How To Correctly Clean Your Breville Coffee Machine (Complete Guide)

When I first bought my Breville espresso machine I couldn’t believe how much cleaning there was to do.

From rinsing the portafilter, to cleaning the machine, to decaling, to mopping up the coffee juices i spilled on the floor – the list goes on.

But there’s a reason cafes clean their equipment every day – and after a few months i began to notice my coffee tasting dull and my machine not performing the same it did the day i got it.

The solution was to use the tiny cleaning tablets that came with the machine

In this guide i’ll share how (and when) you should do the same!

How To Correctly Clean Your Breville Machine 

Cleaning your Breville machine is crucial to maintaining the proper functioning of your appliance and the great taste of your coffee. Breville recommends cleaning your unit every 4-6 weeks, although we’d recommend cleaning weekly if your machine gets a lot of use.

Ensure your device is off before you clean it. Here’s how to clean your machine. 

You’ll need

• The one cup dual wall filter basket
• Cleaning disc that came with your machine (You can get replacement discs here from Amazon) 
• One Breville cleaning tablet

Step 1. Preparation 

1. Empty and reinsert the drip tray.
   
2. Ensure the water tank is filled to the max line with cold water and securely attached to your unit.
   
3. Insert the one-cup wall filter basket into the portafilter.
   
4. Insert the cleaning disc.
   
5. Place the cleaning tablet onto the cleaning disc.
   
6. Lock the portafilter into the group head.
   

Step 2. The Cleaning cycle 

1. Press the 1-cup, 2-cup, and power buttons simultaneously for 3 to 5 seconds.
   
2. The machine will power on, and the 1-cup button will flash to indicate the cycle is in progress. 
   
3. Let the cycle run for approximately 5 minutes until the machine returns to ready mode – when the lights illuminate solid. 
   

Step 3. The Rinse cycle

1. Remove and rinse the portafilter, filter basket, and cleaning disc.
   
2. Fill the water tank with clean water.
   
3. Press the 1-cup or 2-cup button to rinse the group head.
   
4. Empty and rinse the drip tray, then reattach it to the unit. 
   
5. Ensure the tablet has dissolved completely. If it’s not, repeat the process until it’s completely dissolved.
   
6. Turn off the machine. Your cleaning cycle is complete.

This video from the Breville website takes you step by step through the process

Conclusion

That does it for cleaning your Breville machine

As mentioned above, I’m now in the habit of running a cleaning cycle every week (every Sunday morning, in fact) and I’ve certainly noticed better-tasting coffee because of it.

Let us know in the comments below how often you deep clean your machine and the difference it makes!