how to descale delonghi espresso machine

How to Descale DeLonghi Espresso Machine: A Step-By-Step Guide

Here’s a fun fact: if you love your De’Longhi espresso machine and you want to keep it running smoothly, regular maintenance is a must.

But cleaning your espresso machine should be no more than a simple walk in the park. And we’ll show you exactly how to do it; with minimal labor and zero stress!

Let’s have a look at this easy step-by-step guide on how to descale Delonghi Espresso Machine.

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De’Longhi is a popular selection for home espresso machines; they’re famous for building machines, suitable for all sorts of budgets. It’s easy to see why DeLonghi espresso machines easily make the top ten lists when it comes to espresso machines for home use.

Chances are, you want to keep yours around for as long as possible. So let’s have a look at how to clean your Delonghi properly.

Contents

What Descaler Should I Use To Descale Delonghi Espresso Machine?

There are three simple options when it comes to a cleaner to put through your espresso machine. Choose one from the three, but make sure to double-check with the machine’s manual for restrictions or recommendations.

Keep in mind that all of the methods below work, but they also come with pros and cons. Some people prefer to stick to one method, others use all three, rotating them in a cycle.

Distilled White Vinegar

Vinegar is a common cleaner used for descaling. Some say that it may damage the espresso machine, but it’s a common cleaning solution that’s all-natural and easy to use.

The great thing about vinegar is that it’s cheap. While some say that it’s not that effective, I suggest you give it a try and see if it works for you.

Recommended ratio: 25% vinegar to 75% water is the best vinegar descaling solution for espresso machines. Some manufacturers and users recommend up to 50%.

Citric Acid

Citric acid is another affordable and easily accessible cleaner you can use to descale a Delonghi machine. You can find it online, in grocery stores, and in health stores. It’s sold in powdered form and it’s very versatile.

While it’s easy to use, it can cause build-up over the longer term in the machine.

Recommended ratio: a citric acid descaler recipe is two tablespoons of citric acid to one quart of water.

Commercial Descaling Product

Every commercially made descaler comes with its own directions; make sure that it’s 100% natural (this is a good descaling product) and that it works for your Delonghi espresso machine.

How to Clean Delonghi Espresso Machine: Step-By-Step

There are many different Delonghi machines out there. Make sure to check the manual before you descale it to see if there are any specific instructions for your machine.

Some espresso machines have an automatic cleaning and descaling cycle. If you’re not one of the lucky ones, you’ll have to do it manually.

Decide On The Descaler

As we already covered, you can choose from the citric acid solution, vinegar solution, or a commercial descaling product. Whatever you use, make sure it’s completely natural (as vinegar and citric acid are).

Once you get used to descaling and cleaning your machine, you may develop your own espresso machine descaler homemade recipe that’ll work for you perfectly. You can also use a combo of all three cleaners and rotate them on a monthly basis. With time, you’ll see what works best for your machine.

Espresso Machine Descaler Rinse

In this step, pour the descaling product into your machine. Fill the reservoir with the solution as if you were making coffee. The solution runs through the machine; you’ll want to run it through the steam wand as well.

The solution runs through your Delonghi espresso, cleaning and dissolving away the gunk and other bits and pieces. That way, it prevents build-up and clogging of the pipes in your machine. In case you have hard water, run this process twice.

Clean The Rinse With Rinse

After you’re done with the descaling DeLonghi machine, you’ll want to repeat the process. Only this time, you only use water. That’s how you thoroughly clean the rinse.

By doing so, you’ll remove leftovers of citric acid, vinegar, and other descalers. After all, you don’t want your espresso to taste like vinegar. Just, no.

The Final Step: Use Your Nose

When the water from the previous step has come out of the machine, smell it. Your nose is your best friend and it’ll tell you whether there’s any cleaner left in the machine.

If the water doesn’t smell of anything, you’re good to go. If it smells of the descaling solution, run water through your machine again. Also, run it through again in case the water comes out cloudy.

Reward Yourself: Make An Espresso

While it’s perfectly doable to make espresso without an espresso machine (which is great news if you have a sudden urge for an espresso during the descaling process), you’ll want to reward yourself when you’re done with the cleaning process.

Make an espresso, a creamy cappuccino, or even one of these delicious coffee cocktails to celebrate your little success!

How Often Should You Descale DeLonghi Espresso Machine?

The espresso machine will likely tell you when it’s time to descale it. Descaling light(s) will turn on when the time comes. These lights differ from one machine to another; make sure to read the manual to understand your machine better (the Delonghi Dedica manual has a different picture to Delonghi La Spezialista, etc.).

But you don’t have to wait for the descaling light to go off. You can clean the machine yourself when it’s time to do so.

How do you know?

If you use filtered, bottled or tap water, a general rule of thumb is after three months of use or 90 uses – whichever comes first.

If you use tap water, chances are, you’ll have to descale it more often – we suggest you do it once a month. Test your water to see what minerals are in it; you can use a simple water testing kit do to it. If they’re high, you have hard water and you’ll need to descale the machine more often.

FAQ

What happens if you don’t descale Delonghi?

If you don’t descale your espresso machine, you can end up with clogged pipes and heating elements that cause poor extraction and bad espresso flavor. Also, that may cause damage to other internal parts.

How do I clean my Delonghi espresso machine with vinegar?

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Can I use any descaler in my De’Longhi?

Most likely, but be sure to check the manual before you begin descaling for any special recommendations or warnings.

How do I clean the steam wand?

Wipe it down with hot water and a sponge after every use – like you’ve seen baristas do in the coffee shops (if they don’t do it, avoid those coffee shops). For best results, run the steam wand while you’re descaling your machine.

How To Descale Delonghi By Machine Type

How do I descale Delonghi Magnifica?

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How to descale De’longhi Autentica?

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esEi9uaoGUM” width=”320″ height=”200″ title=”how to descale delonghi autentica”]

How to descale Delonghi Caffe Corso?

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsP9P9Mo-LM” width=”320″ height=”200″ title=”How to descale delonghi caffe corso”]

How to descale De’longhi La Specialista?

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How to Descale Delonghi Espresso Machine: A Recap

As you can see from the steps above, descaling a Delonghi espresso machine isn’t all that difficult. All you have to do is find your perfect cleaning solution, run it through, and rinse the machine so that it’s 100% naturally clean, smell-free, and ready to use.

While descaling may seem intimidating at first, it’s crucial if you want to keep your espresso machine running and enjoy a fresh cup of espresso every morning.

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Steph

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