Backflushing With a Blind Basket: Following the Maker's Steps

You've found the backflush steps in your manual and they read like a code. Pressure gauge, cycles, paddle, rinse. This page shows two published examples, one maker's manual and one retailer's help page, so you can read yours with confidence.

First, a check. Your manual is the quickest answer to whether your machine can be backflushed at all¹. And don't backflush a machine without a three-way valve¹. If your manual doesn't give backflush steps, stop here.

What one maker's manual does

The Vibiemme manual's backflush steps run like this, in its order²:

1. Insert the blind filter basket (the one with no holes) into one of the portafilters.
2. Place a small amount of espresso machine cleaner into the basket. The manual says to see the manufacturer's instructions for specific amounts.
3. Lock the portafilter into place just like you would to make espresso.
4. Manually engage the brew function.
5. Watch the brew pressure gauge, and when pressure builds to about 9 bar, turn the brew function off².
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you see the suds of the cleaning agent appear in the drip tray. Wait about two or three minutes, then repeat steps 4 and 5 once again².
7. After two or three cycles like this, loosen but do not remove the portafilter and turn on the brew switch again. Wiggle the handle and allow the cleaner to be flushed up into the group head. The manual warns: hot water and cleaning agent will spill out, so use caution to avoid burns or exposure to the cleaner, and wear eye protection to prevent injury.
8. When the suds appear clean and free from coffee residue, empty and clean the drip tray and the portafilter. Replace the drip tray and run a bit more water through the group head so it is free from cleaner. Replace the portafilter and repeat steps 3 through 5 until the water runs clean into the drip tray. Repeat step 7 to rinse any remaining cleaner from the group head².

This page puts the manual's steps in plain words. It isn't a replacement for the manual, so follow the full steps in your own. The Vibiemme steps don't include making and discarding a shot. Only do that if your own manual says so.

Two examples side by side

The point of the table is the gap between the two. One goes by a pressure gauge², the other by a timer³. The retailer's figures (10 seconds, 5 to 8 repeats, discarding a shot after a detergent backflush) are one example, not a rule. Don't swap them between machines. Use the numbers from your own manual.

Read the warnings first

Manuals put their cautions in the steps, and they matter. One maker warns that the cleaning agent is quite strong². It says to use only chemicals designated for back flushing, because other cleaners can cause problems or damage the machine².

The same manual warns that hot water and cleaning agent will spill out at one stage, and says to take care to avoid burns and exposure to the cleaner². It tells the owner to wear eye protection², and to follow all safety recommendations on the cleaner's packaging².

Where people go wrong

• Skipping the rinse. The manual's steps end with rinsing until the water runs clean, so cleaner doesn't linger².
• Using too much cleaner. The Vibiemme manual says to see the cleaner maker's instructions for specific amounts².
• Mixing methods. Taking the timer from one source and the gauge from another gives you steps no maker wrote.
• Using the wrong product. What cleaner a maker allows is covered in Group Head Cleaning Products.

If any step is unclear, check your manual before you try it. To plan repeats, check the cleaning schedule page.