Descaling your coffee machine – the regular hassle you can save yourself

Descaling coffee machines – a regular duty

The light usually comes on when you “just want to make a quick coffee”. It indicates that the machine needs descaling and should be treated. On the one hand, this takes the pleasure out of enjoying your coffee – and on the other hand, descaling should be carried out. Delaying descaling can damage the machine. Below you will find many answers to questions about descaling a coffee machine.

Alternatives to descaling coffee machines

The coffee machine suffers from untreated limescale – and so do other household appliances. What is unhealthy for household appliances is healthy for people. Because lime (=calcium) is essential for our health. It strengthens our bones and our whole body. So we are faced with a contradiction: we want calcium in our drinking water, but not in our household appliances. Read our tips and recommendations on how you can deal with this issue in a more relaxed and cost-effective way:

👎 Softening water for coffee machine

In with a descaling system and out with the limescale.
Sounds simple!
If you opt for the water softening strategy, you remove the limescale from the drinking water and replace it with salt (sodium chloride).
This may sound obvious, but it is not a suitable solution – although the coffee machine will probably remain limescale-free.
But be careful: a conventional descaling system is expensive, impairs the taste of the water and can be unhealthy.
What’s more, although you no longer have to descale, you will be lugging 25 kg bags of salt into your cellar to operate the descaling system.

• Advantage: No more limescale in household appliances
• Disadvantages: Expensive, unhealthy, harmful to the environment, time-consuming

😊 Use a water filter

There are various filter systems on the market that descale water using a jug, for example. The jug is filled with tap water, the water seeps through the filter and the coffee machine can then be filled.

• Advantages: You solve your problem with the coffee machine and also have a prompt solution as a tenant.
• Disadvantages: You have extra work and are dependent on filters, which are often expensive.

🤪 Buying a coffee machine with automatic descaling

It would be nice! Unfortunately, there are no coffee machines that take care of the descaling process for you. You have to do it yourself!

👍 Treat water with limescale protection device > Recommendation!

With a limescale protection device, you can treat your drinking water so that the structure of the limescale changes and it no longer adheres to the pipes.
This also makes it easy to wipe off limescale residues in the bathroom and kitchen.
The advantages of a limescale protection device are many: it maintains drinking water quality, is inexpensive to purchase, requires no maintenance and is easy to install yourself.
Your home is fully protected against limescale problems.

• Advantages: Holistic solution for your home (also suitable for tenants) or apartment, inexpensive, economical
• Disadvantage: When the water evaporates, the calcium remains visible, but can easily be wiped away.

Conclusion: Solve your limescale problem holistically

Look at your limescale problem not just from the perspective of the coffee machine, but from the perspective of the household.
On the one hand, the appliances should be protected, on the other hand you want to keep the limescale (=calcium) in the water for health reasons.
This is exactly where our limescale protection device comes in.
It protects your coffee machine, makes cleaning easier for you and offers a holistic solution. Find out more about the Tratson limescale protection device.

Thanks to Tratson’s limescale protection device, limescale can be easily wiped off

Frequently asked questions about descaling coffee machines

Why does a coffee machine need to be descaled?

Lime is an important component of our drinking water – better known as calcium.
Healthy for humans, it is a burden for household appliances.
Untreated limescale builds up in appliances and impairs their function and performance.

How is descaling signaled and triggered?

As a rule, it is not the actual amount of limescale that triggers descaling but a pre-programmed schedule installed by the manufacturer.

Why is this an unpopular signal?

Descaling a coffee machine can be an annoying process for many, as it takes time, planning and effort.
You have to empty the machine, fill it with a special descaler and then start the descaling program or run the descaling solution through the machine manually.
The descaler can have an unpleasant odor and there is a possibility that it will not be completely rinsed out of the machine, resulting in a bad taste of the coffee.

What is used to descale the coffee machine?

As a rule, descaling should be carried out using the official products marketed by the manufacturer.
These are usually very expensive and profitable.
In the following article, which was produced by Swiss television (Espresso), you can find out more about this problem.

Coffee tastes sour or funny after descaling

Descaling a coffee machine can affect the taste of the coffee.
This is especially true if residues remain in the machine.
Therefore, you should rinse thoroughly when descaling.
Pay attention to the dosage and rinse generously.

Are there alternatives or household remedies for descaling?

There are various household remedies that can be used for descaling.
These are usually less effective and more suitable for descaling the kettle, for example.
Nevertheless, you can test them – depending on the amount of limescale, this may be enough.
The alternatives are usually cheaper, more environmentally friendly and available everywhere.

Vinegar: Vinegar is a household remedy that is often used for descaling.
Add vinegar (also proportionally) to the water, run the machine through, rinse thoroughly and you’re done.
Vinegar is a natural alternative to commercial descaling agents.
The disadvantage is probably the pungent smell.

Citric acid: Also natural and easy to use.
You can dissolve 2-3 tablespoons of citric acid in a liter of water and pour it into the coffee machine.
After running the machine through, rinse it thoroughly with water.
The advantage of citric acid is that it has no strong odor and leaves no residue.

Baking soda: Dissolve one tablespoon of baking soda in one liter of water.
Then rinse thoroughly.
The advantage of baking soda is that it is available in most households and hardly develops any odor.