How to Descale a Coffee Maker

Hard water is a real struggle when it comes to appliances. At least it’s a struggle in my house. We have extremely hard water here, and it affects all sorts of things, from laundry to our appliances. The mineral deposits that collect inside and on elements of our appliances are problematic and shortens the lifespan of our machines. It is for this reason that we do our best to prevent the mineral build-up in the first place. The coffee maker is one of our most used – and valued (can I get an amen?) – small appliance. Descaling our coffee maker has increased its lifespan. It is definitely worth putting it on your 3-6 month cleaning rotation. 

What is Descaling and Why Do You Need to Do It? 

Limescale. Most of our appliances that use hot water tend to get a hard, white mineral build-up called limescale. There isn’t research that supports the idea that limescale has any harmful health effects. However, it does take a toll on your coffee maker and other appliances. Descaling your coffee maker periodically will keep it running smoothly and increase its lifespan. 

How much and how fast you get mineral build-up will depend on how hard your water is – the level of calcium and magnesium ions present in your water. Here’s an overview of some of the potential problems that could happen to your coffee maker:

1. The build-up of the mineral deposits can clog the coffee maker’s lines, and over time, will cause the entire machine to stop working. 
2. Too much mineral build-up on the heating element will not allow the machine to get the water to temperature. If the water is not hot enough for the coffee extraction process, you may get off-notes or bitterness in your coffee’s flavor profile.
3. Limescale will actually affect the flavor of your coffee and can cause it to taste bitter. This happens gradually and can be prevented altogether with regular maintenance cleanings of your coffee maker.

Descaling Your Coffee Maker with Descaling Solution

There are two main methods for descaling. The first we will talk about is a pre-made commercial descaling solution that you can get from the store. These descaling solutions are specially designed to break down limescale and mineral deposits. They are effective and make quick work of the job. If you are looking for a more natural route, you can also use vinegar to descale your coffee maker – we will get into that next. However, using vinegar takes more time, so if you’re short on time, a pre-made descaling solution is probably the way to go.  

You’ll Need:

Every coffee maker is different, so I am going to speak in general terms. Check the user manual for your machine to be sure that it is safe to use a descaling solution or vinegar in your coffee maker. Some manufacturers will void the warranty if something other than what they recommend is used – something to be aware of before you begin the descaling process. You may also need to adjust measurements to accommodate your machine, size of the pot, reservoir, etc. 

I recommend the Coffee Machine Descaler by Impress. It’s affordable and works well. The great thing about the descaling solution is that it cuts down on time. I am going to explain how to use this specific type of descaler. If you go to another brand, it might be a little different. Be sure to read the instructions on your bottle. 

Read all the steps before you begin. 

1. Empty the water reservoir and coffee pot.
2. Check the filter holder for forgotten coffee filters or loose grounds.
3. If your coffee maker has a water filter anywhere on the machine, remove it and set it to the side. 
4. Pour half of the bottle of the descaler solution into the reservoir. Then fill the rest of the reservoir with water.
5. Run the coffee maker on the regular brew setting.
6. When half of the pot has filled, turn the coffee maker off. 
7. Let the coffee maker sit for 30 minutes. 
8. After 30 minutes, turn the coffee maker back on and let the brew cycle finish. 
9. Pour the solution from the pot into the sink.
10. Fill the water reservoir with clean water.
11. Run coffee maker on the regular brew setting.  
12. Pour brewed water in the sink.
13. Repeat steps 10 to 13 three to five additional times. Run the cycle until all the descaling solution is out of your coffee maker. 
14. When you are finished, put the water filter back into the coffee maker if your machine has one. 

That’s it. Your coffee maker has officially been descaled. After we descaled our coffee maker for the first time, I thought my coffee tasted funny…a little off. Then I realized the coffee was supposed to taste like that, and the limescale had been significantly affecting the flavor. 

If you think the coffee tastes off, and you think it’s still the solution, don’t worry. Just run another cleansing brew with just water one or two more times.

Descaling your Coffee Maker with Vinegar

If you read the last segment on how to descale with a descaling solution, you are going to see a lot of similarities in the process. Some slight adjustments must be made in order to use vinegar. You can use vinegar to descale anything that has mineral deposit build-up. We clean our electric tea kettle with vinegar as well. I have a full breakdown of how to do that in an article you can read here.

How to clean an electric kettle

A quick side note: I know there are quite a few sites out there that recommend using diluted vinegar to descale rather than using the vinegar full-strength. I did some research and checked with some of the more popular coffee maker manufacturers to see what they had to say about it. I found that some recommend dilution while others don’t. Look up your coffee maker’s manufacturer recommendations on using vinegar in their machines. Also, as stated earlier on, make sure using vinegar won’t void your warranty. 

Brand	No-Dilution	Dilution
Mr. Coffee	X
Cuisinart		X
Hamilton Beach	X
Kitchen Aid		X

You’ll Need:

1. Empty the water reservoir and coffee pot. 
2. Check the filter holder for coffee filters or grounds in the holder.
3. Remove water filters if your coffee maker has one.
4. Fill the reservoir with only white vinegar (or dilute if your manufacturer calls for it). It should be the same amount as a typical full pot of coffee.
5. Run the machine on the regular setting.
6. When half of the pot is brewed, turn the coffee maker off. 
7. Let the coffee maker sit for 4 hours. This will allow the vinegar to break down the limescale. 
8. After 4 hours of sitting, turn coffee maker back on and let the brew finish. 
9. Then pour the vinegar into the sink.
10. Fill the reservoir up with clean water.
11. Run the machine on a regular setting for a cleansing brew.
12. Pour brewed water into the sink.
13. Repeat steps 10 to 12 four additional times for a total of five cleansing brews. 
14. When the cleansing brews have finished, you can put the water filtration back into the coffee maker if your machine has one.

The vinegar does take longer to descale the coffee maker, but it does just as good of a job as a commercial descaler. We have been trying to go more natural with everything in the house, so we opt to use vinegar for this job. We also use it for our electric tea kettle and Keurig machine. 

If you want to know how to clean and descale your Keurig, it’s a fairly similar process with just a few alterations. I did a full write up on how to do it here: 

How to Clean a Keurig Machine

Descaling your coffee maker isn’t hard or all that time-consuming. It is well worth the effort to save your coffee maker from certain death and will save you money in the long-run. We set 3-month reminders in our calendar, so we remember to do it. Otherwise, it gets forgotten and neglected. Don’t learn the hard way as we did and let your hard water build-up ruin your coffee maker. There is nothing worse than going for your morning cup of caffeinated wonder juice only to find that your coffee maker no longer works. That’s the worst! 

Do you descale your coffee maker on a regular basis? Let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!