Why do you need to descale a Nespresso machine?
If you are part of the select Nespresso club and squeeze your coffee machine to the fullest, sooner or later you will begin to notice a decrease in the quality of your drink.
The most likely culprit is lime. Yes, the water used to make coffee contains calcium and magnesium salts that when drying, become embedded in the boiler, pump and other internal pipes, causing obstructions that directly affect your drink.
The good news is that your machine is not damaged, and the solution is simple and you can carry it out yourself. Now is the time for a simple internal cleaning called descaling.
Don’t worry, even the best Nespresso coffee machines require this maintenance!
Don’t know how to do it?
Keep reading and I will give you the key steps to descale a Nespresso machine successfully and for your coffee to regain its original flavor and body.
Materials Needed to Descale Nespresso Coffee Machines
If you want to start descaling Nespresso machine as soon as possible, in addition to plenty of water, the main thing is that you have a good anti-scale product on hand.
Nespresso Descaling Kit
The Nespresso descaling kit is just a solution composed of citric acid. This is the option recommended and approved by Nespresso and you can buy it in the brand’s commercial houses or buy it online.
You can use a universal descaler like De’longhi Ecodecalk, one of the best-selling products. The brand offers a descaling liquid based on natural ingredients compatible with Nespresso, Krups and Delonghi espresso machines. It includes a unique 500 ml pack that yields 4 descaling.
When Should I Descale My Nespresso Machine
The manufacturer estimates that you should remove the lime from your Nespresso every 3 months if you consume an average daily of 4 cups of coffee or every 300 capsules.
But, if you do not keep track of the time or the frequency of its use, your coffee maker will surely begin to show obvious alarms that it deserves to be descaled.
Investigate the most frequent signals!
- The quality of your drink has deteriorated, it does not have the same flavor or body
- Your coffee is not as hot as usual
- The process of preparing the drink is extremely slow
- The water is held in the water tank
- Leaves less amount of coffee per capsule
- The coffee is dripping or has stopped flowing
- Control buttons blink intermittently
- The coffee maker makes strange sounds during the preparation of the drink or stops throwing an error
Have you experienced any of these signs? Then, it is time for you to descale your Nespresso machine and thus enjoy its original performance again.
12 Steps to Descale Your Nespresso Machine (Krups or Delonghi)
The cleaning and descaling process of your Nespresso machine is very simple and it will only take 20 minutes to do it. In this case, the information will be detailed using the official descaling kit of the Nespresso brand.
If you use another presentation (powder, pills or universal liquid) you just have to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Now, get ready to regain the power of your machine and the flavor of your drink!
- Turn off your Nespresso machine.
- Check that there are no capsules in the container and empty the drip tray.
- Add a unit of the Nespresso descaling kit to the water tank and add 500 ml of water.
- Place a container at the coffee outlet.
- Turn on the coffee maker by pressing one of the control buttons.
- Put your coffee maker in “descaling mode” by pressing and holding the 2 control buttons at the same time for 2 seconds or until they flash.
- Press the “Lungo” button to begin the method and stay up for the water within the instrumentation to empty fully.
- Fill the water tank with identical descaling solutions collected within the instrumentation and press the “Lungo” button once more. sit up for the water tank to empty.
- When the flow stops, discard the solution from the container, wash the water tank very well and fill it with fresh water.
- Press the “Lungo” catch and sit tight for the water tank to discharge.
- Discard the water in the container, empty and wash the drip tray very well.
- Exit the “descaling mode” by simultaneously pressing the control buttons for 3 seconds.
Finally, your coffee maker is ready to prepare the authentic coffee that you taste so much!
Descaling Nespresso with Vinegar or Lemon (homemade method)
The use of vinegar, lemon juice, or even baking soda has become an affordable alternative for a quick “organic home descaling”, and I am not denying the natural disinfection properties that these ingredients offer, but I must raise awareness about their use as an emergency option.
I’ll clarify the point for you, this type of solution does not have the same descaling power compared to the commercial kit. Therefore, the percentage of descaling will be very low and your coffee maker will continue to accumulate mineral residues that result in clogging and loss of the quality of your drink.
So, it is not the option recommended by the manufacturer, as this technique does not guarantee the life of your Nespresso machine.
Watch this Nespresso official video for more help.
Helpful Tips for Cleaning and Descaling Nespresso Coffee Machines
In order for you to successfully complete the descaling of your Nespresso coffee machine, here are some tips that will be very useful to you.
- The descaling kit solution is highly corrosive, avoid contact with your skin and face.
- Do not apply a descaling solution to other compartments of the coffee maker.
- Follow the descaling kit instructions for its action to be effective.
- Void the capsule container and dribble plate much of the time.
- Turn off your coffee maker to clean it with a damp cloth.
- Do not put scented or abrasive disinfectant liquids in the water reservoir.
- Do not descale with chlorine or commercial household cleaning products.
- Clean the coffee spout frequently with a clean, damp cloth.
- Do not interrupt the descaling process.
- Do not unplug your coffee maker immediately after exiting “descaling mode”.
If you’re looking for more information on how to fix a Nespresso machine stuck in descaling mode, be sure to check out our other post on the topic. In that article, we dive deeper into the causes of the issue and provide even more troubleshooting tips to help you get your machine back up and running smoothly.
If you still have questions regarding the descaling process, I invite you to consult the specific instruction manual according to the model you choose.
