Jura 3-Phase Cleaning Tablets 6 pack
Cafetto J25 Cleaning Tablets 60 pack
Cafetto Espresso Clean Tablets
How to choose coffee machine cleaning tablets
Cleaning tablets remove the coffee oils and residue that build up where your coffee is brewed. On a manual espresso machine that is the group head and shower screen; on a fully automatic machine it is the brewing unit and the path to the spout. Left there, the oils affect how your coffee tastes. The right tablet depends on how your machine cleans itself, so start with your machine type.
Manual espresso machines: backflush tablets
If your machine uses a portafilter, you clean it by backflushing. A blind (solid) filter basket or a cleaning disc goes in the portafilter with a tablet on top, and the machine pushes water back through the group head. Cafetto Espresso Clean and Urnex Cafiza tablets are made for this. Cafetto's directions are to run the group for 10 seconds, pause for 10 seconds, and repeat five times. Then rinse with more short cycles without a tablet, and pour one espresso to waste before you make your next coffee. Check your manual first, because not every espresso machine is designed to be backflushed.
Breville espresso machines
Breville machines such as the Barista Express have a built-in clean cycle and a light that flashes when one is due. Fit the single-cup basket and the silicone cleaning disc, place one tablet in the centre, lock the portafilter in and start the cycle with the button combination in your manual. It runs for about five minutes. If the tablet hasn't fully dissolved, run it again. The Breville cleaning tablets 8 pack are sized for this cycle.
Jura and other fully automatic machines
Bean-to-cup machines clean their brewing unit with a cleaning programme. You drop a tablet into the cleaning opening when the machine asks for it. Jura's 3-Phase Cleaning Tablets are formulated for its electronically controlled programme. They remove coffee fats between the brewing unit and the spout, and add a protection phase against mineral deposits. They come in a 6 pack and a 25 pack. Cafetto J25 tablets are a third-party alternative that Cafetto recommends for selected Jura and Krups machines. Cafetto S15 tablets are recommended for selected fully automatic machines from brands including Miele, Saeco, Schaerer and Solis.
Sunbeam, De'Longhi and other brands
Match the tablet to how the machine cleans, not just to the brand name. If your manual calls for a backflush with a blind basket or cleaning disc, use a backflush tablet. If the machine has a cleaning programme with a tablet opening, choose an automatic-machine tablet that lists your brand. Some manufacturers specify their own tablets, so check the manual before you buy.
Pack size
Packs of 6 to 8 tablets suit a home machine, or trying a tablet for the first time. Jars of 60 to 100 tablets cost less per clean. They suit households that clean often, cafés, and office and workplace coffee machines.
Cleaning tablets vs descaling
Cleaning tablets remove coffee oil. They don't remove limescale. Descaling is a separate process that dissolves the mineral deposits water leaves inside the machine, and it needs a descaler. Many machines have a separate descale prompt. You'll find them in our descalers and decalcifiers range.
FAQs
How do you use Breville cleaning tablets?
Put the single-cup filter basket in the portafilter, add the silicone cleaning disc and place one tablet in the centre. Fill the water tank, empty the drip tray and lock the portafilter in. Start the clean cycle with the button combination in your manual. On the Barista Express you hold the one-cup, two-cup and power buttons together. The cycle runs for about five minutes. When it finishes, check that the tablet has dissolved, then rinse the portafilter and basket.
How often should I clean my coffee machine with cleaning tablets?
Follow your machine's prompts. Breville espresso machines flash a clean light when a cycle is due, and Jura and other automatic machines show a cleaning request on the display. On a manual machine without a prompt, use the interval in your manual. Cafetto's Espresso Clean directions describe a daily backflush, which suits busy café machines. Home machines that make fewer coffees can go longer between cleans.
Are coffee machine cleaning tablets the same as descaling tablets?
No. Cleaning tablets dissolve the coffee oil and residue in the group head or brewing unit. Descaling removes the mineral scale that water leaves inside the machine, and it uses a descaler, not a cleaning tablet. Most machines need both, on different schedules, and many have separate clean and descale prompts. Descalers are in our coffee machine cleaner range.
Can I use Cafetto tablets instead of Jura cleaning tablets?
Cafetto makes its J25 tablets for selected Jura and Krups automatic machines, and says they dissolve during the machine's automatic cleaning cycle. Jura formulates its own 3-Phase Cleaning Tablets for its electronically controlled cleaning programme, and they include a phase that protects against mineral deposits. If your machine is under warranty, check your Jura manual before you switch.
Which cleaning tablets suit a Sunbeam or De'Longhi coffee machine?
That depends on how the machine cleans. Portafilter models that your manual says to backflush take a backflush tablet, such as Cafetto Espresso Clean, used with a blind basket or cleaning disc. Automatic models with a cleaning programme take a tablet in the cleaning opening, and you need one that lists your brand. Some manufacturers specify their own tablets, so check the manual first.
What if the cleaning tablet doesn't fully dissolve?
Run the clean cycle again. On Breville machines, check the tablet when the cycle finishes and repeat the cycle if anything is left. Before you start, make sure the tablet sits in the centre of the cleaning disc and the water tank is filled. After the second cycle, rinse the portafilter and basket, then pour a shot to waste before you make your next coffee.
Do I need to rinse the machine after using a cleaning tablet?
Yes. Cafetto's directions say to rinse thoroughly with clean water after cleaning. On a manual machine, run several short cycles with the blind basket and no tablet, then brew and discard one espresso. Automatic machines rinse as part of the cleaning programme, so let it finish. To clean stained baskets, Cafetto suggests soaking them for 10 minutes in 500 mL of hot water with one tablet dissolved, then rinsing well.