In this post you will learn how to flush the Breville Barista Pro. Also, you will find here answers to the most common questions about flushing.
How do You Flush a Breville Barista Pro?
To perform the flush cleaning cycle on the Breville Barista Pro, you will need:
- Cleaning disc – A cleaning disc is a small black flexible disc that holds the cleaning tablet in the filter basket and seals the openings in the filter basket, allowing for the cleaning tablet to dissolve and get sucked into the group head to backflush the espresso machine.
- Cleaning tablet – The cleaning tablet (flush tablet) is a detergent that cleans oil residue. Here is an Amazon link to the original cleaning tablets for the Breville Barista Pro.
- 1 cup single wall filter basket – Even though there is no recommendation on which basket to use in the official Breville Barista Pro manual, the 1 cup single wall filter basket is the best fit for the cleaning disc.
Here is a step by step manual on how to flush (backflush) the Breville Barista Pro:
- Insert a 1 cup single wall filter basket into the portafilter.
- Place the cleaning disc into the filter basket.
- Put the cleaning tablet on top of the cleaning disc (in the center).
- Lock the portafilter into the group head.
- Empty the drip tray.
- Add water into the water tank to the MAX line.
- Press the MENU button.
- Use the GROUND AMOUNT dial to navigate to the FLUSH sign and press to select. The 1 CUP button will illuminate.
- To start the flush cleaning cycle, press the 1 CUP button. The flush cycle takes 5 minutes to complete. You will see the remaining time for the cycle on the display. No water is going to come out of the portafilter. It will be flushed from the inside of the machine right into the drip tray.
- When the flush cycle is complete, the machine will beep and return to READY mode.
- Gently remove the portafilter. Be careful. There might be some hot water inside. If some of the cleaning tablet remains in the cleaning disc, repeat the cycle.
- Empty and rinse the portafilter, the cleaning disc, and the drip tray.
If you encountered issues during the flush cleaning cycle, check out our article with troubleshooting tips.
What Does the FLUSH Alert Mean on a Breville Espresso Machine?
TIP: Flush cycle is a separate cleaning process from the descaling cycle. If you want to learn more about the descaling cycle, click here to go to my other post.
How Often to Flush the Breville Barista Pro?
The Breville Barista Pro should be flushed every time the FLUSH alert pops up on the display. How often the alert pops up depends on the use of the machine. On average, we make two double shots per day, and we flush our Breville Barista Pro every 4-6 weeks.
Breville Barista Pro Flush Tablets
The cleaning tablets for the Breville Barista Pro are a detergent that removes oil from the group head during the flush cleaning cycle (also known as backflush). The Breville Barista Pro comes with two cleaning tablets, and you can buy the same ones on Amazon in a packet of eight tablets (Amazon link).
Make the Best Coffee with Your Breville Barista Pro
If you want to learn how to make the perfect shot of espresso according to your preferences, check out our Ultimate Guide for the Breville Barista Pro.
When I do this procedure water still comes out the porta filter – roughly the same amount as would when just making coffee normally. I have the single basket filter and the cleaning disc in the porta filter. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Paul, you might have an older Breville espresso machine, where the flush cleaning cycle works a bit differently. For more information, check out our article Breville Flush Not Working – Troubleshooting Tips.
Hi, and thank you for the detailed post on how to flush the Barista Pro. I followed the instructions to the T, but flushing isn’t working as water is coming from the portafilter and not from the machine head (back flush). Any suggestions on how to fix this?
Thank you, A.
Hi Aymen! There are instances when water will come out of the portafilter during the flush cleaning cycle (e.g., in older Breville espresso machines like the Breville Barista Express). To find out more, check out our article Breville Flush Not Working – Troubleshooting Tips.
Hello! Thanks for your helpful article. I’ve had the Barista Pro for about a month now and have flushed it when necessary. (With a couple of teens in the house we use it 3-5 times a day). We love it so much we brought it on vacation with us, but I forgot the descaling powder and the cleaning tablets and disc. Just got the flush AND descale message today. Is it okay to still use it for the next 4 days until I get home? I meant to pack them and then forgot at the last minute.
Hi Ashley, it’s totally fine to continue using it for the next few days! Have a nice day!