Nespresso machines are a great way to make espresso at home, but how do you clean them? If your Nespresso is not descaled regularly, then it will start to produce unpleasant tasting coffee. Not only that, if the scale buildup on the heating element gets too high, it can cause your Nespresso machine to overheat and break down. This blog post will teach you how to descale a Nespresso with four simple steps!
What is descaling?
The act of descaling removes the scale buildup on the heating element. It also prevents any new scale from forming, so you can continue to enjoy tasty coffee for years to come.
Descaling is needed when there is a lot of scale buildup on the heating element because it affects how efficiently your Nespresso machine works.
Why should you descale your Nespresso?
It’s essential to do so because the scale buildup on the heating element can affect how efficiently it works. It will also get to a point where it will start to produce unpleasant tasting coffee, which is, of course, not what anyone wants.
If you aren’t using filtered water (aka tap water), there is likely calcium in your water that will form a lot of scale buildup on the internal and external parts of your machine.
When the heating element has reached such dense levels of calcification, overheating can occur, which could cause irreparable damage to your machine.
This is why we need to descale our Nespresso regularly.
What should I use to descale my Nespresso Coffee Machine?
Nespresso recommends using their Nespresso Descaling Kit; it contains a natural solution that dissolves the build-up of hard water and scale on the machine and the heating element.
Can I use vinegar to descale my Nespresso?
Nespresso strongly suggests not using vinegar in their machines but instead opting for their descaling liquid.
How to Descale a Nespresso Coffee Machine
Before you begin. If you are using the Nespresso descaling solution, you should put an old towel underneath the machine as the solution can stain
Descaling your Nespresso coffee is pretty straightforward. But every coffee machine is different; please do refer to your Nespresso instruction booklet.
Step 1. Empty the water tank and fill it with the descaling solution mixture
Take out the water tank and fill the water reservoir with the Nespresso descaling mixture as per the recommended mixture on the packaging.
Step 2. Hold both buttons on top
These are the Espresso and Lungo buttons; press down on them simultaneously until they start to flash (this usually takes three seconds). This is how you know the Nespresso is in descaling mode. This is often the same button combination on the top of most machines.
Step 3. Place a large container under the spout
Remove the drip tray and press the Lungo button. This will run the descaling solution through your coffee machine’s system.
The descaling process will pass the solution through the entire machine, descaling the nozzle and capsule container and the heating element and inside the container.
The solution will be dispensed into the container through the descaling nozzle and capsule container.
Step 4. Wait until the machine stops dispensing
Once the descaling fluid has run through the machine, you can add fresh water to the machine. You will want to run several canisters of fresh water through the machine so that there is no trace of the descaling agent. It would be best if you did this to make sure the water reservoir is clean of it as you do not want to ingest any of this mixture.
Step 5. Fill up the tank again with water this time and repeat steps 3-4.
Once you have run several water cycles through the machine (we do a minimum of 3 full water tanks), it is now descaled and rinsed! Hold the Lungo button for 7 seconds to exit descale mode.
How to descale Nespresso with vinegar and water solution
While Nespresso doesn’t recommend using vinegar in its coffee machines, I have done it, and it works. Use this at your own discretion.
It’s a pretty simple process.
- First, empty the water container and capsule holder and put in a mixture of half water and half vinegar in your Nespresso water container. Just like you would with the descaling liquid.
- Second, simultaneously press both the Espresso and Lungo buttons on the top of the machine.
- Third, hold down the Lungo (that’s the larger cup size) and press it until the machine has run the mixture through.
- Fourth, place fresh water in the canister and run several clean water cycles through until you are sure all the sediment and calcium have been removed and you no longer have vinegar in the water.
How do you deep clean a Nespresso machine?
Once you have descaled the machine, the next step is to clean the outside of your coffee maker. Nespresso has cleaning capsules. You can clean the outside of the machine using a damp cloth.
You can also get a cleaning capsule to clean out the insides of the nozzle. These cleaning capsules are simple to use; just put a pod into the machine and brew as usual; it creates a foam that will run through the dispenser and clean the machine’s nozzle, exit spout, and brew chamber. Next, run a few water cycles through, and you are done!
If you run into any problems with how to clean your Nespresso coffee machine, please refer to the corresponding machine manual for how to properly clean that specific model of the coffee maker.
Nespress Descaling FAQ
What to do if you forget to descale
If you forgot to descale, don’t worry! You can still do it! Just follow the steps above, and you will be fine.
What can I use if I don’t have a Nespresso descaling solution?
Ideally, you should go and buy some of the descaling solutions.
Can I use vinegar to descale the Nespresso machine?
Nespresso does not recommend using vinegar to descale the machine as it can cause damage to the internal parts of the machine.
Can I use any descaler in my Nespresso machine?
Nespresso recommends using their natural descaling solution for removing build-up in their machines.
Is descaling necessary for Nespresso?
Yes, it is, all water has minerals in it, and if you want to make sure you have the perfect cup of coffee every time, you need to do this process as Nespresso Usa Inc suggests.
So how often should you descale a Nespresso machine?
They recommend descaling your machine every three months or after 300 pods, whichever is the soonest.
Related: How often to descale an espresso machine?
Is descaling solution better than vinegar?
Yes, which is why Nespresso recommends using it.
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