville espresso machine:

Remove the hopper from the top of the machine by turning it counterclockwise.
Remove any beans that are still in the hopper and set them aside.
Use a small brush or a clean, dry cloth to remove any excess coffee grounds from around the grinder area.
If the burrs are particularly dirty, you can also remove them for a more thorough cleaning.
After that, you can also clean the grind outlet with the help of a brush.
After you are done cleaning everything, put everything back in place, and your grinder is all clean and ready to use.

Why Should You Do A Deeper Cleaning of the Breville Espresso Machine?

Yes, daily maintenance of your Breville espresso machine is necessary. However, a deeper cleaning is even more important for the machine’s functionality and the users’ safety and hygiene. If you are still not convinced, here are a few reasons why you should do a deeper cleaning of your Breville espresso machine after every 2 to 3 months:

A deep cleaning helps to ensure that the machine is producing espresso shots that are consistent in flavor and strength.
Deeper cleaning removes all the possible mold, bacteria, and mineral buildup from your espresso machines.
Deep cleaning also ensures the longevity and functionality of your Breville espresso machines.
You will always have a flavorful, aromatic, and delicious supply of coffee.

Breville Espresso Machine Troubleshooting

Like other electric home appliances, your Breville espresso machine is also prone to normal glitches. Fortunately, these glitches and troubles are only temporary and can disappear with the help of a few troubleshooting tips. Here are some troubleshooting tips you can try if your Breville espresso machine is giving you a hard time:

Try and see no internal or external components are blocking the filter of your Breville espresso machine.
Make sure the machine is properly plugged into the power outlet.
Try and ensure the water tank is full and properly inserted.
Look for clogs in the filter and water pipes.
Look for damaged gaskets or loose connections if the machine is leaking.
Try and run a cleaning cycle if you face issues with the coffee taste or consistency.

Conclusion

Now that you have gone through the entire guide, we hope cleaning your Breville espresso machine will be a piece of cake for you. From daily maintenance to deep cleaning, all you need is some basic cleaning equipment, probably already resting in the cabinets of your home.

Regularly cleaning and maintaining your Breville espresso machines is extremely important for your and the appliance’s safety. Apart from our step-by-step guides, it would be best to read the user manual of your Breville espresso machine to avoid any complications.

FAQs

Can I run vinegar through my Breville espresso machine?

Yes, you can run vinegar and water through your Breville espresso machine to unclog and decalcify it. However, a descaling solution is still a better option.

Why not use distilled water in Breville?

Distilled water has a very low mineral content and can cause corrosion inside espresso machines. Therefore, you should completely avoid using distilled water in your Breville machine.

What type of water is best for a Breville espresso machine?

Bottled or filtered water is the best option for your Breville espresso machines.

What does a blinking light mean in a Breville espresso machine?

Blinking lights in a Breville espresso machine always indicates a blockage in the steam wand. When this happens, you should deep clean your Breville machine without waiting any further.

What buttons are to clean Barista Express?

To begin the automatic cleaning cycle of a Breville Barista Expresso, press the Power, 1 Cup, and 2 Cups button together for 7 to 8 seconds. The cycle will then automatically begin in a few seconds.

Spread the love