How to Run a Clean Cycle on Breville Espresso Machine (Made EASY)

Do you know how to run a clean cycle on a Breville espresso machine? Have you tried it before? 

Breville espresso machines are some of the best; they’re so powerful yet efficient and brew great espresso day in, and day out. Although it’s such a great machine it needs regular cleaning (like any other machine) to maintain it in top condition Stick around, in this article, I’m going through a bunch of tips and tricks on how to run a clean cycle on Breville the right way, how to clean its wand, surface and more.

Let’s dive right into it. 

How to run a cleaning cycle on a Breville

Let’s go over the steps of running a cleaning cycle on your Breville:

• Breville makes it easy for you to show when it needs cleaning. There’s a ‘CLEAN ME’ button on the surface of the machine. When it turns on it means you need to run a cleaning cycle
• Ensure that there’s water in the tank cause you’ll need it to run the cycle
• Take off the Portafilter and take the block filter (it comes with at least one with the espresso machine) add a tablet to it as if you were adding coffee grounds (if you use a cleaning solution you’ll use 1-2 scoops of it in the block filter; check the instructions for the exact amount).
• Turn off the machine and press CUP1, CUP2, and the POWER button simultaneously for around 10 seconds
• The cleaning cycle begins and it’s going to last roughly 5 minutes
• Three beeps in succession indicate the end of the cleaning cycle
• Make sure you give a proper good wash to the portafilter to remove the tablet taste from it
• It’s also wise to throw away the first espresso shot you pull after cleaning the machine; the chances are that it has kept some of the chemical taste.

How to clean the conical burr grinder

Let’s go through the steps to clean the Burr Grinder: 

• Take off the hopper and remove the top burr
• Now take off the nut by moving it anti-clockwise, washer, lower burr, and lower burr.
• Give all of them a good wash and put them back in. It’s wise to make a note of their order so it’s easier to reassemble them.
• It’s a good idea to check the instruction booklet if it’s the first time you attempt to clean the burr grinder

How to clean the water drip tray

You’re probably thinking you don’t need to empty the water too often. 

Water is just used for pulling espresso, right? No, water is also used every time the wand or the coffee filter is used (a process called condensation).

Breville makes it easy for you to remember to throw out the water. When the little sign ‘Empty Me’ raises up it means the tray is filled with water and you need to empty it. Just pull it out and the whole tray comes off the machine.

It’s a good idea to use a cloth to take the tray off; it might contain hot water to avoid injuries.

It’s also important not only to empty the water but to wash it with washing-up liquid and remove coffee oils and lipids. 

How to prevent the drip tray from getting dirty too quickly

Because coffee drips into the tray every time you pull an espresso shot it gets dirty quickly.

A great way to stop this is to use a microfiber on the back of the tray where espresso drips so coffee goes on the surface of the microfiber instead of getting into the tray. 

You can always rinse the microfiber once a day or twice. This will save you from the hassle of cleaning the tray too often.

Another area that gets filthy quickly is around the grinder.

Because it grinds coffee, small coffee bits go all over the place.

Use another microfiber and put it underneath the grinder to catch them all. Or you can even use kitchen roll and replace it when it gets dirty. 

On a separate note, it’s key to know how to pre-infuse espresso.

How to clean the knock-box? 

This is probably the easiest item of an espresso machine to clean.

It’s no good leaving it full of used coffee for too long. Make sure you empty it at least twice a week. I rinse the inside and give it a quick wash as coffee grinds over time leave marks. Plus, if you don’t clean it properly bacteria spread around and might cause contamination. This way you’ll make sure your Breville espresso won’t taste bitter.

What about the used grinds? 

Can you use them in any possible way?

Yes, you can make compost and spread them on your grass; they’re an excellent fertiliser.

Let’s wrap it up

I know cleaning an espresso machine is boring (I’d rather watch paint dry) but there’s no way around it unfortunately – if you want to pull top-quality espresso with your Breville brewer every single time, it’s wise to maintain it in great condition and clean it on a regular basis. Go ahead and read our guide on how to clean a Krups machine.