Last Updated on October 14, 2023 by Timothy Byron Smith
Many of us are guilty of not cleaning our coffee machines. Who has the time? But think back to the moment you abandoned the cleaning of your Nespresso coffee maker. Did it ever function the same? You’ll notice that the machine slowed down and began to malfunction slowly, bit by bit. So, now you’re wondering how to clean a Nespresso machine without hassle in order to save it.
It’s pretty simple! You’ll need some items like dish soap, a washcloth, a container, and a cleaning solution. If you have a Nespresso descaling kit or any other descaling kit, that’s perfect. The cleaning process includes cleaning the drip tray, water tank, capsule container, the machine exterior, and running a descale cycle.
This may sound like too much and too overwhelming, but this guide covers every step in detail. With your cleaning equipment ready, cleaning a Nespresso machine will be a piece of cake! Plus, it won’t take too long either!
Related:
- How To Descale Nespresso Vertuo Coffee Machine
- How To Descale Nespresso Vertuo Next Espresso Machine
Descaling Your Nespresso Machine
Most of our Nespresso machines run for hours every single day. The constant use of water with all the minerals it contains causes lime to build up in Nespresso machines. This buildup negatively affects the operational ability of the Nespresso coffee machine. It can cause them to malfunction or even completely stop working.
As a result, Nespresso recommends its users clean their Nespresso machines after every 300 used capsules or every 3 months. However, if you miss that window, then definitely within 6 to 12 months. In fact, your Nespresso machine will itself show you signs that it requires descaling, such as:
- Extracted coffee tastes dirty or burnt
- Strange noises from the steamer or the Nespresso coffee maker
- Nespresso machine is pouring coffee slower than normal
- The coffee temperature is not as hot.
This makes descaling a very important routine for Nespresso machines in order to preserve their proper functioning and ideal taste. Not to mention, timely descaling prevents all the Nespresso red light errors, so you don’t have to constantly reset Nespresso Vertuo and Original machines at your home.
How to Clean Your Nespresso Machine on a Daily Basis?
Nespresso owners frequently question how long Nespresso machines last. In truth, they can last more than 10 years if properly taken care of. And, here is an easy way to clean your Nespresso machine on a daily basis.
Things You’ll Need:
- Washcloth
- Dish soap
- Container (to hold at least 4 cups of water)
- Descale agent or a cleaning solution
Steps to Clean Your Nespresso Machine:
- Clean your water tank: Detach the water tank from the machine and thoroughly clean it with soap and water. Don’t put the water tank in the dishwasher or be abrasive. Once thoroughly cleaned and rinsed, fill it with fresh water and attach it back to the machine.
- Clean the drip tray: Next, remove the drip tray and clean it using soap and clean water. Dry, and place it back.
- Clean the capsule container: Eject any capsules present in the capsule container and thoroughly wash it with soap and clean water too.
- Clean the capsule head: Before placing the dry capsule container back, use the washcloth to wipe down the capsule head.
- Clean the machine exterior: Use a damp wash cloth to wipe down the machine’s exterior.
- Run a descale cycle: If it’s time to descale the machine, run a descaling cycle. Nespresso machines must be descaled every 3 months or after every 300 capsules used. The guide covers the steps to run a descale cycle for Nespresso machines ahead.
- Reassemble the machine: Once all the parts have been cleaned make sure the machine is turned off and reattach the dry parts to the machine. Viola! Your Nespresso machine is good to start brewing delicious coffee again.
How to Descale Nespresso Machine?
So, if it has been three months or so since you descaled your machine, grab the descaling kit and follow the next few steps to descale the Nespresso machine. If you don’t have a descaling kit, gather the following items:
- Descaling solution
- Container (a mug or anything that will fit under the spout and hold at least 4 cups of water)
- Washcloth
- Water
With everything ready, here’s how to do it:
1. Prepare the Machine:
Turn off the machine and eject the cany capsule present inside. You can do this by pressing down on the lever for three seconds. The lever is situated on the lid of the machine, it’s the button you push to insert the capsule.
For different Nespresso coffee machine models, you can check the manual on how to eject the capsule. Empty the drip tray and place it back.
2. Put in the Descaling Agent:
Add 28 ounces of water into the water tank and mix one packet of descaling agent into it. Place the container under the spout.
3. Begin the Descaling Cycle:
The instructions for this part must be closely followed since it can be a bit complicated. When you enter the descaling mode you’ll be alerted either with blinking lights or a beep.
First, press the power button and the lever simultaneously for three seconds. Next, press the lever. And immediately after, press the power button again. Nespresso machine will enter the descaling mode and the descaling will begin.
The cycle can take about 15 minutes, so you can find something to do in between. Once the descaling is done, the machine will stop on its own.
4. Run a Water-only Cycle:
Thoroughly clean the water tank so no traces of the descaling agent remain in it. Fill it up with fresh water and place it back on the machine. Now press the power button and run a water-only cycle in order to clean any residual descale agent.
Place the container under the spout. The machine will stop automatically once the cycle is complete.
5. Exit the Descaling Mode:
Press down the power button and the lever for three seconds again. The machine will exit the descaling mode. Let the machine dry for a while before you begin making a fresh batch of coffee.
How to Clean Nespresso Machine with Vinegar?
Cleaning a Nespresso machine with vinegar is not very different from cleaning it using a proper descaling agent or cleaning solution. If you’re out of a cleaning solution or descale agent it’s better to use vinegar and run the descale process instead of leaving it for later.
However, we recommend first checking your Nespresso machine’s instructions manual or consulting with the manufacturer. This is in case vinegar is specifically prohibited for your Nespresso machine model and could end up damaging it.
Requirements:
- Vinegar
- Washcloth
- Container (that can hold 4 cups of water)
- Clean Water
Steps:
1. Prepare the Machine:
Turn off the machine and eject the cany capsule present inside. You can do this by pressing down on the lever for three seconds. The lever is situated on the lid of the machine, it’s the button you push to insert the capsule.
For different Nespresso coffee machine models, you can check the manual on how to eject the capsule. Empty the drip tray and place it back.
2. Add the Vinegar:
Instead of using a descaling agent in this step, add in the vinegar. Mix equal quantities of vinegar and water into the water tank. However, remember that using vinegar means you will have to run more rinse cycles to get rid of all the vinegar from the machine.
3. Begin the Descaling Cycle:
The instructions for this part must be closely followed since it can be a bit complicated. When you enter the descaling mode you’ll be alerted either with blinking lights or a beep.
First, press the power button and the lever simultaneously for three seconds. Next, press the lever. And immediately after, press the power button again. Nespresso machine will enter the descaling mode and the descaling will begin.
The cycle can take about 15 minutes, so you can find something to do in between. Once the descaling is done, the machine will stop on its own.
4. Run Water-only Cycles:
When using vinegar, a single water-only cycle is not enough. Thoroughly clean the water tank so no traces of vinegar remain in it. Fill it up with fresh water and place it back on the machine. Place a container under the spout.
Now press the power button and run at least 5 water-only cycles in order to clean any residual descale agent. Place the container under the spout. The machine will stop automatically once the cycle is complete.
5. Exit the Descaling Mode:
Press down the power button and the lever for three seconds again. The machine will exit the descaling mode. Let the machine dry for a while before you begin making a fresh batch of coffee.
Conclusion
The maintenance process is not as intimidating once you learn how to clean a Nespresso machine. It is not even as time-consuming as many make it out to be. You barely require four cleaning items and around 15 to 20 minutes of your time. In fact, in 15 minutes the machine is just doing its own job and you can do whatever!
So, don’t let the number of steps overwhelm you into skipping the cleaning process of your Nespresso machine model. Once you start, you’ll notice yourself swiftly going through each step. This is much better than letting your machine malfunction bit by bit on the inside till it simply stops working!