Founded in New York in 1936, Urnex Brands has spent nearly a century formulating specialty cleaning chemicals tailored exclusively for commercial coffee equipment, roasteries, and prosumer espresso setups.

Urnex is globally trusted because:

• NSF International Certification: Formulated and certified under strict NSF/ANSI standards (Protocols P152, P156, etc.), ensuring every cleaner is 100% food-safe, non-toxic, non-corrosive to food-contact metals, and rinses completely residue-free.
• Specialized Chemical Engineering: Designed by coffee chemists to target the precise organic compounds (polymerized coffee oils, tannins) and inorganic minerals (calcium carbonate, magnesium scale) found in espresso equipment without damaging internal brass, copper, silicone, or stainless steel components.

Urnex manufactures specialized products engineered for distinct maintenance needs:

• Urnex Cafiza (Espresso Machine Backflush Cleaner): An alkaline detergent available in fast-dissolving concentrated powder and tablet formats. Engineered specifically to break down and wash away baked-on coffee oils, waxes, and carbonized coffee grounds from groupheads, shower screens, 3-way solenoid relief valves, and portafilters.
• Urnex Dezcal (Activated Scale Remover): An acidic descaling agent available in liquid concentrate and soluble powder. Formulated to rapidly dissolve calcium carbonate limescale and mineral deposits inside boilers, thermoblocks, heat exchanger loops, kettles, and drip brewer water lines.
• Urnex Grindz (Grinder Burr Cleaner): All-natural, gluten-free, food-safe grain pellets that absorb rancid coffee oils and purge compacted grounds from grinder burrs without introducing moisture or requiring grinder disassembly.
• Urnex Rinza (Milk System & Steam Wand Cleaner): Available in alkaline liquid, tablet, and acid formulations to break down dairy proteins (casein/whey), butterfats, and calcium deposits from steam wands, automatic frothing tubes, and integrated one-touch milk carafes.
• Urnex Biocaf (Eco-Friendly Sustainable Cleaners): A dedicated line made from 100% plant- and mineral-based, biodegradable, and phosphate-free ingredients that deliver commercial-grade cleaning power with minimal environmental footprint.

Cafiza and Dezcal serve opposite chemical purposes and must never be used interchangeably:

• Urnex Cafiza is an Alkaline Detergent (pH ~10–11): Functions as a saponifier to dissolve organic coffee oils and grease. Never run Cafiza through a boiler or water reservoir, as it does not remove mineral scale, creates soapy residues inside standing boilers, and can foul electronic level probes.
• Urnex Dezcal is an Acidic Descaler (pH ~1–2): Chemically reacts with and dissolves inorganic calcium carbonate scale. Never use Dezcal to backflush a grouphead, as acids cannot dissolve organic coffee oils and will strip protective chrome and nickel plating from the group assembly.

Water and liquid soap must never be introduced to a coffee grinder. Moisture causes immediate flash-rusting, dulls hardened steel cutting edges, turns dry coffee fines into sludge, and risks electrical shorts.

• Mechanical Scrubbing: Urnex Grindz consists of proprietary, food-safe grain-based tablets. When passed dry through the hopper, the pellets fracture across the burr teeth, physically scraping away caked-on coffee oils and dislodging trapped fines from the cutting flutes without dulling steel or titanium burrs.
• Harmless Purging: You simply follow the tablets with a small handful of whole coffee beans to purge the grain residue, leaving the burrs clean, dry, and ready to grind fresh coffee.

Formulations are matched to specific machine cleaning cycles:

• Cafiza Backflush Powder: Formulated to dissolve instantly in pressurized, boiling water inside a blind portafilter basket under 9 bars of pump pressure.
• Urnex Super-Automatic Tablets: Precision-engineered with higher-density compaction. Designed to be dropped into the bypass chute of bean-to-cup machines (such as Jura, Gaggia, Saeco, and De'Longhi), these tablets dissolve slowly and evenly throughout the unpressurized, multi-stage automated wash and rinse cycles of internal brew groups.

To maintain beverage quality, extend component lifespan, and pass health inspections, follow this schedule:

• Daily Closing Protocol:
  • Backflush Groups: Use 1/2 teaspoon of Urnex Cafiza powder per grouphead in a blind basket (5 pulses of 10 seconds each), followed by a plain water rinse.
  • Soak Metal Parts: Soak portafilter heads and precision filter baskets (never handles) in hot water with 1 scoop of Cafiza for 15–20 minutes.
  • Milk Circuits: Soak steam wand tips and flush auto-frothing lines with diluted Urnex Rinza to sanitize and dissolve milk proteins.
• Weekly / Bi-Weekly Protocol: Run Urnex Grindz through espresso and batch brew grinders to strip rancid oils from burr sets.
• Quarterly / As-Needed Protocol: Run Urnex Dezcal through commercial batch brewers, hot water towers, and non-plumbed equipment to eliminate limescale buildup.

Since 1997, 1st-line Equipment has been a master direct distributor and authorized technical service provider for top European and American coffee equipment and maintenance brands.

• Authorized Master Stock: Direct factory access to the complete Urnex product portfolio, guaranteeing 100% genuine, unexpired, factory-sealed chemical stock.
• Comprehensive Format Selection: We stock every size—from convenient single-use home packs to bulk commercial jars and multi-case wholesale quantities for cafes and roasteries.
• Expert Equipment Maintenance Guidance: Direct access to factory-trained technicians who provide precise chemical dosing and preventative maintenance advice for your specific machine architecture.
• Fast US Shipping from New Jersey: Rapid order fulfillment dispatched directly from our Freehold, NJ facility.
• EspressoPoints Rewards: Earn loyalty points on every Urnex cleaner, descaler, and maintenance accessory purchase to redeem for savings on future coffee gear and supplies.