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When people discuss Keurig coffee machines or any equipment used to make coffee in general, the phrase “descaling” is perhaps the most startling and most misunderstood of all of the terms that are used. The majority of people who use these devices do not anticipate having to descaling as a regular part of their routine. However, this is something that every owner of a Keurig machine must do as routine maintenance.
It is essential to have a solid understanding of the purpose of descaling as well as the process that is involved. Your machine will have a longer lifespan as a result, and the quality of the brewed coffee will be on par with when you originally purchased it.
Limescale can only be removed by the process of descaling. What precisely is limescale? The majority of the calcium that is accumulated throughout time is in the form of calcium carbonate, which is more popularly referred to as calcium. Calcium has the potential to clog the internal pipes of your Keurig machine since it travels through the machine in the same direction as the hot water.
The calcium carbonate that is naturally present in all waters will gradually precipitate out of the water that is required to make coffee as a result of heating and chilling the water.
This means that it is no longer dissolved in the water and instead begins to coat the pipes and the water reservoir of the Keurig machine.
In a manner similar to how unhealthy cholesterol may block your arteries. The “hardness” of your water, which refers to the number of solid components that it contains, determines how fast this process will take place. Limescale will begin to accumulate in your Keurig machine far more rapidly in proportion to how difficult it is.
In contrast to cholesterol and the arteries in our bodies, limescale on Keurig machines may be removed by descaling the machine. This is in contrast to the situation with cholesterol and our arteries.
Using a chemical solution that is able to dissolve the limescale back into the water and then flushing it along with the water is all that is required to descaling anything. The Keurig machine may be restored to its factory settings after it has been cleaned in this manner. Increasing its longevity and ensuring that the coffee will not include any minuscule particles of limescale, which would result in a cup of coffee with an unpleasant taste.
How to Descale
So, how does descaling actually work?
There is a Keurig-approved procedure for doing so. Using one of the Keurig descaling solutions that are available and completely filling the water reservoir of your machine are both required steps in this process.
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Ensure that the water filter has been removed before proceeding. Then, instead of placing a K-cup into the machine, you may use a big mug or a bowl, place it under the spout, and click the brew button.
Descaling a Keurig machine is regarded to be finished when all of the water that has been combined with the descaling solution has been processed through the machine. After that, fill the reservoir with clean water, and start the brewing process many times. After doing so, the machine will be free of any residual descaling solution or unpleasant odour, and you will then be able to use your Keurig to make coffee once again.
Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker
Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Brewer, Holds up to 10 Ounces, Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker, 6 to 10 Ounce Brew Sizes, Black
When there is a significant amount of limescale present in the Keurig or when it has been quite some time since it was last descaled, it is recommended that a more in-depth cleaning be carried out on the machine.
You will need to disassemble all of the pieces that can be removed from your Keurig machine, including as the water reservoir, the drip tray, and the pod assembly. Cleaning each component individually with dish soap and warm water is a must. Before you do anything more, check to see that the machine is entirely disconnected from the electrical outlet.
You may find it helpful to use a paperclip to scrape the surface of the Keurig machine where the small holes are located. Coffee grounds, sediments, and oils may collect on the internal walls of the machine over time, which can have an effect on the flavour of the coffee produced by the machine.
It is important that you get rid of as many of them as you can. Make use of hot water whenever it is available, either with or without dish detergent (vinegar is an alternative, less chemical but possibly more smelly).
After that, reassemble the device, and begin the descaling procedure as described before. When you use an authentic descaling solution, you may often use the whole bottle even if the water reservoir is still full. Vinegar is often mixed with water in a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 1 part water. It is also possible to utilise citric acid, but the proportions should be significantly more weighted toward the acid: 20 parts of it to 1 part of water.
Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Brewer, Holds up to 10 Ounces, Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker, 6 to 10 Ounce Brew Sizes, Black
When there is a significant amount of limescale present in the Keurig or when it has been quite some time since it was last descaled, it is recommended that a more in-depth cleaning be carried out on the machine.
You will need to disassemble all of the pieces that can be removed from your Keurig machine, including as the water reservoir, the drip tray, and the pod assembly. Cleaning each component individually with dish soap and warm water is a must. Before you do anything more, check to see that the machine is entirely disconnected from the electrical outlet.
You may find it helpful to use a paperclip to scrape the surface of the Keurig machine where the small holes are located. Coffee grounds, sediments, and oils may collect on the internal walls of the machine over time, which can have an effect on the flavour of the coffee produced by the machine.
It is important that you get rid of as many of them as you can. Make use of hot water whenever it is available, either with or without dish detergent (vinegar is an alternative, less chemical but possibly more smelly).
After that, reassemble the device, and begin the descaling procedure as described before. When you use an authentic descaling solution, you may often use the whole bottle even if the water reservoir is still full. Vinegar is often mixed with water in a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 1 part water. It is also possible to utilise citric acid, but the proportions should be significantly more weighted toward the acid: 20 parts of it to 1 part of water.
Descaling Solutions to Use
There are a variety of alternatives to the official descaling treatments that are recommended by Keurig that may be found on the market. Both vinegar and citric acid are readily available and occur naturally in the environment. For ages, one has been used for cleaning surfaces, removing rust, and unclogging tubes. Citrus fruits, such as lemons and limes, have citric acid as a component of their natural make-up.
Milliard Citric Acid
Vitamin C is maintained in this non-GMO solution, which comes in a bag that can be resealed and used again for either cooking or cleaning.
Natural descaling agents like these tend to leave behind a strong stench, but some people like them since they are gentler than the industrial equivalents. However, natural descaling agents like these are less common. In order to remove any trace of the flavour in the coffee, a thorough rinse thereafter with citric acid and vinegar is required.
Lucy’s Family Owned – Natural Distilled White Vinegar
A trademark that is owned by a family and may be utilised in the kitchen. It cleans the inside and outside of home equipment, including coffee makers.
Descaling agents for industrial use are often offered by the same businesses who manufacture the machinery they are designed to operate well with. Be wary, since their behaviour when employed in conjunction with other machines may or may not be very hostile. If you are using an industrial descaling solution, it is imperative that you adhere to the ratio that is specified by the manufacturer on the bottle.
Keeping Keurig Clean
In addition to the correct descaling, it is essential that you maintain your Keurig machine clean in order to ensure that it functions as efficiently as possible and that it will serve you for many years. It is important to do routine maintenance.
In an ideal situation, you should remove all of the pieces that can be removed from your Keurig and thoroughly clean them using dish soap and warm water. Make careful to rinse them, to not leave any sign of soap. Additionally, you should clean the needle once every thirty days. Next, empty the whole water reservoir into the sink without using any K-cups. This will clean the inside of the Keurig machine of any solids in addition to the limescale that was previously cleaned.
Then, about every three months, depending on how hard your water is, you should descale your Keurig machine. Those who live in regions that have particularly hard water would have to descale their appliances even more often than this, perhaps once every two months. Those who have soft tap water or who filter it themselves may only need to descale their appliances once every six months at the most.
To descale less than a couple of times each year is not something that is recommended. If limescale is allowed to build up, there is a chance that it won’t be completely eliminated during the subsequent descaling procedure. It will slowly build up inside of your Keurig machine, causing it to get damaged.
Tips and Tricks
Be careful to follow a descaling plan that is as conservative as it can possibly be in order to get the most out of its lifespan. If the water from your tap is hard, you should drink filtered water or mineral water that is high in minerals (the mineral content should be mentioned on the bottle).
Do not allow water to remain in the machine for an extended period of time. Mold will begin to grow, and the flavour of your coffee will become rather nasty as a result. At the absolute latest, once every week, water should be drained from the reservoir. If you use K-cups for anything other than black coffee, such as hot chocolate or sugar cookie coffee, you need to ensure that the machine is cleaned as soon as the brewing process is complete. Avoid getting the remnants of several drinks mixed together in the machine.
Overall
These processes aren’t very complicated, and they shouldn’t take you too much time either. All of these are essential to ensuring that your Keurig machine is operating at its peak performance and will not fail in the near future. In addition, they contribute to the production of a cup of coffee that is clean and has the greatest taste that can be achieved. And that, by itself, ought to be sufficient reason to keep your Keurig clean and descaled on a regular basis!