Coffee cleaning tablets (60)

Coffee oils build up in an espresso machine's group head every day. Left alone, they turn rancid and make every shot taste bitter and stale. A weekly back-flush with a cleaning tablet clears them out. It is the same routine we follow on the café machines at the roastery, and the one we teach in Ayesha's barista classes.

These tablets suit any espresso machine with a three-way valve that can be back-flushed, including the Ridgeline Home Espresso Machine. If you are not sure whether your machine can be back-flushed, check its manual first.

Details

• In the tub: 60 tablets of 2.5 g each
• Use: one tablet per back-flush, once a week for daily use
• Works on: the group head, the shower screen and the three-way valve
• Not for: descaling the boiler, or machines without a three-way valve
• Storage: keep the lid closed, in a dry place, away from children

How we use it

1. Put the blind basket in the portafilter and drop in one tablet.
2. Lock the portafilter in and run the pump for 10 seconds, then stop for 10 seconds. Repeat five times.
3. Take out the portafilter, rinse the basket and repeat the cycle five times with clean water.
4. Pull one shot and pour it away before you make your next coffee.