Guides • Posted by Charlotte Dibble • 06th March 2023
Sage Coffee Machine Cleaning
Sage Coffee Machine Cleaning
What is a Sage Coffee Machine Cleaning Cycle?
Got a Sage Coffee Machine at home? We guess you’re serious about coffee – only the best makes it to your mug!
A Sage Coffee Machine is an investment (we know they’re not cheap…), so show it love with some stellar Sage cleaning!
Good news incoming: your Sage espresso machine can clean itself. Pretty much. The machine features a built-in Sage cleaning cycle that keeps the parts in tip-top condition. The cleaning cycle is similar across most Sage models, but we always advise flicking through your machine’s manual before getting started.
Fancy channelling Mrs Hinch vibes? Let’s do it! Find out how to clean a machine below!
What’s the point of a Clean Sage Coffee Machine?
There’s a lot of point to Sage coffee machine cleaning. So much point it’s, well, pointy.
Two things are gonna persuade you that machine maintenance is a good idea. Here they are:
Makes Your Coffee Machine Last Longer
Your barista machine will be a friend for life… if you keep it clean. Coffee machines are full of moving parts, and keeping them clean will ensure they run like clockwork. Leave your machine sans cleaning, and its parts might become clogged with grime or calcified milk. They won’t run as efficiently, and your machine’s lifespan will be cut short… Cue sad face emojis 😭😭😭
Makes Coffee Taste Better
If reason no.1 wasn’t enough to convince you, this one should be! Because better joe is always a good idea.
The formula is very complicated, very complicated indeed… Are you ready? It goes as follows:
Clean Sage Coffee Machine = Better Tasting Coffee
Oh, that’s really rather simple! Dirty equipment causes oil and residue to build up inside the machine, where they can turn rancid and make future cups taste stale. Don’t make us reach for the weepy face again– keep your barista machine clean!
How to Clean a Sage Coffee Machine
Now you know machine cleaning is a groovy idea, find out how to make it happen! Here’s your one-stop guide for a clean Sage coffee machine:
Before putting your Sage machine through a cleaning cycle, make sure it’s turned off and there is plenty of water in the water tank
Place a 1-cup filter in the portafilter
Grab a cleaning disc and place it in the 1-cup filter
Pop your espresso machine cleaning tablet on the disc (wash hands after touching)
Lock the portafilter into the espresso machine group head
Place a container under the portafilter to collect the water you flush through
To kick-start the cleaning cycle, press and hold the 1-cup and 2-cup buttons on the front of the machine. Keep holding, then press the power button. Hold all three down for 10 seconds to start the cleaning cycle
You’ll see the ‘Clean me’ light start to flash
Your Sage machine gets its skates on – the cleaning cycle only takes around five minutes
Hear two beeps? This means it’s done
Remove the portafilter. Repeat the steps if the tablet hasn’t fully dissolved
When done, rinse the group handle and cleaning disc thoroughly with water and treat your machine to a quick flush with nothing attached
Awesome! Your Sage barista machine is scrubbed up and ready for action. I can see it smiling from here…
Your steam wand is magic (really). So help it keep its sparkle! ✨
Luckily, sparkle preservation is easy. A bit of purging and wiping is all you need.
To keep your wand in prime condition, purge before and after each milk steaming sesh. Purging simply means turning your steam wand on for one-to-two seconds without placing it in any milk, allowing a rush of steam to come from the tip. Do this before you start steaming to chase out all milky residue from the wand and tip.
Finished steaming? Smugly sipping on a frothy latte or cappuccino? Go you! Just don’t get too caught up in your coffee – your steam wand needs a quick wipe down. Leftover milk droplets will soon turn crusty, so it’s important to wipe immediately. Give it another purge when you’ve done that, and wipe again for a spick-and-span steam wand!
Drip Tray
Your Sage espresso machine might have an ‘Empty Me’ light on the front. Whether this is flashing or not, we’d advise cleaning the drip tray a couple of times each week. Leave it too long before emptying, and you’ll find a tray that’s too full to carry to the skink without sloshing coffee water all over the place. Then you’ll need a How to Clean the Kitchen guide as well as a Clean Sage Coffee Machine one…
To clean the coffee machine drip tray, just remove the tray, empty it and give it a good bath in hot soapy water. Wipe down with a cloth to dry, then slot it back into your machine.
And please, please don’t pop it in the dishwasher. They’re not best friends.
Water filter
Water filter cleaning should be a thing every three months. This is one of the most important parts of keeping your espresso kit in good condition. Seriously, skip this and your Sage machine will be gruuuuumpy.
Soak the filter in cold water for five minutes, then remove and dry
Reassemble the parts
Click the clean filter back in place inside the water tank
Fill the tank up with cold water and slot the whole thing back into the machine
Get Groovy with Sage Coffee Machine Cleaning: Check Out These FAQs!
How often should I clean my espresso machine?
Coffee shops need to clean their machines frequently. For home brewers, we’d recommend running a cleaning cycle around once a month.
Your Sage Barista Machine has a ‘Clean Me’ light that will flash when a cleaning cycle is due. It tends to flash after making around 200 cups and is a lifesaver for all you forgetful folk!
However, if you can remember, we’d recommend that you don’t just wait for the light to flash. Try to get into a regular cleaning routine – pop CLEAN SAGE COFFEE MACHINE!!!!!!!! in your diary or phone.
With all the exclamation marks, just so you don’t forget…
What is backflushing?
Backflushing involves pushing hot water back through the machine’s brew circuit to clean its interior parts. Remember that Einstein-worthy Clean Machine = Better Tasting Coffee formula? This is why backflushing is key: it rids the parts of excess oil and coffee debris that could clog up and turn stale.
To backflush, simply pop a blank cleaning disc in the portafilter and run a single shot without any coffee. The disc prevents water from coming down, flushing it back up through the machine instead and pushing it (and any grime) into the drip tray.
What is a blanking disk?
The bit of rubber or metal you put in the portafilter to backflush has many names. Don’t get confuddled if you hear rubber cleaning disc, blanking disk, backflush disc, blind filter… they are referring to the same thing!
The blanking disk fits inside the filter basket and blocks the holes. Pressurised water can no longer come through the portafilter, so channels back up through the grouphead and pipes, giving them a good clean out as it does so!
Blanking discs are cheap as chips – probably cheaper – so there’s no excuse not to have one in your coffee machine cleaning kit!
Top-notch coffee machines need top-notch (freshly roasted) coffee – get yours delivered free!
Meet the chimp behind this article!
Charlotte joined Two Chimps after completing her BA Hons in Graphic Communication and Illustration at Loughborough University. She also earned two diplomas: Art and Design Foundation and Professional Studies.
What Charlotte does outside of the treehouse:
In her spare time, Charlotte is a keen baker and loves to bring delicious treats for the team to enjoy during their Monday tea break. Charlotte likes to practice her drawing and painting skills to relax, usually with one of her cats sitting on her lap to keep her company!
Charlotte says…
“I’m thrilled to join the Two Chimps Troop after five years of studying. I get to write blogs, design, manage social media, and connect with our amazing customers every day. It’s always exciting, and I learn something new every day!”
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