We all love to use our Nespresso machine to brew our favorite coffee. Some people consider it to be an essential tool to use every day. But how do you clean it and often should you clean it?
Vinegar is a recommended cleaning solution for Nespresso machines, but vinegar solutions have to be used in moderation as they can cause some type of damage to the parts in your machine.
In This Guide...
Cleaning Your Machine With Vinegar
Your Nespresso machine should be cleaned regularly and you should change the water out every day. One essential cleaning solution that can be used to clean it is vinegar, long as it is properly mixed with water.
There are tons of cleaning solutions available for your Nespresso machine, but the usual safer and the cleaner option is to use vinegar. When making your vinegar cleaning solution, make sure you use a 50/50 ratio of both water and vinegar. Let the solution sit for about five minutes and then mix.
Benefits of cleaning with vinegar:
- Cheaper than using store brand cleaning solution
- Easier to find and purcahse
- Thoroughly cleans your machine
Most machines have an option to begin the cleaning process and you simply press a button. The descaling process takes roughly 10 minutes and if the machine requires you to refill the water, make sure you use an appropriate vinegar and water solution again.
After the process is finished, make sure you rinse out the container then pour another batch of freshwater inside the container and rerun the same process, however, do not add any more vinegar solution. Just be sure to remove any excess remains inside the drip tray and clean thoroughly.
If you plan to clean your machine with vinegar, only use this process once or twice a month. Vinegar is a very acidic ingredient and doing this can prevent any serious damage to the parts inside your machine.
Descaling Your Machine With Vinegar
First off, fill your container with cups of water and one cup of white vinegar. After you run the vinegar solution through the machine, make sure you follow through with five more cycles of plain water.
Descaling steps:
- Take out capsules and capsule containers.
- Pour in 1 liter of warm freshwater in the water container.
- Mix in the descaling solution.
- Cut on the machine.
- Put in a container that can contain up to a liter of water under the coffee outlet.
You can also descale your machine with vinegar. To descale your Nespresso machine with vinegar, pour a few teaspoons of vinegar with some water in your Nespresso machine and let it drip halfway through. Then turn your machine off for about 45 minutes and let the rest drip through. Make sure you rinse your machine thoroughly and several times before using it again.
There isn’t a huge difference between descaling solution and vinegar. So if you decided to use vinegar it’s fine. Vinegar is also a cheaper option than using a descaler solution and is usually more available.
It’s also important to descale your machine every three months. If you’re someone that drinks a lot of coffee, then you should descale it every 300 capsules. Some models have a light on the machine that alerts you when it needs to be descaled. If you choose to descale your machine without vinegar, then the steps are the same, except you would descaling solution.
Cleaning Your Machine Without Vinegar
Each day, you should remove the drip tray from your Nespresso machine and wash it. This will help prevent any build-up. Always rinse the drip tray with warm water and let it air dry. If not, the drip tray can grow bacteria and mold.
Why you need to clean your machine daily:
- Bacteria can build-up
- Mold can build-up
- It can help your machine be more efficient
Your water tank must also be cleaned daily. So while you’re taking care of the drip tray, take out the water tray from the machine and begin to clean it. You can use dish detergent or vinegar, be sure to rinse with warm water after scrubbing.
If you don’t use your Nespresso machine daily, then consider washing it out every few days. Make sure you let the water tank air dry before piecing everything back together. Make sure no water is left in the water tank, as it can grow bacteria.
When you are cleaning your Nespresso machine, it’s best to avoid using strong cleaners. Abrasive cleaners such as bleach should not be used to clean your machine. Only use soft cloths and mild odorless detergents.
Importance of Descaling and Cleaning
Coffee is 99 percent water, and all water contains minerals and passes through the machine. When you descale your coffee maker, is the process of removing mineral build-up.
Why it’s important to descale your machine
- Water can’t reach optimal brewing temperature
- Mineral scale build-up can clog up water flow
- Your coffee won’t get hot enough to enjoy
Coffee is an oily substance and over time oils inside of your machine form a residue. Cleaning your machine removes that build-up of residue and makes sure your coffee will always stay fresh.
Cleaning your coffee machine makes sure your coffee will always stay fresh. Coffee machines come into contact with coffee oils and they need to be cleaned regularly. If you don’t clean your machine regularly, your coffee can begin to produce an acrid smell. Coffee residue can cause clogging and blockage that makes the machine unusable.
Keep Your Nespresso Machine Clean
To avoid any issues with your Nespresso machine make sure you always keep it clean and regularly descale it. This will make sure your coffee always tastes great and you won’t have to worry about any future problems or buy a new machine.
And when it comes to using vinegar or descaling solution, you can’t really go wrong with either option, just make sure you don’t over-clean it as this could lead to issues too.