Cleaning and Maintaining the Saeco Philips Brew Unit

If you own a Saeco or Philips Superautomatic Espresso Machine, you have a coffee machine that has a removable brew unit. The removable brew unit is one of the proprietary trademarks of the Saeco Philips brand.  Since the brew unit is removable, it makes cleaning and maintaining this important machine component easy.

Read this blog to learn how to maintain the brew unit of a Saeco Philips coffee machine.

What is a brew unit?

The brew unit is the heart of a Saeco Philips coffee machine.  Without a brew unit the coffee machine could not make a coffee. 

It is in the brew unit that the ground coffee beans get placed, then water flows through it and finally the coffee is dispensed into your cup.  

What do you need to know about the brew unit?

The most important thing to keep in mind, is that maintaining the brew unit in good working order will ensure the following:

1. The machine will produce the best espresso possible ,and

2. The machine's life span will increase considerably when the brew unit is well maintained.

Important Points About the Brew Unit

1.  The brew unit is removable, meaning it has been specifically designed so that regular cleaning and basic maintenance is completed by the consumer.
2. You must use products that have been formulated specifically for use on the brew unit.  Consumers need to ensure that the products won't break down the material and components of the brew unit and that the products are of food safe grade.

How To Clean and Maintain the Brew Unit

In order to maintain the brew unit in optimal working order, there are steps that should be completed weekly while other steps can be performed at longer intervals. 

You can check out Espresso Canada's You Tube Channel for how to videos.  

Weekly Maintenance

1. Remove brew unit from the machine.
2. Rinse under warm water.  Do not use any type of soap or solvent. 
3. Allow brew unit to air dry before reinserting it into the machine.
4. Be sure to wipe excess grinds from the area below brew unit. 

Pictured here is a brew unit that has been neglected.  Both the brew unit itself and where it is housed within the machine must be cleaned weekly.

Maintenance every month

1. Begin by rinsing the brew unit under running warm water.  
2. Find a tub large enough to hold the brew unit.  Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of  Cafizapowder then add  enough warm water so that the brew unit can be soaked.
3. Allow the brew unit to soak for 1 to 2 hours. 
4. Remove brew unit from tub and rinse under warm water and brush off any residual lubricant and coffee grinds. 
5. Allow brew unit to dry.  

Maintenance every three months or 500 cups

A deep clean of the brew unit should occur every three months or when you reach 500 cups.  Many models have a product counter available through the menu.  You typically reach 500 if you are making 6 coffees per day.

A deep clean allow you to clean the filter screen on the brew unit. The filter can become clogged over time especially if the coffee beans being used are very oily.  The oil residue will build up obstructing a steady stream of liquid to flow through.

A filter screen from a brew unit that is almost completely clogged from ground coffee and coffee bean oils.

The wonderful thing about superautomatics is that they will prompt you when it's time for a deep cleaning of the brew unit.  In this case, follow the instructions below.

Maintenance every year

Every 1 to 2 years, or as necessary, replace the large orange brew unit O- Ring by simply pulling off the old one and adding a new one by stretching it into place. 

Resources To Help You Maintain Your Saeco Philips Coffee Machine

1.  Download our FREE Espresso Machine Cleaning 101 Guide.
2. If you have a Saeco Philips coffee machine that uses the AquaClean filter, consider purchasing the SOS Maintenance Kit which will save you time and money.
3. Check out Espresso Canada'a YouTube Channel.  We have an entire playlist dedicated to maintaining the brew unit.
4. Have questions or concerns about cleaning and maintaining your brew unit or any other components of your superautomatic espresso machine?  Call Luciano at Espresso Canada.  He has over 35+ years experience as an authorized service centre.

SOS Maintenance Kit for Saeco Philips Coffee Machines

 We cannot stress enough the importance of regular maintenance of the brew unit in your coffee machine. The time you invest in keeping it well maintained will ensure you get you to enjoy good tasting coffee for many years.