To descale a Breville espresso machine, add 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of descaler concentrate to the empty water tank, fill the tank with water and run the machine's own descale cycle. When it finishes, rinse the tank and run two full tanks of plain water through before you brew. Every three months is the normal interval, or whenever the machine prompts you. Hard water means sooner.
Scale is the calcium carbonate that hard water leaves behind when it's heated. In an espresso machine it narrows the water path and pulls the brew temperature off target, so shots run slow, the steam wand gets weak and the descale light comes on. Breville sells its descaler in single-use sachets. Ours is a liquid concentrate of citric and lactic acid in purified water, made in the USA, and one 16 fl oz bottle covers 16 descales. At one every three months, that's about four years.
What you need
- Our Descaler for Breville Espresso Machines (16 fl oz, 16 uses). The Universal Coffee Machine Descaler also works in Breville machines, at 2 to 4 tablespoons a cycle.
- Fresh water.
- A container big enough to hold a full tank, to sit under the group head and steam wand.
- Your manual. The button sequence for descale mode differs between the Barista Express, Bambino and Oracle families.
Steps
- Empty the machine. Empty the drip tray, take out the portafilter and empty the water tank. If there's a water filter in the tank, take it out. Descaler damages the filter media.
- Measure the dose. Measure 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of the Breville descaler.
- Fill the tank. Pour the descaler into the empty tank, fill with water to the MAX line and put the tank back.
- Run the descale cycle. Put the container under the group head and steam wand and start descale mode the way your manual describes. The machine pushes the solution through in stages. Let it run to the end.
- Rinse the tank. Pour out whatever is left, rinse the tank and fill it to MAX with plain water.
- Run two water-only cycles. Run descale mode again with plain water, or flush a full tank through the group head, hot water outlet and steam wand. Then do it once more.
- Put it back together. Refit the water filter, refill with fresh water and pull one blank shot before you make coffee.
How often to descale a Breville espresso machine
Every three months, or when the machine prompts you. The prompt is a reminder, not a reading of what's in your boiler, so your water sets the real interval. If your kettle grows a white ring within a week or two, your water is hard, and every one to two months is closer to right. On soft or filtered water, quarterly is fine. A water filter in the tank slows scale down. It doesn't stop it.
What not to use
- Vinegar. It's weaker on scale than citric acid, so it needs longer contact and repeat cycles, and the taste hangs on through the rinses.
- Bleach or any alkaline cleaner. Neither one dissolves scale, and neither belongs in a machine you drink from.
- Powder that hasn't fully dissolved. Crystals can lodge in the solenoid and the small passages. Our concentrate is a liquid, so there's nothing to dissolve.
- Cleaning tablets instead of descaler. Breville's cleaning tablets strip coffee oil from the group head. They don't touch scale, so descaling is a separate job.
Frequently asked questions
Which Breville machines does it work with?
Barista Express, Barista Express Impress, Barista Pro, Barista Touch, Barista Touch Impress, Bambino, Bambino Plus, Oracle, Oracle Touch, Oracle Jet, Dual Boiler, Infuser and Duo-Temp Pro. It also works in Breville kettles and tea makers.
How much descaler do I use per cycle?
1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of the Breville concentrate in a full tank. With the universal coffee machine descaler, use 2 to 4 tablespoons.
Will a non-Breville descaler void my warranty?
Breville sets its own warranty terms, so check yours. Our descaler is a compatible product, not a Breville product, and Breville's warranty doesn't cover it. Using it may affect your warranty, and that call is yours.
What's in it?
Food-grade citric and lactic acid in purified water. It's made in the USA and mixes straight into the tank.
The machine still says descale after the cycle. What now?
On some models the reminder clears only after you confirm it in the menu, so check your manual for the reset step. If shots are still slow or the wand is still weak, the machine was heavily scaled. Run a second full descale and the two rinses again.
Products used in this guide
- Think Crucial Descaler for Breville Espresso Machines, 16 uses, 16 fl oz
- Think Crucial Universal Coffee Machine Descaler, 12 fl oz
More guides: descaling guides by appliance, including coffee makers and electric kettles.
Breville® and the model names above are trademarks of their owners and are used only to describe compatibility. Think Crucial is an independent manufacturer and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Breville. Our descaler is a compatible product, not an OEM product, and is not covered by Breville's warranty; using a non-OEM product may affect your warranty. Always follow your machine manufacturer's own descaling instructions.