Home Brewing | How to Backflush Your Breville Barista Express (Step-by-Step Guide)

If your espresso shots are starting to taste a little off, it might not be your beans - it could be your machine. Over time, coffee oils and residue build up in your Breville Barista Express, affecting flavour and performance. That’s where backflushing comes in.

Backflushing is a quick cleaning process that flushes out the group head and internal valves of your machine, helping you maintain rich, balanced flavour with every cup. In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to do a chemical backflush using either cleaning tablets or powder.

Read on below or watch our YouTube tutorial for a visual guide.

What You’ll Need

• Blind rubber cleaning disk (comes with your Breville machine)

• Breville cleaning tablet or espresso machine cleaning powder (food-grade)

Both cleaning methods are effective. Tablets are quick and convenient, while powder allows for slightly more precise dosing.

How to Backflush a Breville Barista Express (Step-by-Step)

1. Insert the blind gasket: Place the rubber cleaning disk into the portafilter so it sits snugly.

2. Add cleaning agent:

   • Use 1 Breville cleaning tablet, or

   • Add 1/4 teaspoon of cleaning powder into the portafilter

3. Lock in the portafilter: Insert it into the group head as if you're pulling a shot.

4. Activate the cleaning cycle:

   • Press and hold the single shot, double shot, and power buttons simultaneously

   • Once the machine builds pressure and starts the cycle, release the buttons

5. Wait 5–10 minutes: The machine will pulse and clean internally.

6. Finish up: When the three lights illuminate, your cleaning cycle is complete.

How Often Should You Backflush?

We recommend backflushing your Breville Barista Express once a week if you're making coffee daily. If you brew several cups a day, consider backflushing every 3-4 days.

Skipping this step can lead to stale flavours, inconsistent pressure, and damage to internal components over time.

Tablets vs. Cleaning Powder: What’s Better?

Both options work well. Choose what fits your routine - the key is to clean regularly.

Final Thoughts: Make It a Ritual

Clean coffee starts with a clean machine. Backflushing doesn’t take long, but it makes a huge difference in how your espresso tastes and how your machine performs.

Build it into your Sunday ritual or your weekly reset. Your future self (and your tastebuds) will thank you.