The More You Clean, the LESS You Clean

Have you ever brewed a cup of coffee that tasted off, despite using high-quality
beans and precise brewing techniques?


The culprit might be dirty equipment. Let’s explore the critical role of proper equipment maintenance in coffee brewing and why keeping your espresso machine, grinder, and other brewing equipment clean is essential for consistently delicious results.

 

The Hidden Culprit:

Understanding the impact of dirty equipment. Dirty equipment can harbor residual coffee oils, grounds, and mineral deposits, which can impart off- flavours and aromas to your brewed coffee. These contaminants can accumulate over time, gradually affecting the taste, clarity, and overall quality of your brew. Regular cleaning and maintenance are essential for removing these residues and ensuring that your equipment operates at peak performance. We suggest rinsing your group handle after you have finished with your machine, daily. Do this by removing the basket from the group handle and the nozzle of your steam wand and rinsing all under hot water. This can be from the tap or even just straight from the group head. Avoid using dishwashing liquid.

 

The Importance of Hygiene:

Ensuring food safety and quality. In addition to affecting flavour, dirty equipment can pose health risks by harbouring harmful bacteria and mould. This is particularly true for equipment that comes into direct contact with brewed coffee, such as portafilters, carafes, and brewing baskets. We suggest a weekly deep clean of the equipment, using espresso cleaning chemical to soak for 10 minutes in boiling water. Adding this into your house cleaning schedule on the weekend will make it seem less of concentrated chore and more like just being part of cleaning the kitchen!

 

Educational Insight:

The science of coffee residue. Residue is composed of oils, acids, and insoluble particles that can adhere to brewing equipment surfaces. Over time, these residues can become rancid, imparting unpleasant flavours and aromas to brewed coffee. Additionally, mineral deposits (scale) from hard water can accumulate in equipment components, affecting performance and degradation of your coffee equipment. We recommend descaling your espresso machine monthly.

 

The Cleaning Routine:

Tips and Best Practices. Incorporating a regular cleaning routine into your coffee making process is essential for maintaining equipment performance and coffee quality. At Average Joes, we live by the mantra “The more you clean, the less you clean!” The idea is that if you clean as you, daily, the cleaning process itself doesn’t take very long, as opposed to leaving everything for long periods of time that then takes hours to clean, wasting the precious time of life. Furthermore, cleaning often prevents the flavour of coffee from ever becoming dirty, making it easier to troubleshoot bad flavours from the coffee recipe, rather than dirty equipment.

 

In the world of coffee brewing, cleanliness is key to achieving consistently delicious results. By prioritising proper equipment maintenance, including daily rinsing, weekly deep cleaning and monthly descaling, you can ensure that your brewed coffee remains free from off-flavours and contaminants. So, the next time you brew a cup of coffee, remember to clean your equipment—it's the secret ingredient to a perfect brew.

UPKEEP - it’s no joke!

As we pull into the home station, we emphasize the crucial importance of cleaning and maintaining your coffee equipment for consistent and exceptional results. Whether you're a seasoned barista or a coffee enthusiast, adhering to a regular cleaning procedure is a must. Microfiber cloths to remove any coffee residue and purging the group heads with water between shots are some of the tips you’ll find to help you stay on track. By dedicating a little time to cleaning, you'll maintain your equipment in pristine condition for a longer period, ultimately enhancing the quality of your coffee.