How do I backflush my espresso machine? I just recently purchased an ECM Technika and have noticed recently that my shots have been fairly inconsistent. A friend suggested that I backflush the machine, but didn't have a chance to explain to me exactly how to do that. Can anyone tell me how to backflush my machine? How often should I do this?
Backflushing is a fairly straightforward procedure. You only need two things:


a backflushing disc 
coffee machine detergent


The procedure needs repeating a few times (3-4):


Install the disc in the portafilter 
Add in a bit of cleaning detergent.
Turn on the coffee machine until you hear the pump start to labour, once this happens turn the pump off, and the hot water with detergent will spray out of your 3-way valve. This is quite likely to cause spraying so try to be careful.


After you've done this, repeat the procedure without detergent to flush the soap suds from the machine.

Normally you would do this about once a month. This is highly dependant on how you feel the machine is doing, but it's definitely recommended that you do this if you use the machine a lot (Some people recommend doing it around every 30th espresso).

After this it is a good idea to run one espresso shot through the machine to clear everything out and not leave any residue.

You can find further details here