Coffee maker strainer - how to unblock?

[Mike Tomlinson]

I've got one of those 'barista' style pressurised coffee machines, and a
lovely shot of espresso it makes too. However, the stainless steel
filter/strainer widget into which the coffee grounds are placed has very
fine holes which are becoming increasingly blocked.

What's the best way to clear them? They're too small for a pin.

--
(\_/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

[Jim K]

pressure washer?

;>)
Jim K

[RJS]

On Feb 20, 6:07 pm, Mike Tomlinson <m...@jasper.org.uk> wrote:

Blast of compressed air?

Soaking in something that dissolves coffe grounds?

[Bill Taylor]

Puly Caff is the commonly used coffee machine cleaner. Soaking the
filter in a solution of that for a few minutes should clean it up.

However, if you rinse the porta filter after every use you shouldn't
get coffee residue blocking the holes.

[David WE Roberts]

"Mike Tomlinson" <mi...@jasper.org.uk> wrote in message
news:4PFNHyF+...@jasper.org.uk...

On mine IIRC you are supposed to give it a blast with hot water/steam by
clipping it in without any coffee and making a dummy cup of coffee.
When I try this there is always some coffee colouring in the hot water.

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)

[Frank Erskine]

On Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:27:42 -0800 (PST), Jim K <jk98...@gmail.com>
wrote:

Caustic soda, but make sure you clean it properly afterwards.


--
Frank Erskine

[Jules Richardson]

Soak in vinegar?

The water's reasonably hard around here and I normally have to run
vinegar through our coffee maker a few times a year.

cheers

Jules

[TMC]

"Mike Tomlinson" <mi...@jasper.org.uk> wrote in message
news:4PFNHyF+...@jasper.org.uk...
>

starts with A and ends with R ?

I have the Gaggia one

warm water and a nail brush works for me

Swmbo prefers a tooth brush.... mine I think


regards

[Dave Liquorice]

On Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:32:58 +0000, Frank Erskine wrote:

>>> What's the best way to clear them? They're too small for a pin.
>>

>> pressure washer?

Isn't that what an expresso machine already is? All be it pressure
from boiling water rather than a pump...

> Caustic soda, but make sure you clean it properly afterwards.

Careful those bits look aluminium, at least on the machines I've
vaugley looked at.


--
Cheers
Dave.

[Frank Erskine]

On Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:05:08 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Liquorice"
<allsortsn...@howhill.co.uk> wrote:

>On Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:32:58 +0000, Frank Erskine wrote:
>
>>>> What's the best way to clear them? They're too small for a pin.

>

>> Caustic soda, but make sure you clean it properly afterwards.
>
>Careful those bits look aluminium, at least on the machines I've
>vaugley looked at.

I think the OP said that it's stainless steel.

--
Frank Erskine

[Dave Liquorice]

On Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:28:20 +0000, Frank Erskine wrote:

>>> Caustic soda, but make sure you clean it properly afterwards.
>>
>> Careful those bits look aluminium, at least on the machines I've
>> vaugley looked at.
>
> I think the OP said that it's stainless steel.

Fairy Nuff, more of heads up for others who may have ali bits and not
be aware of how ali and caustic react together. B-)

--
Cheers
Dave.

[Frank Erskine]

The portafilter body of my machiine is a quite rough-cast sort of
presumably ali-based alloy (machined internally), but the actual
basket with the titchy holes _is_ SS.

--
Frank Erskine
Sunderland

[thirty-six]

On Feb 20, 8:35 pm, Jules Richardson

<jules.richardsonnews...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:07:58 +0000, Mike Tomlinson wrote:
> > I've got one of those 'barista' style pressurised coffee machines, and a
> > lovely shot of espresso it makes too.  However, the stainless steel
> > filter/strainer widget into which the coffee grounds are placed has very
> > fine holes which are becoming increasingly blocked.
>
> > What's the best way to clear them?  They're too small for a pin.
>
> Soak in vinegar?

Yes. Vinegar is the traditional cleaning substance for coffee makers
and I use it with my moka hotplate pot.

>
> The water's reasonably hard around here and I normally have to run
> vinegar through our coffee maker a few times a year.

Even with soft groundwater there is advantage in using vinegar.

[Paul D Smith]

"Mike Tomlinson" <mi...@jasper.org.uk> wrote in message
news:4PFNHyF+...@jasper.org.uk...
>

Soak overnight in dish-washer tablet and boiling water then rinse well?

Paul DS.

[Andrew May]

On 20/02/2012 21:05, Dave Liquorice wrote:
> On Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:32:58 +0000, Frank Erskine wrote:
>
>>>> What's the best way to clear them? They're too small for a pin.
>>>
>>> pressure washer?
>
> Isn't that what an expresso machine already is? All be it pressure
> from boiling water rather than a pump...
>

Most have a pump. Although I did have a Krups machine about twenty years
ago that just used the steam pressure to force water through the coffee.

[Gordon Henderson]

In article <4PFNHyF+...@jasper.org.uk>,

Is it a Dualit by any chance? We have one and read reports of the same.
I now give it a shot of hot water with no coffee grounds in it every
day or so after tipping the sludge out. However Dualit are supposed
to be working on a change and I understnd they're happy to replace it
(from their forums, etc.)

Gordon

[Gordon Henderson]

In article <9qh3u6...@mid.individual.net>,

First one I had (er, 25 years ago!) was like that. It also used the
same boiler for the steam nozzle, so you had one go at frothing the milk
before all the steam pushed the water through the coffee - there was a
fine balance between grinding the coffee fine enough to slow down the
flow vs. giving you enough steam to froth the milk!

Kids of today, etc... ;-)

Gordon

[Alan Braggins]

In article <a7fbf554-315d-4bd0...@m2g2000vbc.googlegroups.com>, Jim K wrote:
>On Feb 20, 6:07 pm, Mike Tomlinson <m...@jasper.org.uk> wrote:
>> I've got one of those 'barista' style pressurised coffee machines, and a
>> lovely shot of espresso it makes too. However, the stainless steel
>> filter/strainer widget into which the coffee grounds are placed has very
>> fine holes which are becoming increasingly blocked.
>>
>> What's the best way to clear them? They're too small for a pin.
>

>pressure washer?

Angle grinder?

More seriously: http://www.coffeeresearch.org/espresso/cleaning.htm
(Though obviously the "hourly" and "couple of times a day" is for a
professional machine in continuous use, not a home machine that's only
used a couple of times a day.)

[Adam Funk]

Connoisseurs say the pumped kind is better, because the somewhat lower
water temperature (90°C, I think) produces better-tasting coffee, or
something like that. The steam pressure kind is cheaper to
manufacture.

[therustyone]

On Feb 20, 6:07 pm, Mike Tomlinson <m...@jasper.org.uk> wrote:

Let it dry out for a day and the shrivelled coffee grounds should fall
out easily if its banged on a bench.

rusty

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo <nyyfbegfubjuvyypb...@srv1.howhill.co.uk>,
Dave Liquorice <allsortsn...@howhill.co.uk> escribió:

>Careful those bits look aluminium, at least on the machines I've
>vaugley looked at.

The handled bit that you drop the strainer into before putting it in the
machine is definitely aluminium, but I'm fairly sure the strainer itself
is stainless steel.

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo <vk45k7dcubfqdcmse...@4ax.com>, Bill Taylor
<no...@invalid.com> escribió:

>However, if you rinse the porta filter after every use you shouldn't
>get coffee residue blocking the holes.

I do, I think it's just cheap coffee grounds with very fine particles
and/or dust blocking the holes.

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo <9qfkrq...@mid.individual.net>, David WE Roberts
<nos...@btinternet.com> escribió:

>On mine IIRC you are supposed to give it a blast with hot water/steam by
>clipping it in without any coffee and making a dummy cup of coffee.

Tried that, ta, and it did clear some of the holes (observed by holding
the strainer up to the light).

There's a pic here:

http://jasper.org.uk/strainer.jpg

I think perhaps the brown clag on the bottom is what is blocking the
holes. It won't budge with a green scourer, and I'm reluctant to try
anything harsher. It might be limescale, though I don't live in a hard
water area. There's similar coloured stuff in the bottom of my kettle.

Could try soaking it in a kettle limescale remover?

--
(\_/)

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo <4PFNHyF+...@jasper.org.uk>, Mike Tomlinson
<mi...@jasper.org.uk> escribió:

>What's the best way to clear them?

Thanks all. I'm trying the vinegar first (mainly 'cos I found a bottle
of malt vinegar in the back of the cupboard with a use-by date of Nov
2003, as you do). If that doesn't work, will try the drying-out and
tapping suggestion, then the dishwasher tablet and hot water.

It'd probably be easier just to buy a new one, except I know there are
at least two incompatible sizes for this model of machine and I'd almost
certainly end up buying the wrong one.

[thirty-six]

On Feb 21, 8:27 pm, Mike Tomlinson <m...@jasper.org.uk> wrote:
> En el artículo <vk45k7dcubfqdcmse5u37r2ao6h9n8h...@4ax.com>, Bill Taylor

If you time it right, the cake of coffee should come out cleanly with
one downward knock. I used to use the partition between two sinks.
Professionals use a designed for the job knock-box but you can get
away with a knife handle resting across an emty tuna can. It can even
be the same knife you level your measure with. If ypu want to make a
job of it, notch a narrow batten to fit on the can.

[thirty-six]

On Feb 21, 8:49 pm, Mike Tomlinson <m...@jasper.org.uk> wrote:
> En el artículo <9qfkrqF78...@mid.individual.net>, David WE Roberts

> <nos...@btinternet.com> escribió:
>
> >On mine IIRC you are supposed to give it a blast with hot water/steam by
> >clipping it in without any coffee and making a dummy cup of coffee.
>
> Tried that, ta, and it did clear some of the holes (observed by holding
> the strainer up to the light).
>
> There's a pic here:
>
>  http://jasper.org.uk/strainer.jpg

Looks like you have got a lot of copper in your water. Be more
worried about what is coming out of your tap. A Brita jug is a quick
fix and your coffee should be better, as well as your long term
health.

>
> I think perhaps the brown clag on the bottom is what is blocking the
> holes.  It won't budge with a green scourer, and I'm reluctant to try
> anything harsher. It might be limescale, though I don't live in a hard
> water area.  There's similar coloured stuff in the bottom of my kettle.
>
> Could try soaking it in a kettle limescale remover?

If it is copper it'll come off with tomato. Try some tomato ketchup
if the vinegar isn't strong enough.

[Andy Dingley]

On Feb 20, 6:07 pm, Mike Tomlinson <m...@jasper.org.uk> wrote:

> What's the best way to clear them?

Couple of times a year I stick mine through the ultrasonic cleaner.

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo <eko0dNIO...@jasper.org.uk>, Mike Tomlinson
<mi...@jasper.org.uk> escribió:

>Thanks all. I'm trying the vinegar

Let it soak overnight and now it's pretty much clear and the brown clag
has gone. Thanks again all.

[gri...@gmail.com]

On Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:07:58 +0000, Mike Tomlinson

<mi...@jasper.org.uk> wrote:

> However, the stainless steel
>filter/strainer widget into which the coffee grounds are placed has very
>fine holes which are becoming increasingly blocked.
>
>What's the best way to clear them? They're too small for a pin.

Soak in kettle descaler or use 30% phosphoric acid.

[Rick]

On 20/02/2012 6:27 PM, Jim K wrote:
> On Feb 20, 6:07 pm, Mike Tomlinson<m...@jasper.org.uk> wrote:

>> I've got one of those 'barista' style pressurised coffee machines, and a

>> lovely shot of espresso it makes too. However, the stainless steel

>> filter/strainer widget into which the coffee grounds are placed has very
>> fine holes which are becoming increasingly blocked.
>>
>> What's the best way to clear them? They're too small for a pin.
>>

>> --
>> (\_/)
>> (='.'=)
>> (")_(")
>

> pressure washer?
>
> ;>)
> Jim K

The proper way is to hold the strainer over a gas flame .. I use the
stove .. the coffee burns off once it gets to red heat.

[durhamd...@gmail.com]

mix 1/2 draino 1/2 water in a glass plate, let the basket set in it for a few hours and be sure to rinse well. http://chathamdrywall.com