A coffee machine is a convenient equipment that allows you to drink a cup of strong tasty coffee in the morning without spending a lot of time. By purchasing such a device, you need to understand that you will have to take care of it quite carefully, because coffee strongly pollutes the internal elements, which is why a plaque forms in the machine in a short time. Untimely removal of dirt and scale can cause the machine to malfunction, which can cause serious damage.
The main stages of caring for the device
Descaling your coffee machine is a must-have measure. Often, experts and experienced users are advised to carry out decalcification - a series of actions during which most of the limescale is removed. In this case, the coffee machine is again brought into working condition, so it is very important to study how to properly carry out this process. During decalcification, the scale is softened using specialized means that allow it to dissolve as quickly as possible.
When studying the question of how to clean the coffee machine from scale, you should not lose sight of the fact that mechanical equipment is not recommended to be cleaned, as this can entail even greater damage. One wrong move can harm one or several parts of the machine, which is why it will completely fail.
What is used to cleanse
It is precisely because of the fact that when cleaning the coffee machine from scale, you cannot mechanically influence it, when decalcifying it is advised to use specialized means. This will help to gently cope with pollution. Pills for descaling in coffee machines are very popular. The substances that make up their composition interact with potassium salts. The resulting chemical reaction leads to corrosion of the scale layer, which breaks up into separate parts and crumbles.
In the market are very popular descalers for automatic coffee machines Melitta and others, created by various large manufacturers. Among them are tools Saeco, Delonghi, Bosch and others. Such products are available in tablet and liquid form. Many owners of coffee machines recommend using branded products, because of their safety for health, good results when used. You can use tools, including tablets for descaling in coffee machines, when cleaning coffee machines of various types, including automatic ones.
Best descalers
One of the best products on the market is Melitta Liquid Cleaner. Its shelf life is not limited, it is easy to use. It is recommended to use the product when cleaning the coffee machine from the remnants of dairy products. A cleaner was produced in Germany and is considered to be an absolutely safe product for health. Users note the effectiveness of the product in different types of coffee machines: automatic, carob and capsule.
Saeco cleaners are also characterized as one of the best. These funds have a fairly simple composition, but you need to be careful about the choice - some liquids are quite expensive and they are enough, while only a couple of cleanings.
DeLonghi cleaners are as popular as their coffee machines. The cost of these funds is not small, so manufacturers produce them in whole sets - it is both convenient and economical. It lacks one container with a liquid of half a liter for about five cleanings. There are also separate products from DeLonghi for cleaning the machine from dairy products, smaller containers and more expensive. The products of this company are characterized by antibacterial properties and can disinfect the device - unpleasant odors will disappear, and pollution will disappear.
Bosch also launches its own line of descaling cleaners in the coffee machine, both in tablet form and in liquid bottles. Both options work very efficiently, but pills are more expensive. After using Bosch products, the coffee machine must be thoroughly rinsed and several times pass water through the coffee maker without preparing a drink.
Timely cleaning of the coffee machine
It is not enough to know how to rinse the coffee machine from scale - you need to know when it is needed. There are frequent cases when, due to scale, the device’s body is directly damaged, and not just its internal parts. Descaling must be carried out constantly, avoiding the accumulation of a large amount of it.
Experts recommend performing this procedure monthly. Such advice should be applied if hard water is used in the preparation of coffee. If it is soft, you can clean the machine a little less. So, under favorable conditions, the device is cleaned through two hundred cups. In the event that you clean the coffee machine from scale, but not in time, the consequences will be disastrous and you still have to change the details of the device or the entire device.
Manual cleaning of the coffee machine
With your own cleaning, you need to perform a number of required actions:
- The right cleaner is selected, which is suitable for specific equipment. You must familiarize yourself with its composition and features and carefully read the instructions for use.
- Remove the water filter from the coffee machine.
- Pour about one and a half liters of water into the device.
- Add the selected cleanser following the instructions.
- Turn on the coffee machine and drain up to 150 milliliters of water.
- Set the “cooking” program and let the machine work in it for five minutes, as soon as the device turns off, it is necessary to drain half the water.
- Reconnect the machine and repeat the same steps until the liquid in the coffee machine is completely drained.
- Pour purified water again and repeat all steps again.
- Wash the container where the liquid is poured, remove all settled scale.
- Rinse the water filter with the same product, rinse, place it in the right place in the coffee machine.
As soon as all these actions are completed, you can again make coffee.
Automatic coffee machine cleaning
Modern equipment often has the function of automatic descaling. This mode allows the equipment owner to save time, but you must be able to use it too. As a rule, you can read about it in the equipment manual. There are a number of universal recommendations, adhering to which you can avoid damage to the machine.
- Only clean water must be poured into the machine.
- The descaler in the machine must be poured or immersed in an appropriate place, as indicated in the instructions.
- After turning on the automatic cleaning mode, you need to leave the device and do not touch it.
- After ten minutes, the scum should separate from the walls and settle, after which the device must be turned off, drain the water and cleaning agent.
- Care must be taken to remove the remnants of the purifier - it is necessary to pour and bring water to a boil several times.
- After all these steps, you need to brew a drink several times, and without drinking. You just need to pour it, as it may contain the remnants of a cleaner.
Descaling frequency
Automatic descaling of the coffee machine should ideally be done once a month. Some experts recommend doing this every 200 servings of brewed coffee. In addition to internal cleaning, you need to monitor the cleanliness of other components - the body, the cappuccino machine and the tray, as well as the containers where the waste is dumped. Pay attention to cleaning the coffee machine of waste milk products, because of them a huge amount of bacteria accumulates on the equipment.
Cleaning the coffee machine with citric acid
A method of purification using citric acid is popular. The procedure is very fast and attracts people by the fact that you do not need to spend a lot of money on professional funds. With this method, the machine is first cleaned of lime, and then the rinsing process occurs twice. In this treatment option, add several tablespoons of citric acid to the water in the container and wait for it to completely dissolve. Next, you must either select the automatic cleaning mode, or perform manual cleaning. The substance begins to act after a few minutes, after which it is necessary to turn on the machine so that it seems to make coffee, and leave it turned on until the water runs out. After performing these steps, you must turn off the device and rinse it with water, and then rinse twice. Rinsing is performed in the coffee preparation mode for five minutes.