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To have the joy to wake up and to have the chance to sip on a delicious cup of coffee is such a pleasant feeling, isn’t it? But how to clean a Nespresso machine is another thing!
These machines, in order to work properly, need to be cleaned on a regular basis. As far as making great coffee, the Nespresso machines are among the best.
However, to make great coffee they also need to be taken care of.
Just as every piece of machinery needs cleaning, a Nespresso machine needs to be cleaned on a regular basis.
This is especially important when you have one of these single-serve coffee machines at home.
Since the Nespresso machines are so small and have such limited space, you need to make sure that the machine is clean and well maintained in order to ensure it works optimally.
There are many people who do not realize that they need to clean their Nespresso machines.
If you are one of them, then this article is for you.
Why Do You Need To Clean Your Nespresso Machine?
Cleaning your Nespresso machine is very important. I can’t stress enough on this. With all the technology and advancement, we tend to forget the most basic thing.
That is cleaning.
Just as machines need regular maintenance, a Nespresso machine also needs to be cleaned on a regular basis.
The reason for this is that there are oils and chemicals that seep into the crevices of these machines over time. Don’t forget that some people use tap water to brew their coffee.
The substances that are present in the water will cause limescale deposits to build up. This will lead to coffee that doesn’t taste very good and is of no quality.
Why do you ask? Because the deposit will clog the machine’s pipes, as well as the filters.
This will cause the machine to work harder, thereby affecting the extraction time, temperature, and taste of your coffee. Yikes!
Knowing how to clean your Nespresso machine and doing it regularly will allow you to avoid frequent breakdowns, which in turn will help you save money.
As these machines are not cheap, it’s important that they are cleaned regularly by following the methods below so that they may last longer and keep giving you amazing coffee.
How To Clean Your Nespresso Machine?
There are a few ways you can go about cleaning up your Nespresso machine depending on how dirty it is.
First of all, there’s a type of cleaning that you do every single time you use your machine.
Let me walk you through some easy steps to get this done.
But before that, I recommend that before you brew your coffee, always fill the water tank with filtered water so that you get good-tasting coffee.
Remove The Used Capsule
After every use, it’s important to remove the used Nespresso capsule. Do not let the capsule in the extraction system. It’s always best to remove it once your coffee is brewed.
Remove The Excess Water From The Drip Tray
You’ll need to only pour out the water that the drip tray has caught to avoid overflowing.
You can also separate these parts for cleaning. However, this task can also be done once a week.
Clean The Steam Wand
If you own a coffee machine with a built-in steam wand, then you want to clean this part as well after each use.
It’s a simple process. Basically, all you have to do is wipe the steam wand with a damp cloth to wipe out the milk froth.
While keeping the cloth on, turn your steam wand function on for a few seconds. This will remove any milk buildup from inside.
Clean The Removable Water Tank
You’ll have to do this every time. By cleaning the water tank you’re ensuring that you will get the best-tasting coffee.
All you need to do is take out the tank and give it a good rinse with tap water and light detergent, taking off any limescale deposit or coffee grounds residue.
Run A Cycle Without A Capsule
The last step is simply to run a very short, empty capsule-less cycle. Simply let a cup of water without a capsule flow through.
This will ensure the pipes are not clogged and your coffee is brewed properly.
You’ll know it’s completed successfully when you see the water in the tank has been drained out and that there is no residue left in the flow system.
Descaling After Every 6-12 Months
After every 6-12 months (depending on how often you use the machine), you need to perform a deep cleaning and descaling to remove any buildup.
I will walk you through the descaling method step by step. Just bear in mind that a few things may differ depending on the model of the machine you have.
I suggest you refer to Nespresso’s website or the user’s manual for more appropriate directions.
Disassemble And Wash All Removable Parts
By this, I mean wash every part – the water tank, cup/drip tray, capsule drawer – with water and mild soap. Once this is done, you can put them all back for the rest of the process.
Make sure all parts are completely dry before putting everything back together again for the next step!
Run A Descaling Cycle With Nespresso’s Descaling Kit
This process simply involves filling the water tank with the descaling solution provided by Nespresso, along with approx. 500ml of filtered water.
You then need to put this filled chamber onto your machine and activate the descaling mode.
Each model has its own descaling cycle, so you need to consult your manufacturer’s manual to check which button/s to press to activate the mode.
For example, the Nespresso Pixie’s descaling mode is activated by pressing on the Espresso and Lungo buttons simultaneously for 3 seconds and then by pressing the Lungo button after both lights begin to flash quickly.
For the Nespresso Vertuo Plus, the coffee button and the lever need to be pressed for 3 seconds to enter into the mode.
Then you press the lever down once and the coffee button to start the process.
For optimal cleaning, run the solution twice in the machine.
Run A Capsule-Less Cycle
Now after you discard the used Nespresso descaling solution and rinse the water tank, all you need to do is run a capsule-less cycle as mentioned above in point 4 of the ‘cleaning after every use’ method.
I recommend doing this water cycle at least 2 times, or more if you still taste the detergent in the water.
This will complete the cleaning process.
Alternative Ways To Clean Nespresso Machine
1. Nespresso Descaling With Vinegar
Wondering how to clean your Nespresso machine with vinegar? This is yet another method many people clean their Nespresso machine with.
Many Nespresso users advise that one should fill their water tank with half-part vinegar and half-part water and then run a capsule-less cycle twice before rinsing off the excess solution.
Thereafter, you may use plain water to water your machine. However, many people are about this cleaning method.
But an expert once suggests that you need to do something different if you want to clean your machine with the vinegar solution.
You need to rinse it off with water between each cycle instead of simply running the cycle once.
Many people also have reported that this method is not effective at all, as they still have found mineral deposits on their machine after each use, even after rinsing it off with water.
On the other hand, some Nespresso users say that they use vinegar to clean their machines as they find it effective at ridding their machines of mineral deposits.
However, it’s not at all possible to use vinegar for cleaning water tanks and other parts on some of the more expensive machines, such as the Vertuo and Pixie.
The reason for this is that there are many delicate parts inside these machines which may be damaged due to overusing vinegar.
In addition to this, it may also affect the taste of your coffee.
If you’re going to use vinegar to clean your machine, you should do so with great care and make sure only to use a 50/50 ratio of water and vinegar at all times.
This is an efficient way of cleaning your machine but if your machine has delicate parts which can be affected by the overuse of vinegar, then I recommend that you refrain from using it.
Besides, Nespresso categorically stated on their page that they do not recommend using vinegar for descaling.
How Do You Know When It’s Time To Clean A Nespresso Machine?
You should clean your machine when you start to notice that the taste of your coffee is starting to change or if you run into overall glitches and difficulties in operating the machine.
If you also find the temperature of your coffee is not as hot as it used to be in the past, then you should clean your machine to remove all the deposits.
Final Thoughts on How To Clean Nespresso Machine
Now that you know the steps on how to clean your Nespresso machine and how often to clean the Nespresso machine, I hope you apply these tips to maintain your machine in tip-top shape.
Doing so will surely give you many satisfying cups of coffee for many more years to come.
