Anyone any hints on how to keep these machines running smoothly without buying descaler from Nespresso at inflated prices? I have three machines in all and from time to time the coffee capsules 'explode' and coffee grains come into the cup. Cleaning with vinegar sometimes works but often or not it doesn't. Is it aluminium from the capsules getting into the capsule holder that causes it and how do you get rid of that?

tried a low pressure steam cleaner???? I used to use one with my coffee maschine... It wasen't nespresso though but you still put the coffee thing in, press a button and it fills your cup up with coffee just like every other one....

If not pay the price of the proper ones designed to keep your maschine healthy... You'll regret it if it dies and you don't have any coffee for a week!!!!

is it not the overheating of the machines which in turn makes the capsules explode? try letting the machine cool down a bit??

You should be able to find a lower priced de-scaler in the shops. There's some pretty strong stuff out there that my wife buys.

How often do they need cleaning?

I've been using mine happily for over a year with no issues. It didn't even occur to me that I might need to de-scale it....

What do the instructions recommend?

Most modern day coffee machines are too fragile and basically designed with one thing in mind (profits): sell accessories, replacement parts and overpriced coffee, making decent coffee comes as a distant fourth priority. No sir, just give me a 30 year old Pavoni (with a lever) and I'll squeeze out a creamy brown espresso without ever having to buy insanely expensive capsules or cleaning products. These espresso machines are no nonsense, rugged, hassle free, and will last a lifetime... and I find the initial 1000 CHF investment a good deal considering you'll be using it 40 years down the line. Sorry for my rant, I just can't stand Nespresso coffee

As you might expect they push Nespresso branded cleaning products. I did e-mail them with my 'grains in the coffee' problem and they said it could be caused by a number of things! Very helpful. I cannot believe it is a fault, because all three of my machines do it. What I do wonder is whether the capsules are designed only to stand the pressure of the hot water for a very limited time. Being English and grey in the hair (what little I have left) I like a long coffee ,not a quick fix, so I use the espresso capsules to make a long ,if weaker, drink. Perhaps that is the cause?

A lot depends on the hardness of the water when it comes to descaling the inside of the machine itself and in my opinion how long you leave stagnant water in the reservoir. Where I live in the UK the water is very hard and if I use tap water it needs a good clean every six months. If I use softened water it lasts much longer. You will know when it needs attention because the flow rate weakens considerably.

Cleaning the capsule holder is another matter....

Hi

In case this info is useful to anyone with a Nespresso machine ...

My machine recently stopped working .. behaving like it was blocked: stuttering, turning itself off, dispensing small amounts of coffee - so I called Nespresso's friendly hot-line who told me they could fix it for CHF 160 (I think that's the amount they quoted) which would give me another 6 months guarantee, or (since they thought it probably needed de-scaling/de-calcifying) they would send me a de-calc/de-scaler kit for CHF 10 and if that didnt work, I could buy another machine for CHF 200-350 with another 2yr guarantee. Tough choice (not).

You guessed it, de-scaling the machine didn't work. So I bought another machine. Then my wife asked me what we were going to do with the old one, so I said bin it .. then thought: why not take it apart first.

I found this http://www.glazman.org/weblog/dotcle...s-vs-zithromax which describes how Daniel Glazman fixed his machine with a syringe .. so I thought why not. He's right about the screws .. a pain to extract with a pair of pliers .. but with patience every one came out. And after some exploration of more (torx) screws inside, and wiggling of bits of plastic, i managed to get the heater out, and using a syringe (from a printer cartridge refill kit), I'm doing the same as him: squirting de-scaling solution straight into the heater.

Regardless of the outcome I can tell you that you MUST descale your nespresso machine regularly (really regularly! - I don't drink much coffee and in the just over 2 yrs I had the machine, I probably did less than 100 cups). After this experience I bought a Brita jug to filter water (just looking at the inside of my kettle shows it cuts scale a huge amount) to keep the new machine from the same fate.

Hope this info is of use to someone out there since there's not a lot of info on what to do with your Nespresso machine that doesn't involve paying Nespresso a lot of money to fix a machine that's just out of warranty!

Steve

I would throw the machine away and go buy some decent beans, a grinder, a kettle and a simple cafetiere (jug with plunger filter). Taste and smell of freshly ground coffee restored. No machine to regularly clean with poisons and so forth.

You got something right finally ElJeFe
I went to buy one of these overpriced Nespresso machines and I literally laughed my head off. They are made of such cheap plastic components that it ain't even funny. Solid metal coffee machines without all the capsule crap any day for me. For now tea keeps me happy.

What if you're cheap, lazy and demand instant gratification at the push of a button?

1000 chuffs for some fangled mechanical kit that requires effort and thought on my part just doesn't cut it.

For a 1000, I'd expect a Barista to live in my cupboard and make me one when I want...

*Vinegar, it's the cheapest there is for removing scale build-up (about 0.89chf per liter).



*disclaimer: never actually used it in my coffee machine only the toilet tank (not worried about any after taste there).

Thing is: if you drink as little coffee as I do (I like it but it messes with me), then the cost of the capsules is nothing compared to the cost of the wasted part used packets of beans/grounds ... and dont tell me they keep for ages, coz they do: but they dont keep their taste for more than a couple of weeks. And then theres the cost of a grinder and the hassle ... and for those who advocate the cafetiere, I'm talking about a different kind of drink!

I agree on the solid metal machines .. but you need to drink a lot of coffee to justify the cost. And now having taken a nespresso machine apart I can tell you they're pretty well made inside, plenty of metal (if that's what you like) and good solid plastic (nothing wrong with plastic since the invention of bakelite).

And no, I'm not a Nespresso bigot, I don't even like their service. For me it's a question of horses for courses .. and nespresso gives me (a low volume drinker) the best hit/convienence/cost tradeoff.

Steve

No poisons to clean your kettle? ... or do you use a chisel for that?

Madfuzu you make valid points. I guess that is probably why I am without a machine. I actually looked at their machines again and yes some of the models seem reasonably well made.

The water no doubt varies from one place to another, but where I am now, the chalk in the kettle forms as a softish sludge, which a pan brush will bring off.

I'll second the advice about a Brita water filter, although you should change the filters regularly, and use fresh water rather than letting it sit there for too long.

Get a brita filter kettle.
I've had mine for almost five years, have never de-scaled it and it has almost* no residue on it at all.


* there is some on it from when I kept using it even after removing the filter cuz I ran out of new filters!

Don't agree with you regards the cost of cleaning the machine. Just picked up a descaler from Nespresso yesterday for 6.50 chf.
Doesn't seem extreme to me & we use the machine regularly, are in a reasonably high calcium area regards water & clean once every three months or so.