Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaning Powder
Urnex accessory · $18 · budget tier
Overview
Urnex Cafiza is the standard espresso-machine cleaning powder in specialty coffee, both at home and in commercial cafes. The 566g jar lasts the typical home user a full year of weekly backflushing, which is the maintenance cadence most service techs recommend for a Breville Dual Boiler, Gaggia Classic Pro, or any prosumer machine with a three-way solenoid.
The most common confusion: Cafiza is a backflush cleaner, not a descaler. The alkaline formula breaks down coffee oils and rancid residue inside the group head, gaskets, and brew lines. It does not remove limescale (calcium deposits) from boilers — that is the job of a citric or lactic acid descaler. Most machines need both products on different schedules: Cafiza weekly for coffee oils, descaler every 3-6 months for scale (interval depends on water hardness).
The practical limitation is the blind basket. Cafiza is dosed into a blind portafilter basket (no holes) which is then flushed through the machine. Most prosumer machines either ship with one or sell one as a $15 accessory. Super-automatic machines (De’Longhi Magnifica, Breville Oracle Touch) generally lack a manual backflush path entirely — those machines use proprietary cleaning tablets dropped into a dedicated chamber instead. For semi-auto owners, Cafiza is the universal answer.
Pros
- NSF-certified for food contact and used in commercial cafes worldwide
- 566g jar covers roughly one year of weekly backflushing
- Alkaline formula removes coffee oils and rancid residue from group heads
- Compatible with every 58mm and most 54mm/51mm machines that accept blind baskets
Cons
- Cafiza is a cleaner, not a descaler — does not remove limescale from boilers
- Requires a blind basket (sold separately for most machines)
- Cannot be used in super-automatics that lack a backflush cycle
Specifications
| Brand | Urnex |
|---|---|
| Type | accessory |
| Price (USD) | $18 |
| Price tier | budget |
| net weight g | 566 |
| doses per jar | 56 |
| type chemical | Alkaline cleaning powder |
| food safe | true |
| nsf certified | true |
| use frequency | Weekly backflush |
| primary use | machine cleaning |
Best for
- espresso shots
- machine maintenance
- Breville Barista Express
- Breville Dual Boiler
- Gaggia Classic
- Rancilio Silvia
- Lelit Mara X
- Profitec Pro 300
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaning Powder best for?
The Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaning Powder is best suited for espresso shots, machine maintenance, Breville Barista Express. Tags: cleaning, descaler, backflush, espresso-tools, maintenance, barista-essentials.
How much does the Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaning Powder cost?
The Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaning Powder retails around $18 USD, placing it in the budget tier for accessorys.
What are the main downsides of the Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaning Powder?
Cafiza is a cleaner, not a descaler — does not remove limescale from boilers Requires a blind basket (sold separately for most machines) Cannot be used in super-automatics that lack a backflush cycle
What is the ASIN for the Urnex Cafiza Espresso Machine Cleaning Powder?
The Amazon ASIN is B00LWLBQH2. You can check current pricing and availability on Amazon directly.
Last updated: 2026-05-14