Your coffee machine (or espresso machine) should be cleaned of limescale once a fortnight to prevent a negative effect on your machine’s boiler, which affects your final quality of coffee. Descaling a coffee machine with a home formula of citric acid will keep your cups of Joe the right flavor and temperature.
Before I dive into how to descale a coffee machine with citric acid lets pour over what limescale is and the causes and effects limescale build up.
What is Limescale?
Water contains minerals, such as magnesium and calcium, which regularly travel through the workings your coffee machine, and accumulate on the device’s heating element as limescale.
If you are using a coffee maker (espresso machine) for preparing espresso and various types of coffee quite regularly the workings of your device is going to get some calcium carbonate deposit (from those minerals) as you’ll be using hot water which is known as limescale.
As you probably don’t examine the insides of your machine often months of mineral buildup can build up fast exist without you realizing it’s there.
What are The Effects of your Coffee Machine?
The negative impact on your coffee machine can be manifold. Water won’t boil. If the hot water can’t reach its optimal brewing temperature, It’s unlikely to be able to extract the full flavor from your coffee beans. Mineral scale buildup can block water flow, and that’s when machines cease to function.
What Are The Options For Descaling
Professional cleaning kits exist and work with aplomb but why spend hard earned money when you can descale for a fraction of the price with citric acid? Vinegar can be an alternative choice but a powerful odor when cleaning relegates this option to third in my book.
Which Parts of the Coffee Machine Need Descaling?
- Water Tank
- Coffee Pots
Filter Baskets, Drip Trays, need regular cleaning, too, though warm water and regular soap washes will solve their cleanliness.
It is advisable to prepare groundwork before beginning to descale. Begin with the parts of coffee maker that are removable such as the coffee pot and filter basket, though as I touched on you can use soap and warm water to keep them clean.
Descaling a Coffee Machine (or Espresso Machine) With Citric Acid
Your coffee machine (or espresso machine) should be cleaned of limescale once a fortnight to prevent a negative effect on your machine’s boiler, which affects your final quality of coffee. Descaling a coffee machine with a home formula of citric acid will keep your cups of Joe the right flavor and temperature.
Before I dive into how to descale a coffee machine with citric acid lets pour over what limescale is and the causes and effects limescale build up.
Is it Hard to Spot Limescale Build Up?
Water contains minerals, such as magnesium and calcium, which regularly travel through the workings your coffee machine, and accumulate on the device’s heating element as limescale.
If you are using a coffee maker (espresso machine) for preparing espresso and various types of coffee quite regularly the workings of your device is going to get some calcium carbonate deposit (from those minerals) as you’ll be using hot water which is known as limescale.
As you probably don’t examine the insides of your machine often months of mineral buildup can build up fast exist without you realizing it’s there.
What are The Effects of Limescale on Your Coffee?
The negative impacts on your coffee machine can be manifold. Water not boiling is a primary example. If the hot water can’t reach its optimal brewing temperature, It’s unlikely to be able to extract the full flavor from your coffee beans. Mineral scale buildup can block water flow, and that’s when machines can even cease to function.
What are the Options for Descaling a Coffee Machine or Espresso Machine?
Professional cleaning kits exist and work with aplomb but why spend hard earned money when you can descale for a fraction of the price with citric acid? Vinegar can be an alternative choice but a powerful odor when cleaning relegates this option to third in my opinion.
What is Citric Acid?
Citric acid is naturally occurring in some fruits and the mold Aspergillus niger among other molds. Lemons and limes possess particularly high levels of natural citric acid with as much of their dry weight being 8% citric acid (0.30 mol/L), while oranges and grapefruits possess a lesser amount at 0.005 mol/L. 20% of global citric acid production is used in detergent products.
Which Parts of the Coffee Machine Need Descaling?
- Water Tank
- Coffee Pots
Filter Baskets, Drip Trays, need regular cleaning, too, though warm water and regular soap washes will solve their cleanliness.
It is advisable to prepare groundwork before beginning to descale. Begin with the parts of coffee maker that are removable such as the coffee pot and filter basket, though as I touched on you can use soap and warm water to keep them clean.
Please note after handling citric acid it is advisable to wash your hands. The tank: The ratio of water cup fulls must be double of a citric acid tablespoon. As you are using a homemade recipe for the descaling process, you should firstly start to prepare the formula.
If you have an 8 cup tank tank then the mix should be 4 of a liter of citric acid tablespoon fulls. Let the Machine Brew. After filling the machine, let the process begin by turning it on. No need to add coffee.
Descaling a Coffee Machine (or Espresso Machine) With Citric Acid
The good news is the descaling acid will begin to move through parts the water usually travels – through the entire machine, descaling a coffee machine.
The descaling process will begin as every nook and cranny is filled. Halfway through cycle, you can pause/stop the machine. This action allows the acid mixture to linger inside parts of the coffee machine.
How Long Should The Descaling of The Coffee machine Last?
Let the descaling solution stay in the parts of the machine for about 30 minutes. Then turn the machine on again for a new brew cycle. An hour should be more than enough for descaling to work.
Get the Mixture Out & Run Water Cycle. The number of cycles you should be running for descaling is going to vary. It depends on how much build-up has taken place inside the machine. However, in a typical case, a full one cycle of brewing should be enough.
Once this has been completed, drain the mixture out of the machine. Pour clean water inside, filling your water tank. Let it run once again. One cycle should be enough to rid the machine of the mixture and limescale.
In Conclusion
Always refer to the instructions of your espresso machine or coffee machine before descaling a coffee machine or espresso machine. The process is a small price to pay for a better tasting coffee and a well kept machine.
If your machine has aluminum parts citric acid can lead to corrosion so it would be preferable to use a vinegar solution. Use one part vinegar to one part water for the same affect (the smell is a mild irritation th won’t last long).
Remember to perform a test run with some cheaper coffee grounds for a final rinse through (if you use vinegar you’ll need it to banish any unwanted wafts). Descaling a coffee machine will repel any bitter after tastes in the final beverage and shouldn’t leave a sour taste in the mouth.
