How to clean your Philips Saeco brew unit

Numerous Saeco and Gaggia Espresso Machine owners are used to taking the Brew Unit out once a week to clean it off. But, we always get the same questions from our customers "How can we clean it deeper?" Here we go!

Remove the screws

You need a screwdriver to take the screws off. You can use the Philips torques number 10. First up, you will take off the top valve, where the coffee comes out. And then, you'll begin by removing the screws.

Here, you have to be pretty careful as there is a spring you don't want to lose. Beneath the spring, a tiny glass bead is blocking the coffee until the pressure is adequate. It condenses the screwing and permits the fluid to pass by it. 

Take off the whole top

Now you have to take off the whole top. It’s released when you press these tabs on the inside. So there are 1, 2, 3, 4 Tabs, so you need to push two of them simultaneously. Next, utilize the side of the screwdriver.

Here you will see the brew seal and shower seal. If you have slow serving espresso, your shower screen may be clocked. Next, you have to pull up the piston. Take a flat blade screwdriver and stick it under that. You should now find the piston ready to come out here. The piston typically needs a good cleaning! This is an impeccable time also to lubricate some of those components here.

Greasing

Once you’re done cleaning, you can add a fresh brew gasket onto the tamping piston, as well as a new Shower Screen Filter. You should always keep an extra one of those on hand. You can find them available in our store, just follow this link HERE.

Take a thin little cloth and grease the gasket for easy gliding. Also, lubricate the rails on the inside, where all the friction builds up. But make sure not to put too much grease because that'll collect grounds. 

Reassembling

Now, you have to take a little bit more grease this time and cover the whole piston shaft here. So you go in from the large top hole towards the back. Then, with the carriage still in the down position, hold it in place while you flip it over and push the hinge back in there. Next is to put the temp block back, so make sure that the hole for the valve is on the side closest to the front of the brew unit here. You will now slide it under, and it's just pushing it up to click in there. 

Next, you’re going to return the glass seat valve. It just drops in there and rests against the little shoulder on the inside, right before the shower screen. The spring goes in next but doesn't stretch the spring! It is a fine-tuned piece of engineering that can withhold a particular amount of water pressure.

So push down, hold nice and firmly as you return the two screws, and tighten them. If you push down on the trim tab, it should be locked. If you push in there, the whole carriage comes loose on the inside, and you can feel and test the travel along the entire length. So that's what we call a brewing position. Home position is where the grinds go. It's also indicated by the two arrows pointing at each other. And you’re done!