You’re loving your new lattes, but now is the time to look after your machine. Here’s how to clean a Sage coffee machine.
Image source: Sage
Making the best possible is easy with the Sage coffee machine range. With great options available, you’re able to produce barista level coffee at a fraction of the price and in your home. We’ve looked at a few of the best options available from Sage here with the best Sage coffee machine for 2022, but how do we keep them clean and look after them?
When it comes to making coffee at home, it can be a rather messy business. With coffee granules having the ability to end up just about anywhere in your home, keeping on top of the cleaning is vital to having a clean and happy home.
Keeping your machine from Sage clean is relatively simple and standard across the Sage models, and once you’ve got a process to use it will make it a super easy clean to complete.
First we will take a look at one of their most popular machine and see what needs to be done for this machine, then we can follow a similar process for many of the other models.
You can also check in your machines box where you should find the manual which will give you all the details on how to clean your specific machine.
However, we’ve put together a complete guide with the most helpful set of cleaning instructions for your Sage coffee machine, where we’ll look at what needs to be done to keep your machine in the best working order.
First up, lets look at the Barista Express, a really great machine that not only looks great but also makes brilliant barista level coffee.
Image source: John Lewis
How To Clean A Sage Coffee Machine?
How To Clean Sage Barista Express Coffee Machine?
The Barista Express features a great little light which will alert you to when it is in need of a clean. Plus it will even very helpfully say on this light ‘Clean Me’ – just in case there was any confusion. This happens after producing approximately 200 coffees or more and helps you keep on track for when to get cleaning.
This is a great little feature, however it is always a good idea to give your machine a regular cleaning even without having to see this little alert message. For the longevity of your coffee machine and for the freshest tasting coffee, give your machine a quick clean every few months.
To get started with the clean of your Sage coffee machine, you’ll need plenty of eater in the tank and the blank plastic cleaning disc. This disk is there to sit inside the filter which is in the portafilter. A very basic piece of plastic, it’s just there to prevent any water from passing though the filter allowing it to be cleaned.
Onto this plastic disc you place the cleaning tablet from Sage. You can find the cleaning disc from Sage here, or alternatively you can find many other tablets from other brands here. It’s up to you which to use, but of course you’re likely to get the best cleaning experience on the Sage specific tablet as they know their machines inside out.
Next, once you’ve got everything you need in place, including the disc and tablet enclosed in the grouphead you’re ready to go. Make sure your machine is turned off and then your ready to get cleaning. Now good for your clean to begin, you then need to simultaneously press the 1 cup, 2 cup and Power buttons for 3 seconds and the cleaning will begin. You’ll be able to tell
if it has started by the ‘Clean Me’ light flashing on the machine.
The total cleaning process takes a total of approximately 5 minutes from start to finish. The aim of the clean is to get the water to run through the filter and mix with the cleaning tablet, which then will backwash into the machine and remove any of the internal grime or dirt.
Once the rinse through has been done you’ll hear a couple of beeps indicating that the cycle is complete.
Remove the portafilter and have a quick look to see if the cleaning tablet has dissolved fully. If it hasn’t fully dissolved then it’s best to run the cycle again to help flush it through properly.
When all the cleaning tablet is fully dissolved, give the portafilter a good rinse, washing the handle, basket and cleaning disc thoroughly.
Of course, once this clean process is complete, it’s always a good idea to run a quick conventional espresso cycle without the grounds in place to ensure that all of the cleaning solution has been flushed through the system before you start drinking any cups of coffee. If after this cycle there is still remnants of either coffee or tablet then keep running a cycle until it’s all gone.
A rather simple process for getting the job done, this whole process should take you no longer than a few minutes and you’ll be right back to enjoying barista level coffee in no time at all.
Here’s a handy video which will help to explain the cleaning process for this Sage coffee machine:
How Often Should I Clean Sage Coffee Machine?
Making sure that you’re cleaning your Sage coffee machine properly (as explained earlier) and on a regular basis is key to enjoying the best possible at home barista experience. Having spent a significant amount of money on your machine, it’s important to look after it and keep it in the tip top shape.
But now you’ve learned how to keep in clean and fresh – how often should you be running the cleans on your machine?
Well as mentioned earlier it’s best to let the machine to tell you when it’s ready for a clean, which is usually after about 200 coffees. This means a full flush through with cleaning tablet,
However, a Sage coffee machine comes with a lot of parts – all of which need to be well maintained and cleaned to ensure a smooth production of your favourite coffee. Therefore, below we’ve broken down when all of the other items of equipment need to be cleaned or replaced to help make it as easy as possible for you to get that barista experience from home.
How Often Should I Clean The Portafilter Handle?
The portafilter handle should be cleaned daily or after every use. Not necessarily a deep clean, but just a quick rinse with hot water to remove any of the granules and stop any gunk from building up.
Every few weeks, it’s always worth trying to get a more in depth clean of the portafilter. The best way to do this is to soak it in boiling water for 10 minutes to let any gunk disperse off. If you want, you could also dissolve a cleaning tablet (preferably from Sage) into the water to aid in the cleaning process.
This should help to remove any of the old grounds and coffee oils from the head, but just make sure the handle itself isn’t in with the cleaning solution as this could lead to discolouration.
How Often Should I Back-flush The Coffee Machine?
A daily back-flush of your coffee machine is always recommended. This helps to give you the freshest and best tasting coffee every single time. Harsh, stale flavours can come from a build up of coffee oils and grounds in the grouphead, therefore making sure this is flushed out regularly is essential for getting the best coffee experience.
To give it a back-flush, simply insert the plastic cleaning disc into the single portafilter and lock it into the grouphead. Make sure there is plenty of water in the tank. Then activate the single shot button to allow pressure to build up within the basket. Repeat this three times for 20-30 seconds each time to remove any residual coffee oils or grounds.
If you’re in a rush and can’t find the time to do this daily, then try and do it at least weekly, to ensure perfect flavours every time.
How Often Should I Clean The Drip Tray?
Again, you should aim to clean the drip tray daily. It’s not the largest tray in the world, so it tends to fill up pretty quickly depending on how many coffees you’re producing each day. It’s not much fun when you’ve ended up overfilling the tray and then having to wobble over to the sink to pour it away. Or worse, when you haven’t realised and its began seeping over the edges and onto your worktop.
Empty it daily and give it a quick rinse in warm water to stop any unwanted build up.
How Often Should I Change The Water Filter?
Every 90 days you should look at changing the water filter inside your Sage coffee machine. It’s certainly one of the most important things you can do to look after your machine and ensure longevity. Limescale build-up will go a long way to harming your machine, thus tarnishing your coffee enjoyment.
In areas of hard water such as London and the South coast, limescale tends to build up much more quickly and so is best to change the filter even more regularly. You can usually see if there’s a heavy build-up in the machine so it’s always good to keep an eye out to see what is happening.
You can find instructions in your Sage manual will will guide you through how to descale your machine. Alternatively, check out our full guide on how to descale a Sage coffee machine.
Image source: John Lewis
Signs Your Sage Coffee Machine Needs A Clean
Usually you should be able to tell when your coffee machine from Sage is in need of a clean. Most of the models will alert you when it’s time around about the 200 coffee mark. However some signs can be a little less obvious, so here’s a quick look to what those cleaning signs could be.
Coffee tasting bitter
A sure sign that your machine needs a clean is when your coffee starts tasting a little bit different and perhaps a tad bitter. This could be from a build up of old granules and oils in the grouphead or the portafilter. These harsh, rather stale flavours are going to ruin any coffee you make so it’s best to give your machine a good clean if you begin to notice a different taste.
Slower pouring
Your portafilter could be very slow in pouring out the coffee through the handle. When this happens it’s usually because of a blockage in the head and will need either a quick rinse with hot water or a more thorough wash with a cleaning tablet.
Build up of limescale in the tank
Hard water can produce a build up of limescale in various parts of the coffee machine. These build ups can have a detrimental effect on your coffee taste and experience. When this happens your machine needs a full clean and descale. Check out the manual for a guide on how to descale your machine.
Final Thoughts
That was a quick look at how to clean your Sage coffee machine. It’s safe to say that when you’ve got a Sage coffee machine you’re a bit of a coffee enthusiast.
You enjoy great tasting coffee at home, so it really does make sense to keep on top of the cleaning. After all, it cost you a lot of money to buy it in the first place, so why not try and keep it running as smoothly as possible.
Happy lattes mean happy people.
