PortaClean portafilter cleaner

Automation of coffee process

Automation has been embraced along the coffee bar to improve efficiency. Grind-by-weight grinders are removing the need to weigh doses and automatic tampers are improving consistency before the coffee even reaches the espresso machine.Then, after the shots are poured from a profile-controlled espresso machine, automatic milk microfoamers are speeding up service.

However, there in one simple step in the process the barista still performs manually that can cause a slight bottleneck when pumping out shots – cleaning the portafilter.

This may not seem like a big deal, but the effect really shows when making multiple coffees at once. Imagine you’ve just pulled two shots. To clean two portafilters with a traditional knocker tube, the process would be to knock out the first one then grab a rag to clean it, that you’ve probably used to clean a few group heads already, You’ve got to go one at a time because you need both hands to wipe it down, which really slows down your workflow in a busy café where you’ve got two grinders and group heads going at a same time.