How Often Should You Clean Your Espresso Machine?

If you’ve ever wondered how often you should really clean your espresso machine, you’re not alone. Baristas and home users hear everything from ‘once a day’ to ‘whenever it looks dirty.’ But without solid evidence, those answers are just guesses. One experiment set out to find out exactly how cleaning frequency affects the taste of espresso.

The short answer? Daily cleaning with a proper espresso machine cleaner like Cafetto Espresso Clean produces noticeably better-tasting espresso compared to weekly or no cleaning at all, based on a 19-day controlled experiment.

The Question No One Could Answer

Coffee professionals are frequently asked: “How often should I clean my espresso machine?” Responses vary wildly—daily, weekly, or based on volume—but none are backed by published research. That gap prompted an experiment to scientifically test how cleaning frequency impacts espresso flavor.

Why Cleaning Matters for Espresso Quality

Many factors influence espresso flavor: bean freshness and consistency, grind size, dose, water ratio, extraction time, barista technique, and machine performance. But when testing the effect of cleaning alone, all other variables must be controlled. That’s harder than it sounds.

The Experiment Setup

To isolate cleaning as the only variable, a Sydney café, Michel’s Espresso, volunteered for a 19-day experiment. The shop serves around 6 kilograms of coffee per week. Three Azkoyen Vienna 3-group machines were used under strict conditions:

• Group 1: Cleaned daily with Cafetto Espresso Clean
• Group 2: Cleaned weekly with Cafetto Espresso Clean
• Group 3: Not cleaned at all during the test period

Machines were rotated to ensure equal usage. Temperature and pressure were monitored throughout and remained consistent across all groups, ruling out machine performance differences.

Who Judged the Results

A panel of three expert judges evaluated the espresso:

• Hazel De Los Reyes, 2007 Australian Cup Tasting Champion
• Emily Oak, World Barista Championship organizer
• Instaurator, former WBC executive director and author

All espresso was prepared by 2007 Australian Barista Champion Scott Callaghan. The coffee used was Michel’s Espresso’s house blend, used at 22 days post-roast. Each shot was blindly scored from 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent) on crema color, crema consistency, crema persistence, taste balance, technical execution, and overall impression.

What the Judges Found

After 19 days, the scores showed a clear trend: the daily-cleaned machine produced significantly better-tasting espresso. The weekly-cleaned machine performed moderately well, while the uncleaned machine scored noticeably lower across all categories. The difference in crema quality, taste clarity, and balance was especially obvious.

Temperature and Pressure Control

Throughout the experiment, a temperature and pressure measuring device confirmed that all machines maintained consistent thermal and pressure profiles. This confirmed that variations in shot quality were due to cleanliness—not machine calibration or performance drift.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I clean my commercial espresso machine?

Based on the experiment, cleaning your espresso machine daily with a product like Cafetto Espresso Clean will yield the best and most consistent espresso flavor. Weekly cleaning is better than nothing but results in a noticeable decline in taste quality over time.

Doesn’t backflushing keep the machine clean enough?

Backflushing helps, but it’s not enough on its own. The experiment showed that machines not cleaned at all—or only weekly—produced inferior espresso, even if other variables were controlled. Daily cleaning ensures residue and oils don’t degrade flavor.

Can I use any cleaner, or does it have to be espresso-specific?

The experiment used Cafetto Espresso Clean, an espresso machine-specific detergent. Using the correct cleaner formulated for espresso machines is critical—it effectively breaks down coffee oils and residues without damaging gaskets or internals.

Does this apply to home espresso machines too?

Yes. While the test was done on a commercial 3-group machine, the findings apply to home setups as well. Oils and coffee residue build up the same way, and daily or very frequent cleaning will improve your espresso’s taste, crema, and consistency.

How did they ensure fair testing across all machines?

The café used three identical Azkoyen Vienna machines. Each group was rotated so every machine got equal use. A single roaster supplied the coffee, used at a fixed 22-day post-roast point. A professional barista pulled all shots, and three expert judges blind-scored each cup for multiple flavor and technical attributes.

Recommended FrontStreet Blends for Espresso

For best results in an espresso machine you clean regularly, try FrontStreet Coffee’s Classic Blend—a well-balanced espresso with rich crema ideal for milk drinks. For deeper chocolate notes and great value, the Black Cocoa Blend offers full body and bold flavor at a lower cost. Both are optimized for espresso brewing and deliver consistent crema and balance when extracted properly. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.