⚡ Quick Answer
To flush a Breville espresso machine: insert the rubber cleaning disc into the portafilter, place a cleaning tablet on the disc, lock the portafilter into the group head, then run the flush cycle. On the Barista Pro: press Menu → scroll to Flush → press to confirm. On the Barista Express: turn the machine off, then hold the 1-cup + 2-cup + Power buttons simultaneously for 3 seconds. The cycle takes around 5 minutes and cleans your machine completely.
The FLUSH or CLEAN light has come on your Breville, and now you're not sure what to do. Or maybe you just want to keep your machine in perfect condition before the light ever appears. Either way — you're in the right place.
Flushing a Breville espresso machine is one of the most important things you can do for your coffee. Coffee oils and residue build up inside the group head and brew path every single time you pull a shot. Over time, those oils go rancid and start contaminating every espresso you make — making it taste bitter, stale, or just slightly off.
The good news: flushing takes under 5 minutes, costs almost nothing, and makes an immediate difference to how your coffee tastes. This guide covers every Breville and Sage model available in the UK.
In this guide
- What is flushing — and why does it matter?
- What you need before you start
- How to flush the Breville Barista Pro
- How to flush the Breville Barista Express
- How to flush the Breville Barista Touch
- How to flush the Breville Bambino
- Clear water flush vs chemical flush
- How often should you flush?
- Flushing vs descaling — what's the difference?
- Troubleshooting — common problems
- Frequently asked questions
What is Flushing — and Why Does it Matter?
Flushing (also called backflushing) is the process of forcing water — and usually a cleaning tablet — backwards through the group head of your espresso machine. Normally water flows from the boiler through the portafilter and out through the coffee puck. When you flush, you block that path with a rubber disc, so the water is forced back through the internal pipework instead — cleaning out all the built-up coffee oils and residue as it goes.
Every single espresso shot leaves behind a thin film of coffee oil inside your machine's brew group. Over days and weeks, those oils accumulate and begin to oxidise — turning rancid. If you've noticed your espresso tasting slightly bitter or off, even with good beans, a dirty group head is often the culprit.
Breville machines track your shot count and automatically remind you to flush at regular intervals — typically every 200 shots. When the CLEAN or FLUSH light appears, it's the machine telling you it genuinely needs attention. Don't ignore it.
A 5-minute flush with a cleaning tablet removes all of that residue, restoring the clean, bright flavour your machine was designed to deliver. Most people notice the improvement in their very next espresso.
What You Need Before You Start
You need three things to flush a Breville espresso machine:
- The rubber cleaning disc — also called a blind disc or blind basket. This comes in the box with every Breville machine. It's a small black rubber disc that sits inside your portafilter and blocks water from passing through, forcing it back through the group head instead. If you've lost yours, a replacement costs around £5–8 online.
- A single-cup filter basket — this is where the cleaning disc sits inside the portafilter. You likely use this every day. Most Breville machines also include a single-wall (unpressurised) basket alongside the standard pressurised one — use whichever fits the rubber disc.
- An espresso cleaning tablet — this dissolves in the water during the flush cycle and chemically breaks down the coffee oils. Breville sells their own branded tablets, but any standard backflush cleaning tablet works just as well. Qualità Napoli cleaning tablets are fully compatible with all Breville machines and cost less than the Breville-branded version.
Make sure your water tank is full to the MAX line and your drip tray is empty. The flush cycle uses a reasonable amount of water and produces a fair amount of dirty liquid in the drip tray.
How to Flush the Breville Barista Pro (BES878)
The Barista Pro is one of the most popular home espresso machines in the UK and has one of the simplest flush processes of any Breville model, thanks to its menu dial interface.
Fill the water tank and empty the drip tray
Fill to the MAX line. Empty and reinsert the drip tray — it's going to collect everything that flushes through.
Insert the rubber cleaning disc
Place the rubber cleaning disc (blind disc) into the single-cup filter basket of your portafilter. Press it down firmly so it sits flat.
Add a cleaning tablet
Place one cleaning tablet directly on top of the rubber disc, in the centre. Don't crush it — let it dissolve naturally during the cycle.
Lock the portafilter into the group head
Attach the portafilter to the group head and turn it firmly to lock it in place, as you would for a normal shot.
Navigate to Flush in the menu
Press the Menu button on the Barista Pro. Scroll the dial until you reach FLUSH. Press the dial in to confirm and start the cycle.
Wait for the 5-minute cycle to complete
The machine runs an automated cleaning cycle — water pulses through the group head repeatedly. You'll hear it cycling. Leave it to complete fully. Do not interrupt it.
Remove, rinse, and do a water rinse shot
When the cycle finishes, remove the portafilter, take out the cleaning disc, and rinse both under warm water. Empty and wash the drip tray. Then run one or two blank shots (water only, no portafilter) to rinse any remaining cleaning solution from the group head.
After the flush cycle completes, the machine may ask you to run a rinse cycle automatically. Follow the on-screen prompts — it takes about 30 seconds and ensures all cleaning solution is cleared from the brew path.
How to Flush the Breville Barista Express (BES870 / BES876)
The Barista Express doesn't have a menu system — instead it uses a button combination to enter cleaning mode. This trips up a lot of people, but once you know the method it's very straightforward.
Fill water tank and empty drip tray
Fill the water tank to MAX and empty the drip tray completely before starting.
Insert the cleaning disc and add a tablet
Place the rubber cleaning disc into the single-cup basket of the portafilter. Add one cleaning tablet on top of the disc.
Lock the portafilter into the group head
Attach the portafilter firmly into the group head as normal.
Turn the machine OFF
Press the Power button to turn the Barista Express off completely. This is the step most people miss — the button combination only works from the off state.
Press and hold the 1-cup + 2-cup + Power buttons simultaneously
With the machine off, press and hold all three buttons at once for approximately 3 seconds. The machine will turn on and automatically enter the cleaning cycle.
Wait for the cycle to complete
The cleaning cycle runs for approximately 5 minutes. The 1-cup and 2-cup lights will flash during the cycle. Let it complete — don't touch anything.
Rinse everything and run water shots
Remove the portafilter, rinse the disc and basket. Empty the drip tray. Run 2–3 blank water shots through the group head to rinse away any residual cleaning solution before making coffee.
Some older Barista Express models (pre-2020) use a slightly different button combination. If the 3-button method doesn't work, try: turn machine on, wait for it to be ready, then hold the 1-cup button for 5 seconds until the lights flash.
How to Flush the Breville Barista Touch (BES880)
The Barista Touch has a full touchscreen interface which makes the flush process the most intuitive of all Breville models.
Prepare: water tank full, drip tray empty
As with all Breville flush cycles, start with a full water tank and empty drip tray.
Insert cleaning disc and tablet, lock portafilter
Place the cleaning disc in the single-cup basket, add a cleaning tablet, and lock the portafilter into the group head firmly.
Go to Settings → Cleaning → Flush
On the touchscreen, tap the Menu icon (three horizontal lines or a gear icon, depending on firmware). Navigate to Settings, then Cleaning, then select Flush.
Follow the on-screen instructions
The Barista Touch will guide you through the process step by step on the screen. Confirm each prompt and allow the cycle to complete fully.
Rinse and run water shots
Once complete, remove and rinse the portafilter and disc. Empty the drip tray and run 1–2 blank water shots to clear the group head.
How to Flush the Breville Bambino (BES450) and Bambino Plus (BES500)
The Bambino is Breville's entry-level machine and has a simpler cleaning process. Note that the Bambino uses a slightly different method than the larger machines.
The Breville Bambino does not have a backflush function in the traditional sense — it does not have a pump that can be reversed. Instead, the Bambino uses a group head soak clean. The cleaning tablet is placed in the basket with the cleaning disc and water is pulsed through manually. It still cleans effectively — just differently.
Insert cleaning disc and tablet
Place the cleaning disc in the portafilter basket. Add one cleaning tablet on the disc.
Lock in the portafilter
Attach the portafilter to the group head as normal.
Enter cleaning mode
On the Bambino: hold the 1-cup button for 3 seconds until the light pulses. On the Bambino Plus: press and hold the steam wand button and the 1-cup button together for 3 seconds.
Allow the soak cycle
The machine will pulse water through the group head. Allow the full automated cycle to run — this takes approximately 2–3 minutes.
Rinse and run water shots
Remove the portafilter, rinse everything, empty the drip tray, and run a blank water shot to clear the residual cleaning solution.
Quick Reference — All Breville Models
Barista Pro (BES878)
Menu button → scroll to FLUSH → press to confirm. Automated 5-minute cycle.
Barista Express (BES870)
Turn off → hold 1-cup + 2-cup + Power together for 3 seconds. Automated cycle.
Barista Touch (BES880)
Menu → Settings → Cleaning → Flush. Follow on-screen prompts.
Bambino (BES450)
Hold 1-cup button 3 seconds. Group head soak cycle (~2–3 min).
Bambino Plus (BES500)
Hold steam wand + 1-cup together for 3 seconds. Follow light prompts.
Barista Express Impress
Same button combination as Barista Express: off → 1-cup + 2-cup + Power for 3 sec.
Clear Water Flush vs Chemical Flush — What's the Difference?
There are two types of flush you should be doing on your Breville machine — and most people only know about one of them.
| Type | When | How | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clear water backflush | After every single shot (or brewing session) | Cleaning disc, no tablet — just water | Removes loose coffee grounds from the group head |
| Chemical flush | Every 200 shots or when FLUSH light appears | Cleaning disc + cleaning tablet | Removes coffee oil build-up and deep cleans the brew path |
The clear water flush is quick — takes about 30 seconds — and should become a daily habit. After your last shot of the day, pop the cleaning disc in, lock the portafilter, and press the 1-cup button twice. That's it. No tablet needed, no 5-minute cycle.
The chemical flush is the deeper clean that dissolves the coffee oils that water alone can't shift. This is what the FLUSH light on your Breville is reminding you about. Do this with a cleaning tablet every 200 shots or roughly once a week if you brew daily.
How Often Should You Flush a Breville Espresso Machine?
Breville's own guidance is clear: a chemical flush every 200 shots, and a clear water flush after every brewing session. In practice, for most home users, that looks like this:
- Daily or after every use: Clear water flush (30 seconds, no tablet needed)
- Weekly (for daily drinkers): Chemical flush with a cleaning tablet
- Every 2–3 weeks (for occasional drinkers): Chemical flush when the light appears, or after approximately 200 shots
Don't wait for the CLEAN light to appear before doing a chemical flush. While the light is a useful reminder, regularly flushing before it appears keeps your machine performing consistently and prevents heavy build-up that can be harder to shift.
Keep a pack of cleaning tablets next to your machine. When you see you're running low, it's your cue to order more. Running out and skipping cleans is how machines end up with serious build-up that affects both flavour and machine life.
Flushing vs Descaling — What's the Difference?
These two processes are often confused, but they do completely different things. You need both.
Flushing (backflushing) targets coffee oils and organic residue in the brew group — the part of the machine that actually comes into contact with coffee. Coffee oils are oily, sticky compounds extracted during brewing that build up on the portafilter, the shower screen, and the internal pipework. A backflush cleaning tablet is formulated to dissolve these oils specifically.
Descaling targets calcium and mineral deposits (limescale) that build up inside the boiler and water heating system — especially in hard water areas like London and the South East. Descaling is done with a different product (a descaler, not a backflush tablet) and involves running the solution through the machine's entire water system, not just the group head.
| Flushing | Descaling | |
|---|---|---|
| Targets | Coffee oils, residue | Limescale, mineral build-up |
| Where | Group head, brew path | Boiler, water system, pipes |
| Product | Backflush cleaning tablet | Descaler solution |
| Frequency | Weekly (or every 200 shots) | Every 3–6 months |
| Time | 5 minutes | 20–30 minutes |
In Glasgow and Scotland generally, the water is quite soft so descaling is needed less often than in southern England. But flushing is equally important everywhere, regardless of water hardness, because it targets coffee residue — not minerals.
Troubleshooting — Common Breville Flush Problems
Water is coming out of the portafilter during the flush
A small amount of dripping from the portafilter spouts is normal during a flush cycle — the cleaning disc isn't perfectly airtight. If you're getting a heavy flow, check that the cleaning disc is seated flat in the basket and the portafilter is locked in firmly. If it's dripping onto your countertop, place a small tray under the portafilter spouts.
The FLUSH/CLEAN light won't go off after cleaning
The light should reset automatically once the full cleaning cycle completes. If it doesn't: (1) make sure the cycle ran all the way to completion and wasn't interrupted, (2) on the Barista Pro, check the machine confirmed the cycle finished on screen, (3) try running the full cycle again. If the light persists after two full cleaning cycles, the sensor may need resetting — consult Breville support.
The button combination isn't working on the Barista Express
Make sure the machine is fully off before pressing the button combination — not just on standby. The machine needs to be completely powered down. Some users find they need to hold all three buttons for a full 5 seconds rather than 3. If the machine turns on normally rather than entering clean mode, try again more slowly, pressing all three buttons at exactly the same moment.
The tablet isn't dissolving / cycle finished but tablet still visible
Some cleaning tablets take a minute or so to fully dissolve, especially in cooler water. Make sure your machine is fully up to temperature before starting the cycle. If a tablet consistently doesn't dissolve, try a different tablet brand — some cheaper tablets don't dissolve cleanly. Qualità Napoli tablets are formulated to dissolve completely within 60 seconds.
My espresso tastes of cleaning solution after flushing
This means you didn't rinse enough after the cycle. Always run 2–3 blank water shots (just water, no portafilter or cleaning disc) through the group head after a chemical flush. This flushes out any residual cleaning solution. Never taste an espresso immediately after a flush without rinsing first.
Never run a cleaning cycle without the portafilter and cleaning disc locked in. Running a backflush cycle "open" (without the disc blocking the portafilter) means the machine is just pulling water normally — it won't clean anything and could damage internal components.