Blind filter rubber universal - Café du Jour Ø 50 mm rubber blind filter - Espresso machine cleaning tool

What a blind filter does

A blind filter is simply a disc with no holes in it. You put the rubber disc into the portafilter in place of your usual basket, or inside it, lock the portafilter into the group head and run the pump. Because nothing can pass through, the water is forced back through the group's three-way valve and out of the drain — and that is what carries away the coffee oils that build up behind the shower screen. Done regularly, backflushing is the difference between an espresso that tastes fresh and one that tastes of last week.

How to use it

• Put the rubber disc in the portafilter so it sits flat and seals
• Add espresso machine cleaning powder if your routine calls for it
• Lock the portafilter into the group head
• Run the pump in short bursts, pausing in between
• Repeat several times with clean water only, then flush the group and wipe the screen

Only machines with a three-way solenoid valve can be backflushed. If yours cannot, the disc is still useful for giving the basket and portafilter a proper soak and rinse.

Specifications

• Diameter: 50 mm
• Thickness: 2.5 mm
• Material: NBR rubber, 55 Shore hardness
• Fit: universal, for portafilters taking a 50 mm insert
• Made in China

Rubber rather than a steel blind basket means it seals against an ordinary basket without needing an exact match, and it lifts straight out to be rinsed. For the brushes, powders and cloths that go with it, see our barista tools and coffee machine maintenance ranges.