Pallo Coffee Tool, Black

Excellent. Lets you scrub the group head without near boiling water running down your hand. Scoop in the back measures Biocaf. It even has a small tool for poking open stuck milk steam wands. The bristles are nice and stiff as well for good cleaning action, and they're replaceable!

I bought my first pallo tool at an industry show five years ago. I have bought several since to pass along to customers. The design is thoughtful and the execution perfect. The angle of the brush is very ergonomic and the angle and handle length will keep hands safely away from hot water when cleaning the group head and gaskets. Pallo , by making the brush itself a separate component, has ensured that you can use this tool for years (as I have). The scoop at the opposite end is a nice touch, with the great benefit of aiding baristas in dosing the exact amount of cafiza for back flush. For such a humble tool it does the job very well.

Some of the reviews I read complained of bristles wearing out quickly or price or whatever.I'm happy with this tool!

Can't fault the product, thought this might work with my tough-to-clean Capresso Burr Grinder, but this was not exactly the tool I expected it to be. Now it's just taking up space in one of my kitchen drawers. The brush is very stiff and appears to be custom-built for espresso machines with all the angles and odds and ends. Worthless for my purpose, but sure it works as advertised for cleaning espresso machines!

I needed a brush to clean grounds out of the group head and this brush I had to try. The bristles on the brush are nice and firm , absolutely love the color and the other side has a sharp point (needle like) that is protected by a cover. The back end has a scoop/spoon to remove extra grounds if you grind too much coffee. I have used this coffee tool for over 6 months and still looks new.

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.

Keeping your espresso machine clean is key to maintaining the great taste you spent so much money and effort to attain. This brush gets up in the group head and cleans the screen and gasket easily. Do it will pulling a blank shot to rinse. The little spoon on the other end is handy for measuring Cafiza or other cleaners. I was surprised at how stiff the brush bristles were, but it turns out that's better for scrubbing places that are hard to access.

I really like this tool I use it only for cleaning the group head, especially the shower screen, on my espresso machine. My daily cleaning regime is 1) run the pump with no portafilter for a few seconds without brushing. 2) Continuing running a few more seconds, brushing. 3) Repeat step 1. 4) Use a blind filter to back-flush, a couple of times. 5) run a bit more water out. At least weekly, I use Cafiza detergent and clean more thoroughly. (Someone pulling a lot more shots than my 2-3 a day should use Cafiza more frequently, even daily.)The tool is long enough and shaped well for cleaning the group head while the pump is running without burning oneself. It is sturdy.The tool works great, but it has two drawbacks.a) Minor. The replaceable brush head will sometimes unscrew with normal use.b) Major. This price is ridiculous for a bit of plastic and a brush head, even without the shipping cost, which is $5! The brush head is replaceable, but its price is even more ridiculous. The brushes wear out, which is to be expected, but I'd expect the heads to be $5 not $17.