One thing you forgot to mention is how important it is to purge the steam wand before and after every use. Otherwise it is great video that will surely be helpful for a lot of people. Thank you :)
hahah! yeah it's something to consider - you think it'll be far greater an experience, having an espresso machine at home - but it does come at the cost of maintaining it properly- otherwise it will breakdown. The Cafelat Robot you can rinse the whole thing under the sink when you're done 😂
hey awesome stuff. would like videos on descaling, descaling products and comparisons available. maybe comparison videos or suggestions on cleaners for the back pressure process. ive recently got a breville barista express for about 5 months now and recently for the first time went through the back pressure cleaning process as instructed in the manual. I noticed that you used powder instead of tablets and wonder if theres any real difference in performance and value especially as I am for sure considering buying a pack/box of cleaners for when the dreaded "clean me" calls. greetings from the dreaded melbourne
100%! Thanks - yeah Follow up video will be a "6-12 month clean or something along the likes" - descaling will be a huge proportion of that 👍 Absolutely check the user manual on what they recommend for back flushing. Tablets dissolve in to powder but there are brands that specify formulas for certain types of machines - models and makes.
I have the Silvia Pro X and the water tubes in the water tank have a film inside them. Any recommendations on cleaning them? I've heard citric acid or cafiza in the tank diluted but the manual says not to use descaling products.
If you can get a small pipe cleaner up them - this will help significantly - I also agree - if you can avoid placing any chemicals in through the boiler - do so.
great question - someone correct me if I'm wrong, but you'd still need to filter the water to remove a majority of the minerals. These minerals coming out of solution due to boiling, as become insoluble are still present in the water - and unless you filter these out - they're still going in to your machine and may cause blockages over time.
Descale, - this really depends on how well you take care of the water going in to the machine. If you're always changing the filter when it expires and not using just plain tap water ... than once a year would be okay. If you're just using tap water - I would do it every 3-6 months to be moderately safe/
Hi there- thanks for this wonderful video. I have a question- I have a water filter that I use for my espresso machine alone. Do I also need to buy a filter for the machine? Water filter + coffee machine filter would end up getting quite expensive!
No - so you're already filtering the water for the machine ... than you don't need to add an additional water filter in the machine. So long as the water you're using for the machine is treated so as not to have too high a TDS than it should protect your machine from scale.
not really designed to be used in conjunction with Espresso Machines for specific cleaning duties - especially as they're often scented chemicals and this will impact the quality of your coffee more than anything !
It'll depend on use and how hard your water is.If you're using a filter and monitoring the quality of water in to the machine - I'd say once a year. If you're not and just using tap water - every 8 - 12 weeks in areas where there hard water + 200ppm - which is a majority of town water.
One thing you forgot to mention is how important it is to purge the steam wand before and after every use. Otherwise it is great video that will surely be helpful for a lot of people. Thank you :)
Great point!
Great, detailed information. Thank you.
Our pleasure!
Was wondering about upgrading from my Cafelat Robot, but this video made that a resounding no
hahah! yeah it's something to consider - you think it'll be far greater an experience, having an espresso machine at home - but it does come at the cost of maintaining it properly- otherwise it will breakdown. The Cafelat Robot you can rinse the whole thing under the sink when you're done 😂
Awesome content! Thank you for putting together these videos!
My pleasure!
hey awesome stuff. would like videos on descaling, descaling products and comparisons available. maybe comparison videos or suggestions on cleaners for the back pressure process. ive recently got a breville barista express for about 5 months now and recently for the first time went through the back pressure cleaning process as instructed in the manual. I noticed that you used powder instead of tablets and wonder if theres any real difference in performance and value especially as I am for sure considering buying a pack/box of cleaners for when the dreaded "clean me" calls.
greetings from the dreaded melbourne
100%! Thanks - yeah Follow up video will be a "6-12 month clean or something along the likes" - descaling will be a huge proportion of that 👍
Absolutely check the user manual on what they recommend for back flushing. Tablets dissolve in to powder but there are brands that specify formulas for certain types of machines - models and makes.
lightningandcloud Dilute citric acid. Citric acid dissolved in water, preferably distilled.
Can you put some of the parts in the dishwasher? It should be fine since it's stainless steel, right?
Yes, I'd say the drip tray, and shower screen and filter basket, but I'd be careful of the portafilter as the handle may not survive !
I have the Silvia Pro X and the water tubes in the water tank have a film inside them. Any recommendations on cleaning them? I've heard citric acid or cafiza in the tank diluted but the manual says not to use descaling products.
If you can get a small pipe cleaner up them - this will help significantly - I also agree - if you can avoid placing any chemicals in through the boiler - do so.
With backflushing I'd caveat that HX machines with a piston would require librication of the cam after each chemical backflush.
thanks so much for the tip!
Great video!
Thanks!
What are your thoughts or recommendations as to using boiled tap water ( once cooled down ) in the water chamber ?
great question - someone correct me if I'm wrong, but you'd still need to filter the water to remove a majority of the minerals. These minerals coming out of solution due to boiling, as become insoluble are still present in the water - and unless you filter these out - they're still going in to your machine and may cause blockages over time.
How often do we need to descale a home machine?
Descale, - this really depends on how well you take care of the water going in to the machine. If you're always changing the filter when it expires and not using just plain tap water ... than once a year would be okay. If you're just using tap water - I would do it every 3-6 months to be moderately safe/
Hi there- thanks for this wonderful video. I have a question- I have a water filter that I use for my espresso machine alone. Do I also need to buy a filter for the machine? Water filter + coffee machine filter would end up getting quite expensive!
No - so you're already filtering the water for the machine ... than you don't need to add an additional water filter in the machine. So long as the water you're using for the machine is treated so as not to have too high a TDS than it should protect your machine from scale.
@@AlternativeBrewing Thanks for the answer, and for the great video.
is there any chemicals more available at home? as like as dishwashers...
not really designed to be used in conjunction with Espresso Machines for specific cleaning duties - especially as they're often scented chemicals and this will impact the quality of your coffee more than anything !
I get backflushing but when do you descale?
It'll depend on use and how hard your water is.If you're using a filter and monitoring the quality of water in to the machine - I'd say once a year. If you're not and just using tap water - every 8 - 12 weeks in areas where there hard water + 200ppm - which is a majority of town water.
I think I'll just stick to my Moka Pot...
Same :/