One of the most common appliances in our homes is the coffee machine which in recent years has gradually replaced the old moka pot. It allows us to make an excellent espresso or a creamy cappuccino in a matter of minutes by simply pressing a button.
However, the coffee machine requires periodic maintenance as it is subject to incrustations and the formation of limescale which accumulates both in the water tank and in the internal pipes.
Limescale not only changes the taste of coffee but above all, over time, irreversibly damages the machine.
On the market it is possible to find many descalers proposed by the most famous manufacturers of this appliance, but if we are looking for a cheaper and above all more natural solution we can certainly rely on a product that we all have at home: white vinegar.
Vinegar is a powerful natural descaler that is not dangerous for our health in the first place and is also easily available and extremely cheap.
Remove the limescale from the water tank
- To clean the coffee machine with white vinegar, let's start by removing the limescale from the water tank, filling it half with warm water and the other half with boiling white vinegar.
- We let the vinegar act until the mixture cools and in the meantime we can help speed up the limescale removal process by scrubbing the walls of the tank with a brush.
- We repeat the procedure again if any residual limestone still exists.
- When all the limescale has been removed, we rinse the tank with plenty of running water.
Remove the limescale from the internal ducts of the coffee machine
- We then move on to cleaning the internal ducts of the machine by filling the tank exactly as we did before, then half with warm water and half with boiling white vinegar and pressing the dispensing button of the coffee machine (obviously without pods or ground coffee).
- Let the mixture of water and vinegar flow along the pipes until the tank gradually empties.
- At this point we fill the tank again this time with cold water and turn on the machine again to rinse the pipes well.
- We repeat the rinses a couple of times in order to make the vinegar smell disappear.
The frequency with which maintenance is carried out depends on various factors including the hardness of the water and the number of coffees made per day but it is generally good to clean the coffee machine once a month.