****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Some of the reviews I read complained of bristles wearing out quickly or price or whatever.I'm happy with this tool!I used to clean the brew group of my Gaggia espresso machine with a wet paper towel and, sometimes, a quarter-inch dowel with a piece of paper towel folded over the end to wipe out the gasket area. This brush is sized and angled to take care of cleaning those areas comfortably in a few seconds. A quick wipe with a damp towel will remove any remaining coffee residue. Why didn't I buy one in the first place?You can get replacement cleaning tips for this brush, and I recommend you do so if you decide to buy the brush. I am still using the original insert that came on my brush a couple of months ago, but the bristles are starting to spread out and lose their stiffness. Replacement brushes (which screw into the body of the brush, so don't try to pull or hammer the old one out directly) come in packs of three. I estimate that with regular cleaning you might go through one pack of replacement inserts in the course of a year. That will depend on actual frequency of use, of course. I pull between 10 and 20 cups a day out of my machine, and I usually clean it thoroughly before a cold start in the morning.You don't need a special brush for every purpose, of course, but this is such a good and convenient one for taking care of the screens and crevices on espresso makers that I recommend it.I purchased a Rancilio Silva espresso machine without this brush, thinking I could get by using a common tooth brush to clean it. Was I ever so wrong! The kinked head is very important to have because it doesn't allow the boiling water to drip onto your fingers as you clean out left over grinds in the group head (aka shower head, dispensing spout, distributor).The bristles are very firm, so you don't require much pressure to brush. Once your bristles become well used, all you do is twist the head off and replace it with a newly purchased bristle head. I've had mine for only a month and use it at least twice daily, and the bristles look brand new. It doesn't take much to remove grinds from machine.Since this is a cleaning tool, the spoon in the back end is used for scooping cafizza or any other cleaning products for back flushing my machine. I suppose you could use it for any other purpose, but I try and utilize it as a cleaner.Too bad it doesn't come with a few replacement heads, but for a few bucks this tool is well worth it.I think these types of brushes should be less firm but have more bristles to retain their shape; that way bristles can flex to get at the underside of the group-head locks. Corner of a wet rag wedged into the porta-filter track removes coffee the Tool does not reach. The plastic bristles have melted a bit.It does it's job, BUT it's awkward to hold with the gimmicky little scoop on the end. Apparently, the mfr added that small scoop and the skinny poker for cleaning the steam spout in order to charge $15+ for a $3 brush.I am experienced with cleaning espresso machines, owning 5 espresso machines over the last 30 years (Gaggia, Saeco, Rancilio, Expobar). The skinny poker and small scoop do not add any functionality and are not needed. I use common sense and wipe off the wand and blow it out with steam after every use. Since the scoop made it awkward to hold and too long, I used a Dremel tool to cut off the handle and smooth/polish the cut end. Now it feels balanced and it's easier to hold with the handle end resting in the palm of my hand. Whenever I use powdered cleaner, I use a teaspoon, just like I've used for the last 30 years. I also bought the Noxus Bros. Espresso Machine Nylon Brush for $2.40. It's almost exactly the same, but priced reasonably. No simple brush is worth 5 stars, but if priced reasonably and the nylon bristles stiff, it might be worth 4 stars. Having to cut off the end to make it ergonomic deducts one star. Pricing it exorbitantly deducts another star. Thus it's worth 2 stars. I wouldn't recommend it, but rather the Noxus Bros or similar brush.i tried to skimp and use a toothbrush to clean group head on espresso machine. doesn't work. you need a dedicated stiff, dense bristled brush. so just bite the bullet and get one of these. also at the other end there is a 1/4 tsp measure for when you back flushing your group head.It does the job as advertised. I use it daily to keep my shower screen clean between backflushes. It works fineStiff bristles that do the job and replaceable brush recommend this brush to the serious coffee aficionado. It's important to clean the shower head before brewing the next cup if you ever hope to pull a God shot. The measuring scoop on the end is for the cleaning agent you use to back flush your machine if it has a three-way valve. There's a little pointy thing opposite the brush for cleaning your steam wand, but, hopefully, you shoot a little blast out of the wand after steaming your milk to clear it, and shouldn't really ever need to clean coagulated milk out of the interior. But, if you do, you're covered.The red color seemed a bit much when I ordered it, but I got a matching knock box, and I find I rather like both. Cheerful kitchen colors. Cheers!Good piece of kit cleans the portafilter holes and steam spout- brush replaceable. Worth the money.Works great with the Rancilio Sylvia.Best tool to clean your group head... A++
