It’s easy to have misconceptions about how to appropriately care for coffee equipment. Oftentimes it’s smooth, bright, and reflective on the outside, giving the impression that it’s clean. We may occasionally wipe it down to keep dust and grime off, but at a glance it doesn’t seem to require much maintenance. However, there’s so much that goes on beneath the surface. There’s a lot that’s hidden beneath the smooth, chrome steam wands and spouts, making it easy to take the “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” perspective on the hygienic quality of our espresso machines and percolators.
December marks Worldwide Food Service Safety Month. Since there are few products as widely enjoyed across the globe as coffee, Houston’s has chosen to explore the reasons why properly cleaning equipment is so vitally important to a cafe’s investment, to the health of its consumers, and to the integrity of a coffee’s flavor.
The Flavor Impact
Most coffee establishments thrive on delivering a great-tasting brew. In this competitive industry, it’s often important to set an individual flavor signature apart from the multitude of other businesses vying for the consumer’s palate. However, that expertly refined flavor may be in jeopardy if you don’t take the proper precautions.
When coffee beans are roasted, they generate a natural oil. When the bean is ground, those oils are expressed and can coat the inside of grinders, french presses, espresso machines, or any equipment it comes into contact with. The problem is that this oil will continue to build, introducing new and increasingly bitter flavor to any coffee that passes through the equipment. Even if you’re using the best coffee in the world, it won’t be any good if you haven’t been regularly and thoroughly removing this excess oil.
The Health Implications
Almost all coffee equipment has dark, moist compartments that are used to either hold or make coffee. Coincidentally, dark and moist environments are perfect for mold and bacteria to grow and thrive. In as little as a few days, these toxins will begin to multiply and reach numbers that can make people sick. Sneezing, coughing, headaches, and congestion are all common symptoms of mold exposure, and it’s not uncommon for illness to get worse from there.
Many people assume that the heat generated by the coffee creation process is enough to kill any lingering toxins, but that’s simply not the case. As much as 50% of bacteria will withstand the high temperatures of a coffee maker and continue to multiply without proper cleaning. To prevent any chance of food-borne illness, it’s important to clean your equipment daily, and not just by running parts through the dishwasher. A deep clean, using specially designed cleaners, is the only way to ensure the equipment is properly sanitized.
The Bottom Line
From hiring the right staff, to choosing the best beans, a lot of hard work goes into establishing and maintaining a cafe. A good deal of money goes into it as well. Coffee equipment isn’t cheap. It also doesn’t clean itself. An unmaintained piece of machinery is going to have a shorter lifespan, and that degree of negligence could break the budget for any cafe, independent or otherwise. However, by taking the necessary steps to purchase and utilize safe and appropriate cleaning solutions, the liability of malfunctioning equipment can be minimized.
Urnex has been around since 1936, helping roasters and brewers to continue delivering fantastic coffee. The specialty coffee market is now booming, and Urnex is still here to keep the brew at its best. Houston’s is a proud supplier of Urnex products that have been designed to reach and resolve every element of a coffee maker’s sanitization needs. For those who are new to making clean coffee a priority, we even offer the Urnex System Cafe Starter Kit. It doesn’t have to be too late to make the change.
