Descaling is necessary on most coffee machines, and tablets are one of the most convenient means in this regard. Many manufacturers of coffee makers produce their own branded decalcifying tablets, and in addition, in hypermarkets and household appliance stores you can find universal options that are suitable for any equipment. We tell you all about how to choose and use anti-scale tablets for your coffee machine.
How to determine that the device needs cleaning: signs of a dirty coffee machine
It happens that the coffee machine works as usual - it does not make noise, brews quickly, milk is supplied without interruptions - but the coffee turns out sour, with a bitter aftertaste. This means it's time to clean the device. And the bad taste of the drink is not the only sign of a clogged machine.
If the coffee machine does not have an indicator indicating the need for cleaning, determine this yourself . Characteristic features:
- the taste of coffee has changed - sour with rancidity;
- a sediment in the form of scale forms at the bottom of the mug after the coffee is drunk;
- water takes longer to heat up than usual;
- the drink is poured into the mug difficultly, slowly, in a thin stream;
- The coffee machine is louder than usual and makes a crackling noise.
Interesting things on the site:
Coffee capsules for coffee machines - which ones are better?
What are pods for coffee machines and how to use them
Rating of electric coffee grinders for home
Where should I throw the cleansing tablets?
These are usually small tablets that are dropped into the ground coffee compartment. It is not difficult to guess that this compartment leads directly to the round plate in the brewing mechanism, which we wrote about above. Some coffee machines do not have such a compartment. In these cases, the tablet is placed manually, inside the brewing mechanism, directly on this strainer (filter). For those who read this article to the end, we will reveal a little secret. In coffee machines in which the brewing unit is removable, you can unscrew the strainer yourself and remove all coffee oils with a soap solution and a brush.
How often should you descale your coffee machine?
Machine maintenance specialists recommend cleaning once a month if the water is soft . If the hardness is increased, the car is cleaned every 2.5-3 weeks.
How to know if your water has too much hardness:
- By appearance . There is a limescale deposit on the tap from where water is drawn into the coffee machine, and a cloudy film forms on the surface of the drink.
- Based on the results of tests from the laboratory of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station. There they not only determine the concentration of salts, but also record the presence of pesticides, nitrates, hydrogen sulfide, the level of iron content and organic impurities.
- Using test strips that are sold in hardware stores. Dip the paper with the reagent into water, and it changes color depending on the concentration of salts in the water. Then it is compared with the palette in the instructions and the degree of water hardness is found out - soft, medium hard, hard.
Many modern devices have an indicator indicating that cleaning is required . Depending on the problem, the icon will be different. One indicates descaling, the other indicates coffee oils.
Reference. Cleaning is carried out after a certain number of prepared servings of coffee. Usually it's 200 cups. Smart coffee machines keep count. When the critical limit is reached, the indicator reminds you to clean.
Types of pollution
The devices may contain the following contaminants:
- Scale . Every coffee machine contains a heating element, which becomes covered with limescale when used. This is usually the reason why equipment deteriorates. The deposits cause the water channels to become cemented, making water circulation difficult and parts becoming brittle. Various chemicals are used to remove deposits.
- Coffee oils. The finished coffee enters the mug through the system. Over time, coffee oils settle in the hydraulic system and degrade the taste of the drink. To remove them, clean the system.
- Milk leftovers. If the appliance can make cappuccino, then after each cup you need to clean the system using grease removers.
Why is it important to clean your coffee machine regularly?
If you do not clean the car on time, after 2-3 months the owners of the device will receive unpleasant results.
The taste of the coffee will change for the worse due to the fact that coffee residues will accumulate in the internal channels of the machine . When served, the coffee will pass through the mucus from the residue, and then stop flowing altogether.
The preparation time for the drink will increase due to accumulated scale in the heating elements . If cleaning is not carried out for 6-7 months, the water in the boiler and thermoblock heats up more slowly due to scale. The heating element uses more electricity and then fails.
Important! Repairing the heating element is expensive. When the service center sees scale, that is, a consequence of lack of cleaning, the warranty will be canceled. This is stated in the instructions for the device.
Scale causes damage to the walls of the piston , which creates pressure for brewing coffee. The pump supplies steam through the ground grains. Without cleaning, the pressure in the coffee machine drops from 15 bar to 10 or even 7 bar, and the pump operates louder than usual. There is not enough steam in the ground grains; its strength does not fully reveal the taste. The serving size decreases and the aroma of the drink deteriorates.
Without cleaning, several elements in the coffee machine may break at the same time . You will have to spend from 5,000 to 10,000 rubles. for the purchase of parts and professional repairs. Cleaning saves money and saves the car from breakdown.
Home remedies for cleaning a coffee machine
Some experts say that you can use improvised products, such as cola and vinegar, to clean coffee machines. Experts say that this method will have a bad effect on the device. It is necessary to use special cleaning products; citric acid is also suitable as a homemade solution.
De-scaling a coffee machine with citric acid is a fairly effective method, as well as a safe one. The substance has absolutely no harmful effects on the human body, unlike household chemicals that are used in everyday life.
The process of descaling a coffee machine using citric acid:
- Disconnect the device from power.
- Pour 1 liter of water and 4 tsp into the bowl. citric acid.
- Wait for the powder to dissolve.
- Turn on the coffee machine and press the automatic cleaning mode.
- The solution must be completely consumed, otherwise it may enter the human body.
The second stage is rinsing. The coffee maker should be thoroughly rinsed to remove any remaining product.
The third stage is a secondary rinse with water. Fill the reservoir with distilled liquid and turn on the coffee brewing mode. Try to pour out all the water by running it through the machine.
Be sure to read: Features of a pod coffee machine
Citric acid is suitable for any appliance. It does not spoil the internal elements of the device and is cheap in its price range. Previously, households did not have the cleaning products that now overflow store shelves. People had the opportunity to use citric acid. Soon the advertising drove us into a dead end and now few people remember how effective the cleaning method using citric acid is.
How to clean a cappuccino maker
The milk frother requires regular cleaning to remove milk fat. If you do not carry out the procedure, the device will emit a rather unpleasant odor. Milk fat often settles on the walls of the tubes. If the milk compartment is removable, it will be much easier to clean, since you can visually assess the presence of a fatty layer.
If you have a built-in model, then you need to use professional tools and carry out the procedure with the frequency recommended by the manufacturer.
The coffee machine does not form a tablet - the main reasons for the malfunction
When the coffee waste container is working properly, clearly formed tablets come out. If there is any deviation from the norm, then something is wrong with the coffee machine and you need to look for the problem. It is likely that the reason may be due to operation. Then it is not necessary to involve specialists. You can configure the system yourself.
Many parameters can affect the longevity of the tablet: the type and grinding of beans, the amount of water, the strength level.
One of the reasons why the tablet may be liquid is the wrong mode for the selected coffee drink. Perhaps you are preparing a large volume of espresso in one shot. This is very bad, because after spilling a certain amount of water, bad fractions begin to flow. If you want to prepare a large volume of any drink, it is better to make a double espresso or Americano.
Another reason is the wrong choice of grinding degree. The tablet may not form well if the grind is too coarse. This type of coffee can be prepared in a Turk so as not to clog the horn. Modern coffee machines provide this feature. Manufacturers include 8 adjustable grind levels. If it's hard for you to decide, choose medium.
Tablets for coffee machines: types, application, cleaning algorithm
How to choose a cleaning agent for a coffee machine? Cleaning tablets are divided into 2 types :
- Essential oil cleansers . They are used in automatic machine cleaning programs. Reliably and safely remove deposits of essential oils (coffee fat) that have settled on the internal working surfaces of the device during operation. Popular brands: Acidem, Nivona, Urnex, Jura, Saeco, WMF, Bosch.
- Cleansing from scale and plaque . The tablets quickly remove limescale from hard-to-reach parts of the coffee machine (plastic, rubber), clean filters and nozzles through which water and coffee pass. Popular decalcification tablets: Filtero, Topperr, Top House, Bosch.
Automatic decalcification lasts 25-40 minutes, the process of removing oils lasts up to 20 minutes. After completing the process, do not add liquid to the container until the sign on the machine lights up that the cleaning is complete.
The tablets contain sulfamic and maleic acids, benzotriazole and baking soda . Therefore, they not only clean, but also have bactericidal and antifungal properties.
Advice. After complete cleaning, manual or automatic, the first cup of coffee is discarded because it contains cleaning agent residues.
Manually
If the machine does not have an automatic function , it is cleaned manually using tablets.
From oils
When cleaning coffee oils, remove the coffee from the machine and place the tablet in the ground coffee compartment . The spill will require 2 liters of water. Start the “Ground coffee” mode with the largest volume of drink, and place a cup under the pouring spout. The water entering the cup is drained into the sink.
After the brewing cycle, that is, running 2 liters, the machine is left for 30 minutes, then disassembled and all parts are washed with clean water.
Decalcification
Dissolve the tablet in 500 ml of water, pour it into the water tank and turn on any coffee preparation program . Drive the car until the liquid in the reservoir runs out. Place a cup under the spout to drain the water and product. The contents are poured into the sink. After cleaning, rinse the internal parts of the machine by running the device 2-3 times for a full cooking cycle with clean water.
Benefits of tablets
Tablets for descaling your coffee maker are very practical. Here are 3 reasons to switch to them:
- Long shelf life. They do not lose their properties for years, so you can buy a large batch at once and use them as needed.
- Universal tablets are suitable for a wide variety of coffee machines, as well as other household appliances - it’s convenient that you don’t need several products at once.
- Compact and easy to transport. You can take the packaging with you to clean the coffee machine at the dacha, in the office, etc. There is no risk of spilling liquid.
The only negative is that some coffee machines require dissolving an anti-scale tablet in water, which takes some time. In this regard, liquid is more convenient.
How to determine which pills you need
Manufacturers of coffee machines use a trick and indicate in the instructions the name of the brand that is best used for this brand. Often a company writes that it produces its own products, and only they need to be used. When device owners don’t find the tablets they need on sale, they worry – what can safely replace them?
However, neither company produces cleaning products . They take them from a partner company and write their name on the packaging. Therefore, any product is suitable for cleaning any coffee machine. The main thing is to follow the proportions indicated on the packaging when cleaning.
Summarize
The coffee machine itself will let you know when it is time to start cleaning. You just need to monitor the water hardness. If the machine gives a signal that the device is dirty, you cannot put it off; you need to carry out the procedure on time. Timely cleaning of the device will allow you to save money and return the taste to its original shades.
In order to spend less time cleaning, you can use filtered or bottled water. If you want to rid your machine of scale, you should follow the instructions.
It is not necessary to use the cleaning products indicated in the instructions if you do not have them on hand. Citric acid may be suitable. Due to its composition, it will not have a harmful effect on the body either for you or your family. In addition, citric acid is much cheaper than advertised coffee machine cleaning products.
If you have problems with your cappuccino maker, then you cannot do without cleaning, since milk fat can adversely affect the operation of the machine.
If your machine does not form a tablet or does not form normally. Then you should look for problems and resolve the issue urgently.
