So, the common conception is that descaling is unnecessary as you are already cleaning your machine daily or twice a week, and here my friend, you are standing on a wrong pedestal.

Not Descaling your Nespresso Machines is a major drawback of facing errors in the machine. Deep cleaning is a must for every machine, although the coffee machine is already clean.

Descaling Nespresso Machines sustains greater significance to your machine’s health as the oil in the coffee grounds stuck in the inner walls can damage its functionalities and eventually make the coffee and its taste acrid and dangerous.

So, to expand your Nespresso Machines lifetime while taking care of your health, let’s learn how to descale the machine. 

What is Descaling?

Nespresso machines develop hard calcium and lime deposits over time and usage. 

Descaling helps remove these deposits by its liquid agent that eliminates the stack of limescale so that your machine can potentially perform coffee extraction and provides you with the exact coffee’s taste and quality.

Thus, performing this deep cleaning or descaling on your Nespresso is essential to remain in its best condition.

Scale in Nespresso Machine: 

Scale is another name for lime or minerals stacked in the machine during coffee extraction.

It stacks when the machine extracts the coffee, leaves the oil behind, and the hot water evaporation with the coffee grounds leaves a bundle of minerals behind. 

That’s why the coffee machines recommend using pure water so that the mineral won’t stack up too often. Descaling is the only solution for this dirt to be removed. 

Things to have before descaling: 

There’s nothing much you need! Nespresso offers a descaling solution kit; you just have to buy it from their website or your nearby stores. 

Nespresso Descaling Solution is 2 packet-size Kit used for Vertuo and Original Machines. It’s available on amazon and Nespresso website too.

If you want to buy Descaling liquids other than the Nespresso kit, you can check it on amazon. Urnex Nespresso Machine Descaler is a 2-step descaling kit with 6oz descaling liquid and a cleaning pod, compatible with all Vertuo and Original machines. 

You also might require a user manual for your machine model to learn and see the steps to follow while turning it on to its descaling mode.

How does the Descaling mode switch work? 

There’s not that much of a big deal; it’s just that it varies from different Nespresso models. 

Nespresso Pixie, Essenza, or CitiZ users:

You must press and hold the button for three seconds to turn on and off the descaling mode. 

Nespresso Vertuo, Vertuo Next, and Vertuo pop users:

They will hold the button for seven seconds until the light blinks to descale a Nespresso.

Nespresso Vertuoplus and Deluxe users:

They will hold the button and lever together for 3 seconds to descale a Nespresso.

Nespresso U users:

You must press and hold three buttons together for three seconds. 

Nespresso Inissia Users:

They will hold both buttons for 3 seconds.  

Lastly, Nespresso Lattissima and some DeLonghi users:

They must remove its hot water nozzle and attach the connector to the front of the machine. 

Main Steps for Descaling Process of Nespresso Machine: 

Following the below steps, you’ll get an idea of how every Nespresso model performs the basic descaling. 

1. Remove and Empty the water tank. 
2. Check the capsule container and the capsule insert place to ensure it’s empty.
3. After checking the pod holder, place it back in its place. 
4. Add one packet of Nespresso descaling solution into the water tank and refill it with 32 oz water. 
5. Place the tank back into its position. 
6. Remove the drip tray. 
7. Place a large container of at least 1 liter beneath it. 
8. Plug the machine and turn on the descaling mode. 
9. Wait for about 20 mins and come back to check that the machine extracted all the descaling solution.
10. Then rinse the machine to remove the remains of the Nespresso descaling solution. 
11. Exit the descaling mode by following the same way you enter to turn it on. 
12. Leave it to dry up. 
13. Now the Nespresso machine is good for making a delicious cup of coffee.

Descaling Nespresso Vertuo: 

Before descaling your Nespresso Vertuo machine, empty the machine with the inserted pods and remove the old pods from the capsule container. Now, as you have your Nespresso Descaling kit or a descaling solution and a user manual by your side, we can start the descaling.

1. Pour one packet of descaling fluid into the Nespresso water tank in 17 oz or 2.5 liters of water.
2. Then put the lid and place the water tank back in its place. 
3. Remove the drip tray.
4. Place a large container of about 1 liter under the brew head. 
5. Close the lid and leave it in an unlocked position.
6. Hold the button until the machine beeps orange light within 7 seconds.
7. Lock the machine and unlock it.
8. Keep holding on to the button until flashes of orange light.
9. Lock your Nespresso and press the button once.
10. It will start blinking orange light to indicate that the descaling process has started.
11. This process will take about a total of 20 mins to finish.
12. After this, Rinse the machine several times so that the remains of the descaling liquid are permanently absent.
13. Some models like Vertuo Plus automatically exit the descaling mode after the process finishes. Still, in some, you have to follow the same pattern as the way you enter the descaling mode.

Descaling Nespresso CitiZ: 

Nespresso Citiz requires descaling once in 2 months as it can get damaged due to harsh weather conditions. After emptying the machine and having descaling fluid by your side, we call to follow the descaling system.

1. Fill the tank with 350 ml of water and 125ml of descaling fluid. Place the tank back in its place.
2. Under the coffee brew head, place a 1-liter container.
3. Hold both coffee buttons down for three seconds until they stop flashing to get into the descaling.
4. The descaling program starts when the buttons start to flicker briefly.
5. To start the descaling, press the Lungo button.
6. Pour the mixture into the water tank once it has gone through the machine.
7. Repeat the procedure by pressing the Lungo button.
8. It will take a total of 20 mins to finish.
9. After the mixture goes through the machine twice, rinse the machine.
10.  After rinsing, remove the container and let it dry for about 10 mins.
11. Leave the descaling mode by holding both buttons for 3 seconds.

That’s how you can descale the Nespresso machine. Enjoy coffee and remember the process till next time.

Descaling Nespresso Lattissima: 

To descale Nespresso Lattissima follow these steps: 

1. Make sure the machine is completely empty.
2. Fill 350ml of water together with 125ml of descaling fluid.
3. Place the lid and place the water tank back in its position.
4. Pug the machine to turn it on.
5. Under the machine’s dispensing hot water tap, place 500ml of container beneath it.
6. Attach the descaling pipe to hot water to start the descaling until the button stops flashing.
7. The descaler light will indicate that the machine is ready to enable the descaling mode.
8. The mixture will simultaneously pour through the hot water and coffee faucets.
9. Empty the drip tray and water containers and clean them thoroughly with fresh water.
10. To rinse the machine, add clean water to the water tank.
11. Put the two water bottles back under the hot water and coffee faucet.
12. To clean your machine, press the milk-foam button.
13. Allow water circulation throughout the device.
14. When the procedure is complete, the machine will automatically turn on its energy-saving mode.
15. Wipe the machine with a damp cloth and leave it to rest for 10 mins. 

And yeah, it’s done. Now you can have your Nespresso back to its new position.

Descaling Nespresso Essenza Models:

Essenza Models need descaling once every three months. Before starting the descaling process, empty the machine and lift the lid to check if there aren’t any Nespresso capsules. Turn your Essenza on and start the following procedure.

1. Fill the descaling solution with 500ml of water in the tank and place it back.
2. Remove the drip tray and place a liter of container beneath the brew head.
3. Hold on to the two buttons on the machine’s front until it stops flashing.
4. Then, simultaneously push both buttons for three seconds to signal the start of the operation by having the lights flash rapidly.
5. To start descaling, press the Lungo button.
6. After 10 mins of the draining process, repeat the operation using the used solution.
7. Rinse the machine with a clean button by filling the water tank and pressing the Lungo button.
8. Exit the descaling mode by pressing the two front buttons for three seconds.

Leave the machine at rest for 10 mins to air dry, and it will be back into its energetic position of making your delicious cup.

Descaling Nespresso Inissia:

Before starting the descaling process, make sure to empty your Nespresso Inissia machine. Plug the machine, grab your descaling fluid and follow the steps below.

1. Add 125 ml of descaling liquid or a Nespresso descaling packet into 350 ml of water.
2. Replace the drip tray with a 500ml container to catch the liquid while descaling. 
3. Start the descaling procedure by holding on to both buttons within three seconds until the light flashes quickly.
4. Enter descaling mode by pressing the Lungo button.
5. Put the mixture back into the water tank once it has gone through the machine.
6. Empty the container once the mixture has gone through the machine twice, then thoroughly rinse the water tank.
7. Add clean water to the water tank and click the Lungo button.
8. Remove the drip tray after the water has finished passing through the machine.
9. Exit descaling mode by holding both buttons for 3 seconds.

Now the descaling is done and ready to make espresso.  

Bottom Line: 

You may have understood how easy it is to descale a Nespresso machine from the above discussion. It might have also triggered you about the harmful effects it can cause your machine if you don’t descale it.

Hans Mast

Hans loves coffee and loves teaching about coffee