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Owning a Breville Espresso machine means you get to enjoy amazing espresso shots right at home. But, to keep savoring those perfect brews, it’s crucial to take good care of your machine. Regular maintenance ensures your Breville keeps performing its best.
Keeping your Breville clean and descaled is key to its upkeep. Plus, doing it often makes the process fast and simple.
Discover how to easily descale your Breville espresso machine and keep it in top shape with these simple cleaning tips!
What Exactly Is Descaling?
Every time you whip up a delicious cup of coffee with your Breville Espresso machine, remember, the water and pods leave behind minerals. These can build up inside and might clog your machine. A clogged machine won’t work right, leading to issues. Keep it clean to keep your coffee game strong!
- lukewarm coffee
- failure to brew a full cup of coffee
- bad-tasting coffee
Descaling means cleaning out all the gunk inside your coffee maker to get it working smoothly again. You’ll need a special solution, which can be something you mix up at home or buy from a store, to really scrub away all the buildup inside your Breville.
How Often Do Breville Machines Need to Be Descaled?
No strict schedule exists for descaling your coffee machine because it all depends on how much you use it. Simply put, the more you brew, the more often you’ll need to clean it. But don’t worry, your Breville Espresso machine is smart enough to tell you when it’s time for a descaling, so you won’t have to guess.
If you love keeping your espresso machine in top shape and use it often, descaling every two to three months is usually enough. But, if you’re a heavy user, you might need to do it more frequently to keep your coffee tasting great.
Hard water means more descaling for your coffee maker. But, if you switch to filtered water for your brews, it’s gentler on your machine. This means you won’t need to clean it as frequently. Simple changes can make a big difference!
Choosing a Breville Descaling Solution
Many coffee machine owners are selective about the descaling solution they choose. Instead of buying costly professional products, some opt for natural alternatives like white vinegar or baking soda to clean their machines effectively.
Choosing the right cleaning method is up to you. If you prefer a professional descaling solution for a deeper clean, go for it!
If you love the idea of DIY and want to create your own cleaning solutions, you’re in luck! Natural options like mixing citric acid with water, using straight-up white vinegar, or combining baking soda and water are great ways to clean your coffee maker or espresso machine. Perfect for beginners looking to keep things eco-friendly!
How to Descale Your Breville Espresso Machine
Easily descale your Breville machine with these 6 quick steps.
Step 1: First, make sure your coffee machine is off and cool. Take out any leftover pods and the water filter. When it’s time to descale, the amount of water you mix with the solution varies. For those using Breville’s descaling solution, simply mix one packet into the tank and top it off with water. This step helps keep your machine clean and your coffee tasting great!
Step 2: Hold both the 2-cup and power buttons at the same time to enter descale mode. When the power button starts blinking continuously, it means you’re ready to start descaling.
Step 3: Get a big container ready, one that can hold up to 68 ounces, and place it under the area where the portafilter or steam wand is. This is where all the liquid will go during the process. Once the machine is warmed up and ready for descaling, you’ll notice four buttons light up: Power, 1 Cup, Clean/Descale, and Hot Water/Steam. Seeing all these lights means it’s go time. Simply press the 1 Cup button to start. The whole thing should take around 25 seconds.
Step 4: It’s time to clean the steam and hot water parts of your coffee machine. Simply turn the dial to either steam or hot water. Don’t worry, the LCD screen will show you which one you’re selecting. It’s an easy step to keep your machine in top shape!
Step 5: Keep half the descaling mix in the tank to do steps 3 and 4 again.
Step 6: Now, let’s make sure your next cup of coffee is free from any chemical or vinegar taste. Start by taking out the water reservoir and pouring out all the water. Don’t forget to also remove the container holding dirty water. Give both a good wash with warm, soapy water. Then, refill the tanks with fresh, cold water. This is for running a few rinse cycles to ensure everything is perfectly clean for your next brew.
Remember to empty and clean your drip tray well. This way, it’s fresh and ready to go back in place after you’re done rinsing.
Using vinegar to clean your coffee machine? It’s a good idea to rinse it a few extra times, but don’t worry, it’s not a must.
After rinsing your Breville espresso machine, hit the Power button to leave descaling mode. Watch as all the lights turn off, signaling you’re all set!
Cleaning Your Breville Espresso Machine
After finishing the descaling, take apart your machine to clean every piece you can remove. Wash and rinse them well. Once they’re dry, put everything back together. In just a few minutes, your Breville will be set to make an amazing cup of coffee.
Cleaning your Breville with white vinegar? Remember to mix equal parts of water and vinegar. Thinking about using baking soda instead? Be careful—while it can clean, it might also clog your machine more than the buildup you’re trying to remove. A safe ratio is 1/4 cup of baking soda for every cup of hard water. This will help you descale your machine effectively.
What’s Next?
No coffee machine lasts forever. When it’s time for a new espresso machine, we’ve carefully selected our top picks for you. Explore our favorites, from manual to semi-automatic and automatic machines. And if you’re all about ease, see if Nespresso machines are the perfect addition to your coffee setup.
Before you dive deeper, why not upgrade your espresso game? Start with grabbing some top-notch espresso beans, like the Italian stars, Illy and Lavazza. And, don’t miss out on the ultimate game-changer for your brewing station – a premium coffee grinder. Remember, using pre-ground beans might leave your espresso tasting flat, no matter what else you do.
