How to Descale a Coffee Maker: Drip, Keurig, Nespresso and Espresso

If your coffee maker is brewing slower, louder or cooler than it used to, it almost certainly needs descaling. Mineral scale from hard water coats the heater and narrows the water lines, and over time it can kill the pump. Here is how to descale a coffee maker properly, whether it is a basic drip machine, a Keurig, a Nespresso or a bean-to-cup espresso machine, plus what to use, how often, and when vinegar is (and isn't) a good idea.

Signs your coffee maker needs descaling

Scale builds up quietly, so most people only notice when the machine is already struggling. Watch for these:

How often: it depends on your water

The single biggest factor is how hard your tap water is. Hardness is the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium, measured in mg/L (ppm) of calcium carbonate or, on many US test strips and water reports, in grains per gallon (1 gpg is about 17 ppm). The USGS classifies water like this:

Your water utility publishes its hardness in the annual water quality report (in the US it's the Consumer Confidence Report; in the UK, your water company's postcode checker). As a rough guide, much of the Southwest and Midwest, including Phoenix, Las Vegas and San Antonio, has hard to very hard water, while Seattle, Portland, Boston and New York City have soft water. In the UK, London, the South East and East Anglia are hard-water areas; Scotland, Wales, the North West and much of the North East are soft.

What to use: descaler, citric acid or vinegar?

The manufacturer's descaler (safest)

For espresso machines, bean-to-cup machines and Nespresso, the brand's own descaler is the safe bet. It's formulated for the seals and metals inside, and using something else can be grounds for refusing a warranty claim if the machine fails. De'Longhi sells EcoDecalk, Philips sells its own descaler (CA6700), and Nespresso sells a descaling kit for both Original and Vertuo machines. They cost more per treatment than DIY options, but a single repair costs far more.

Universal descalers and citric acid

Universal descalers such as Urnex Dezcal (citric-acid based) work in most drip machines, single-serve brewers and espresso machines whose manuals don't demand a specific product. Plain food-grade citric acid is the cheapest option: about 1 to 2 tablespoons per quart of water (roughly 15–30 g per liter). It dissolves fully and leaves no smell. Don't use it hot in aluminum parts, and don't mix it with anything else.

Vinegar: fine for a basic drip machine, not for espresso

White vinegar is the classic American fix, and for a simple drip coffee maker with a glass carafe it works: several drip-machine makers include it in their own cleaning instructions. The catch is that acetic acid is weaker on scale than citric acid, it smells, and it takes several rinse cycles to get the taste out. For espresso machines, super-automatics and Nespresso, skip it: De'Longhi and Nespresso both advise against vinegar because it can damage seals and internal parts.

See De'Longhi EcoDecalk on Amazon →

Other options: US readers who want a universal citric-acid descaler can use Urnex Dezcal, and UK Nespresso owners can buy Nespresso's own descaling kit.

Urnex Dezcal on Amazon (US) → Nespresso descaling kit (UK) →

Step by step, machine by machine

Always check your manual first: button combinations and cycle lengths vary between models. These are the standard procedures.

Drip coffee makers (Mr. Coffee, Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, Bonavita, Moccamaster)

1. Empty the carafe and remove the filter basket contents and any charcoal water filter.
2. Fill the reservoir with descaling solution mixed per the label, or a vinegar-and-water mix (most brands suggest between one-third and one-half vinegar).
3. Start a brew cycle. On machines with a Clean button, press it; otherwise, stop halfway and let the solution sit in the machine for 30–60 minutes.
4. Finish the cycle and discard the liquid.
5. Run two or three full cycles of fresh water (more if you used vinegar) until there's no smell.

Keurig and other pod brewers

1. Remove the pod, empty the drip tray and take out the water filter if you have one.
2. Pour Keurig descaling solution (or a universal descaler) into the empty reservoir and add water as the label says.
3. Run large-size brews without a pod into a big mug, discarding each, until the machine asks for water. Many models then want the solution to sit for about 30 minutes.
4. Rinse the reservoir and run at least 10–12 brews of fresh water.

Keurig suggests descaling every 3–6 months; newer models show a descale alert.

Nespresso Original and Vertuo

1. Eject the capsule, empty the drip tray and the used-capsule container.
2. Pour one sachet of Nespresso descaling liquid into the tank and add 0.5 liter (about 17 oz) of water.
3. Put a container of at least 1 liter (34 oz) under the spout.
4. Enter descaling mode. On most Original machines you press both cup buttons for a few seconds; on Vertuo machines you usually close the lever without a pod and press the button several times. Your manual has the exact sequence.
5. The cycle runs the tank through. Refill the tank with the used solution and run it again if your manual says so, then rinse the tank and run a full tank of fresh water.

De'Longhi bean-to-cup and espresso (Magnifica, Dinamica, Dedica)

1. When "Descale" appears, empty the drip tray and grounds container and remove the water softener filter if fitted.
2. Pour in EcoDecalk and water to the level marked on the tank (the manual gives the ratio for your model).
3. Place a container of at least 2 liters (about half a gallon) under the coffee spout and the steam wand or milk outlet.
4. Start descaling from the menu or with the button combination in the manual; the cycle pauses automatically and takes around 30–45 minutes.
5. Fill the tank with fresh water for the rinse cycle when prompted, then refit the filter.

Philips LatteGo machines (2200, 3200, 3300, 5400)

1. When "CALC CLEAN" or the descale icon appears, remove the AquaClean filter.
2. Pour the whole bottle of Philips descaler into the tank and fill with water to the CALC CLEAN mark.
3. Put a large container under the coffee spout and, with LatteGo machines, under the milk outlet too.
4. Start the cycle from the display; it takes roughly 30 minutes, including a rinse with fresh water.
5. Refit a fresh AquaClean filter if you use them.

Breville / Sage espresso machines

Breville (Sage in the UK) machines such as the Barista Express and Bambino have a guided descale program and their own descaler. Models with separate coffee and steam circuits descale them in stages; follow the on-screen steps or the manual and don't skip the steam wand flush.

Moka pots and kettles

A stovetop pot doesn't need a full descale, but in hard-water areas fill the base with a citric acid solution, let it sit for 20 minutes, rinse and brew one pot to throw away. No dishwasher for aluminum pots. More on care in our moka pot guide.

Browse coffee machine descalers on Amazon →

How to keep scale away

• Use the filter your machine supports. Philips says its AquaClean filter lets you skip descaling for up to 5,000 cups if you change it when prompted. De'Longhi, Jura and Keurig offer similar filters.
• Filter jugs help. A pitcher filter such as Brita reduces scale, although it won't stop it completely in very hard water.
• Don't use distilled water in espresso machines: some sensors need minerals to detect water, and coffee brewed with it tastes flat. Soft, low-mineral bottled water is fine if your tap water is extremely hard.
• Empty the tank if you're going away for more than a few days. Standing water leaves deposits.

Mistakes that void warranties

• Vinegar in an espresso or Nespresso machine when the manual says not to.
• Ignoring the alert for months. Scale damage is a classic reason for refused claims.
• Descaling with the water filter fitted. The acid wrecks the filter and the filter blocks the acid.
• Skipping the rinse. Leftover descaler tastes awful and isn't something you want in your cup.

If scale keeps coming back fast and you drink a lot of coffee, it may be time to rethink the machine: we compare running costs in our pod machine guide and our super-automatic espresso machine guide.