How to Descale a De'Longhi, Jura or Breville Coffee Machine

Scale is the slow way coffee machines die. It narrows the pipes, insulates the heater and chokes the valves until the coffee runs lukewarm, the steam goes weak or an error appears. Descaling on time is the cheapest repair there is — and doing it wrong, with the wrong product or a program cut short, is one of the ways a working machine ends up on our bench.

First, the New York part: our water is soft

According to the city's Department of Environmental Protection, NYC tap water averages about 1.8 grains per gallon of hardness (around 31 mg/L) — soft by any measure. In parts of the city where the Catskill/Delaware and Croton supplies are blended, it can reach 7 grains per gallon (around 120 mg/L), which DEP calls moderately hard.

Two practical consequences:

• Set the water-hardness setting.Jura, De'Longhi and many other machines calculate when to ask for descaling from that setting. Left on the factory default, a machine in New York may nag you far too often. Many machines ship with a test strip — dip it in your tap water and set the machine to match.
• Soft doesn't mean never. Scale still builds, just slower. When the machine asks, do it — and do it to the end.

Rules that apply to every brand

• Use the manufacturer's descaler, not vinegar.JURA's manual warns that non-recommended agents such as vinegar can damage the machine or leave residues. De'Longhi tells owners to use its own descaler because the wrong product can cause faults its warranty doesn't cover.
• Take the water filter out first, if your tank has one.
• Never interrupt the program. JURA warns an interrupted descale may damage the machine. Plan for it to take a while.
• Always finish with the rinse. Descaler left in the circuit ends up in your cup.

How to descale a De'Longhi coffee machine

De'Longhi Magnifica (Magnifica S)

From De'Longhi's instructions for the Magnifica S:

1. Remove the water softener filter from the tank, if one is fitted.
2. Empty the drip tray and the coffee grounds container, and put them back.
3. Pour De'Longhi descaler into the water tank up to the level marked in the manual, then top up with water to the second mark.
4. Put an empty container of at least 1.5 litres under the hot water spout.
5. Press and hold the descale button for at least 5 seconds to start the program. It runs a series of flushes and pauses on its own.
6. When it asks for it, rinse and refill the tank with clean water and let the machine run the rinse through. Refit the filter afterwards.

De'Longhi Dinamica, La Specialista and Dedica

The sequence is the same idea on every De'Longhi: filter out, trays emptied, descaler and water in the tank, a large container under the spout, the program run to the end, then a full tank of clean water rinsed through. What differs from model to model is how you start the program — your manual names the exact button or menu item, so check it rather than guessing.

How to descale a Jura

Jura machines prompt you when it is time ("Decalcify machine" on the E6, for example). From JURA's E6 manual:

1. Start the descaling program from the maintenance menu when the machine asks for it.
2. Empty the drip tray and grounds container when prompted.
3. Dissolve one blister — 3 JURA descaling tablets — completely in 17 oz (500 ml) of lukewarm water. This can take several minutes.
4. Pour the solution into the empty water tank and put it back.
5. Put a container under the frother and the coffee spout and follow the prompts to open and close the switch as the program asks.
6. When it asks, rinse the tank, fill it with fresh cold water and let the program finish. The whole run takes about 40 minutes.

If you use a JURA CLEARYL Smart filter cartridge, the machine won't ask you to descale at all — the filter takes that job over, as long as you replace it on time. And keep descaler off marble counters: JURA warns it can damage sensitive surfaces.

How to descale a Breville

Breville's drip machines (Grind Control, Grind & Brew) and its espresso machines (Barista Express and the rest) each have their own descaling procedure in the manual, and Breville sells its own descaler for them. The logic is the same as above: descaler and water in the tank, the program or procedure run through, then clean water rinsed through until there is no trace of the solution.

On the espresso machines, descaling is also the first thing to try when the steam wand weakens or water barely reaches the group head over months rather than overnight — see our Barista Express troubleshooting guide.

When descaling doesn't fix it

If the machine is still weak, cold or showing an error after a complete descale and rinse, scale has usually already done its damage — a blocked valve, a failing heater or a sensor. On a Jura, a persistent Error 2 is the classic example. That is where we come in: see coffee machine repair. Approve the repair and the visit costs you nothing — the diagnostic is credited in full — and every repair carries a 90-day warranty.

Frequently asked questions