Bean-to-cup machines have more moving parts than any other home coffee machine, and they need more attention.
Daily
Empty the grounds container and drip tray. Wet coffee grounds grow mould quickly.
Run the rinse cycle, which most machines do automatically at power on and off. Let it.
Rinse the milk system immediately after use — most have a quick-clean cycle. Milk in tubes is a hygiene problem, not just a taste one.
Weekly
Remove and rinse the brew unit under warm running water, if yours is removable. No detergent, and let it dry before refitting.
This is the single most valuable maintenance step, and sealed-unit machines cannot do it.
Wash the milk carafe properly in warm soapy water, including the tubes.
Monthly
Degreasing tablets through the brew cycle, to remove coffee oils the brew unit accumulates.
A milk-system cleaner through the milk circuit.
Wipe out the bean hopper. Oils accumulate and go rancid.
By schedule
Descale when the machine asks — every 1 to 3 months depending on water hardness.
Replace the water filter every 2 months, if fitted. A filter left in past its life is worse than none.
Annually
Grease the brew unit rails with food-grade silicone grease, if the manual specifies it. Dry rails are a common cause of brew unit failure.
The cost of skipping
Brew unit failure is the commonest end for these machines, and it is usually preventable.
Last reviewed 8 August 2026