Espresso machine cleaning tools on marble countertop — portafilters, Cafiza cleaner, brush, and cloth used for home coffee machine maintenance.

How to Take Care of Your Home Coffee Machine

If your home coffee machine is a key part of your morning routine, it's important to look after it to keep it performing at its best. Whether you’re running a Rocket, La Marzocco Linea Mini, Vibiemme Domobar, or Cimbali Junior, regular cleaning and maintenance will make a big difference to both taste and longevity.

At Machine Ltd, we see some domestic machines come through our workshop that could have avoided big repairs had they been maintained better. Here’s how to keep yours running like new.

1. Daily Cleaning: Keep Things Fresh

After every use, wipe down the steam wand and purge it to prevent milk build-up. Run a short water flush through the group head, and empty your portafilter basket.
If you use your machine daily, backflush with water at the end of the day — it helps clear out coffee oils that can taint flavour.

2. Weekly Maintenance: A Quick Deep Clean

Once a week, use espresso cleaner (we recommend Urnex Cafiza) to perform a chemical backflush. Remove the shower screen and soak it in hot water and detergent to clear away coffee residue. Wipe down all stainless-steel surfaces and rinse your portafilter baskets thoroughly.

 

 

This is also a good time to descale your kettle or water reservoir if you’re in a hard-water area — Auckland water is relatively soft, but build-up can still occur over time. We recommend a diluted solution using Urnex Dezcal to do this.

3. Check Your Water Quality

Poor-quality water is one of the biggest causes of scale build-up and corrosion inside home coffee machines. Using filtered water or installing a small in-line water filter will protect your boiler, improve flavour, and save you costly repairs later on.

Machine Ltd carries Best Water Technology (BWT) water filtration options to suit both domestic and commercial setups — just ask our team for recommendations. If you're running a tanked coffee machine (where you have to fill up a water reservoir), we recommend using the BWT Aqualizer Jug — not only does it reduce limescale, chlorine, and heavy metals, it also adds magnesium, a valuable mineral that supports your health and enhances the flavour of your coffee.

4. Annual Servicing: Leave It to the Experts

Even with great care, your coffee machine still needs a full service every 12–18 months. A professional technician will replace seals and gaskets, test boiler pressure, and deep-clean internal components — all things you can’t easily do at home.

At Machine Ltd, our Auckland-based service team is trained and very experienced across all major brands — including Rocket, La Marzocco, Vibiemme, Rancilio, Faema, Slayer, Cimbali, Wega, and ECM. We’ll make sure your machine is safe, efficient, and pulling shots like the day it left the factory. 

5. Know the Signs It’s Time for a Service

If your machine is showing any of these symptoms, it’s worth booking it in:

  • Steam pressure feels weak or inconsistent

  • Water leaking from the group head or steam wand

  • Coffee tastes off or extraction is uneven

  • Strange noises or fluctuating pump pressure

These are early warnings that your seals, solenoid valves, or boiler components may need attention.

Book a Domestic Coffee Machine Service in Auckland

We’ve been Auckland hospo’s trusted service partner for over 15 years — and we bring that same expertise to home coffee machines. Domestic servicing starts at $350+GST, and we’ll always provide a quote for any extras before we begin.

Book your service online or give our team a call on 09 486 2400 — and keep your machine running smoothly for years to come.