Descale Dolce Gusto With Vinegar

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.

  • Place the mix or water and vinegar into the water bottle
  • Switch on the machine and wait for the green light to confirm the machine is hot
  • Place a cup or bowl in the cup holder area
  • Run the machine on hot as if you were making a coffee for 30 seconds
  • Switch of the machine and wait 20 minutes
  • Repeat as necessary until the machine is flowing correctly
  • Once complete, run a cup of clean tap water through the machine
  • 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.

    Typical descaling frequency based on how many coffees you drink each day

    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?

    Yep, it’s true. You really can De-scale a Dulce Gusto machine using White Vinegar. In 2015 I posted a video showing people how to descale a Nescafe Dulce Gusto machine and it’s been very successful, with lots of people confirming that it works for them.

    What can I use to descale my Dolce Gusto?

    We recommend flushing through with water after every use and descaling your machine every 3 – 4 months to get rid of the limescale build-up to keep your machine performing at its best. We sell water descaler, specially designed for use with your Dolce Gusto® coffee machine that’s super simple to use.

    Can I use vinegar to descale my coffee machine?

    Tetro says you can descale a coffee maker by running a brew cycle with one part water to one part vinegar. As long as you’re deep-cleaning with vinegar or a store-bought descaling solution at least once a month, you’ll be able to keep the germs, mineral deposits, and mold away.

    Is vinegar as good as descaling solution?

    Both vinegar and descaling solutions work equally well when it comes to descaling. Some people say that the white vinegar leaves a lingering taste, but many also tout it as the ideal method to clear away limescale. Some manufacturers, like Mr. Coffee, solely recommend white vinegar to clean their machines.

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