Descaling and Cleaning Your Coffee Machine

Which machine do you have?

What you can do yourself depends on the type. You need to descale all four.

• Portafilter machine: You clean the basket, group head and steam wand yourself and descale as the manual says. Backflushing only works on machines with a three-way valve, and many entry-level models do not have one.
• Automatic machine: The machine tells you when it needs cleaning or descaling and walks you through a program. You need the product the manufacturer specifies.
• Filter machine: You rinse the jug and filter holder after every use. Descaling works by running water with descaler through the tank and pipes, with no coffee at all. There is no backflushing or brew group.
• Pod and capsule machine: What gets descaled is the water circuit: you run water with descaler through the tank and pipes, without a pod or capsule. Many models tell you with an indicator, and some stop working if you ignore the prompt. There is no basket and no backflushing.

The manual decides

Manufacturers specify different intervals and products. Philips expressly advises against vinegar as a descaler, Jura's instructions call for its own descaling tablets, and on many machines the machine's prompt counts for more than any fixed calendar. There is no single number that fits every machine.

If a used machine comes without its manual, you can usually find it as a PDF on the manufacturer's website. Search for the model name and the word "manual".

Finding out your water hardness

The harder the water, the more often you need to descale. Hardness is given in °dH (German degrees). Your water supplier can tell you your value, or you can measure it with a test strip. Jura machines come with an Aquadur test strip.

Many automatic machines ask for the hardness and use it to decide when to prompt you. Jura accepts values from 1 to 30 °dH. Enter the value for your water, otherwise the machine prompts you at the wrong time.

Descaling

Limescale builds up in the boiler, the thermoblock and the pipes. When you notice it, the coffee is cooler, the machine slower and, eventually, louder. How often you need to descale depends on the machine type and your water hardness. The numbers below are rough guides taken from manufacturer information, and for your machine the manual rules.

How to do it

1. Get the manual and the product ready: Check the manual for the product and program intended for your machine, and have both at hand.
2. Take out the filter: If the machine has a water filter, take it out for descaling if the manual says so.
3. Mix the descaler and start the program: Dissolve the product in the amount of water given on the pack and start the descaling program. Allow some time, because the program takes a while.
4. Rinse thoroughly: Rinse the tank and pipes with clean water until no descaler is left in the system, as described in the manual. For filter machines, Melitta specifies two runs with fresh water.
5. Check the first cup: Brew a coffee and pour it away if it tastes of descaler.

Water filter and descaler

• Water filter: A filter lengthens the time between descales but does not replace them. Manufacturer information says that with a filter you need to descale about half as often. Change the filter after descaling if the manual recommends it.
• Product: Use the product named in the manual. Philips expressly advises against vinegar and recommends only its own descalers, Jura calls for its own tablets. For filter machines, Melitta advises against products containing acetic, hydrochloric or sulfuric acid.

Cleaning regularly

Descaling alone is not enough, because coffee oils and milk residue stick as well.

• Basket and portafilter: Rinse both with water after use and clean the shower screen in the group head when coffee residue collects there.
• Steam wand: Wipe it after every frothing and release a little steam so no milk dries in the nozzle.
• Tank and drip tray: Empty the drip tray regularly and rinse it along with the water tank. Fresh water instead of standing water is good for the machine and the taste.
• Automatic machine: You clean the brew unit and the milk system with the programs the machine offers. It shows you when they are due.
• Filter machine: Rinse the jug and filter holder after every use and wipe the area around the filter so no coffee residue sets.
• Pod and capsule machine: Empty the used capsule container and the drip tray regularly and rinse the water tank.

Backflush only if your machine can

Backflushing cleans the group head with a blind basket and only works on portafilter machines with a three-way valve. Manufacturers see it differently: the Rancilio Silvia manual advises against it, while on other machines it is part of regular care. On filter, pod and capsule machines it does not apply.

There is no single rule for the rhythm either. Retailers recommend anything from regular water backflushing to occasional backflushing with detergent. Follow your machine's manual.

Wear parts

Some parts you replace instead of cleaning.

• Group head gasket: It turns hard, cracked or compressed. If water leaks beside the portafilter, the gasket is the first suspect.
• Water filter: Change it as often as the manufacturer says. Many automatic machines remind you.

Before you sell

A clean, descaled machine makes a better impression at a viewing and shows that it was looked after. Add the manual if you have it. When you are ready, you can list your machine right away.

Frequently asked questions

Looking for a machine that has already been looked after? Browse the listings, preferably with a cup in hand.