The Cafelier C2 Group Head Cleaner is Ready for a Spin

The Cafelier C2 espresso machine group head automatic cleaning device. All images courtesy of Cafelier.

Slovenian espresso machine group head cleaning device maker Cafelier has launched a new version of its flagship product called the Cafelier C2.

Revealed on Cafelier’s website last week, the C2 offers improvements to the build, performance and ergonomics of the original device that emerged in 2018 to give baristas a mechanized alternative to the traditional nylon brush for cleaning group heads.

The portafilter-shaped device locks onto an espresso machine’s brew group the same as its predecessor for quick automatic scrubs between shots, but with a substantially redesigned brush and motor for getting the job done.

“We managed to sell more than 350 products across Europe in less than a year with almost zero marketing, which for us is a great success given that Cafelier a completely new product on the market,” Cafelier CEO and Founder​ Allen Robnik told Daily Coffee News. “With the C2, we put more focus on the engine inside of the product. It is faster and more ​powerful, which gives faster, more optimal group head cleaning of the espresso machine during working hours.​”

In 10 seconds, the cordless, rechargeable battery-powered C2 spins its brush 35 times, which is five spins faster than the C1. It also features a new brush design and material, replacing the polyamide bristles of the C1 brush for bristles made of a longer-lasting and higher-temperature-resistant material called Pekalon II, sourced from a supplier in Germany. All Cafelier products are assembled by hand in Slovenia.

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“We have been working on brush improvements and testing different materials for a long time,” ​said Robnik. “The goal was to find just the right mechanical properties to ensure pressure on the filter and ​gasket, while at the same time allowing for the bending of some bristles to fit the filter edge.”
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The new material also can withstand up to 350 cleaning cycles, which Robnik said should be enough for more than ​three months of intensive use. ​

“The cycle still lasts 10 seconds, which is kind of the golden limit for a really well cleaned group head filter,” said Robnik. “In the case of the C2, we added a blind filter, and this is recommended for cleaning the machine at the end of the working ​day.​”

Other aesthetic and engineering upgrades in the C2 include an improved water drainage system, an illuminated LED power button ​and a more ergonomic handle composed of a softer material.

Orders for the Cafelier C2 launched online last week. Owners of the C1 are offered a discount on the new version that is priced at €366 (about USD$436, as of this writing). Robnik said the first run of C2’s has already shipped to distributors in Australia, UAE, Denmark and Europe. Distribution in the United States is expected to begin next year, pending safety certifications.