Descaling coffee machine schedule: how often to descale yours

For the K-Classic, K-Elite, K-Café, K-Café Special Edition, K-Select, K-Compact and K-Latte. The entire bottle of Keurig Descaling Solution, plus the empty bottle refilled with water.

1. Empty the water reservoir and remove the Keurig water filter. Keurig says the whole procedure takes about 45 minutes.
2. Turn the brewer off. Pour the entire bottle of Keurig Descaling Solution into the reservoir, then fill the empty bottle with water and pour that in too. Turn the brewer back on.
3. Run a rinsing brew: a large ceramic mug on the drip tray, lift and lower the handle, choose the largest brew size, no pod. Pour the mug into the sink.
4. Keep running rinsing brews until the add-water light comes on, then let the brewer stand for 30 minutes while still on.
5. After 30 minutes, discard any leftover solution and rinse the reservoir thoroughly.
6. Fill the reservoir with fresh water to the max line and run at least 12 rinsing brews at the largest size, without a pod, refilling as needed.

For the K-Supreme, K-Supreme Plus, K-Slim, K-Slim + Iced and K-Iced Plus. The entire bottle of Keurig Descaling Solution, plus the empty bottle refilled with water.

1. Pour the entire bottle of Keurig Descaling Solution into an empty reservoir, then fill the empty bottle with water and pour that in. No pod. Put a large mug on the drip tray.
2. With the brewer plugged in and powered off, press and hold the 8 oz and 12 oz buttons together for 3 seconds to enter Descale Mode.
3. When the brew button flashes, press it. Pour each finished brew into the sink and repeat until the ADD WATER light comes on.
4. Empty and rinse the reservoir, then refill it to the MAX line with fresh water.
5. Press the flashing brew button to rinse, pouring each brew into the sink, and repeat until the DESCALE notification turns off. The brewer then leaves Descale Mode.

For the K-Mini and K-Mini Plus. One-third of a bottle of Keurig Descaling Solution (4.6 oz), topped up with fresh water to the max fill line.

1. Turn the brewer on. Pour one-third (4.6 oz) of the Keurig Descaling Solution into the reservoir and add fresh water to the max fill line. The measurement lines are on the label.
2. Put a large ceramic mug on the drip tray, lift and lower the handle with no pod, and press BREW. Pour the mug into the sink.
3. Repeat, but power off as soon as the solution starts to dispense, and let it stand in the brewer for at least 30 minutes.
4. Power on, lift and lower the handle, press BREW and discard the hot contents.
5. Rinse: repeat the first brew with the largest fill of fresh water only, two more times.

For the Original line; steps from the Essenza Mini guide. One packet of Nespresso descaling solution, then water up to the max line.

1. Turn the machine on and wait for steady lights. Eject the capsule, close the lever, and empty the capsule container and drip tray.
2. Put a receptacle under the coffee outlet. Fill the tank with one packet of descaling solution and the rest with water up to the max line.
3. Press and hold both cup buttons for 5 seconds; the lights blink quickly. Press the large cup button to run all of the solution through.
4. Pour the used solution back into the tank, empty the drip tray, and run it through a second time.
5. Discard the solution, rinse the tank and refill it with fresh water, and run a full tank through. Nespresso says to repeat the rinse two more times because the tank is small.
6. Hold both cup buttons for 5 seconds to leave descaling mode, wipe the machine down and let it rest for 10 minutes.

For the Vertuo line; steps from the Vertuo Next guide. One packet of Nespresso descaling solution plus 17 oz of water.

1. With the machine plugged in, empty the capsule container and drip tray. Fill the water tank with one packet of descaling solution and 17 oz of water.
2. Make sure there is no capsule, close the head and lock the lever to turn the machine on. Wait for a steady light, about 30 seconds.
3. Unlock the lever with the head closed, lock it and unlock it again, then press and hold the button until the light turns off and starts blinking orange quickly, about 7 seconds. Nespresso says to do this within 45 seconds.
4. Lock the lever. With a container of at least 34 oz under the spout, press the button once to start descaling.
5. When the machine falls silent, discard the solution, empty the tray and capsule container, rinse the tank and refill it with fresh water.
6. Press the button once to start the rinse. When it stops by itself, refill the tank, wipe the machine down and let it rest for 10 minutes.

For the Barista Express BES870; other Breville machines have their own descale programs. One Breville descaling powder sachet dissolved in 34 fl oz (1 L) of water.

1. Check the CLEAN / DESCALE light: solid on means descale; flashing means a cleaning (backflush) cycle, which is a separate job. Remove the water filter from the tank first.
2. Dissolve one Breville descaling powder sachet in 34 fl oz (1 L) of water and fill the tank. Breville says never to remove or fully empty the tank during descaling.
3. Press and hold the 2 CUP button, then the POWER button, to enter Descale mode. Wait while it heats, until POWER, 1 CUP, CLEAN / DESCALE and HOT WATER / STEAM are all lit solid.
4. Press 1 CUP to descale the coffee side (about 25 seconds), then turn the dial to steam (about 13 seconds) and to hot water (about 8 seconds).
5. About half the solution, 17 fl oz, should be left. Repeat the coffee, steam and hot water steps to empty the tank.
6. Rinse the tank, fill it with fresh cold water to the 68 fl oz (2 L) max, repeat the three steps to flush it, then press POWER to quit.

For the Dedica EC685. De'Longhi descaler diluted with water as its pack directs, filling the tank to MAX.

1. Test your water with the hardness strip and set the level on the machine: De'Longhi says this is what sets the descaling frequency. Descale when the orange descale light comes on.
2. Turn the machine on, empty the tank and remove the water filter if fitted.
3. Fill the tank to MAX with De'Longhi descaler diluted as the pack directs. Put a container of at least 50 oz under the hot water spout and brewing unit.
4. Hold the descale button for 10 seconds until the lights blink in sequence, turn the steam dial to the hot-water position and press the button to start. From time to time, close the dial to send a little solution through the coffee spouts.
5. When the tank is empty, rinse it, fill it with fresh water to MAX and run the rinse. De'Longhi's FAQ adds a second rinse with the water filter back in, if you use one.
6. When the orange light goes off, turn the steam dial to 0 and refill the tank. De'Longhi says the whole job takes about 25 to 30 minutes.

For the Moccamaster brewers, including the Cup-One. Urnex Dezcal or BioCaf powder dissolved in 32 oz of warm water, in a separate container.

1. Dissolve the descaling powder in 32 oz of warm water in a separate container, stirring until it is gone. Moccamaster says never to add powder straight to the reservoir, and never to put hot water in the brewer.
2. Pour the solution into the water reservoir. On a Cup-One, use the full amount and pour it through in stages.
3. Run a brew cycle as if brewing coffee. No filter is needed in the basket.
4. Discard the solution from the carafe.
5. Rinse by running three cycles of clean water.

For the OXO Brew 9-Cup Coffee Maker. Any household descaling solution, used as its own label directs, mixed with water up to the MAX line.

1. Add descaling solution and water to the tank up to the MAX fill line, and no further. Put the empty carafe in place with the lid fully screwed on.
2. If the descale icon is lit, turn the dial right until the descale icon appears and the LED ring turns red. To descale before the reminder, unplug the machine, then hold the OXO button while you plug it back in.
3. Press the OXO button to start.
4. Afterwards, fill the tank to MAX with water only and run a 5 to 9 cup brew cycle. Discard that water before the next use.

For the Mr. Coffee drip coffee makers. White vinegar and water, with about half as much vinegar as water.

1. Empty the carafe and clean out the filter basket.
2. Fill the water reservoir with white vinegar and water, using about half as much vinegar as water.
3. Run the clean function if the machine has one; otherwise brew the mixture like a regular pot.
4. Let the machine sit 15 to 30 minutes, then dump the vinegar brew and rinse the carafe thoroughly.
5. Run two brews with water only, emptying the carafe between them.

For the Any drip brewer whose manual gives no schedule. Whatever your manual names. Urnex's drip directions for its household powder: one 28 g packet in 32 oz (1 L) of lukewarm water.

1. Check the manual first. If it names a descaler or a method, use that instead of the steps below.
2. Urnex's drip directions: dissolve one 28 g packet of descaling powder in 32 oz (1 liter) of lukewarm water.
3. Pour the solution into the water reservoir, brew the full tank and discard it.
4. Refill with fresh water and brew a full tank. Repeat two more times to clear the descaler.

For the Any espresso machine whose manual gives no schedule. Whatever your manual names; check it before using a third-party descaler.

1. Use your machine's own descale program and the descaler its manual names. Urnex itself tells espresso owners to follow the machine's descaling instructions.
2. Remove any water filter from the tank before adding descaler; Breville and De'Longhi both say so.
3. Run the solution through every circuit the program covers, coffee, steam and hot water.
4. Rinse with at least one full tank of fresh water, more if the manual says so.