Coffee machine descaler
Why descale your coffee machine?
A coffee machine descaler dissolves the limescale that tap water leaves in your coffee machine. Left alone, it slows the machine down and affects the taste. Here you'll find universal descaler as a liquid and as powder, and Café du Jour descaling powder and tablets.
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Descaling regularly keeps the heating element working properly, the brewing time steady and the coffee tasting as it should. A machine that is never descaled heats less well and can break down sooner.
Coffee machine descalers in this category
- Bottle Descaler 500 ml: universal liquid descaler, enough for 4 descaling sessions
- Bag of descaling powder: universal powder for 1 descaling session
- Café du Jour Descaler 4x50 g: descaling powder, 4 x 50 g
- Café du Jour Descaler 1 x 50 g: a single portion of descaling powder
- Café du Jour Descaling tablets: 6 tablets
Liquid, powder or tablets?
All three do the same job; the difference is in how you dose and store them.
Liquid descaler
Liquid descaler goes straight into the water tank, mixed with water as the label describes. It's quick to use and suits most machines. The 500 ml bottle covers four sessions.
Descaling powder
Powder is dissolved in water first. The powder comes in portions: a single bag, a 1 x 50 g pack, or 4 x 50 g if you descale more often. The small packs are handy if you only descale now and then or want to try it first.
Descaling tablets for coffee machines
Tablets are the easiest to dose and store: drop them in the water tank, let them dissolve, and start the descaling programme.
Which descaler suits your machine?
The universal descalers here are not tied to one machine brand. Before you start, check your machine's manual: some manufacturers prescribe their own descaler or a specific amount, and it's wise to follow that. Have a De'Longhi? See also De'Longhi descaler. All our descalers are listed under descaler.
How often should you descale?
That depends on how often you use the machine and how hard your water is. Many machines show a light or message when it's time. If yours doesn't, follow the interval in the manual, and descale more often if you live in a hard-water area.
Why not vinegar?
Vinegar can seem an easy solution, but it isn't recommended for coffee machines. It can attack seals and other internal parts, and the smell is hard to rinse out, so your next cups can taste of it. A descaler made for coffee machines is the safer choice.
How to descale a coffee machine, step by step
Every machine is slightly different, so your manual comes first. In general it works like this:
- Remove the coffee, pod or capsule and empty the drip tray.
- Dissolve the descaler in water as the pack describes, or put the tablets in the water tank.
- Fill the water tank with the descaling solution.
- Start the descaling programme. If your machine doesn't have one, run the solution through without coffee.
- Let the programme finish completely.
- Rinse the water tank and fill it with fresh water.
- Run one or two full tanks of clean water through the machine to remove all traces of descaler.
- Brew a first cup with your usual coffee and your machine is ready.
Tips for less limescale
- Use filtered water: a water filter reduces limescale before it reaches the machine. It doesn't replace descaling, but it means you need to do it less often.
- Clean the brewing system as well, with special cleaning products for espresso machines or coffee machine cleaning tablets.
- Store descaler somewhere dry at room temperature.