Hello all,

I've been struggling with this quite some time now. I think cleaning is pretty essential to get a good cup, I can certainly taste it when equipment is not clean so I am quite obsessive about it. I find generally cleaning the basket relatively easy since it's stainless steel but the portafilter is a nightmare. I have tried a number of alternatives but essentially since it's brass if coffee is left to dry on it the only way to remove it is via a wool wire or similar in my opinion, which I have ended-up doing. I wish there was a way to cover it somehow. I'm wondering if anyone else has any other trick for cleaning the portafilter, I guess dipping into Cofiza daily could be a solution but isn't it too much? Also to clarify that I'm not interested on a naked portafilter,

thank you in advance for your thoughts!

Belbo

Hi,
How long have you left the portafilter in Cafiza? You really have to let it sit for quite some time initially otherwise that funky smell/taste will always be there. Dunk it in 2 baths over 48 hours and report back.

I know you're not interested in a naked PF, but you didn't say that a new PF was out of the question. The Cafelat convertible is super easy to clean being stainless. While it can be used naked, it has a nice bottom that accepts a variety of spouts. I use mine without a spout, so it's just the hole in the bottom (single stream straight down).

When ai was using the original I cleaned it with "Bon Ami." It doesn't take much work to get it clean. I used a small round plastic brush to clean the hole (looks like,a nylon bristled pipe cleaner). I took the spout off so I never had to figure out a way to get that clean. The Bon Ami makes quick work of it.

For solid brass portafilters, I think the best thing to do with them is wash them with tap water after each use. Do NOT let them air dry, dry them thoroughly with a towel. I have a couple of towels that are always by my espresso area that are used for that purpose. If you have an other brass things in your espresso system, they should be wiped after each use too. Most brass espresso equipment is coated with a polymer to keep it looking shiny. In my experience the polymer holds up very well except on the portafilters. It is easy to strip the polymer. Working outdoors, remove the handle from the portafilter and coat the brass with paint remover. Wait a few minutes and the polymer should strip fairly easy. It may be necessary to make a second treatment. The high temperature and water will otherwise cause peeling polymer that is impossible to keep clean. If you wipe a bare brass portafilter after each use it will stay shiny. You can go over them with steel wool from time to time. You can also use brass polish, but there can be problems with its leaving behind a bad flavour. The double spouts on some are hard to clean, though you can clean them with a pipe cleaner.

Cleaning problems are not restricted to La Pavoni systems!

Thanks a lot all for your answers, a few thoughts:
- Cafiza: I really wouldn't like to use it daily, I think it's an overkill although it gets the work done.
- I've just checked the Cafelat naked one and I think it's a good idea as it has a stainless steel button, thanks for that.
- Thanks for all the information on the brass. So I guess by using wire to clean it I essentially have removed the coating, I didn't think of that! You're right if you clean it on the spot it actually works but a lot of times I forget + my wife uses it regularly and always forgets so I probably have to figure out something else.

any other ideas are welcome!

Belbo