Why don't use vinegar to descale your coffee machine?

Cleaning with vinegar

The natural and inexpensive vinegar is still the most popular household cleaner in the UK because it has a wide range of uses. Many people use it for general cleaning and disinfecting, such as cleaning carpets, windows, floors and much more.

False belief of descaling coffee machine with vinegar

Household appliances with water heating element (such as kettle, coffee maker and tea maker) should be descaled regularly in order to remove hard water deposits (limescale).
Some coffee machine owners find that vinegar cleans the limescale from the machine, but it is proven that vinegar makes irreversible damage in the machine other parts.

Why don't use vinegar for descaling?

Vinegar can damage the internal parts of the coffee machine, especially the seals and the rubber gaskets. In addition, it is very difficult to rinse, and its smell and taste will remain for a long time in the espresso machine.

When and what do use to descale your coffee machine?

Limescale affects both flavour of the coffee and the performance of the coffee machine.
Regular descaling is necessary to ensure a long life for your espresso machine. The frequency of descaling highly depends on the water hardness in your area and the amount of water that has passed through the machine`s system. Most espresso machine manufacturers recommend descaling every 2-3 months.

 Automatic coffee machines generally indicate when you need to descale, because these machines are programmed to alarm after a certain number of coffee brewed.

With manual machines you do not have any indicator so descale the machine as soon as possible and repeat the procedure every 2-3 months thereafter.

If your coffee machine is totally blocked, you are not able to descale it in the normal way.

Always follow the manufacturer's cleaning instructions, and use a genuine descaler products.