Posted Tue Aug 3, 2010, 7:33am Subject: Re: How to Clean a Dirty Grouphead
I just have a question regarding the dish soap that you used to clean the screen / group head / brass disc?
There are other forums / websites that basically say NEVER use dish soap or detergent to wash espresso accessories or parts. There are even some that say never use dish soap on mugs and only use coffee cleaners as "detergent" for anything coffee related...
That sounds a bit extreme to me, but I was wondering if Mark or anyone else on the forum can shed some light on whether using dish soap / detergent is okay for cleaning parts as long as I make sure to rinse thoroughly?
My main concern is the brass plate. Soaking is fine, but it takes too much time. I'd like to just allocate about an hour to clean, and have it ready to brew first thing in the morning =D
canto Senior Member Joined: 9 Aug 2010 Posts: 55 Location: Florence Expertise: Professional
Posted Mon Aug 9, 2010, 4:09am Subject: Re: How to Clean a Dirty Grouphead
When we do training with my company we suggest using the blind filter at least three times a day (I'm talking about a coffee shop). Once a month you can remove the screen and put it up to a flame. The flame make the exhausted powder dry, then just you need to hit slightly the screen to let the dried powder drop down.
DavecUK Senior Member Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Posts: 925 Location: UK Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Mon Aug 9, 2010, 6:38am Subject: Re: How to Clean a Dirty Grouphead
canto Said:
When we do training with my company we suggest using the blind filter at least three times a day (I'm talking about a coffee shop). Once a month you can remove the screen and put it up to a flame. The flame make the exhausted powder dry, then just you need to hit slightly the screen to let the dried powder drop down.
Wow....in a coffee shop I would re removing the shower screen and gasket and cleaning it and the dispersion disk at least every day.....I drop my shower screen every 3 days to clean it, and the dispersion disk. Using the blind filter with water does very little.
Posted Mon Aug 9, 2010, 9:58am Subject: Re: How to Clean a Dirty Grouphead
>>There are other forums / websites that basically say NEVER use dish soap or detergent to wash espresso accessories or parts. There are even some that say never use dish soap on mugs and only use coffee cleaners as "detergent" for anything coffee related... <<
I'm no coffee expert - I'm a new coffeegeek - but I have an extremely keen nose and I can smell things that other people cannot smell. As "Monk" says, "it's a blessing and a curse".
There is only one dish detergent that I can stand - and sadly it's very hard to find - it's the Ajax Grapefruit flavor and the smell doesn't bother me and seems to go away pretty quickly. But any of the other scented dish soaps just leave a scent that ruins (for me) any food or drink that is served. I also like really good Cabernet (I live in wine country) and I can't stand to drink from glasses that have been washed in detergents - it ruins the wine for me.
I wash my coffee cups and wine glasses with very hot water and friction.
After I descale my espresso machine I have to run a couple gallons of water through it before I stop tasting/smelling the cleaner.
BTW - I read a post somewhere about using raw eggs to settle coffee grounds (cowboy coffee?) - some wineries use egg to settle the fines in white wine. I can always tell when a wine was fined that way. In fact - regarding eggs - if you put a plate that had served up fried/scrambled etc. eggs into a dishwasher -- after washing I'd be able to smell the egg on every plate and glass that was washed at the same time. I guess that's the curse part. I like to eat eggs - but I can't drink out of a glass that was washed in the same dishwater as a plate that had eggs on it - if I do the egg smell overpowers whatever is in the glass.
canto Senior Member Joined: 9 Aug 2010 Posts: 55 Location: Florence Expertise: Professional
Posted Wed Aug 11, 2010, 5:43am Subject: Re: How to Clean a Dirty Grouphead
Yes, the blind filter is something, but for the Espresso machine the point is: cleaner - better! if you remove the disk even every day would be fantastic.
rushydl Senior Member Joined: 28 Feb 2011 Posts: 1 Location: Suffolk Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Gaggia Baby Class Grinder: Krups
Posted Mon Feb 28, 2011, 8:39am Subject: Re: How to Clean a Dirty Grouphead
I am a new member to coffeegeek, I found the site after searching for info on my Gaggia Baby Class machine. I am really impressed by the information on how to clean a grouphead and in particular the diagrams included by Mike Prince. This information is not explained in the manuals. Perhaps it should be! However I have kept my machine clean and descaled regurarly (it is a little over a year old) but on switching on this morning the water is not getting through the grouphead, I have taken it completely apart and given it a thorough clean, but still not happening, although the water is getting through the steam wand and the motor seems fine. Can anyone help with much needed advise Please.
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