cleaning Archives

Valentine’s Day is here, and there’s no doubt you are showering those closest to you with love and appreciation! But what about your coffee machine? If you love your coffee machine, you need to show it. But how can you do that? It’s not like it would enjoy a hug.

Cleaning your coffee machine and equipment is essential for keeping your machine in top performance, as well as the taste of the coffee.

Descaling your coffee machine every 3 – 6 months with the Caffenu liquid descaler will help with removing limescale, calcium, and rust build-up from your coffee machine’s heating element & pipes, which will not only improve your coffee’s taste & temperature but will also enhance its performance as well as extend its lifespan!

Check out our reseller page to see where you can find Caffenu products in your area! And remember, love your machine, and it will love you back! ❤

You may have a coffee obsession and want to buy a coffee machine, but you’re not sure where to begin or what to look out for. Because let’s face it, there are hundreds of coffee machine types on the market.

Before you decide to buy a coffee machine, consider a few factors that will determine whether the coffee maker will fulfil your actual needs. Coffee machines are used by certain coffee drinkers to brew coffee at home, at work, at restaurants, and in cafés. Furthermore, whatever you intend to use your coffee machine for, you need to ensure that it meets your expectations.

1. Type of Machine

Coffee enthusiasts can choose from a variety of coffee machines, each with its own set of features and functionality:

Capsule Coffee Machine – The ultimate convenience to make professional coffee at home within seconds. Simply insert a coffee pod, enjoy. This is perfect for convenience coffee lovers who want a good cup on the go.

Bean To Cup – A bean to cup machine grinds beans fresh to preserve the flavour of oils in the beans. Perfect for office settings where 5 or more people make coffee at the same time.

Manual Espresso – Looking to get more involved in actual coffee making with a professional taste? Then you should try a manual Espresso machine. Once you’ve mastered the skills, you’ll be able to make coffee exactly to your liking.

Filter Coffee – An affordable and reliable coffee maker that allows you to brew a large pot of coffee at once. All you need are your favourite coffee grounds and some cold water to make a wonderful cup of coffee.

2. Capacity & Speed

You should think about how many individuals the coffee maker will serve as well as how many cups it can brew. You’ll need a machine with a huge capacity if you plan on serving a significant number of individuals, however if you’re buying one for your home, you’ll require something much smaller. Consider a capsule or vending machine if you need a machine that brews quickly.

3. Maintenance

When it comes to determining which machine to buy, maintenance is crucial. You should be aware that you will need to clean your machine on a daily basis in order for it to last. The longevity and functionality of your coffee machine are determined by how well you maintain it. Varied machines have different requirements when it comes to maintenance. You’ll need to commit to daily cleaning and more intensive cleaning on occasion if you want to keep enjoying a superb cup of coffee.

4. Material & Quality

Convenience and user friendliness are usually at the top of the list when looking for a new coffee maker, and understandably so, but it’s also critical that the coffee machine is safe to use. To determine whether a coffee machine is safe to use look for one that has a BPA-Free label on it. Coffee machines with plastic material inside are dangerous, when this plastic comes into contact with hot liquids it releases a chemical known as BPA which is harmful to your health.

When purchasing a coffee machine, make sure it is convenient, safe to use, and easy to operate. A coffee machine that checks all of those criteria is dependable and capable of producing nearly any coffee beverage. How can you know if a coffee maker is worthwhile? Simply said, the finest machine to buy is one that is simple to use, does not endanger your health or safety, and comes with a guarantee, maintenance, and repair in the event it malfunctions.

Cleaning and maintaining your coffee equipment is as important as the coffee you buy when it comes to fresh quality coffee. Some cleaning products are simply a non-negotiable if you want to look after your equipment properly. We had a look at the Top 4 most popular Caffenu coffee machine cleaning products and will tell you below exactly how to use them and on which coffee machine they can and should be used on. Here’s to cleaning your coffee machine and enjoying fresher coffee!

The Top 4 Most Popular Caffenu cleaning products for coffee machines are

1. Eco Descaler:

The Descaler can be used on any coffee machine, kettle, and urn. It is probably the most important first step which any coffee machine requires so that limescale and mineral build-up does not lead to cold coffee, and machine blockage. Descale at least every 2-4 months depending on water hardness in your area.

Always consult your manufacturer’s instructions for descaling and rinsing procedures, first. General instructions below.

Avoid splashing descaler on acid intolerant surfaces such as marble, silver, and limestone. Check out this cool video below on how to use the Caffenu® Eco Descaler.

2. Cleaning Capsules:

The Caffenu cleaning capsule cleans the brewing chamber and spout of your machine in just 2 minutes. It removes residue and build-up from inaccessible areas. Here at Caffenu we have a wide range of Cleaning capsules. Take a look at the range of Caffenu cleaning capsules. See below for instructions on how to use most cleaning capsules.

Below is a cool video showing you how to use our Nespresso compatible cleaning capsule.

3. Cleaning Tablets:

The Caffenu cleaning tablets remove dirty coffee oils, odours and bitter tannins found inside brewing units, pots, and filters. They are suitable to be used on Fully Automatic, Espresso, and Filter coffee machines.

4. Cleaning Powder:

The Caffenu cleaning powder removes dirty coffee oils, odours and bitter tannins from your group heads, lines, and valves. Suitable for all Manual and Semi-Automatic Espresso Machines.

Place 1 teaspoon (3-5 g) of cleaning powder in the blind filter. Start brew cycle for 10 seconds, then stop for 10 seconds. Repeat the procedure 5 times. Remove portafilter and start brew cycle, rinse portafilter with water from group head. Re-insert portafilter without the powder and conduct flushing procedure. Make and discard the first cup of Espresso.

Dissolve 2 teaspoons (8-10 g) of cleaning powder per 1 litre of how water in a suitable container. Place objects to clean in solution for 20 minutes, ensure parts are clean. Rinse with fresh water thoroughly.

Check this short video on How to clean commercial machines with Caffenu Cleaning Powder.

When brewing a Nespresso® coffee, you should expect to taste some sweetness, acidity, pleasing body, and, of course, freshness with a pleasant aftertaste. One thing you should not expect is a foul, bitter taste. This is not to say there isn’t any bitter profile at all; however, an overwhelming bitterness should never be welcome in a cup. So, here’s why your Nespresso® coffee is tasting bitter.

What causes the bitterness in your Nespresso® coffee?

Nespresso® machines build up coffee oil residue with each coffee capsule that is brewed. These build-ups accumulate in the brewing chamber, spout, and washer plate of the machine (the front-end). The growth of bacteria due to the build-up and moisture is also possible.

The accumulation eventually ends up becoming part of your brew, giving you a bad, bitter-tasting coffee. This may cause alarm bells to sound (it rightfully should), but there is a trick: you can rid your Nespresso® machine of these build-ups.

Reclaim the perfect-tasting coffee

The best way to clean the front-end of your Nespresso® machine is by flushing the residue and dirt out. A thorough cleaning can be achieved with a cleaning capsule, which releases a powerful foaming agent to work through the brewing chamber, spout, and washer plate.

Using a Caffenu® cleaning capsule is as easy as using a coffee capsule, and you get to see how the cleaning capsule expels the muck which has built up in your machine (see video below). Once cleansed, you will not only have a clean, bacteria-free Nespresso® machine; most importantly, you will get to enjoy an improved coffee taste minus the foul bitterness.

Coffee is an integral part of life! To enjoy coffee, we also need the essential coffee machine. In order to keep your coffee fresh, it is important to keep your coffee maker clean. Whether you have a semi-automatic commercial espresso machine in your coffee shop, or a capsule coffee machine at home. Here is how you can tell exactly what cleaning your coffee machine needs.

All coffee machines, household and commercial, need maintenance to ensure optimal performance, and the perfect cup of coffee. It can, however, be tiresome figuring out how to best maintain and clean your machine, especially with there being so many different machines on the market.

Let us cover some of the coffee machines, their components, and how you can clean them. The easiest is to look at the individual components that your coffee machine has, and clean those accordingly.

If your machine uses coffee capsules/pods:

Let’s start off with the capsule coffee machine. If your machine uses coffee capsules/pods, you will need to clean the brewing chamber, spout, and washer plate of the machine. This can be done by using a cleaning capsule. Using the cleaning capsule is simple yet effective.

If your machine has a water tank:

You will require a descaler to remove lime scale and calcium deposits from the internal heating components, such as the thermo block and element. The build-up of deposits occurs over time and due to the water used and can hinder the performance of your machine.

If your machine has a steam wand, milk circuit, or any additional dairy equipment:

If your coffee machine has a pre-ground filter chute (General espresso or bean to cup machines):

You will require a cleaning tablet to remove the dirty coffee oils, residues, odours, and bitter tannins that build up in brewing units, pots, and filters. Through the tablets’ cleaning and degreasing capabilities, you can effectively clean your machine, and prolong its life span.

If your machine has a group head/s (Manual and Semi-Automatic commercial espresso machines):

Espresso machines and their group heads need a concentrated cleaning powder to effectively remove old, unwanted coffee oils, odours and tannins from the group heads, lines, and valves. The powder can be used for a routine group head backflush cleaning, and to clean filters, trays, and other additional equipment.

The 7th of April celebrates World Health Day. In saying that, I think we can agree that our state of health has never been more important. So, today is a good reminder to be aware of the potential impacts a dirty coffee machine could have on your health. We want to educate you around ways to avoid those. Having a coffee machine certainly has its benefits but did you know that it can have negative effects on your health when not cleaned properly?

There’s extensive research around bacteria and germs that live inside coffee machines when they we don’t clean them regularly. A study done on nine Nespresso® machines and Krups® revealed that bacteria can thrive in the coffee machines’ drip tray and spread to the rest of the machine as they multiply due the moisture. Research revealed that up to 67 variants of bacteria can be present in a machine. Among them, are a few with pathogenic properties which are of concern for the human health.

One of the common bacteria found in the coffee machines was Pseudomonas, a variant which tends to live in damp areas and can be harmful, causing infection in those with weakened immune systems. The other variant frequently found in the machines was a bacterium known as Enterococcus. It can cause urinary tract infections, certain digestive issues, and other infections in those with compromised immune systems.

Mould and yeast are also known to develop and thrive on the inside of coffee machines. Here are the results of a swab test which was done on the inside of a Nespresso® machine. The results were quite astonishing but also came as no surprise. A wet and warm environment such as the inside of a coffee machine is prone to be affected by possibly harmful germs as bacteria thrive in dark, moist places. But here is the good news, there is ways to ensure you are only drinking coffee with your next cup. Simply keep your coffee machine clean.

Here is the answer to great coffee and good health

The simple answer to fresh coffee is regular cleaning. Frequently cleaning components such as the drip tray, and if present capsule or bean/filter basket is essential. Additionally, the machine’s internal components such as the brewing chamber, washer plate, and spout should also receive a thorough cleaning.

If you own a capsule coffee machine such as Nespresso®, cleaning the latter can be done with the use of a Caffenu cleaning capsule which cleans the internals of the machine and flushes out old coffee and bacteria with its unique foaming action. The drip tray and capsule basket can also be cleaned in the cleaning capsules’ solution, like this. These are vital steps to keeping your machine and its components clean.

If you have a bean to cup or commercial group machine, you can use a cleaning tablet to get into the inside of your machine.

Take care of your health by taking care of your machine. You will definitely get satisfaction by knowing you are getting a fresh cup of coffee minus all the germs. True coffee appreciation and good health all starts with making coffee in a clean coffee machine.

We know that the Caffenu® cleaning capsule removes old oils, tannins and odors out of the brewing chamber of your Nespresso® coffee machine.

Isn’t it just bicarbonate of soda also known as baking soda?

The capsule contains a food safe product formulation which is specifically designed for the coffee industry. It comprises of 3 main ingredients that make a unique blend to clean your machine with the best possible results.

The first ingredient is sodium carbonate which is in fact a similar ingredient to bicarbonate of soda, but sodium carbonate has twice the sodium than bicarbonate of soda. It also has weak disinfectant properties and it is an effective fungicide against some organisms. It is also a great odor remover and works as a mechanical cleanser.

The second main ingredient is our oxygen based bleaching agent. This ingredient gives the Caffenu® product the unique foaming action as well as its powerful dirt and residue lifting power. This ingredient makes sure that inaccessible areas in your machine are cleaned properly.

The third main ingredient is the surfactant – this in simple terms is the detergent part of the ingredients. It allows the oils to mix with water which usually do not mix. And works to break down the surface tension of the water.

All of the ingredients lend to each other to make the unique Caffenu® product. Its superior formula allows to remove all oils, bitter tannins, build-up and odors that collect in your coffee machine which can affect the taste of your coffee, your health and the longevity of your machine. Pure bicarbonate of soda could never achieve these results.

All of the raw ingredients inside the Caffenu® cleaning capsule are naturally biodegradable and do not leave any residue in your Nespresso® machine after cleaning, which makes it 100% safe to use. So enjoy your coffee, now fresher than ever before.

Do Nespresso® machines need cleaning? The answer is, YES, on a regular basis. Just like commercial and industrial machines, Nespresso® coffee machines collect odour, tannins and old coffee oils that get stuck in the brewing chamber of the machines. Every time you make a coffee, it leaves residue behind which hardens, and is a real feast for any bacteria. If you don’t remove this residue, it leads to blockage of the machine, bitter tasting coffee, and can also be a health risk. See more studies here.

But I descale my machine

That is great, and necessary, but descaling and cleaning are two completely different things and require different cleaning agents. Usually for descaling a very safe and healthy acid is used but a CLEANER requires a detergent.

A descaler enters your machine through the water tank, the back, and removes lime scale and calcium build-up from the boiler and the pipes. Descaling does not reach inaccessible areas in the BREWING chamber, and therefor is not a solution to blocked chambers and high bacteria levels on the nozzle and washer plate (basically where your coffee is brewed).

The Caffenu® cleaning capsule contains a unique foaming agent that foams up inside the brewing chamber, and binds dirty residue, oil and bacteria in those impossible to reach areas. With the rinsing process it flushes out all the things you don’t want in your next coffee, leaving you with better tasting coffee and a clean machine. More information on what exactly is being cleaned here.

But I don’t use my machine that often

Dormant machines are a perfect playground for any type of bacteria. The coffee oils have plenty of time to harden inside the brewing chamber. If you have not used your machine in a while, do yourself a favour, and clean it with the capsule before you make your next coffee.

But my machine is brand new

That is great. Please keep it that way. The best time to start using the Caffenu® cleaning capsule is now, right after you bought the machine. Simply use a capsule after every thirty cups of coffee made and your machine will stay as good as new because you are not giving the machine a chance to build up blockages inside the brewing chamber, the pump can function properly, increasing the machine’s life span tremendously right from the get go.

But a chemical is not safe and will leave aftertaste

Your health and safety is our utmost priority, so you will be glad to hear that the agent inside the Caffenu® cleaning capsule is made from food grade, organic, and readily biodegradable ingredients commonly found in most detergents (check the ingredients here). It completely dissolves after you have carried out the cleaning cycle. If you check your capsule after use, you will see that it is completely empty, and no traces of the cleaning agent will be found inside your machine, so no aftertaste is possible. The only thing you will gain is fresh better tasting coffee.

But plastic coffee capsules will melt in my machine

The truth is, they don’t. We have tested this about a million times by now. Our Caffenu® cleaning capsules are made from a food grade BPA free material, the melting point of which is above 230 degrees Celsius. The water temperature of a Nespresso® machine typically reaches 75-80 degrees Celsius, not even close to the melting point or the softening point of our cleaning capsules. Please also remember that a cleaning capsule is inherently different to a coffee capsule. Compared to coffee capsules, our cleaning capsule contains a soluble agent, which creates much less pressure build-up than regular coffee capsules. This leads to high performance in all Nespresso® machines. Slight deformation of the capsule may occur from time to time which is perfectly normal. This is due to high pressure within the brewing chamber of up to 19 bar. However nothing is ‘melting’ and this does not affect the effectiveness of the cleaning product.

Nespresso® only sells descaler, so I don’t need a capsule to clean my machine

Nespresso® solely specializes in coffee capsules. You may have noticed that the Nespresso® doesn’t manufacture their own descaler, the descaler is manufactured by De Longhi, and so are most Nespresso® coffee machines. The pure fact that Nespresso® doesn’t have a cleaning capsule, does not mean, it is not a great product to use.

In short: the Caffenu® cleaning capsule was specifically developed to improve Nespresso® machines, and not to damage them. Most machine break downs come from blockages. The Caffenu® cleaning capsule removes those blockages, so it generally improves the life span of Nespresso® coffee machines.

How do I use the Caffenu® cleaning capsule?

Caffenu original formula cleaning capsules for nespresso original line coffee machines product display

The Caffenu® cleaning capsule is inserted into the brewing chamber of the Nespresso® coffee machine, just like a coffee capsule. At the press of a button, the capsule releases a unique foaming agent that gets rid of all coffee oils, odours, tannins, and bacteria in just 2 minutes. It removes dirty residue from impossible to reach areas. Once the capsule is removed, press the large button twice to rinse the machine with water and voila: your machine is clean and your next coffee will be fresh.

Caffenu® developed the world’s first capsule that cleans the brewing chamber of Nespresso® coffee machines. Because of its unique foaming action, the capsule cleans where a descaler can’t reach, and has brought coffee pod machine cleaning to an entirely new level. The results are fresh, and better tasting coffee, and extended life span of the machine.

Caffenu® now has a footprint in over 32 countries, the most successful regions being:

The large success of the Caffenu® cleaning capsule proves that coffee lovers all around the world want to take care of their beloved equipment, and they do not want to compromise on taste. By cleaning your machine with Caffenu®, you always make sure that you get the freshest, best-tasting coffee possible.

If you are interested in distributing or selling our innovative products in your country or region, please contact us.

The Caffenu® Team is looking forward to even more success in 2017! We wish all of you a wonderful holiday season over December!