HOW TO UN CLOG Filter Basket of an ESPRESSO Machine?

@Boyetski (986)
Philippines
September 3, 2009 4:23am CST
I have this espresso making machine and I believe that the little holes on my filter basket is clogged. I can say this because, as the pressure of my machine builds up it hardly dispense water with my protafilter on. But without it the water flows with no problem.. Is there a way to clean the clogged tiny holes on my portafilter basket? If there is a home remedy for this please guide me.. I really want my coffee pulled not brewed. Sigh.. To all professional baristas out there.. Give me a home remedy please.
1 person likes this
1 response
@JoyfulOne (6232)
• United States
3 Sep 09
Though I am not familiar with expresso machines, I'm thinking they can't be all too much different than other coffee makers. I have different varieties of coffee makers with the mesh filter baskets too. And yes, they get clogged after a time. What I do is take 1 cup of vinegar and put it in, and fill the rest up with regular water. Then I run it through the cycle. I'll let it sit for a while with it still hot, so that it can sort of soak. The heat, steam, and vinegar help loosen what's clogging it. (In my house, it gets clogged with calcium deposits because I have well water.) After it's cooled back down again, then I run plain water through it 2 more times. If the basket filter is removeable, just put it in a bowl and cover it with the vinegar and water. Although that way just cleans the basket, I like doing it the other way so that the channels where the water passes are cleaned and clear too. Vinegar's great for this. It's non-toxic, cheap, and works unbelieveably well. I even put the vinegar water in a ziplock bag and zip it around my shower head to get the calcium out of there too. Good luck Boyetski!
@Boyetski (986)
• Philippines
3 Sep 09
Thanks for the reply. I will definitely try that.. But I guess it will be more difficult in my part because the portafilter basket im talking about is not actually a mesh, but instead a steel kind of cup with tiny holes in it. To make it harder it's almost permanently fitted inside the porta filter. I cant even pull it out.. Sigh.. But I'll definitely try the vinegar trick. Hope it work's. The last thing ill worry about is if my coffee taste like vinegar... Ngahahaha,. Im going to do it now.. Thank you