How to Clean a Coffee Pod Machine: A Guide on Durability

Last Updated on January 10, 2023

You love your machine but not the mess it creates. Make your life a little easier by following these simple tips on how to clean a coffee pod machine and keep it in tip-top condition.

Keep Your Capsule Machine Clean

It’s not difficult or time-consuming to clean a pod machine compared to a regular coffee maker. They’re virtually hassle-free and great for beginners.

Using water (tap is fine), flush the coffee machine, so the internal elements are clean. This step also makes it easier to descale after and is a way to clean the water tank. You can stick to using filtered water when brewing a hot beverage to prevent minerals from gathering on the surface.

Additionally, if your coffee machine has a milk frothing accessory, it’ll require cleaning to remove any build-up hardened milk that might have gotten stuck to the coffee maker. Plus, milk deposits can leave a nasty after-taste in your mouth and may weaken the machine. After each use, rinse the milk frothing accessory with water, ensuring decent water flow on it to remove any unwanted deposits.

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Descale Your Machine

Improve the performance and hygiene of your Nespresso machine with the below easy-to-follow steps.

What you’ll need:

• Coffee machine
• White vinegar
• Water (preferably filtered)
• Clean cloth
• Clean towel

Step 1: Clean the Exterior

Nobody likes to use an espresso machine that looks dirty. Therefore, wipe the machine’s exterior with a damp cloth, paying attention to the drip tray, funnel and holder. You can even place these components in the dishwasher. Alternatively, soak each item in how water with some washing-up liquid for around 20 minutes. Rinse with clean water and dry with a clean towel.

Step 2: Clean the Interior

The most important step is to get the coffee machine’s interior in working order. Use a clean toothbrush to remove any coffee grinds that are stuck in the cupholder or washer plate. Most times, grinds and bacteria will sit on the washer plate. On the other hand, remove the components and soak them in hot water, too.

Using a damp cloth that’s been soaked in white vinegar or citric acid, remove any limescale build-up and mineral deposits that are stuck to the coffee machine. You might need to soak the elements that are dirty and require a thorough descaling process.

Step 3: Fill the Water Tank With Vinegar and Water

Create a combination of half white vinegar and half tap water to the tank’s maximum volume. Add this descaling solution to the water reservoir to sanitise the coffee pot and dissolve any mineral deposits and limescale that might have accumulated on the coffee capsules and surface.

Step 4: Soak the Solution

Switch on the coffee machine, turning it off halfway through the brewing process. Then, allow the solution to soak for around 50 minutes, depending on how often you use the coffee maker.

Looking After Coffee Machines at Home

If you use your coffee machine regularly, it’s best to clean and descale often to create great-tasting coffee and reduce cleaning times. Below are some useful maintenance tips for preventing limescale and improving the longevity of coffee makers.

Remove Coffee Leftovers

A coffee machine can create a distinct taste and aroma. Thus, it’s important to keep it clean. Always remove any coffee pods after use. Otherwise, dirt and bacteria can accumulate in these machines, making them unhygienic. Meticulously clean little specks of dirt because they can pile up and lead to larger problems.

Switch off the Coffee Machine After Use

It’s great to have a machine to hand. But if yours doesn’t turn off automatically, make sure that you switch it off after use to prolong its lifespan. Doing so will also help to save energy and keep the machine in good condition.

Remove Any Excess Water

Descaling can be a time-consuming process but an absolute necessity to enhance your Nespresso machine’s performance. Make things a little easier for yourself by removing any water after every use. You can recognise limescale by its tiny white dots. Limescale can affect the performance and efficiency of your Nespresso machine. Hence, you must ensure that you pour any leftover water down the drain and rinse the water tank before placing it back onto the unit.

Keep the Brew Chamber Away From Food

Most coffee lovers keep their machine in the kitchen. However, they can be prone to food and drink splashes, resulting in bacteria sitting on the surface. You can prevent this by moving the coffee pod machine to another part of the kitchen so bits of food don’t stick to the surface, which could then fall into your drink.

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Reasons to Descale Your Coffee Machine

Don’t know why you need to invest in cleaners to prevent minerals from building up on your Nespresso machine? Below are just a few reasons to care for coffee machines.

Prevents Mould

Nobody wants to drink out of a coffee machine that’s riddled with mould. A build-up of mould and bacteria in a maker is common. It starts with a small mould particle that’s left unattended and multiplies by hundreds. This can make you ill, resulting in nasal congestion, watery eyes, headaches, coughing and more.

Fortunately, you can prevent this from happening by cleaning your machine daily. Depending on the water’s hardness in your area, you might need to descale the machine around every three months. Although you might think that a quick wipe-down will keep it clean and safe, this isn’t enough to remove mould and bacteria. We recommend using vinegar as a way of cleaning these products.

Ruins the Taste of Coffee Capsules

Capsules cost money, and not properly caring for your machine is like throwing cash down the drain. Coffee beans naturally contain oil that is produced once roasted. But when they’re not roasted for long enough, the oil can pour out, resulting in a bitter taste.

If you use oily coffee beans, you’ll need to endure more cleaning to prevent an oil build-up in your machine. The gunk in your brewing chamber will seep into your drink and affect how the bean tastes. Guarantee a delicious cup by regularly cleaning your machine.

What Happens If You Don’t Clean and Descale Your Nespresso Machine

Calcium and limescale can leave residues on your Nespresso machine, which affects the taste and quality of your coffee. For example, limescale can reach the water from its heat source, making it unable to attain an optimal temperature for brewing. Not only will this result in a cold coffee, but when the water temperature isn’t at its optimal, the full flavour of the coffee beans isn’t extracted. Furthermore, the limescale in a Nespresso machine can increase brewing time and disrupt the water flow, resulting in a lower quality brew.

Keep on Brewing

Knowing how to clean a coffee pod machine properly is essential if you want your investment to last a long time. Suppose your machine doesn’t have a descaling mode, order vinegar for a thorough cleaning and descaling process.

Do you have any descaling tips? How about other cleaning advice? Let us know in the comments.