The appeal of sipping a foamy espresso drink without stepping outside of the house is hard to deny, but for your coffee to be at its best, you have to take good care of your espresso machine. Coffee grounds and oils build up in the portafilter and group head, ruining your drink's flavor, so try cleaning your machine following these rules.

To keep your appliance in good working condition and your espresso tasting bright and fresh, you should purge and backflush your machine and wipe down the steam wand before and after brewing each batch of espresso. You also need to deep clean your machine weekly, starting with the portafilters and ending with the group head.