# Post-shot clean up routine



## itguy (Jun 26, 2015)

Hi everyone

i was just wondering what everyone's post-shot portafilter clean up routine is?

I am currentry knocking out into my small knock box then running under the tap to clean the remainder out then putting back in E61.

I worry about this method when I am going to pull a second shot as I've just cooled the portafilter down somewhat with the tap. Any thoughts?


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

itguy said:


> Hi everyone
> 
> i was just wondering what everyone's post-shot portafilter clean up routine is?
> 
> ...


 Use a small paintbrush or pastry brush to clean the coffee grinds after you knocked the puck out. As the PF is hot, any moisture will dry out pretty quickly. Repeat until last shot of session and then you wash and clean properly.


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Running your portafilter under the tap will result in a cooler shot and may affect extraction yield . If the puck is pretty dry, a wipe with a towel or such like - paper etc is sufficient. If you want to really clean it - use hot water from a kettle, dry and then you're ready for subsequent shots.


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## itguy (Jun 26, 2015)

Thanks both

I am trying to keep things as clean and tidy as possible as coffee grinds are one of my wife's pet hates.

I don't have a microfibre or bar towel at the moment so think I will try that route. The pucks are mostly dry and not soupy, so they knock out mostly fine with only a few bits left in the basket. I am wondering if a drawer style knock box might help me in keeping things more tidy. Need to do some measuring of what space I've been allocated!!


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

I haven't bothered with a knock box for years - flick the pucks straight into the bin. If space is tight - this might be a good idea. Knock boxes needs emptying and cleaning out which is a chore.


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

Don't bother with a drawer knock box. Moisture in an enclosed, warm, dark space with food is not a good idea.

I loosely lock the portafilter into the group and give it a little wiggle while running the pump if I'm doing a second shot, cleans off the shower screen and loosens any coffee left in the basket at the same time, then into the drip tray and wipe dry with a towel before dosing.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

The Systemic Kid said:


> I haven't bothered with a knock box for years


 I do have one, and haven't used it for years either. Knocking is overrated....


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## Marocchino (May 1, 2019)

itguy said:


> I am wondering if a drawer style knock box might help me in keeping things more tidy. Need to do some measuring of what space I've been allocated!!


 My knock box has a grinder sat on top of it so it doesn't add much to the overall footprint of our coffee station. We have had it for about 15 years and its use is embedded in our coffee making routine, so emptying it every couple of days is a routine for us. In that couple of day's we will have accumulated at least 8 pucks. It's used with the understanding that the moist pucks in a closed box are a perfect breeding ground for mould if left for more than few day's, so its use is managed. I suggest that you probably already manage the drip tray on your coffee machine, it's no big deal. There's no right or wrong here, It all boils down to personal choice on whatever you can live and work with.


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## Missy (Mar 9, 2016)

Microfibre cloth will hold your grounds in its fronds so it's my favourite for a low mess wipe around. I also have a drawer knock box, leave it slightly open and empty regularly, but better for me than traipsing to the bin potentially dripping. I chuck the drawer in the dishwasher once a week or so when we are doing the bin lids. My grinder sits on top so no additional footprint.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)




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## cuprajake (Mar 30, 2020)

Pf stays in the group while i steam milks, pour bad art.

Then i rinse the milk jug, pf off and puc tapped into to knock box

Then i rinse the pf under the tap, taking the basket out, i then use a toothbrush with tub to catch stuff under the grouo with water running.

This is discarded the. I do a blind basket with just water 5second blast.


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## Marocchino (May 1, 2019)

Oddly enough, since moving my lever machine out of the kitchen to a room that doesn't have a sink, I use a 750ml plastic jug to transport freshly boiled water to fill and preheat my cups. The cups when needed, are then emptied back into the plastic jug.

As part of my workflow, I use a 2Tbsp spoon to catch the unwanted portion of the shot whilst I swap over the coffee cup for a waste capture cup under the portafilter. At no time does coffee enter the drip tray.

Once the coffees have been pulled, I put the emptied portafilter into the plastic jug of what's now hot water. I agitate and stir the portafilter in the hot water until it's visibly clean. I've found the lever machine seems to produce fairly cohesive pucks that leave only trace amounts of residual grounds in the basket after being knocked out. I then dry the wet portafilter off with a microfibre cloth and place the jug under the group to capture a couple of lever flushes that help clean the group screen.

Finally, removing the jug to allow access for a thorough wipe over of the screen and gasket with a clean damp spongecloth.

I have an espazzola group cleaning tool for the last part but I've found the jug process has relegated it to the back of the cupboard.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Marocchino said:


> Oddly enough, since moving my lever machine out of the kitchen to a room that doesn't have a sink, I use a 750ml plastic jug to transport freshly boiled water to fill and preheat my cups. The cups when needed, are then emptied back into the plastic jug.


 Interesting. I too have the machine in a room without a sink. I used to pre-heat the cups and then either empty them into a container in the room where the coffee machine is or just run to the sink and back to the coffee machine. I found myself boiling the kettle in the morning for the sole purpose of warming up cups. Extremely energy inefficient and wasteful. I distil my own water, my machine does not need a flush before a shot, so there's no reason for me to waste water. After warming up cups for months, more recently I bought double walled coffee glasses. There's no need to pre-heat those, as they are thermally insulated and no heat (ok, extremely very little) is required to warm the vessel itself.

I bought the Bodum Pavina ones.


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## Marocchino (May 1, 2019)

MediumRoastSteam said:


> bought the Bodum Pavina ones.


 I've used them over the years - and still have a large selection of them. Unfortunately my track record for breaking them isn't that good. In addition, the dishwasher seems to etch the internal surface of the glass after a while and some tend to go cloudy, so I've gone back to porcelain. There's nothing quite like the warm feel of a cup in your hands.

The lever doesn't require a flush before a shot either.


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## Coffeenoobster (Nov 24, 2018)

Normally I use a paper towel to dry the portafilter and dump out any remaining grounds.


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