Although the Urnex Cafiza espresso machine cleaner is a renowned product, if you can’t get it shipped to you, don’t worry. Cafiza is far from your only option when it’s time to get your espresso maker clean, shining, and spotless. What else can you use?
Here are 15 Cafiza alternatives to try today:
- Puly Caff Plus Espresso Machine Cleaner
- Urnex Biocaf Cleancaf Espresso Machine Cleaning Powder
- Joe Glo Espresso Machine Backflush Detergent
- Urnex Full Circle Coffee Machine Cleaner
- Cafetto Espresso Clean Tablets
- Durgol Universal Descaler
- Essential Values Coffee Machine Descaler & Cleaner
- Urnex Dezcal Espresso Machine Cleaner
- K&J Descaling Solution
- Urnex Tabz Coffee Brewer Cleaning Tablets
- Impresa Coffee Machine Descaler
- OXO Brew Natural Descaling Solution
- Puro Caff Espresso Machine Cleaner
- Five Star PBW Cleaner
- CleanEspresso Espresso Machine Cleaning Tablets
The above 15 Cafiza alternatives are designed for espresso makers and other coffee machines so you can get more use out of them. Keep reading for information like active ingredients, price, and usage tips. You’re not going to want to miss it!
What exactly is Cafiza?
Cafiza is a cleaning agent, that rids espresso machines from old coffee residue and oils from the group heads, valves, and lines. If you use hard water in your brewing device, it’s especially important to clean regularly.
Even though it does an excellent job at cleaning it’s important to note that it is not a descaling product.
It can also be used to soak other coffee items in, such as portafilters, screens, and baskets. To soak, mix 1 teaspoon of Cafiza powder and 32 ounces of hot water and soak items for thirty minutes. Backflushing with Cafiza should be done daily to keep the machine working in tip top shape.
Only use the solution on glass, ceramic, and glass, and avoid plastic as it will breakdown the outmost layer of the plastic.
To read more on how often you should be cleaning your coffee maker, click here.
What is the Active Ingredient in Cafiza and is it Harmful?
The active ingredient in Cafiza is Sodium hydroxide and can cause serious eye irritation if it comes in contact with the eyes.
If ingested, Cafiza can be harmful. Possible symptoms include stomach ache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If a person or animal consumes this product, contact your doctor immediately.
No Cafiza? No Problem! 15 Cleaning Alternatives
Puly Caff Plus Espresso Machine Cleaner
Starting our list is Puly Caff Plus, which is a very popular espresso machine cleaner outside of Cafiza. This Amazon’s Choice product is made of materials that are mostly biodegradable (up to 90 percent).
When using Puly Caff Plus to clean your espresso machine, pour 3 to 5 grams into the blind filter. Then run the filter five times, turning it on and then off in 10-second increments. After rinsing the espresso maker, put it through five more rounds of on-off periods that are 10 seconds apiece.
You can even rely on Puly Caff to clean your coffeemaker’s server and brew basket. Pour in 3 to 5 grams of the stuff, brew Puly Caff with 2 liters of water, and then wash the coffeemaker with cold water. Voila, clean baskets!
Cleanse your coffee filters too with a liter of hot water and 10 grams of Puly Caff. You can see why coffee lovers adore Puly Caff so much. It’s a highly useful product.
A 32-ounce serving of Puly Caff Plus costs $25.
Urnex Cleancaf Espresso Machine Cleaning Powder
If you like Urnex products, then try Cleancaf. We wrote a post on the blog recently comparing Cleancaf to yet another Urnex cleaner called Dezcal that we’ll talk about later in this post. Be sure to give that article a read!
Cleancaf is not a descaler, which means it won’t remove mineral buildup from your espresso machine. However, Urnex says that regularly cleaning your espresso machine with Cleancaf might be able to prevent instances of scale.
To use Cleancaf, open a packet of the stuff, which is 28 grams per packet. Pour it into lukewarm water, about a liter or 32 ounces. Then dump that mixture into the water reservoir of your coffeemaker. Brew like usual and pour the cleaning mixture down the sink when you’re done.
Rinse out your water tank, fill it to the top with fresh water, and brew again, then repeat another time or two.
Cleancaf is non-toxic, phosphate-free, and odorless, says Urnex. It turns blue as you use it so you know it’s working.
Three packets of Urnex Cleancaf cost $8 while a three-pack is about $17.
Related Reading: Cleancaf vs. Dezcal: Which one is more effective?
Joe Glo Espresso Machine Backflush Detergent
If you’re looking for an espresso machine cleaner very close to what Cafiza does, try Joe Glo. Their espresso machine backflush detergent is an Amazon’s Choice cleaner that’s also usable on other premium coffee equipment.
By deodorizing your espresso machine as well as cleaning it through backflushing, your coffeemaker will smell as fresh as the day you first took it out of the box. Joe Glo costs about $25 per jar.
Urnex Biocaf Full Circle Coffee Machine Cleaner
Full Circle, another Urnex coffee machine cleaner, is among their best products. You can use this cleaner on traditional espresso machines, superautomatics, drip coffeemakers, and single-serve coffee machines from your favorite brands. These include Cuisinart, Tassimo, Mr. Coffee, Hamilton Beach, Nespresso, Delonghi, Keurig, and more.
This nontoxic product will remove traces of mineral and limescale accumulations within your coffeemaker. Even better is that Full Circle doesn’t turn blue, so you don’t have to worry about any potential stains inside your pricy espresso machine.
Urnex Full Circle is available in 2-ounce boxes for about $11. It’s an Amazon’s Choice product.
Cafetto Espresso Clean Tablets
Cafetto manufactures eco-friendly cleaning products, the Espresso Clean Tablets being a very trendy pick among them. These tablets pass NSF Protocol P152 for Health Effects and Corrosivity of Commercial Espresso Machine Chemical Cleaners.
To backflush with Cafetto tablets, take out your coffee filter from the group handle and choose a blind filter. Then insert one tablet into the handle. Run your coffeemaker’s espresso brewing cycle for at least 10 seconds. The tablet will dissolve.
Then stop the cycle and wait another 10 seconds. Brew four more times and then take off the group handle, cleaning it thoroughly. Put the handle back in and do the start and stop cycle for five seconds on, two seconds off, repeating 10 times.
Then you can take out the blind filter and replace it with your standard filter. Cafetto Espresso Clean Tablets are available in 150-count jars. You can also buy 12 jars at a time courtesy of Cafetto’s website. A jar costs about $18.
Durgol Universal Descaler
A favorite of coffee aficionados, Durgol Universal Descaler could be just the product you’re looking for as well. This Cafiza alternative from Switzerland says it’s safe to use no matter the brand of your coffeemaker.
Durgol is ready to clean without the need to dissolve it, something that cannot be said for tablets and powders. Recyclable and eco-friendly, Durgol produces no odor and leaves no aftertaste.
To use Durgol, just pour in the appropriate quantity, stir, and wait. You can even clean with Durgol outside of your espresso machine, soaking metal showerheads and kettles in the stuff.
A three-pack of Durgol costs about $40 and a two-pack is $26. If you’d rather buy single packs, those cost about $13 a pop.
Essential Values Coffee Machine Descaler & Cleaner
A coffee and espresso cleaner brand that also makes kitchen and bathroom cleaners, Essential Values is another solid Cafiza alternative. Their universal descaling solution works on all single-use espresso machines and coffeemakers, including brands such as Delonghi, Nespresso, and Keurig.
About monthly, use this descaler on your espresso machine. Pour half of what’s in the bottle into the coffeemaker’s water reservoir. Take out the water filter and then brew. When the brewing cycle finishes, dump the contents of the reservoir, clean it with soap and water, and brew three more times with fresh water.
Each 8-fluid-ounce bottle of this Essential Values coffeemaker descaler is good for two uses. Bottles cost about $20 each.
Urnex Dezcal Espresso Machine Cleaner
We touched on Urnex’s Dezcal descaler earlier, so now let’s talk about it in more detail. This is a preferred descaling product among coffee drinkers, and you might find it cleans even more thoroughly than Cafiza.
Dezcal is a powder that you use about monthly. Urnex says Dezcal works on everything from traditional espresso makers to drip coffee machines. It’s both biodegradable and non-toxic so it’s less dangerous for the environment.
Using Dezcal is simple too. Pour a packet of Dezcal (which is 28 grams of cleaning power) into a liter or 32 ounces of water. The water temperature should be lukewarm. Then run that fluid mixture through your espresso maker, brewing like usual.
It can take up to two brewing cycles before your espresso maker is considered descaled. You should rinse the water reservoir after brewing and then brew with fresh water in the tank.
One packet of Dezcal is $6, so it’s very cost-effective!
K&J Descaling Solution
If you want another American-made brand like Urnex, try K&J. The company says their descaler is natural, as it’s made from food-grade ingredients. The K&J descaling solution is also supposed to be two times as good as its competitors in removing scale buildup.
Every two months, pour half the bottle into your espresso machine. K&J’s product is liquid like Durgol, making it simple and fast to use.
A two-pack of K& J costs about $13, and a three-pack is $20. You can always buy single bottles for around $8.
Urnex Tabz Coffee Brewer Cleaning Tablets
No, we’re not done talking about Urnex espresso machine cleaners yet. Tabz is yet another one to add to your list.
As that name alludes, Tabz are cleaning tablets that can rid your brew baskets and servers of gunky residue from coffee oils. To get started, take out the brew basket and add the Tabz tablet. If the basket can hold 2 liters or 64 ounces, then you only need a single tablet.
Reinsert the brew basket and turn on your espresso maker, running its brew cycle. When that finishes, clean any remaining residue with soap and water. Tabz, like Urnex’s Cleancaf, uses blue dye to indicate its effectiveness.
You can buy 120 tablets for under $15, which is a great deal. It’s no wonder this espresso back-flusher is an Amazon’s Choice product.
Impresa Coffee Machine Descaler
Getting into the last five Cafiza alternatives now, next, we have Impresa’s coffee machine descaler.
This US-produced espresso machine descaler works on cappuccino machines, commercial coffeemakers, filter machines, Keurig coffeemakers, and automatic coffee machines. You can even rely on Impresa’s descaler to clean electric water heaters and kettles.
Apply the descaler at least once per two months to keep your coffeemaker free of minerals. Impresa uses universal, custom-formulated ingredients that gently scrub away unwanted buildup. A two-pack of Impresa descaling solution, each bottle 16 fluid ounces, costs $14.
OXO Brew Natural Descaling Solution
Highly-rated and much acclaimed, OXO makes a mean descaler you should certainly know about. Known as the BREW, this liquid descaling solution has no smell. Even better is that it’s biodegradable and free of phosphates.
Pour OXO’s descaler into your espresso machine, humidifier, water heater, kettle, or other coffee machines. It gets right to work but doesn’t leave a trace of residue. This liquid espresso machine cleaner contains 14 fluid ounces per bottle. Each bottle cost about $17.
Puro Caff Espresso Machine Cleaner
If yours is a professional-grade espresso machine, you need a professional-grade cleaner. Puro Caff is it. This Amazon’s Choice product will backflush your espresso machine so it works better than ever.
First, put a blind filter in your porta-filter, then pour in 3 gallons or half a teaspoon of Puro Caff. Put the porta-filter into your espresso machine’s group head and brew the machine for 10 seconds. Turn the machine off for another 10 seconds and then repeat five more times.
Resume start-stop brewing five more times without the Puro Caff powder. Let the filters soak in 6 grams or a teaspoon of Puro Caff for 30 minutes. Then rinse the filter in hot water to remove any residue.
The scentless Puro Caff powder is available in 20-ounce containers for about $15.
Five Star PBW Cleaner
The full-service sanitizing and cleaning company Five Star has a PBW cleaner that you can use instead of caustic soda.
Although it’s not made exclusively for espresso machines, that is one such use for this product. You can also clean heat exchangers, wort chillers, fermentation vessels, boil kettles, mash tuns, brewing systems, pots, kegs, and carboys with PBW Cleaner.
Five Star formulated the PBW Cleaner to be gentler on the skin, and this product is alkaline so it’s better for our planet too.
Even if the grime inside your espresso maker is caked on good, PBW Cleaner should be able to get rid of it. To use this cleaning product, rinse your espresso machine. Then dissolve the powder into water. You need ¾ ounces for every gallon of water.
Turn the espresso maker on, allowing its temperature to reach 130 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the mixture sit in the machine for 30 minutes, then drain and rinse with fresh water.
A one-pound tub of Five Star PWB Cleaner costs $13. You can also buy this cleaner in quantities up to eight pounds.
CleanEspresso Espresso Machine Cleaning Tablets
Our last Cafiza alternative is CleanEspresso. Their espresso machine cleaning tablets are recommended only for use with Breville espresso makers, specifically the mod
els BES860XL, ESP6SXL, and BES830XL.
Insert one of the tablets into your Breville espresso machine, run the brewing cycle, and the CleanEspresso tablets will remove all grime. You can buy 20 tablets for $25.
Final Thoughts
Cafiza is far from the only espresso machine cleaner and descaling product out there. As we illustrated with this article, you have countless other brands to try that are available at different price points. Surely, you’ll be able to find your favorite!