1 model

Cleaning Tools

Backflush, rinse, repeat

Group cleaning is the maintenance step that gets skipped, and it is the one that changes how the coffee tastes. The principle is simple: block the basket, add detergent, and force water backwards through the shower screen instead of through the puck. Two ways to block it — a blind basket that replaces the one you brew with, or a silicone disc that drops into the basket you already own. The disc is cheaper and takes no storage; the blind basket seals harder and survives being knocked out. Either way the routine is four steps and about a minute, and it is worth doing weekly rather than when the machine starts tasting flat.

• Blind basket or silicone disc — a second basket versus a drop-in
• Diameter coverage across 51 to 58 mm groups
• Whether it needs detergent, or water alone