Is your coffee maker brewing super slow? Are you experiencing a change in your coffee taste? Do you know the culprit here? It is not your coffee beans or your machine. It is the hard water that is depositing minerals in your coffee maker.
You must be wondering about the solution now. And this is the same reason I am here. Descaling is your ultimate solution when there are mineral deposits in your coffee maker. It is a simple process but can resolve your issues of improper flow and compromised taste.
In this article, I will tell you why you should descale your Breville coffee maker along with a step-by-step guide for how to clean the Breville coffee maker. Read till the end for some pro tips and our recipe for homemade descaling solutions.
Why Descale Your Coffee Maker?
Water contains minerals that deposit on the surface of your coffee maker while brewing. These mineral deposits become an obstacle in brewing resulting in a decreased flow. Your coffee takes longer than usual while brewing, and the taste of coffee is not the same. To avoid this situation, you should descale your coffee maker at regular intervals.
Though hard water is the biggest culprit causing mineral deposits in your coffee maker, regular water also contains minerals. So regardless of the water, you are using, you must descale your Breville coffee maker to avoid inconveniences.
Moreover, regular descaling of your coffee maker also increases the life of your appliance. It is recommended in the Breville coffee maker manual as well.
Furthermore, descaling your coffee maker improves its performance and ensures high-quality brewing every time.
How to Descale Your Coffee Maker?
I am sure you now have no reasons for not descaling your coffee maker. So let us jump on to the step-by-step guide for descaling your Breville coffee maker.
- First, fill the water reservoir of your coffee maker with water and descaling liquid. Follow the ratio given on your descaling solution for mixing it with water.
- Next, run the brew cycle and let your Breville precision brewer get cleansed.
- Run several cycles till all the liquid in the water reservoir is consumed.
- Some Breville coffee makers also come with a descaling option. In that case, select the descaling option for better cleansing of deposited minerals.
- Once all the liquid in the coffee pot is consumed, your coffee maker is descaled. But it may have some residue of descaling solution in it.
- To get rid of all the residues and odor of descaling liquid, fill the water reservoir of your Breville coffee maker with plain water. Now, keep brewing till all the water is consumed.
- Repeat the above step until you are sure that the outcoming water is free from all odor and taste.
Your Breville coffee maker is now all set to brew your favorite coffee with precision.
Pro Tip: Let your descaling liquid sit in the water reservoir of your coffee maker for an hour before brewing it or running descaling cycles. This will help break down all the deposited minerals in your Breville coffee maker.
Homemade Descaling Solution
Most of the manufacturers of coffee makers recommend their own descaling solutions or preprepared descaling liquids from high-end brands. You will also find the same in the Breville coffee maker manual.
But when you go for expert recommendations, most people suggest using homemade descaling solutions as they are cost-effective and are free from harmful chemicals.
If you prefer using organic products over chemical-laden cleaning products, here are some recommended descaling solutions for you.
Vinegar
The most recommended descaling liquid is vinegar. It is highly acidic in nature and helps to break mineral deposits in your coffee maker. It is also used for getting rid of grease and for removing germs. So descaling your Breville coffee maker with vinegar will not only help in getting rid of mineral deposits. But it will also disinfect your coffee maker. Moreover, it is much cheaper than your preprepared descaling solutions. Isn’t it a win-win situation!
Use a 1:1 ratio of water and vinegar for descaling your Breville precision brewer. For instance, if your water reservoir has the capacity of 12 cups. Use 6 cups of vinegar and 6 cups of water for descaling.
Citric Acid
Citric acid is another recommended descaling liquid. The best thing about it is its pleasing fragrance. Unlike vinegar, citric acid does not leave your coffee maker with a pungent smell. And you often don’t need extra brewing cycles to remove its residues. The only drawback is that it is not recommended for coffee makers with high mineral deposits. As it has a lesser descaling potential than vinegar.
For using citric acid for descaling your Breville coffee maker, use 2 teaspoons of citric acid pallets per one gallon of water.
Other Options
Baking soda and lime juice are other good descaling agents. They are recommended for coffee makers that are being used with regular drinking water instead of hard water. As their descaling strength is limited. They usually do not impact the odor and taste of your coffee after descaling.
How Often Should You Descale Your Coffee Maker?
As per your Breville coffee maker manual, you must descale your coffee maker after every 3 months. Some Breville precision brewer comes with an indicator that tells you when it’s time to descale your coffee maker.
But even if there are no descaling indicators in your coffee maker, you can still gauge its time for descaling if you observe a decrease in the flow. Also, your coffee starts tasting weird when your coffee maker needs descaling. So, keep a close eye on these indicators to know when your coffee maker requires descaling.
Closing Words
Coffee lovers are very particular about their coffee taste, and they cannot compromise on it. If you own a Breville coffee maker, make sure you descale it regularly to keep getting that high-quality brewing that is the specialty of Breville.