Coffee machine cleaning tablets

Cleaning tablets or descaling tablets?

These are two different jobs. Cleaning tablets dissolve coffee oils and residue in the brewing unit and the coffee path. Limescale builds up on the water side of the machine and needs a descaler. Most bean-to-cup machines ask for both, each with its own programme, and one product doesn't replace the other. For limescale, see our descalers; the Café du Jour descaling tablets for coffee machines are listed in this category too.

Which tablet fits your machine?

What matters most is the size. The tablet has to fit the compartment or brewing unit, and the cleaning programme has to dissolve it completely. Your manual states which tablet the manufacturer uses. Most machines take a tablet of about 2.5 g; some need a smaller one of 1 g or 1.5 g.

• 2.5 g: Café du Jour Cleaning Tablet 2.5 g, Clean Express (60 tablets) and Cafetto Tevo Maxi (150 tablets)
• 1.5 g: Cafetto Tevo mini (100 tablets)
• 1 g: Café du Jour Cleaning Tablet 1 g and Clean Express (100 tablets)
• Two-phase: Scanpart 2-Phase Cleaning Tablets (40 tablets)

Espresso machine cleaning without tablets

A traditional espresso machine has no automatic cleaning programme with a tablet. Instead, you backflush the group head with a blind filter and a cleaning powder such as Cafetto EVO (500 g). Check in your manual whether your machine is suitable for backflushing.

How to use a cleaning tablet

1. Empty the drip tray and the grounds container, and fill the water tank.
2. Start the cleaning programme from the menu, or when the machine asks for it.
3. Put the tablet where the machine tells you: in the brewing unit or in the chute for ground coffee.
4. Let the programme run to the end without interrupting it. It dissolves the tablet and rinses everything with clean water.
5. Empty the drip tray again.

Signs your machine needs cleaning

Don't wait for the prompt if you notice any of these: the coffee tastes flat or more bitter than usual, the crema is thinner, or you see a brown, greasy film on the brewing unit. Old coffee oils turn rancid, and you taste that in every cup.

How often?

Follow the prompt on your machine or the advice in the manual. As a rule of thumb, clean every one to three months; a machine that makes many cups a day, for example in an office, needs it more often. If your brewing unit is removable, also rinse it every week under lukewarm water and let it dry before you put it back.

What not to use

Don't use vinegar or household cleaners in a coffee machine. They can damage seals and internal parts, and leave a taste in your coffee. Stick to cleaning tablets and powders made for coffee machines.