As an owner of a Nespresso machine, you probably know that descaling your Nespresso machine is required every several months to keep your machine clean and running as new.
Descaling your machine uses a special solution that helps get rid of any limescale build-up and calcification that can affect the way your machine brews coffee.
This leads to the question, is it safe to brew a cup of coffee after using a chemical solution to clean your machine?
This is a great question to ask. And to give you a short answer:
It is completely safe to use your Nespresso machine right after descaling, provided that you have followed the rinsing instructions as directed.
Below, I will tell you in detail how to make sure that your Nespresso is safe to use after descaling.
Using Your Nespresso After Descaling Is Safe If You Rinse It
It is safe to drink coffee right after descaling as long as you rinse your Nespresso machine from any descaling solution residue.
Whether you choose to use the Nespresso descaling kit, or use an off-brand solution. The descaling steps are the same:
- The first part is to run the descaling solution through the machine
- The second part is to use fresh water through the machine several times until the machine is clean.
The second part of the descaling process, which is where you rinse the machine, is what makes your machine clean of any descaling solution residue and makes it safe to use.
If you didn’t rinse your Nespresso machine after descaling, you must do so.
How To Rinse Your Nespresso Machine
This applies to Vertuo and Nespresso OriginalLine machines. For specific instructions on how to descale your machine, refer to your manual.
Running Fresh Water Through
Typically, the descaling process of any Nespresso machine requires that you fill up with water reservoir with the descaling solution and water mix and activate the descaling process.
Once you have run out of descaling solution in the water reservoir, you will have to do two things:
- Wash the reservoir first. You need to get rid of any solution that could be stuck in the reservoir by giving it a proper wash.
- Now, fill the water reservoir with fresh clean water.
You can now resume the cleaning process. This consists of your Nespresso machine running hot water through the internal parts to clean it out of any solution residues and make it safe to use.
Rinse It Several Times
Depending on your Nespresso model, you’ll be guided by your machine on when to stop the rinsing process.
Some machines require a double rinse, others will do it just once.
Most Nespresso machines will stop flashing to indicate that the rinse process has been completed.
If your machine’s brew button continues to flash, even if it has run out of fresh water, it means that you need to fill the reservoir again for a second rinse.
You can refer to my guide on Nespresso Stuck in Descaling Mode for more on this topic.
How To Know When Your Machine Is Clean
Nespresso machines require that you activate the descaling process manually, but it will stop the process automatically after the cleaning process is done.
Two things to keep in mind:
- Never interrupt the descaling process. It can take up to 20 minutes for the whole process to finish. Don’t press any buttons or unplug the machine while this process is running.
- When you start the second phase of the descaling process, which is the cleaning phase, you have to repeat the cleaning part until the lights on your machine turn green (or white) and become steady, which will indicate that the descaling and cleaning process has been fully completed.
Why Descaling Makes Coffee Taste Better
What descaling does is clean out built-up debris and residue inside your machine. This type of residue can transfer to your cup if not cleaned, which decreases the quality and taste of your coffee. So when you descale, it’s like bringing your machine back to a new state.
Things you should notice after descaling:
- Your coffee temperature is hotter
- There’s no coffee ground residue in the cup
- If your Nespresso machine was running unusually loud, this should fix it.
If you feel like your coffee does not taste right after descaling, let’s look at the most common issues causing this to happen.
If Coffee Tastes Bitter, Burnt, Or Bad After Descaling
If you’ve followed instructions to descale your Nespresso machine, but after, you found your coffee to taste chemical, metallic, burnt, or any weird aftertaste, this could be due to several issues:
- There’s a possibility that you have not cleaned your water tank or flushed out your machine long enough. Wash your water reservoir and run a cleaning cycle several times to wash out any residues.
- Did you descale your machine while there’s a used capsule in the chamber? This is a common mistake that many users fall into. Always clean out the chamber of a used capsule before you start the descaling process.
- Your coffee spout could be slightly clogged or has some dried coffee residue that could be added to your fresh coffee. Using a paper clip, insert it into the coffee spout and try dislodging anything that could be clogged.
Is Nespresso’s Descaling Solution Toxic?
All descaling solutions, whether from Nespresso or other brands, are mildly toxic. So while they won’t kill you, you have to ensure that you have completely rinsed it off your machine before you brew a cup of coffee.
