Regular cleaning and maintenance are essential for the proper functioning of any coffee machine. In addition, with the advancement of technology in coffee pod machines, frequent descaling is essential to maintain the quality of the coffee extracted and extend the machine’s life.
If you have noticed a strange taste in your coffee, it is probably time to descale your coffee machine. The water we use is responsible for building limescale in the internal circuit, for bad tastes and some breakdowns.
Why should you descale your coffee machine?
If you use tap water in your coffee pod machine, limescale is likely to build up more quickly than it would if you were bottled water. This tap water will therefore cause the coffee machine to deteriorate more quickly.
It is advisable always to use bottled or filtered water to reduce the build-up of limescale in the machine, as this type of water has fewer minerals and sediment.
Most coffee pod machines today will illuminate a light to indicate that it is time for descaling, although there are more basic coffee machines that do not have this light.
Suppose your coffee machine does not tell you when descaling is necessary. Most manufacturers recommend descaling approximately every 300 coffees if tap water is used, while mineral water can be descaled every 600 coffees.
Here is the meaning of the lights on the buttons of the main coffee pod machines brands on the market:
When should you descale your coffee pod machine?
In addition to the warning lights, there are other indicators to help you know when to descale your coffee machine:
- Changes in water temperature.
- Total or partial clogging caused by limescale.
- Every three months, if you use more than three coffee pods per day.
If your coffee machine has a water filter in the tank, it is also important to consider changing it periodically, approximately every two months. This improves the water quality and reduces the amount of limescale in the coffee pod machine, prolonging its life and improving the taste of the coffee.
Steps to descale a coffee pod machine
Descaling systems vary slightly from one capsule coffee machine to another, but generally, it is a simple and very similar process.
There are also different descaling kits on the market with instructions for each specific brand, so you must read the directions for using the product you have purchased.
- First, it is important to check that there are no coffee capsules in the machine. You should also empty the used pod container if your machine has one.
- Then fill the water tank with the descaling liquid (according to the descaler manufacturer’s instructions).
- In the third step, you must place a container, just as if you were placing a cup to serve your coffee, to collect the water with impurities that your coffee maker will expel during the process.
- Afterwards, start the coffee maker in descaling mode. This process depends on the model of coffee maker you have, so it is advisable to check the machine’s instruction manual. This process is usually activated by pressing the brew button for a couple of seconds.
- Finally, let the container fill until the empty water tank is and repeat this process 2 to 3 times.
- At the end of the process, you should carefully clean the water tank using soapy water. In this way, you ensure that there are no remains of the descaling product in the coffee machine.
As you can see, the process of descaling your coffee pod machine is simple, thanks to the kits with all the necessary tools. However, it is important always to use approved kits and not homemade alternatives such as vinegar, as this can affect the performance of your coffee machine.
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