Manufactured by Asachimici in Vescovato (Cremona), Italy since 1961, Puly Caff is the historic pioneer of specialized espresso machine cleaning chemistry.

Located in the heart of northern Italy's espresso manufacturing corridor, Asachimici collaborated directly with premier Italian machine manufacturers to develop the world's first technical detergent formulated specifically for espresso equipment. Certified worldwide by NSF International, Puly Caff eliminates stubborn coffee oils, milk proteins, and mineral scale without corroding internal brass, copper, and stainless steel metallurgy.

Puly Caff engineers dedicated chemical solutions for each phase of coffee and espresso equipment hygiene:

• Puly Caff Plus Powder & Tablets: Fast-dissolving, concentrated alkaline detergents engineered to backflush groupheads, clean 3-way solenoid exhaust valves, and soak metal portafilters and precision filter baskets. The foaming formula lifts baked-on coffee oils and carbonized fines, rinsing away completely residue-free.
• Puly Milk Liquid Cleaner: An enzymatic and alkaline formula that breaks down baked-on milk fats, whey proteins, and dried casein deposits from the interior of steam wands, automatic frother tubes, and one-touch cappuccino carafes.
• Puly Grind Crystals: All-natural, gluten-free food-grade starch crystals designed to clean commercial flat and conical grinder burrs dry, removing rancid oils and caked fines without requiring grinder disassembly.
• Puly Descaler "Espresso" / Baby: Buffered organic descaling formulations that dissolve calcium carbonate and magnesium scale inside boilers, heat exchangers, and thermoblocks while protecting internal metal alloys from acid corrosion.

Backflushing frequency depends on your drink volume and machine environment:

• Daily Plain Water Backflush: Run 3–5 short cycles (5 seconds on, 5 seconds off) using a blind filter basket and hot water at the end of each brewing day to rinse loose coffee grounds away from the shower screen and dispersion screw.
• Weekly / Bi-Weekly Chemical Backflush (Home Baristas): For home users pulling 1–4 shots a day, perform a chemical backflush using 1/2 teaspoon of Puly Caff Plus powder (or one tablet) every 1 to 2 weeks to dissolve rancid oil buildup in the grouphead cavity and 3-way solenoid valve.
• Daily Closing Chemical Backflush (Commercial Cafes): High-volume coffee bars and restaurants pulling hundreds of shots daily should execute a full Puly Caff chemical backflush on all groupheads at the close of every business day to preserve extraction sweetness and prevent solenoid blockages.

No—never introduce Puly Caff backflush detergent into a boiler or water reservoir, and never use a descaler to backflush a grouphead:

• Puly Caff Plus is an Alkaline Detergent (pH ~10–11): Formulated specifically to saponify and dissolve organic coffee oils and waxes. It cannot dissolve mineral scale. Running detergent through a boiler causes heavy foaming, leaves soapy residue inside standing water, and can foul boiler water-level probes.
• Puly Descaler is an Acidic Agent (pH ~1–2): Reacts chemically with inorganic calcium carbonate limescale. Using an acid to backflush a grouphead will not remove coffee oils and will strip the protective chrome or nickel plating from the group brass.

Water, liquid dish soap, or damp sponges must never be introduced to a coffee grinder. Moisture causes immediate flash-rusting on steel burrs, turns coffee fines into dense sludge, and risks electrical shorts.

• How Puly Grind Works: Made from 100% natural, gluten-free, food-safe plant starch crystals.
• Gentle Mechanical Scrubbing: When poured into the hopper and ground through like coffee beans, the crystals crush between the burr teeth, absorbing rancid oils and dislodging compacted fines from the cutting flutes without dulling precision cutting edges.
• Zero Calibration Loss: Puly Grind cleans the grinding chamber thoroughly without requiring you to disassemble the burr carrier or lose your dialed-in espresso grind setting. Follow with a small purge of whole beans to clear any remaining starch.

Purging steam clears only loose surface moisture. Milk contains butterfats and heat-sensitive proteins (casein and whey) that bake onto the inner metal walls of steam wands and auto-frother venturi valves when exposed to 250°F+ steam temperatures.

Over time, these dried dairy residues create a persistent bacterial biofilm that contaminates fresh milk, causes sour off-flavors, and clogs delicate 1.0mm–1.5mm steam tip holes. Soaking steam wands and flushing automatic milk lines with diluted Puly Milk chemically breaks down casein proteins and fatty acid deposits, sanitizing the wand and restoring full steam velocity for silky latte art microfoam.

Since 1997, 1st-line Equipment has been a premier direct importer, authorized distributor, and technical service provider for leading Italian espresso and maintenance brands.

• Direct Italian Factory Import: We source directly from Asachimici in Cremona, Italy, guaranteeing 100% authentic, factory-sealed, and unexpired stock.
• Full Range of Sizes & Formats: In stock across single-use home packs, retail tubs, and bulk wholesale commercial cases for cafes, roasteries, and service technicians.
• Fast US Shipping from New Jersey: Direct order fulfillment dispatched rapidly from our Freehold, NJ warehouse.
• Expert Technical Support: Direct access to factory-trained technicians who can recommend the exact maintenance routine for your E61, dual boiler, heat exchanger, or super-automatic machine.
• EspressoPoints Rewards: Earn loyalty reward points on every Puly Caff cleaner, descaler, and maintenance accessory purchase to redeem on future coffee gear and supplies.