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Nespresso® machines are nifty appliances, always there to provide a quick and easy coffee. It is a give and take relationship, though. It provides the quality coffee we require, but we also need to take care of it to retain that quality. This is where descaling your machine comes in.
Care comes in the form of descaling and cleaning. Descaling is crucial in removing the build-up of calcium and magnesium deposits that form limescale on the heating element and thermoblock in your machine.
Calcium and magnesium deposits come from the minerals in your tap water. The “harder” the water, the more minerals present. Each brew with your Nespresso® machine causes the deposits to accumulate and develop limescale.
Accumulation of limescale on your machine’s heating components prevents them from heating the water to its optimal temperature, resulting in cold, poor-tasting coffee.
Certain machines such as the Nespresso® Lattissima, and VertuoPlus inform you when to descale. On the Lattissima an orange light on the button will alert you, and the VertuoPlus will shine half green, half orange.
It’s okay If your machine does not alert you. Most manufacturers recommend that you descale your machine every 3-6 months to keep the heating components in tip-top condition. The recommended usage also depends on the water hardness in your area.
You can find out if your water is hard with a simple and easy DIY test. You will need a clean and clear empty bottle with a cap, and some pure liquid soap.
Fill the bottle one-third full of tap water, add a few drops of liquid soap and shake well for a few seconds. If there is a lack of foamy bubbles and the water appears cloudy and/or milky, your water is likely hard.
First check your machine manufacturer’s instruction manual for descaling and rinsing procedures.
The recent global developments and the ongoing pandemic we find ourselves in have made one thing clear: Daily cleaning routines are now more important than ever. This applies to many areas of your life, and your kitchen and household appliances like your coffee machine should be included. After all, you use it on a daily basis and want to ensure you drink germ-free fresh coffee.
If you want to enjoy your next cup of coffee, you need daily cleaning routines to keep your equipment clean. Unfortunately, very often the wrong cleaners are used. Incorrect detergents and soaps leave residues, odours and deposits that should have no place in your next coffee or tea.
Should you have been made to believe that hot water and a bit of vinegar will do the trick, you are unfortunately on the wrong track. There is a reason we use soap to wash our hands. And a detergent when washing dishes. The detergent part is needed to break down oils and remove bacteria and germs from your hands, dishes, and your coffee machine needs this too.
The same applies for removing mineral and calcium deposits (the white stuff you see in your kettle). You need an acidic solution to break down the residue. Decalcifying your espresso machine just with vinegar isn’t effective enough and can leave a bad vinegar smell. Vinegar and coffee? Not recommended!
To make it easy for you, we wrote a guide on the best way to clean your coffee equipment, simply find your coffee machine type below. “I regret cleaning my coffee machine”, said no one ever, we promise! And protecting yourself and your favourite beverage has never been more important.
Here is your guide on the most popular coffee machines and how to clean them correctly…
Don’t think that your coffee machine will clean itself when you flush it out with water. Hot water alone does not break down coffee oils. Machines such as Nespresso®, Lavazza A Modo Mio®, Caffitaly® require two food safe cleaning processes:
Firstly, run a Caffenu® cleaning capsule at least once a month through your machine to properly clean the machine’s coffee brewing chamber and rest of the front end. Tip: Use the cleaning solution afterwards to soak your drip tray and capsule basket, works like a charm!
Secondly, descaling. The Caffenu® Eco Descaler cleans the back end of the coffee machine’s internals, removing harmful calcium, lime scale and mineral build up. The Eco descaler also has a natural antibacterial action to give a hygienic clean. Your machine will thank you with hotter coffee, too! Descale every 3 months or when descaling light comes on. For generic usage instructions on how to descale, see here.
Bean to cup machines require two cleaning processes, cleaning with tablets and descaling.
Step 1: The Caffenu® cleaning tablets, specifically the retail blister pack is perfect for home use to remove dirty old oils and odours and should be used at least once a month.
For detailed instructions on how to use the cleaning tablets in your machine, see here.
Step 2: The Caffenu® Eco Descaler removes lime scale and should be used according to the user manual instructions supplied by your machine’s manufacturer.
Descale every 3 months or when descaling light comes on. For generic usage instructions on how to descale, see here.
Optional Step 3: If your coffee machine also has a steam wand, clean it with a milk system cleaner.
The milk system cleaner removes sour milk residues and also sanitizes your equipment. Find more info on how to clean here.
Step 1 & Step 2: To clean bigger machines, you should use the appropriate size Caffenu® cleaning tablets in a jar, along with the Caffenu milk system cleaner to thoroughly clean the machine, and remove bitter tannins, coffee residues and oils. The tablets should be used once a week if you use your machine a lot or at least once a month. This will keep your machine clean and prevent misfunction but more importantly provide great coffee.
For detailed instructions on how to use the cleaning tablets in your machine, see here. The milk system cleaner should be used regularly (at least weekly) to prevent milk blockages and ensure hygienic milk circuits. General instructions on how to clean your automatic one touch milk circuit can be found here.
Step 3: Any coffee machine/hot water appliance needs descaling so be sure to familiarise yourself with the Caffenu® Eco Descaler.
Don’t worry though, descaling is only required every 3 months or so. However, please be aware that not every machine have a descaling light to alert you, so be sure to descale anyway!
Cleaning your commercial coffee machine requires the Caffenu® Cleaning Powder. The fast-acting, concentrated formula ensures removal of old coffee oils, build up and bitter tannins from your machine’s group heads, lines and valves. It is also ideal for soaking removable parts like portafilters, filter baskets and shower screens. The powder is great to use in your daily backflush cleaning routine.
The Caffenu Group Head Cleaning Brush is a multi-functional tool designed with an ergonomic handle and unique water deflector fins which keep your hand safe from hot water while cleaning your group head, shower screen and group seal. It also has an integrated measuring spoon for easy and convenient dosing of cleaning powder.
Take your milk jug/pitcher, and mix milk system cleaner at a 1 to 10 ratio with water in jug. Eg. if jug can hold 500 ml, pour 50 ml of milk cleaner into jug and fill the rest of the jug with warm water. Operate steam wand several times in jug filled with solution, then let steam wand and any other milk accessories you’d like to clean sit inside jug with solution for about 20min. Take steam wand out of jug and wipe down with a damp cloth. Then thoroughly rinse jug and other accessories and fill with clean water. To rinse, operate steam wand in clean water several times. This will ensure your one-way valve stays clean, protecting your boiler and getting rid of milk deposits inside steam wands which can cause blockages. The milk system cleaner also contains a sanitizer for a hygienic clean.
A customer returned their Nespresso ® coffee machine to our offices last week, a CitiZ Nespresso ® machine. He said there was poor flow, the machine was dripping and the coffee had a funny taste. It was all together not a good coffee experience.
Once our technicians opened up the coffee machine, we could tell the customer exactly why. Look at how much dirt and build-up is in this Nespresso ® coffee machine. You can see residue from coffee oils, and tea as well. The worst thing though is what you don´t see: the bacteria that sits on there which can cause serious health issues if you are still drinking the coffee.
The Caffenu® Cleaning Capsule was specifically developed to keep your machine in good shape. The specifically formulated foaming agent is released directly inside the brewing chamber and nozzle of your machine, flushing out dirt, bacteria and old coffee residue. It goes into inaccessible areas that cannot be cleaned by your usual cleaning procedure, not even by descaling your machine.
If you take good care of the equipment, the equipment will take good care of you by giving you the coffee experience you deserve. You also increase the lifespan of your machine by cleaning it regularly, so you can drink delicious coffee for longer!
Here is to clean and fresh coffee! Clean your machine.
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