Cleaning Your Coffee Equipment: The Unsexy Part of Running a Coffee Shop

steam cleaning

Nobody opens a coffee shop because they dream about cleaning.

But if you want good coffee, you need to get comfortable with it.

Coffee leaves oils and residue behind.

Milk leaves even more interesting things behind.

And coffee equipment that isn't cleaned properly can affect both flavour and hygiene.

Your espresso machine needs attention every day

The group heads need cleaning.

The portafilters need cleaning.

The steam wand needs to be wiped and purged after use.

The drip tray needs attention.

And the machine needs its proper cleaning routine.

This isn't something you do when you remember.

It should simply be part of running the café.

Your grinder needs attention too

Coffee grounds build up inside grinders.

Old coffee can remain in places you don't necessarily see.

That can affect flavour and make dialling in more difficult.

And if you're changing grind size, remember that coffee from the previous setting may still be sitting inside the grinder.

Our espresso guide explains why purging the grinder after changing grind size can matter.

Read more about dialling in espresso here.

Don't forget everything around the coffee

Knock boxes.

Scales.

Milk jugs.

Counters.

Shelves.

Storage containers.

And anything else that comes into contact with coffee or milk.

A clean coffee station isn't just about appearances.

It makes the whole operation easier to manage.

Build cleaning into the workflow

The easiest way to make cleaning happen is to make it part of the job.

Don't leave everything until closing time.

Some things should happen continuously.

Some things at the end of a shift.

Some daily.

Some weekly.

Some according to the manufacturer's maintenance requirements.

The exact routine will depend on your equipment.

The important thing is having a routine.

Because the worst time to discover that nobody knows how to clean your espresso machine is when the machine stops working.

Good coffee starts with good beans.

It also starts with clean equipment.

Not quite as romantic.

But very important.

— Henning  Al-Gharb Coffee Roasters, Algarve

☕ Want to make better coffee at home?

Join The Friday Filter. One useful coffee tip every Friday from the Al-Gharb Coffee Roasters. Brewing advice, coffee experiments, things we've learned from roasting—and occasionally things we've learned by getting it completely wrong.

No coffee snobbery. Just better coffee.