You will notice a DESCALE alert on the Breville Barista Pro’s display after repeated use.
You must run a descaling cycle if you receive the descale notice.
Hard water might result in a mineral deposit on the interior parts, which will be removed.
Such buildup can alter the flavor of your espresso as well as decrease brewing flow and temperature.
Descaling is an essential component of a coffee maker’s routine maintenance and should not be disregarded.
You can find all the information you need to descale your Breville Barista Pro in this post.
Press the MENU button to access the DESCALE command on the Barista Pro machine. Fill the water tank with the descaling solution, and then start the descaling process by pushing the “One Cup” button once. When finished, rinse with fresh water to end the process.
What Is ‘Descaling’?
Over time, calcium and lime deposits form in all coffee makers.
These are derived from trace levels of mineral salts that are present in our water supply naturally.
Although they are perfectly safe and necessary for our health, they will eventually accumulate in hot water appliances.
The process of removing these mineral stains from your machine’s inside surfaces is known as “descaling.”
You should frequently descale your Breville espresso machine to get rid of these buildups and maintain it operating effectively.
How Often Should You Descale Your Breville Barista Pro?
The instruction manual for your machine suggests flushing it once every three months or 300 coffees, whichever comes first.
This means that if you use your machine regularly, flushing may be necessary more frequently.
The table below displays some Flushing frequency examples.
| NUMBER OF COFFEES PER DAY | RECOMMENDED Flushing FREQUENCY |
| 1-2 | Every 3 – 6 Months |
| 3-4 | Every 3 Months |
| 5-8 | Every 2 Months |
| When the flush light comes on | Immediately |
The amount of mineral salts in your town’s or city’s water supply, sometimes referred to as “water hardness,” directly affects how frequently you need to descale.
You will need to descale your machine more frequently in high water hardness areas, whereas less frequent maintenance may be possible in low water hardness areas.
The Barista Pro Descaling Alert
A warning signal or message may display on some Breville machines (such as the Barista Pro) to let you know that the device needs to be descaled.
When your machine has to be descaled, the descaling warning light for the Barista Pro will display on the LCD panel.
If you see this warning, you must descale immediately. Because this can occasionally be problematic, we advise descaling proactively wherever possible.
How Long Will Descaling Take?
Your Breville Barista Pro Machine should be completely descaled in 20 to 30 minutes.
What You Need:
- Descaling Solution
- Clean Water
- A 1L (36oz) empty jug or container that fits under your machine’s spout.
You can also check out our list of the best coffee machine descaling products here!
How To Descale Your Barista Pro Machine (Step-By-Step Guide)
The descaling of your VertoPlus machine can be broken down into the four processes below:
- Descaling mode, please
- Cleansing Rinse
- Wash with Fresh Water
Time Required: Approximately 25 minutes
Step 1: Enter Descaling Mod
We must first set everything up, make our descaling solution, and instruct the machine to perform the descaling function. for this:
- Make sure there is no portafilter inside the machine before turning it on. The drip tray should then be empty.
- Up to the DESCALING line, fill the water reservoir with a mixture of descaling solution and water. Use one 120-ml bottle of descaler and then top off with water if you’re using the Breville descaler. Follow the guidelines on the back if you’re using another descaler.
- Put a 1-liter or larger container or jug underneath the machine’s steam wand, hot water nozzle, and coffee nozzle.
- After pressing the MENU button, turn the GRIND-SETTING WHEEL to the DESCALE position.
- Now the “ONE CUP” button will glow.
Step 2: Descaling Solution Rinse
Now we’re ready to start descaling.
- Select ONE CUP from the menu.
- On the LCD panel, the device will show the message “d3 DESCALE.”
- It functions in three steps. The device will beep, and you’ll have to manually start the subsequent stage.
- Descales coffee
- Descale with Hot Water
- Descale Steam Wand
- Use the steam dial to switch to hot water after the first beep. On the LCD panel, the device will show the message “d2 DESCALE.”
- Use the STEAM DIAL to switch the setting to STEAM when the machine beeps once more. On the LCD panel, the device will show the message “d1 DESCALE.”
- When finished, the machine will signal completion with the display of “DESCALE.”
- To give the descaling fluid time to work, let the machine stand for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Fresh Water Rinse
The machine must then be rinsed to remove any residual descaling solution.
Despite being completely safe for consumption, this will make the coffee taste bitter and unpalatable.
- Fresh water should be added to the reservoir until the MAX FILL line is reached.
- Put the used collecting container or jug back on the drip tray plate.
- Press the ONCE CUP button once more to start a rinse.
- Similar to the descaling cycle above, repeat the three steps.
- The descaling process has ended.
What Can I Use Instead of a Descaling Solution?
You could create a homemade descaler rather than purchasing a descaling solution.
Citric acid and vinegar are the two materials for a DIY descaler that are most frequently utilised.
But keep in mind that using vinegar or citric acid in espresso machines with aluminum parts is not advised (aluminum thermoblock boiler).
Additionally, be aware that some store-bought descalers may be more successful than a DIY citric acid or vinegar solution because they sometimes contain more than one acid.
Increasing their efficacy (source) Also, vinegar may alter the flavor of the coffee on dated or neglected equipment.
These are merely a few drawbacks of DIY descalers. Since it has been certified for use with their particular espresso machines, it is better to utilize a descaler that the manufacturer suggests.
If you’re looking for a less expensive alternative, try to find a descaler with comparable ingredients.
Descale Breville Coffee Machine With Vinegar
Start by combining equal parts water and vinegar in a measuring cup to descale a Breville barista pro with vinegar.
After that, add the mixture to the coffee maker’s water reservoir and wait 30 minutes.
Turn on your Barista Pro after 30 minutes and leave it running until the water reservoir is empty.
When the reservoir is completely empty, fill it with fresh water, then operate your barista pro until the reservoir is full.
The coffee pot should then be cleaned with new water after being rinsed with the water and vinegar mixture.
Although it can be tiresome, descalement of a coffee maker is simple.
If you follow these straightforward instructions, descaling a Breville coffee maker with vinegar will not be challenging.
If your coffee maker is not descaling, mineral deposits could impact the flavor and quality of your beverages.
Using a solution of white vinegar and water, you may remove the mineral deposits that often accumulate inside your coffee maker.
As the liquid moves through the gadget, the water should lessen the vinegar’s fragrance. After that, you can continue to enjoy coffee or espresso as normal.
Your barista pro should be descaled in roughly an hour, which should get rid of any sour taste or decreased water flow caused by mineral deposits on the metal parts of the appliance.
Descaling ought to be done just once a month, but if you have a water filtration system, you might need to do it twice weekly.
Can You Use Vinegar Instead Of Descaling Solution?
If you want to clean your coffee maker with a commercial descaler instead of vinegar, just swap out the descaling solution for the vinegar solution and apply the amount recommended on the container.
How To Deep Clean Your Coffee Make
Add up to four cups of undiluted vinegar to the reservoir of your auto-drip coffee maker to clean it.
The body will have roughly 30 minutes of standing capacity.
A brewing procedure must be used to strain the vinegar. The use of hot water is not advised. When the cycle is complete, dump the vinegar reservoir and give everything a thorough cold water rinse.
Use a cleaning product made especially for it if your coffee maker has any tough stains.
Breville Descaling Powder Ingredients
Add up to four cups of undiluted vinegar to the reservoir of your auto-drip coffee maker to clean it.
The body will have roughly 30 minutes of standing capacity.
A brewing procedure must be used to strain the vinegar.
The use of hot water is not advised. When the cycle is complete, dump the vinegar reservoir and give everything a thorough cold water rinse.
Use a cleaning product made especially for it if your coffee maker has any tough stains.
What Are the Ingredients in a Descaling Solution?
Citric acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, sulfamic acid, and malic acid are the primary acids found in descaling solutions.
One or more of these acids will often make up the descaling solution.
FAQ
Can you make your own flush solution?
Although you can make your own descaling solution with vinegar or citric acid.
I advise using a commercial descaling product in a concentration that has been shown not to harm your machine.
What happens if you don’t flush your barista?
Water flow is impeded by scale buildup inside pipes.
If this takes place inside the heating element, the water is unable to reach the ideal brewing temperature.
The flavor of the coffee pods will deteriorate because it will be hard to obtain their full flavor in this situation.
A machine can stop operating if there is a significant buildup of scale.
