Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <equipment><cleaning><coffee><espresso>
Title: Cleaning a clogged espresso machine Portafilter
Question: Can anyone recommend a method for cleaning the clogged holes in a "Basket" of an espresso machine Portafilter? I had this problem with both DeLonghi and Saeco home espresso machines.  For example, in  Care of Saeco Pressurized Portafilters  (regarding  Saeco Manually Pressurized Portafilter ) they caution against using metal pins.   Any suggestions of methods or cleaning materials?

Answers:
sents: text: I alone on the planet seem to have solved the endless problem of cleaning the fine holes of an espresso portafilter, or a Moka express fine steam filter.
text: None of the liquid or abrasive cleaning apps work, period.
text: Instead, in the past, one had to use a pin to poke out the minute holes — task so laborious and hopeless than most espresso and Moka machines in the world are hampered by limited filtration.
text: No longer.
text: The pin-holes are plugged with coffee fibre, which burns.
text: Place the filter over a gas flame, either side, for 10 minutes, tapping it with tongs occasionally, and bingo...
text: A CLEAN FILTER.
text: All the minute coffee fibre plugs burn or pop out.
text: Best to use a small coffee pot rack on top of your smallest hob gas burner for this.
text: And metal tongs.
text: Will I be knighted for this?
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/8286/Chad Evans
score: 27
sents: text: I would let the basket soak in a hot water ( just from the tap ) bath of Cafiza for about 15 minutes to dissolve the coffee oils.
text: If the problem is scale buildup I would try a soak in a citric acid bath, about 2 tablespoons to 1 liter of water.
text: Of course a good stiff brush could do the trick too with both the methods described here.
text: An old toothbrush maybe.
text: I would also recommend getting on a routine cleaning schedule.
text: I do a complete espresso machine and grinder cleaning about every 4-5 weeks
text: and it keeps some of these problems from happening.
text: Once you get into the habit of doing it and develop your own personal system it is not too hard to keep up, and you learn a lot about the internals of your machines, which can come in handy if you want to mod or need to do repairs.
text: Here is a pretty good how-to on cleaning the portafilter and basket link
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/6479/C.Trauma
score: 7
sents: text: If the clogging is a result of mineral deposits, soak the "basket" in vinegar for a few hours.
text: Then use a wooden toothpick to gently dislodge any deposits.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1092/erichui
score: 2
sents: text: There are special detergents for dissolving the coffee oils that are usually used for backflushing portafilter machines.
text: Search for Coffee Clean or Puly Caff
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/6238/groovingandi
score: 1
sents: text: The Chad Evans method worked.
text: I had no idea
text: how much coffee sludge
text: I had
text: that was visible at the bottom of the portofilter.
text: I thought this was a small rubber ring or something!
text: It easily crumbled out with a gentle touch with a dental tool.
text: I did not want to damage the finish
text: so I chickened out after 4 minutes of cooking over a flame.
text: This successfully fully opened one passage of the portofilter.
text: I am soaking the whole thing over night in espresso cleaner to see if that will free up the other side, but I have a feeling I will be cooking it again to free up the other side.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/11220/user11220
score: 1
sents: text: I am at this moment using hot vinegar and after soaking in that for a while, adding baking soda, getting lots of coffee residue out!
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/7291/Jodi
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
You can soak it in hot vinegar for a while and then add soda, or try a bath of 2 Tbs citiric acid to 1 litre of water, or use hot water and Cafiza for 15 minutes. A wooden toothpick will help to dislodge deposits remaining. Alternatively, you can place the filter basket over a gas flame and tap it with tongs occasionally.
You can place the filter over a gas flame, soak it in hot water or vinegar.