Backflushing Instructions

Jul 15, 2026by Brendan Pasquini

The Importance of Backflushing

Backflushing is essential espresso machine maintenance. Skipping this step leads to higher repair costs, poor espresso quality, and accelerated machine damage.

Q&A's

What is backflushing?
- Backflushing is the process of using solid filter basket and specialized espresso machine detergent to clog the group head of the espresso machine and force hot pressurized water and cleaner through the brew circuit and out the exhaust.
Why is backflushing important?
- Coffee is an oily food and leaves behind debris and oil every time you make a shot of espresso. Similar to a cooking pan, if you use oil to cook and rinse with only water, the oil will stay behind and over time the pan will become too oily to use. Your espresso machine is the same as your cooking pan and if you do not b then the coffee oil will build up to the point where it damages the internals of your machine and will eventually prevent it from working along with causing a rancid flavor.
How often should you backflush?
- For typical home use (5-10 shots daily), backflush with Urnex Cafiza once a week and even if your usage is lower than 5-10 shots a day, never exceed more than two weeks without backflushing.
- If you are going out of town or will not use your machine for an extended period of time, it is best to backflush the machine prior to leaving it to prevent oil and mold build up.
How long does backflushing take?
- While the video and instructions may seem lengthy, the actual process of backflushing including the rinsing process, takes approx. 2 minutes or less.

Video Instructions:

Items Featured in Video:

Written Instructions:

Make sure your machine in powered on and fully warmed up.
If you machine is not plumbed in, make sure the water tank is full to avoid any interruption during this process.
Empty your drain pan as backflushing will produce excess waste water and you do not want the drain pan to overflow.
Locate and identify the manual brewing option on your espresso machine as exampled below:
- Manual Actuated Machines - This is the main button you press to start/stop the espresso brewing process. (The brew paddle on a La Marzocco Linea Mini, Slayer Espresso One Group, or the toggle switch on the Pasquini Livia GP)
- E61 Group Head Machines - This is the lever attached to the right side of the group head that you lift up to start and push down to stop. (The La Pavoni Cellini actuation lever)
- Automatic or Volumetric Machines - This is often labeled as the manual brew button or the program button. (The right most brew button the the Pasquini Livia GP and Bezzera Crema and the center button with three dots on the Faema Faemina)
Get your portafilter and insert the backflush disc/blind filter basket. (if this is hard to remove, the above video shows a pro tip on how to remove stubborn baskets)
Grab your bottle of Urnex Cafiza and using the Urnex Scoopz brush, place two leveled scoops (approx. 0.5 teaspoons) into the backflush disc.
1. If you are using the Urnex Cafiza tablets, then place one tablet into the backflush disc.
Insert the portafilter with the backflush disc and Cafiza into the group head of the machine and lock in place.
Activate the brew button/lever identified above in step #4 to start the brewing process and count for 5 seconds.
After 5 seconds, press the brew button/lever to stop the brewing process.
1. No water should come from the group head or portafilter and water/waste should have come out of the exhaust port of the machine.
Do not remove the portafilter from the machine and repeat steps #8 and #9 for a total of five cycles.
1. It is important to keep the portafilter in place as one cycle will not fully dissolve the Cafiza and will not adequately clean the group head of the machine.
Once you have completed 5 backflush cycles, remove the portafilter from the machine and run the brew button for 15 seconds to rinse any excess Cafiza from the machine and portafilter.
The next steps are optional but recommended to remove any excess Cafiza residue from the machine.
Without the use of Cafiza, place the empty portafilter with backflush disc into the machine and repeat steps #8 and #9 to backflush the machine with just water as this will help clear any remaining Cafiza that may not have dissolved or was left behind.

Problems or Technical Issues:

While usually this process goes smoothly, there are some issues that can arise which indicated that your machine may be in need of general service or repairs.

For those that prefer your machine be worked on by a professional, you can submit a service request ticket here.

Below are the most common issues that may occur during regular cleaning:

The machine leaks around the group head and portafilter when attempting to back flush.
- This is by far the most common issue and indicates a worn out group head gasket that needs to be replaced. You can often change this part at home and we sell gaskets for every machine we carry on our replacement parts page.
Nothing comes out of the exhaust port after you release the brew button/lever.
- This often occurs when you use too much Cafiza and it cannot dissolve fully and clogs the brew circuit. To remedy this, remove the handle and attempt to backflush with just water to rinse any excess Cafiza from the machine.
My portafilter is stuck in the machine and wont budge.
- This usually indicated a failed brew valve and requires a group head maintenance.
- E61 Group Head - For machines with this style group head, you can purchase or E61 rebuild kit and service the machine at home or you can submit a service ticket if you prefer on of our technicians to complete this repair.
- Valve Actuated Group Head - For machines with this style group head, it typically means you have a failed or failing 3-Way Solenoid valve. While this part can be replaced at home, the difficulty level can very quite drastically between machine brands and models and often should be done by a technician.

Questions on this guide? Contact us.

Back to Pasquini Blog