Descaling isn’t the most fun part of the coffee-making process, but it’s absolutely necessary for a well-working (and clean!) machine. Descaling is particularly important in single-serve machines, which, yes, includes Keurigs. Most coffee machines need to be cleaned out once per month, either using a descaling solution or vinegar. Typically, this involves running the machine once with the cleaning solution and at least twice more to flush it. We’ll go through it step by step in just a second, but just to drive home how important this is…
How to De-scale a Dulce Gusto machine using White Vinegar
It’s really important that you’re careful when you heat vinegar. Putting it through your machine will make it boil quicker than water. Therefore, I recommend you place a mix of water and vinegar in the machine’s water bottle which is a 50/50 mix. Half water, half vinegar.
So we go back to school for this bit and it’s really quite simply. No harsh commeecial chemicals involved here, just good old nature doing it’s thing.
Limescale is caused by a build up of calcium, which occurs naturally in the water. In some areas, there is a lot more calcium that others (know as hard water). Boiling the water makes the calcium deposits build up more quickly.
Vinegar contains acetic acid, which is a natural chemical. The acetic acid breaks down the calcium (which is an alkaline) and makes it soluble in water. No nasty chemicals are produced and you just tip the waste down the sink.
Using vinegar is much healthier than commercial chemical alternatives
Vinegar is a natural liquid which is made as a result of a brewing process. If you De-scale a Dulce Gusto machine using White Vinegar, it’s going to be much safer than using some of the nasty chemicals available on the market. It’s also considerably cheaper!
How often do I need to descale my Dolce Gusto Genio machine?
Nestle recommends that you descale your machine every three months or 300 coffees – whichever comes first.
That means if you use your machine often you may need to descale more frequently. Some examples of descaling frequencies are shown in the table below.
Number of coffees per day | Recommended descaling frequency |
1-2 | Every 3 months |
3-4 | Every 3 months |
5-8 | Every 2 months |
8-10 | Every month |
FAQ
Can I use vinegar to descale my Dolce Gusto?
What can I use to descale my Dolce Gusto?
Can I use vinegar to descale my coffee machine?
Is vinegar as good as descaling solution?