If you have a Breville coffee maker, then chances are you are going to have to descale it at some point. Descaling your coffee machine means that the mineral deposits, which can affect the taste of your coffee, are removed.
This not only affects the flavor of the drink, but also the flow of water within the machine.
Using vinegar and water is possibly the best way to ensure that your Breville coffee maker is clean and also stays in good condition. To do this, all you need is water and vinegar.
This process can take up to two hours, but is easy and well worth the wait. You will have to give your machine all of your attention while you do this so that you get the best results.
The Descaling Process
Step 1 – Unplug your coffee maker. You don’t want to damage either yourself or the machine, so unplug it and then make sure the water reservoir or holder is open.
Step 2 – Fill the reservoir. You need to fill half the reservoir with white vinegar, then warm water. The more vinegar there is in the coffee maker, the stronger the cleaning solution is.
You do not want to overdo this, so a good measurement to follow is generally a half-half solution. You can also use a store-bought descaling solution if you prefer, but vinegar works just as well and is very cheap.
- If you are using a descaler tablet or any other professional descaler, check to see how much to put into the reservoir. Usually, it is advised to put one tablet into a full reservoir, but this may vary depending on the brand.
Step 3 – You can leave your half vinegar, half water solution in the machine for an hour or so. This will allow the mixture to disintegrate the mineral deposits. Doing this means that the machine should be cleaned at the end of the process.
- The same instructions apply if you are using a professional descaler rather than vinegar.
Step 4 – Run the cycle on the machine. It depends on which Breville machine you have, as some will have a descale cycle while others will not. If your machine has a descale cycle, then select it.
If, however, your machine does not have a specified descale button, then use the machine as you normally would when making a coffee.
- The machine will start running, descaling as it does so. You need to run the machine until the half-vinegar, half-water solution comes to an end and all sits in the coffee pot. Although the machine is running, remember that it is not making coffee.
- As the water runs through the machine, the mineral buildup will be taken with it and end up in the coffee pot. Depending on the machine you have, this step can take anywhere starting from three minutes, so you need to be patient.
- Once the vinegar mixture is finished, empty your coffee pot and fill the reservoir with fresh water. Push down on the ‘strength’ button and hold it down for five seconds. Doing this will activate the mode for descaling again. Running this again but with plain water will take away the taste and smell of the vinegar that was used to descale it.
- The same process must be followed for the regular water, and you must brew until the coffee maker’s reservoir is empty.
- If a long time has passed since you last descaled your machine, you may want to put another half vinegar half water solution through the machine. This will ensure that all the mineral buildup is removed from the machine.
- If you run the vinegar/water solution again, be sure to use plain water on the machine again and let it pass through so that there is no vinegar aftertaste or smell.
- You may need to run the plain water through the machine several times before it no longer smells of vinegar.
- The same steps apply if you are using a professional descaler to clean your coffee machine.
What Can Happen If You Do Not Descale Your Breville Coffee Maker?
If you do not descale your coffee machine often enough, the water will not be able to reach its optimal temperature for brewing. When this happens, it is not possible for the full flavor of your coffees to be extracted.
Additionally, the limescale or mineral build up inside the machine will inevitably clog the water flow, which can cause the machine to stop working if left for long enough.
Best Descaling Products Available on Amazon
If you would rather use a professional descaler for your machine, there are plenty to choose from on the market and places like Amazon. Below are some of the top-rated products you can use to clean and descale your Breville coffee machine.
Cino Cleaner
Cino Cleaner is a coffee descaler that comes in the form of tablets. There are 8 tablets in each pack and instructions indicate that they are ideal for Breville coffee makers among others.
This product has great cleaning abilities and all ingredients are food grade, so they are non-toxic and non-corrosive.
Pros:
- Non-corrosive and non-toxic formula – these tablets will not damage your coffee machine when you use them
- Food-grade ingredients – the chemicals within the tablets are not toxic if ingested, so they are safe even if there is residue left over
- Recommended for many coffee machine brands – these tablets are recommended for Breville, Sage, Macco, and many more brands
Cons:
- Expensive for what you get – each purchase only contains 8 tablets
Breville Espresso Cleaning Tablets
These descaling tablets are specifically targeted for Breville coffee machines. You get 8 tablets with this purchase, though you will have to double-check to make sure that these tablets fit your machine.
You can do this by entering your machine model number on the page and finding out. These tablets are food-grade and non-toxic if ingested.
Pros:
- Non-toxic and non-corrosive formulas – these tablets will not damage your coffee machine when you use them
- Recommended specifically for Breville coffee machines – this tablet is advertised as being the perfect descaling solution for Breville coffee machines
- Food-grade ingredients – the chemicals within the tablets are not toxic if ingested, so they are safe even if there is residue left over
Saeco Decalcifier
This decalcifier / descaler is in a liquid format rather than tablets. For this purchase, you get a pack of three bottles. You can input your machine brand and model to ensure that this solution is a good fit.
The instructions tell you that one bottle must be used for each descaling cycle. This product maintains your coffee machine as well as cleans it, while also preventing corrosion and ridding your machine of limescale and mineral build-up.
Pros:
- This is a liquid descaler – many people may prefer working with a liquid descaled compared to tablets
- This product does not corrode your coffee machine
- This product is very easy to use
Cons:
- This product is expensive for what you get – you can only descale your machine three times using this purchase, so the price may be steep for many compared to other brands
Conclusion On Descaling Your Breville Coffee Machine
Descaling any coffee machine is an important part of keeping it working properly and having your coffee taste its best.
Leaving too much time between descaling can result in the machine struggling to create the beverages and your drinks coming out lukewarm or tasting inferior.
If you have to have the best coffees your machine can make every day, make sure that you take proper care of your machine and keep track of when you descale it.