Money saving way to descale a Delonghi Nespresso coffee machine using citric acid

Money saving method using citric acid to descale a Nespresso DeLonghi Lattissima coffee machine. Descaling improves coffee taste and the working life of the Nespresso coffee machine. Citric acid is mixed with water to form a cheap, natural descaling solution.
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#nespresso
#coffeemachine
#descalenespresso

[@deanj1981]

Thank you so much 🇬🇧🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks Dean 👍

[@icleave]

Great video, just what I needed, thank you!

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks. Enjoy your coffee 😃

[@1ofamillionpeters]

Thanks Big Ted! Great video. Good advice.

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the great feedback Peter 👍

[@andrewbrading4641]

Excellent video. Good clear explanation, very helpful and I save money. Thank you

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the great feedback Andrew 🙂

[@116mira]

Thank you perfect exclamation 👌

[@bigtedshome]

Thank you Amir 🙂

[@andrewl7869]

Fantastic! Really helpful! Subscribed and liked 👍🏾

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks Andrew 🙂

[@karencraven5822]

Thanks! So helpful.

[@bigtedshome]

Thank you Karen 😃

[@A_h_m_a_d_k_w]

Nice informative and definetly helpful vid 👍

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the great feedback. Enjoy your coffee 🙂

[@hudashurrab4786]

Thanks it really worked

[@bigtedshome]

I'm glad you found it useful 🙂

[@amyhillyard9395]

Thank you 😊

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks Amy. I'm glad you found it useful 🙂

[@ToZaTop]

Thank you 👍

[@bigtedshome]

You're welcome. I'm glad you found the video helpful 🙂

[@jackspalden5143]

Excellent vid. I’ve used citric acid for my Breville machine; it is simply the best method out there. I just acquired this Nespresso machine and wanted to make sure it was alright just in case. Thanks mate!

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for the great feedback Jack 😀

[@binhho2532]

I used lemon before, but it didn't give much power so I wanted to try this but worry about the aftertaste. Thanks for confirming about it.

[@bigtedshome]

I hope it works well for you 🙂

[@momofgymnast128]

Cool🎉

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks 🙂

[@johndoe-vc1we]

Watched with interest this video and your earlier video about the kettle. The difference is the kettle got to sit in the solution for a half hour whereas here the solution just passes through the system without any soaking time. My question is how do you know whether one pass is enough? or whether the concentration was sufficient? Taste maybe. But I was hoping for something visual. A clearer liquid with no scale flakes coming out could indicate the job is done.

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for your questions John. The descaling process takes a while (I only showed the first few seconds in the video) and fresh, warm descaling solution will be pumped through and in contact with the internal piping during this time. In the kettle, unless you stir it regularly, the solution is not moving and after the initial reaction, the concentration of acid close to the surfaces will be lower. Additionally, I suspect that the limescale sensors on the nespresso are quite sensitive so there will be less build up to clear than in the kettle. Some people have reported that they had to run the descaling process twice to get the descaling light to turn off.

[@YTKained]

Great vid, i stumbled on this looking for a way to unblock the coffee pod filter holes. I get water coming out of the top and lots of coffee in the pod collection tray. Any tips most welcome.

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks Dave. I'm afraid I can't think of an obvious solution to your problem. Have you tried contacting Nespresso for advice?

[@YTKained]

@@bigtedshome no not yet. Another vid shows I may have to disassemble and cleanly the diffuser plate with a pin to clear any blocked holes from coffee buildup.

[@bigtedshome]

@Dave Mac It's got to be worth a try. I hope it works for you🤞

[@AnaiAnay]

Hi Big Ted! I assume this proportion is good to use for Nespresso Innisia as well? Thanks!

[@bigtedshome]

If the water tank is about the same size (1 litre), then yes 🙂

[@johndoe-vc1we]

2:00 I don't think vinegar is more aggressive than citric acid. 20gm in 500ml is a 4% concentration. If you make up the same with vinegar and test it with a pH indicator drops I think you will find it's the citric acid that is the more acidic or lower pH. The indicator will be closer to red than with vinegar. Citric acid as a descaler will be more effective than vinegar.

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for commenting John. Ultimately, it will depend on the concentration. You are correct in stating that citric acid is more acidic than acetic acid (vinegar) but in practice, vinegar can be more corrosive thegreenboutique.co.uk/blogs/eco-suggestions/citric-acid-vs-vinegar#:~:text=Fabrizio%20Zago%27s*%20studies%20on%20both,with%20nickel%20and%20other%20metal.
For me, the big disadvantage of vinegar is the smell/aftertaste.

[@LisaRedfern-Webb]

Hi. Our machine is constantly blinking suggesting it needs descaling all the time. It won't switch off and no longer works, even after descaling twice on the run. Can you help please? Many thanks 😊

[@bigtedshome]

Hi Lisa, I'm afraid I've not come across your problem. Normally if the descaling light doesn't go off after running the descaling cycle once, descaling it again normally works. You could try a third cycle but if that doesn't work you might need to contact nespresso directly. Good luck 🤞

[@elkefranciscos288]

I can not stop the descaling light what do I have to do?

[@bigtedshome]

It could be that all of the limescale has not been removed. You could try running the descaling process again.

[@nickjones5582]

We have ran a descaling process multiple times on our 3 month old machine. Light still flashing. Any other methods to get it to turn off?

[@bigtedshome]

If it's only 3 months old, I would be tempted to return it as faulty.

[@kevinvanvuuren5121]

Hi Ted, I did the process twice using vinegar. The orange light is still flashing. Any ideas?

[@bigtedshome]

You could try citric acid but I don't think it's much more reactive than vinegar ( but both will depend on the concentration used). Your other option is to try a commercial descaling tablet/ solution. Good luck!

[@ultrapaiva]

DeLonghi machine that looks exactly like yours. In this descaling process, the machine lets water through both outlets, alternatively, at a ratio of 2 seconds every 30 seconds. Is this normal? It’s going to take half an hour to do the process with the solution and then another half hour to rinse it with clean water!

[@bigtedshome]

That sounds right. If I recall correctly, it takes about 20 min per cycle. Just turn it on and go and do something else 🙂

[@leoniedutoit5383]

Hi, thx for your video on descaling, I have done all of that but the descaling button keeps on flashing after the process please help

[@bigtedshome]

Hi Leonie, I would suggest running the descaling cycle again. I've not had this problem but it could be that there is still some limescale left that has not been dissolved.

[@leoniedutoit5383]

@@bigtedshome Thank you

[@eliasgichovi1556]

Hi Big Ted, it looks like I'm the first to comment here. Thank you for the video.
I have a question. Mysemi-automaticc gaggia machine has to go through a cleaning process that removes coffee oils, etc, and also a separate descaling process for limescale and calcium buildup. My question is, can I use citric acid for both processes? I don't see why not, but I thought I'd just ask. Thanks.

[@bigtedshome]

Hi Elias, I'm sure that you are correct. Mild acids like citric acid will break down oils as well as limescale.

[@eliasgichovi1556]

@Big Ted's Home & Garden thank you, I'll give it a try.

[@briankearsey1836]

Thank you Big Ted; I assume your mix hasn't killed you machine yet given it's almost a year and half since you posted the video and you still make the time to reply to people. If you need advice on educating children who don't fall into the middle of the Bell Curve or who have parents with a different vision of education, let me know, that's my specialty. (On our side of the pond the gov't has a firm grip on the first round of education funding, which keeps the pressure on competitors like me.)

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks Brian, neither the citric acid or my excessive caffeine intake have killed the Nespresso machine so far 🙂.

[@anettaolszewska2701]

Did everything same way,machine turned off as it should at the end of the process… but descaling button flashes all the time when I put my coffee machine on 😢 what have I done wrong?

[@bigtedshome]

From your description, it sounds like not all of the limescale has been removed. Have you tried running the descaling cycle again?

[@anettaolszewska2701]

You are my star! Did it again today & it works 😎 Thank you!

[@bigtedshome]

@@anettaolszewska2701 Fantastic! Enjoy your coffee 🙂

[@scilly180608]

Do you put the solution in again if the light still flashes?

[@WalterSteedman]

The descaling light won't go off after following the process twice

[@bigtedshome]

Don't think there's much more you can do if you've gone through the process twice. If the machine works and the coffee tastes OK, I would ignore the descaling light

[@elouiseatkinson]

How many times should you run it through the descale?

[@bigtedshome]

One cycle should be enough.

[@elouiseatkinson]

@@bigtedshome thank you :)

[@hamdanshaikh5496]

How long it take to desclaling

[@bigtedshome]

I think it took about 20 minutes

[@user-wf3jp8wl5k]

I descaled my coffee
Machine and the Descaler is still flashing

[@bigtedshome]

You sometimes need to run the descaling process twice

[@KebabEater]

Thought citric acid can damage the internals of Delonghi machines... and lactic acid is meant to be a more gentle solution.

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for commenting. Citric acid and lactic acid are both relatively weak acids and are both used in commercial descaling products. I am confident that in the relatively short time they are in contact with the internal tubing, neither will damage your machine. My machine is at least 5 years old and is still working as well as it did when new.

[@KebabEater]

@@bigtedshome Fair enough i ended up using it for my delonghi anyway.

[@congruencelearning4468]

Tip-make it much shorter, get right to the solution, and then talk :). Thank you!

[@bigtedshome]

Thanks for your feedback. I hope you found the video helpful 🙂