How to descale Dolce Gusto coffee machines – Step by step guide

If you are a proud owner of a Dolce Gusto coffee machine and, suddenly, you experience a variation in the quality of the coffee that is accentuated with the days, this article interests you.

Don’t worry! This problem is not only you, but it has an easy solution. The time has come to know how to descale Dolce Gusto coffee machines.

Over time, the minerals dissolved in drinking water such as sodium, calcium or potassium settle in the internal ducts of your coffee machine and you have to periodically remove them.

• How to descale Tassimo coffee machines
• how to clean and descale coffee machines with vinegar and baking soda

A correct decalcification of your Dolce gusto not only extends its useful life but also guarantees the quality of your drink and is beneficial for your health, otherwise, all these residues are dragged into our coffee. Wow, doesn’t that sound nice!

So, if the time has come for your capsule coffee machine, I will make it clear to you everything you need to know to descale your Dolce Gusto correctly without dying trying. You will see that it is a very fast and simple process.

Materials needed to descale Dolce Gusto coffee machines

It is not a complicated process, so you do not need many elements to carry it out.

To comply with an optimal descaling of the Dolce Gusto coffee machine, you must have the following materials at hand:

descaling kit

You can use any of these 3 presentations. Choose the kit of your choice by buying online or in the brand’s exclusive stores.

softening water

Dolce Gusto descaling liquid water is the most used kit, it includes two bottles of 250ml each and is enough for two descaling.

descaling powder

The EcoDescalk brand offers a powder kit compatible with all coffee machines. It is 100% natural and comes in sachets with clear instructions for use.

cleaning tablets

If you prefer to use descaling tablets, the Melitta brand offers 4 tablets that provide four descaling.

It is not strictly necessary for the descaling process, but if you want to have everything in order, you can consult the models offered by the Krups brand, just remember to check that it is compatible with your Dolce Gusto design.

You will also need drinking water for the last step of descaling. You will see.

When should I descale my Dolce Gusto machine?

There are several signs that will put you face to face with the descaling of the machine. Some will be perceived by your intuition, others are definitely your Dolce Gusto’s cry for help. 

Pay attention!

• Your drink tastes different than usual.
• You get less amount of drink per capsule.
• It’s not as hot as usual.
• It takes longer than necessary to do the normal cycle for the preparation of the drink.
• You hear strange sounds during the water outlet.
• The button on your coffee maker lights up yellow/orange.
• Note:
  It is recommended to decalcify your coffee maker every 3 months if you are one of those who consume 3 or more capsules a day.

10 steps to descale your Dolce Gusto coffee machine

Once you have the necessary material ready, with these 10 simple steps you can reach the goal:

1. Prepare the descaling solution according to the instructions of the chosen kit (water, powder or tablets).
2. Pour the mixture into the water tank (previously empty).
3. Locate the cleaning funnel in the capsule holder (if you don’t have a funnel, skip this step).
4. Leave a large container in the drip area.
5. With the coffee maker turned off, take it to “descaling mode”.
6. Position the lever on “hot drink” and extract half of the water from the tank, place it on “STOP”, wait 2 minutes; Repeat this step until the water in the tank is completely emptied.

Now we move on to rinsing (leave the lever on STOP)

1. Discard the water you have collected ( it is hot water, be careful ), rinse the tank very well and fill it with drinking water.
2. Repeat step 6 and after 2 minutes, move the lever towards “cold drink” until the water tank is empty.
3. With the lever on “STOP”, discard the collected water, and rinse the capsule holder and the funnel if used.
4. Use a soft cloth to gently dry the inside of the pod holder.

CLEVER! Simpler, impossible.

Dolce Gusto descaling process on video

To make your life easier and get you to recover the power of your coffee maker, I will leave you a simple and detailed video on how to descale your Dolce Gusto.

Eye I give you the SPOILER !! If you have not managed to put your coffee maker in “descaling mode” here is the answer. 

As you can see, the process is really simple, but if you still have doubts, consult the instructions for use of your coffee maker model.

Descale Dolce Gusto with vinegar or lemon (homemade method)

Vinegar and lemon are ingredients with disinfectant and descaling properties thanks to their natural acids, so it could be considered an “economical alternative” for home descaling.

• Take note:
  I must make it very clear to you that IT IS NOT THE OPTION RECOMMENDED by the manufacturer to carry out the procedure, especially if it is about prolonging the quality of life of your machine. I explain why you should not use vinegar to descale coffee machines here.

You could use this emergency alternative if you do not have the descaling kit at hand and your coffee maker has given the alarm. 

If this is your case, take a look at the following video and see how the procedure is carried out using vinegar, but remember, use the commercial descaling kit as soon as possible.