Descale the Senseo coffee machine - how it works

If you want your Senseo coffee machine to last a long time, you should maintain it regularly. If you want to descale your Senseo coffee machine, you have to follow a few instructions. We show you how to do this with this practical tip.

Descale the Senseo coffee machine: you need it

To decalcify your Senseo machine properly, you first need a few tools. Here's what you need for such a run:

• Original Senseo descaler for your special coffee machine or alternatively citric acid as a powder.
• Tap water, a scale, a measuring cup and a spoon.
• Two Senseo coffee pods that you have only recently used.
• A heat-resistant bowl that can hold at least one liter and fits under your coffee machine.
• Alternative descaling products at Channel21: The best vouchers in the CHIP voucher portal

How to descale your Senseo machine properly

If you have chosen the original Senseo descaler, you should follow the instructions on the packaging. If you use commercially available citric acid powder, proceed as follows:

1. Take the measuring cup and fill it with a liter of tap water. Then pour the water into the bowl. Now weigh 50 grams of the citric acid powder and add it to the water. Stir in the powder with the spoon until it has completely dissolved.
2. Then remove the water container from your Senseo coffee machine and fill the water with the citric acid powder until you reach the maximum mark. Then insert one of the used pads as a filter and switch on the machine.
3. Place the heat-resistant bowl under your coffee machine, where you would normally place the cups, and start the run. Let the machine run until you have collected all the water including citric acid powder in the bowl.
4. Then grab the second, recently used pad and repeat the third point again. When everything has gone through completely, remove the water tank and clean it thoroughly with tap water. Pour the collected liquid away from the bowl.
5. Now fill the water tank again with tap water until you have reached the maximum mark. Put the water tank back into your Senseo machine and place the bowl under the coffee machine again. Let the water run through the second pad at least two to three times and pour the collected water away again.
6. Now remove the coffee pad and clean the holder of the pad under running tap water. Once you have cleaned everything, you can use your machine again as usual.

Important information for descaling your Senseo machine

According to the manufacturer, you should descale your Senseo machine every three months if you use it regularly. However, make sure that you do not descale the coffee machine more than six times a year. In addition, you should also refrain from decalcifying agents that are made on the basis of so-called mineral acids. These include sulfuric and hydrochloric as well as sulfamic and especially acetic acids. Never descale such a product because the machine could otherwise be damaged.

If you are still unsure which coffee machine is the right one for you, then you should take a look at our practical tip on the best coffee machines for pods and capsules.

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