Written by Charlotte
Edited on
18 February 2025
·
12:56
Which descaler do you use for your coffee machine?
It's important to descale your coffee machine regularly. It might be unclear what the right descaler is for your coffee machine. A brand-specific descaler is best for your machine. We'll tell you should and shouldn't do.
Get started with descaling
It's important to descale your coffee machine, because you'll extend its lifespan by doing so. We'll give you a couple of tips for choosing the right descaler.
- Tip 1. Use a brand-specific descaler
- Tip 2. Be careful with universal descalers
- Tip 3. Don't use cleaning vinegar
Tip 1: use a brand-specific descaler
The manufacturer of your coffee machine strongly discourages you to use a descaler other than the own brand. Sometimes, they'll even say that the warranty on your machine is no longer valid if you use a different descaler. The factories create descalers that have been made specially for your machine, so without aggressive acids. Sometimes it's a liquid, sometimes it's descaling tablets.
Tip 2: be careful with universal descalers
If you choose to use a universal descaler, check the components. Avoid aggressive acids, like acetic acid or hydrochloric acid, and look for a descaler with citric acid or lactic acid as the main component. This isn't harmful for your machine and better for the environment. If you want to go a little further, choose a 100% ecological descaler.
Tip 3: don't use cleaning vinegar
If you open a random coffee forum, you'll read that a lot of people swear by cleaning vinegar. According to us, cleaning vinegar is too aggressive to use it as a descaler for your coffee machine. Why? Because it contains a large mount of acetic acid. This is a very aggressive chemical. That's why we recommend not to use it. Another descaler people use for descaling is citric acid. This isn't harmful for your coffee machine, but we recommend you to use a brand-specific descaler.
