05 · Make it better
Care & fixes
Clear routes through cleaning, water, limescale and common coffee problems, starting with the exact machine instructions.
Coffee equipment combines water, heat, electricity, fine particles and—in milk systems—perishable food. That makes precise care advice more useful than confident shortcuts.
We do not recommend putting a household cleaner, vinegar or a generic descaler inside a machine unless the manufacturer’s instructions support it. If an appliance sparks, smells unusual or has a damaged plug or cable, stop using it and seek qualified advice.
The useful shortlist
Keep the routine safe and repeatable
How to descale a coffee machineModel checksHow often should you descale?Let hardnessClean an espresso machineDaily residueBest coffee-machine descalersTwo defined machine routes—not a universal chemical ranking.UK coffee-water hardnessFind your supplier and set the right machine level.Coffee-machine cleaning checklistDailyBest water filters for coffeeJug versus in-tank cartridges by water and machine.Tap versus filtered waterDecide whether filtering helps your coffee and machine.Test water hardnessSupplier resultCoffee-machine filter compatibilitySage and De’Longhi model and batch checks.Backflush an espresso machineOnly where its manual provides the cleaning path.Clean a cafetièreWash the beaker and separated plunger mesh.Clean reusable coffee filtersMetal discsClean a steam wandThe wipe-and-purge habit after every milk drink.Clean an automatic milk carafeRinse the path and wash the dismantled milk parts.When to replace grinder burrsClean and diagnose before ordering parts.Diagnose a taste or flow problemBitter