Descaling of Espresso coffee machines
We have already seen in ours BLOG how cleaning the coffee machine is essential for obtaining an excellent Espresso but also for reasons related to hygiene and safety!
In this article we will see how to descale our Espresso machine is really important from the point of view offinal extraction, from the maintenance of the coffee machine and last but not least for thehygiene of the apparatuses used to obtain an excellent Espresso coffee, such as the tank of our machine and all the internal and more hidden parts that could, due to limescale, generate harmful bacteria not only for the final aroma of our coffee but also and above all harmful to our health; obviously, the information you will find in this article will also apply to the descaling of any Nespresso *, Lavazza * or Espresso machines of other brands.
We analyze below the 3 reasons mentioned above, so that we can subsequently proceed with the detail relating to the descaling of the coffee machine.
Maintenance of the Espresso coffee machine
Good maintenance and therefore a recurring cleaning of all equipment, including accessories, will allow our Espresso machine to have a much longer life compared to "no care" or neglect of cleaning the machine itself, including descaling.
There are many times now that we have assisted and supported customers with various problems with their Espresso coffee machine, mainly and too often due to the limescale that had formed inside the machine!
With regard to the limescale that could form inside our Espresso machine, we always recommend the use of natural or softened water (that of purifiers to be clear), since the minerals present in the tap water increase a lot. the possibility that limescale deposits inside our Espresso machine causing it to collapse; this is why we recommend that you periodically descale the coffee machine.
Finally, remember that you can always check the degree of limescale (the hardness of your water) with special accessories, which can also be sold on Amazon, which will allow you to evaluate a more or less "close" periodicity for the descaling of your Espresso machine; in any case, we always recommend descaling every 3/4 months for good maintenance.
The hygiene and safety of our Espresso machine
Well yes, when we talk about cleaning and descaling the coffee machine we are also talking about HYGIENE! Someone will ask, why?
Simple, the reasons are various but always attributable to a possible formation of bacteria, molds and bad odors, which could form inside our equipment (boiler, resistance, dispenser group, vaporizer, drip tray, etc.) if we do not keep the machine and all its accessories clean, including limescale control!
This is the second fundamental reason why we proceed with a periodic descaling of the Espresso machine.
A correct extraction of our Espresso
I guess you already understand the rationale for this paragraph:
- cleaning and descaling of the Espresso coffee machine is FUNDAMENTAL for maintaining an aroma that is as natural and uncontaminated as possible!
Think for a moment of a dirty machine, with residues of various kinds and a consistent presence of limescale inside: do you think it will ever be able to respect the original taste and flavor of your freshly ground coffee? NO!! So get busy and periodically schedule the cleaning and descaling of your Espresso machine.
The steps to descale the coffee machine!
Usually the steps are quite simple and must be supplemented by the instructions contained in your coffee machine:
- the tank is filled with clean water, leaving enough space for the insertion of our descaler
- insert our liquid (acid) or powder into the tank with water and proceed with the "descaling / cleaning" program that we will find in our "user manual" of the coffee machine.
- once the machine and all its equipment have been completely rinsed with our acid liquid, including (if present) the pannarello (vaporizer), we will have to proceed with a final rinse!
- The final rinse consists in emptying the tank containing anti-limescale residues and the subsequent filling with pure water for the final rinse; we usually do it for at least 2 times, rinsing the tank of the Espresso machine very well.
Which product to use for the descaling of our Espresso coffee machine?
By now, depending on the brand of the coffee machine purchased, we find on the market various types of descaling liquid suitable for cleaning Espresso machines; with great satisfaction we easily find at excellent prices and highly effective, even completely natural organic products, certainly ideal for leaving chemical residues inside our coffee machine.
Now that we have covered all the most important steps concerning the descaling of an Espresso coffee machine, we can run and polish ours with cloths and descaler !!
Coffee Code
* the Nespresso and Lavazza brands are not owned by Kanuni Coffee