How to descale your capsule coffee machine: for consistent coffee flavor! How to Descale Capsule Machine: Keep Your Coffee Tasting Great!

Have you noticed that the coffee brewed by your capsule coffee machine is not as tasty as before? Or does the coffee machine make unusual noises? These could be signs that your coffee machine needs to be descaled. Scale is the result of long-term accumulation of minerals in water, which will affect the performance of the coffee machine and the flavor of the coffee. Don’t worry, this article will teach you how to easily descale your Nespresso /Dolce Gusto/ Opresso coffee machine, ensuring that your coffee machine is kept in top condition so that you can enjoy a delicious cup of coffee every day.

Table of contents:

1. Why does my Nespresso machine need to be descaled?
2. How often should I descale my Nespresso coffee machine?
3. How do I know if my Nespresso machine needs to be descaled?
4. Cleaning and descaling your Nespresso machine: a two-pronged approach
   • 4.1 Nespresso cleaning capsule: Quickly clean the coffee outlet
   • 4.2 Descaling cleaning fluid: deep cleans the water pipes and removes scale
5. Steps to descaling your Nespresso coffee machine (using descaling cleaning solution)
   • 5.1 Using Nespresso descaling agent
   • 5.2 Using alternative descaling solutions (e.g. citric acid, white vinegar)
6. Cleaning and maintenance of your Opresso coffee machine
7. How to descale your Dolce Gusto coffee machine
8. Summarize

1. Why does my Nespresso coffee machine need to be descaled?

Scale is a deposit formed when minerals (mainly calcium and magnesium) in tap water are heated. These deposits can build up on the coffee maker's heating elements, water lines, and other internal parts, causing:

• Reduced coffee machine efficiency: Scale can hinder heating efficiency, causing the coffee machine to take longer to heat up or even fail to reach the ideal brewing temperature.
• The coffee flavor deteriorates: scale affects the flow of water, resulting in uneven coffee extraction and affecting the flavor of the coffee.
• Shortened life of the coffee machine: Long-term accumulation of scale will corrode the internal parts of the coffee machine and shorten the service life of the coffee machine.

2. How often should I descale my coffee machine?

It is recommended to descale the coffee machine every 3-6 months. If you live in an area with hard water or if you use your coffee machine frequently, you may need to descale more often.

3. How to tell if the coffee machine needs to be descaled?

Here are some signs that your coffee machine needs to be descaled:

• The coffee machine makes unusual noises when operating.
• The coffee machine takes longer to heat up.
• Coffee brews more slowly.
• The coffee flavor is not as good as before.
• The coffee machine has malfunctioned or has stopped working.

4. Cleaning and descaling your Nespresso machine: a two-pronged approach

To ensure your coffee machine is thoroughly cleaned, it is recommended to use both a cleaning capsule and a descaling cleaning solution.

Nespresso machines require the use of Nespresso coffee machine-specific cleaning capsules and descaling cleaning fluid (because the water outlet cannot be taken out for cleaning). This can effectively clean the grease and bacteria inside the coffee machine outlet, allowing you to drink healthily and enjoy the true taste of coffee! It uses a powerful active interfacial solvent that can clean thoroughly without leaving any residue and will not harm your health. Cleaning once a month can keep the water outlet unobstructed and effectively extend the service life of the coffee machine.

4.1 Nespresso cleaning capsule: Quickly clean the coffee outlet

Nespresso's special cleaning capsule can quickly clean the grease and bacteria at the outlet of the coffee machine to ensure the hygiene and flavor of the coffee. It is recommended to use it once a month to keep the water outlet unobstructed and effectively extend the service life of the coffee machine.

4.2 Descaling cleaning fluid: deep cleans the water pipes and removes scale

If you need to clean the phosphorus (accumulation of scale and calcium) in the water pipes of the coffee machine, please use Caffenu® descaling cleaning liquid or other Nespresso special descaling agent. These descaling cleaning solutions can effectively remove scale from the internal water pipes of the coffee machine, restoring the efficiency of the coffee machine and the flavor of the coffee.

5. Steps to descaling your coffee machine (using a descaling cleaning solution)

5.1 Use a dedicated descaling machine Cleaners

We recommend using a dedicated descaling agent to ensure optimal descaling results and protect the internal parts of the coffee machine.

1. Prepare:
   • Remove the coffee capsule from the coffee machine.
   • Empty the drip tray and capsule drawer.
   • Prepare a container of at least 1 liter.
2. Mixed descaling solution:
   • Pour Nespresso descaling agent into the water tank.
   • Add drinking water until the tank reaches the indicated maximum capacity.
3. To activate descaling mode:
   • The method of activating the descaling mode may vary for different Nespresso coffee machine models. Please refer to the user manual of your coffee machine.
   • Typically, you'll need to hold both buttons down for a few seconds until the light starts flashing.
4. To perform the descaling procedure:
   • Place the container under the coffee outlet.
   • Press the start button to allow the descaling solution to flow through the machine.
   • Repeat this step until the descaling solution in the water tank is used up.
5. Cleaning:
   • Empty and thoroughly clean the water tank.
   • Add clean drinking water and repeat the brewing process at least twice to thoroughly rinse the machine.

5.2 Using alternative descaling solutions (e.g. citric acid, white vinegar)

If you don't have a dedicated descaling agent, you can use citric acid or white vinegar as an alternative.

• Citric acid: Dissolve 1 tablespoon of citric acid in 500 ml of drinking water.
• White vinegar: Mix 6 ounces of white vinegar with 12 ounces of drinking water.

Descale following the steps above using Nespresso descaling solution. Please note that when using alternative descaling solutions, always rinse the machine thoroughly to remove any remaining taste.

6. Cleaning and maintenance of Opresso coffee machine

Descaling an Opresso coffee machine is similar to descaling a Nespresso coffee machine. You can use a dedicated descaling agent, or use citric acid or white vinegar as an alternative.

In addition to regular descaling, Opresso recommends that you also regularly clean the following parts of your coffee machine:

• Water tank: Clean once a week with warm water and dishwashing liquid.
• Drip tray/capsule collection box/ Converter: Empty and clean daily.
• Coffee Exports: Monthly Use Clean once.

Special reminder: OPRESSO coffee machine needs to use descaling cleaning liquid to gently remove the scale accumulated in the coffee machine, ensuring the taste of the brewed coffee is consistent. It is recommended to clean it every 3 to 6 months, using 100ml each time to keep the water pipes in the coffee machine unobstructed and clean.

OPTIMAL and ROYALE Coffee machine There is a detachable adapter, so there is no need to use a cleaning capsule to clean the water outlet. The PETITE coffee machine needs to be cleaned with a cleaning capsule once a month.

7. How to descale a Dolce Gusto coffee machine

Descaling a Dolce Gusto coffee machine is similar to descaling a Nespresso coffee machine. You can use a dedicated descaling agent, or use citric acid or white vinegar as an alternative. Please refer to your Dolce Gusto coffee machine manual for detailed descaling steps.

Special reminder: Dolce Gusto coffee machine needs to use descaling cleaning liquid to gently remove the scale accumulated in the coffee machine, ensuring the consistent taste of the brewed coffee. It is recommended to clean it every 3 to 6 months, using 100ml each time to keep the water pipes in the coffee machine unobstructed and clean.

Since the Dolce gusto coffee machine has a detachable adapter, there is no need to use a cleaning capsule to clean the water outlet.

8. Conclusion

Regularly descaling your Nespresso coffee machine is an important step to maintain its performance and extend its life. Using the cleaning capsules and descaling solution together will ensure your Nespresso machine is thoroughly cleaned. By following the steps provided in this article, you can easily descale your Nespresso coffee machine and continue to enjoy delicious coffee.