Manually Backflushing the Breville / Sage Bambino Plus Espresso Machine
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- In this video, I'm showing how to manually backflush the sage / Breville Bambino plus espresso machine.
In the last video, in which I showed backflushing, descaling, and also cleaning the steam wand tip, I messed up when it came to the backflushing part. I thought I'd managed to manually take the machine into the backflushing cycle, mainly because I'm an idiot, but also because I couldn't see the lights properly around the shot buttons due to the studio lighting.
So when I thought I was in the backflush cycle, I was actually just re-programming the single shot button shot length to the max. This wouldn't really bother me, as I never use the single shot button ;-), and I always pull shots manually anyway rather than using the volumetric buttons. See my video on manually pulling shots on the Bambino plus: • Sage/ Breville Bambino...
It seems that you can't get the Bambino plus into the auto backflush cycle unless it puts itself into it, which you'll know as you'll turn the machine on and it will be blinking the two shot buttons intermittently.
So in this short video, I'm going to show you how to manually backflush, in case you want to do it before the machine takes you into the cycle. It's really simple, as you'll see. If you do it manually, you'll be prompted at some point to do it again as the machine won't know you've done it manually - at this time, you can either just do it again with the cleaning tablet/powder, or just let it run the backflush without the cleaning stuff, so the machine is satisfied that it's done a backflush cycle.
By the way, if you're in the UK or Europe (including Ireland, Germany, France and most other countries in mainland Europe) see: coffeeblog.co....
To go back to video #1 of this series on the Bambino Plus: • SageBambino Plus Revie...
For the blog post review of the Bambino Plus: coffeeblog.co....
Links:
Bambino Plus from Amazon amzn.to/3Nu4Wu6
Bambino Plus from Sage Appliances: breville.oie8....
Bambino Plus from Sage Appliances Europe (outside of UK):breville.oie8....
Bambino Plus from Breville Worldwide:breville.oie8....
Bambino Plus from John Lewis: john-lewis-and...
Freshly roasted high-quality coffee beans from The Coffeeworks (my website): cworks.co.uk (use discount code yt25 for 25% off your first order).
Coffee blog: coffeeblog.co.uk
Buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/coff...
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Please note, affiliate links included above.
#backflush the #sage / #breville #bambino plus #espresso machine.
By the way...If you're in the UK, and you're thinking of buying a Sage machine (any Sage machine, not only their coffee machines), join my mailing list at coffeeblog.co.uk and then drop me an email to see if I have a current discount code to share. I don't currently get Breville discounts, sorry, but I do sometimes have Sage Appliances UK discount codes to share.
Ta
Kev
Kev's videos also helped me choose the Bambino. The auto flush leaves a lot of cleaner in the portafilter so a useful tip to pull manual shots, thank you.
Thanks Ben 😀👍
My machine flashed at me today for the first time so this couldn't be better timing thank you! Bought the Bambino plus after watching your first video on it in March (£220 absolute steal from John Lewis!!) and have been really pleased, thanks for your videos they're very helpful
Wow that was bargain! 👍😀
Thank you for making and posting your video. I followed it and got my Bambino Plus cleaned out. Now it works like a dream.
Brilliant 😀, and thanks for the kind words!
Coffee kev is a genius! We are ardent followers! He makes all things Breville Bambino easy!
I made the same exact mistake and was wondering why my 2 Cup button gives me such a tiny amount of coffee. Thanks for the explanation!!
Glad to help :-)
Cheers
Kev
Very helpful, thanks for the written instructions too. Very helpful if you can't listen to the audio right away
My pleasure 👍😀
The way to enter the cleaning mode is located at NOTE on p.15 of the user manual. Press and Hold 2 CUPS & STEAM when the machine is OFF...
Can anyone confirm this?
@@imfanuvsport Citing from www.sageappliances.com/content/dam/sage/uk/en/assets/miscellaneous/instruction-manual/espresso/BES500-instruction-manual.pdf page 15 - With the machine off, press the 1 CUP and STEAM buttons simultaneously for 5 seconds to enter descale mode.
So, you will enter descale mode, not backflushing mode
The original comment is correct. To manually enter the cleaning mode with the machine off press & hold the 2 cup & steam buttons simultaneously for 5 seconds.
Yes, that's correct, although it is on page 14 in my manual
Great video, second time I've done this process just using your video and it is spot on! Good job as no idea where my manual is! Thank you :)
very helpful video. new coffee machines first clean
took me a few goes but success eventually
many thanks
Thanks Elizabeth, glad it was helpful 👍😀
Can’t thank you enough for this video 🙏
Always happy to help :-)
I bet someone will have beaten me to it - but my manual says holding the 1 shot + 2 shot buttons for 2 seconds = programming mode for 1 or 2 shot buttons (as you did in the original video), holding 1 shot + 2 shot buttons for 5 seconds = cleaning mode, so it should be possible to place the machine into manual backflushing mode without the counter amount being reached, you just need to hold the buttons down longer (5 seconds).
Edit: the buttons will be lit differently to show which mode you are in: lit, then flashing = program mode, constant lit = backflush mode (press either the 1 or 2 shot button, they should flash alternately while it is cleaning before going into ready mode when it is finished.
Hi. In theory yes but in practice, I've not been able to get it into backflush mode until it starts the cycle, even if I press it for longer it just stays in the mode for programming the shot buttons. Cheers
@@Coffee_Kev I've just tried on my machine, it would appear you're right - although the manual states it's possible, it seems the only way into the 'proper' backflush mode is to wait till the machine hits the pre-programmed shot count limit and prompts for cleaning (Great excuse to drink more coffee!).
The Bambino plus is forced into back flush mode by holding the 1 cup and steam buttons for 5 seconds (from standby/off mode)
Thanks Kev. Very helpful.
Does anyone find their backflush is messy under the machine?
I find that every backflush leaks under the drip tray causing the counter to be wet. Most of the water is caught in the drip tray but some leaks. I know it's pushed in properly because it doesn't leak during normal coffee making.
Cheers :-). I'd get in touch with support, all of the exit from the solenoid should be entering the drip tray. Cheers, Kev.
Always messy for me
Excellent video! Thank you!
Question: How often would you recommend backflushing with just plain water? How often would you recommend backflushing with the cleaning tablet? I make 2-3 double espressos every morning.
Also, before watching this and your other Sage Bambino video, I had no idea what to do with the blank disk except that it had something to do with cleaning. So again, thank you.
Hi Jeannie. Personally I don't think it hurts to do some water only backflushes on a daily basis, as long as you're only pulling a handful of short (around 10 seconds including pre-infusion) shots. At least weekly I think is good practice, but I can see a benefit in doing it daily, and not much negative. In theory it's putting more pressure on the pump but I think you're fine as long as you're keeping the backflush shots to around 10 secs.
With the detergent, I'd be inclined to just do that when prompted ever couple of hundred shots, which would be around every couple of months for you.
Cheers :-)
I understand that there are blanking rubber plates which have been supplied with machine, some with a small hole in the middle, and some without. On mine, I have the one with a hole, so doing a backlash still allows liquid to come through the group head/porta filter. I think Breville/Sage may have changed the design?
Hi Ross. Sorry for the delay, missed your comment. Yes they changed the design, so your version is the one that the instructions are actually correct for. They changed it to a disk with no hole, a standard backflush disk basically, and didn't update the instructions. I don't really understand why they'd put a hole in a backflush disk, and they must have realized it wasn't a great idea since they changed it. If it were me I'd superglue the hole or something, or just get some food safe silicone rubber and cut it into the same shape. Cheers.
Your videos have helped me so far, but I’m stuck with cup & steam lights out and milk temp & texture lights fixed on. Cannot work out how to get it all working again.
Any help appreciated!
Hi Kev! my bambino signals the cleaning cycle all the time. when I finish the cycle it is ok but when I restart the device it signals again. What can i do?

I am having the same issue @Coffee_Kev. Can you please help with this? There are many other Reddit Post on this and nothing seems to work
Hi I have this machine have followed all your instructions but 1&2 buttons still keep flashing what else can I do
Hi Jack. It sounds like the machine doesn't think it completed the backflushing cycle. Try pressing the steam button once, if that works, turn the machine off and on again, and see if it happens again, if it does then what I'd do is go back into the cleaning cycle by pressing and holding both the shot buttons together for about 5 seconds, then press one of the buttons, and just leave it to do it's thing until it goes back to the standard ready mode. If you already did the cleaning cycle, just put the blanking disk in again anyway but with no cleaning tablet. Make sure you empty the drip tray first. If none of this works you'll need to get on to Sage/Breville support. Cheers, Kev.
@@Coffee_Kev Thanks for making this video, it helped me. To build on this, Make sure as you turn it on you get the alternating blinking lights first. THEN, while the lights are alternating, press and hold both shot buttons until both buttons turn solid, then hit one of the buttons to start cleaning.
The biggest problem with the Bambino is "press and hold both shot buttons" at different times, it does different things. If you "press and hold both shot buttons"...
1) while machine is off, you factory reset it and lose all preprogrammed timings, etc
2) while the machine is in default state on, you program the espresso timing (like in Kev's first video)
3) when you get the alternating flashing lights, then you're in cleaning mode and can start cleaning.
what is the difference between cleaning and the backflushing? my new breville needs cleaning cycle..
Exactly the same :-). What they refer to as a "cleaning cycle" is a backflush cycle. Cheers, Kev.
@@Coffee_Kev got it! Thanks
I got the 200 cycle-blinking lights and ran the cleaning cycle. I noticed that some water exited through the steam wand as well. Do you need to run the manual cleaning process through steam wand too?
Yeah some water can come out of the wand when doing the cleaning. Re cleaning the wand, just make sure you purge and wipe it down after each use - and every so often it's worth taking the tip off and leaving it to soak with cleaning solution such as puly caff, and while you're at it you can chuck the portafilter in there too, and the basket, and put the jug on the drip tray so you can get the wand in there too to soak for a bit, then rinse everything off. Cheers
Hi Kev, 2 questions..
1. what cleaning solution do you recommend for backflush?
(i did get 2 free with it but planning ahead)
2. What descaler do you recommend.?
Aware you can get sages own but sure there will be a cheaper option.
Thanks Andrew
Hi Andrew.
1: Using the tablets from Sage/Breville is fine, but they're £13.95 for a pack of 8 x 1.5g tablets, which is pricey. Puly caff is about a tenner for 900g, so the equivalent of 600 x 1.5g for £10. amzn.to/34TIntf
I use puly caff, for backflushing and also for soaking the portafilter, basket & steam wand tip.
2: Again you can use the Sage descaler sachets, £13.95 for 2, but I think descaler liquid is better than powder, and I'd use something like the Gaggia descaler: coffeeblog.co.uk/gaggia-descaler.
Above includes affiliate links.
Cheers :-), Kev
Water spills out of the drip tray from the shot that comes from the solenoid valve into the drip tray. Four shots of this and its a mess. Any way to avoid this?
I followed instructions to descale and now can’t get any water out of my machine. What do you think I’ve done wrong?
Hi June,
Just double check that the water tank is seated correctly by taking it off and putting it back on again.
Also are you saying that no water is coming out of the group even without the portafilter?
Cheers
Kev
Would you recommend backflushing a gaggia classic 2019 (Pro) aswell?
Hi Lewis. Absolutely, all espresso machines need backflushing. Cheers 👍
Hi Kev. My bambino plus has stopped pouring coffee. It will pour water when there is no coffee in the holder but when I put coffee in, nothing pours it just lets off steam at the end of program. Any ideas what it could be?
Hi Joe, could just be you've choked the machine with too fine a grind. Try grinding more coarse. Cheers, Kev.
@@Coffee_Kev thank you I will try that
Would be nice if Sage/Breville gave owners the ability to run the backflush cleaning cycle manually.
Hi my machine doesn't seem to be working properly it's not pumping water out have you got any suggestions that might help me thank you
Does this apply to the bambino as well? No mention of any cleaning disc on the manual..
No, the Bambino doesn't have a 3 way solenoid, so no backflushing required with the non-plus version. Cheers, Kev.
I don’t have the plus.. so obv got confused as just bought the disk (thought I just mustn’t have gotten one 🤭).. was wondering why no water coming out when trying..
My milk frother working perfect.. water comes through if no coffee in but as soon as I put coffee in, no liquid ☹️ any ideas? X
Skip to 3 minutes when he actually starts demonstrating how to do it...
I wish you had removed or change the original video
Hmm, good point, maybe I should re-do that one.
omg....2 minutes into it and still have not shown us
Haha, sorry Phil, this is an old video before I started scripting, I did waffle on a bit ;-)
Painful to watch!!just get to the point.