Thanks for watching guys! Subscribe to keep this video referenced for the future!: Descaler: geni.us/DeLongiDescaler Want to support the channel? Shop Amazon with my affiliate link: amzn.to/3tU9btX (it doesn't cost you anything more, but I earn a small provision if you buy anything). DISCLOSURE: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase and/or subscribe. Affiliate commissions help fund videos like this one.
I have to descale my DeLonghi a few times a year and I forget how to do it every time, it drives me nuts because I fix things for a living and I can’t remember this simple procedure lol, thanks Tom. 🇮🇹😎🇮🇹
Thank You for this information we have now descaled our Dedica the first time and cleaned it twice but the stream button are still blinking orange color 🤢 do i have to reset the machine after this ❓
@@Svendus it’s done that to me a few times, I just repeat the whole process, I’m not 100% on this, but I think if it’s still flashing orange, there’s still scale in it, it should go back to white automatically, funny you sent this today, I’m descaling mine again today 😉
@@stevieg4201i followed the instruktions in the manual ones again and let the machine finish till it emptied the water beholder completely two times i think the Delonghi Dedica Descale program are timer based it took almost 2x half an hour for the whole proses and first now we got rid of the yellow light 😜😜
My delonghi is 20 years old and has totally different buttons. I’ve never descaled it and it’s about time! I bought the bottle but don’t know what to do 😢
It’s that time again and Tom thank you for making this informative, thorough and easy to follow video. Still loving my Dedica after multiple daily use of over 5 years straight now! Wahoo!
This is the video I always come back to! 🎉 THANK YOU! It saves me so much time and thinking when it comes to descaling. Your video “DeLonghi Dedica Home Espresso Machine Review & Test” was actually the first one I saw when I first bought my Dedica EC685 - that’s where you earned my trust
Much better instructions than the official. Just edit your video next time instead of saying “but before what I ‘ve just said, do this other thing….”in the next cut. Keep in mind people will follow your instructions step by step
It’s one thing losing the manual but your guide makes much more sense to me. Thanks Tom, I’ll be back to this in another couple of months for the refresher. You’re my go to when it comes to all things coffee.
Thank you for your video. I tried to follow the manufacturer youtube video to descale and only got confused....anyway got my machine clean and ready with the help of your video. 👍☕️
So glad I found your video! Exactly what I needed to guide me through the process. I'm sticking this in my calendar! Your voice is so pleasant and your demeanor so calm, you took the first-time jitters away.
Holy crap man! you fixed my Delonghi espresso machine!! Just watched your video and descaled it the right way (not the way Delonghi has on their website) and it now works!! Thanks so much!!! Oh and I used CLR and am going to run a few batches of clean water through it to make sure it's cleaned out, but thank you so much!! I used CLR because according to them it works and the shops handy here didn't have any of the proper solution or disks available. Thanks again!!
You're welcome! I'm glad I could help. It's important to keep your espresso machine well-maintained, and descaling is a crucial part of that. If you have any other questions or need further assistance, don't hesitate to reach out. Happy brewing
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Hey Tom, i watched the Delonghi video and you are the only one that said hit the steam button after switching on the steam lever! And that is what saved our machine! And yes it will be descaled regularly now!! Thanks so much!! I've subscribed now!
I suggest that the first time you try this you do a dry run with just water and no de-scaler. That way if you make a mistake you do not have acid water going everywhere and you can easily abort and try again. Also, I strongly recommend you do not use vinegar. It will descale, but if left on stainless steel for any length of time, it will rust it - if you do everything right with no spillage, it will work, but if you make a mistake you are heading for trouble.
Hey Tom, well it's a diluted food-based acid like milk acid or citrus acid, so not really dangerous. But it is sour, so you have to make sure to rinse well. Good tip about the vinegar, and making sure to keep everything clean and dry! Cheers, Tom
Just use citric acid powder and water. Vinegar can leave nasty taste/residue. Citric acid is cheap. Just use one or two desert spoons and run through a full tank.
One important point is that you can't rinse on demand. It's only a part of discaling process. So you basically have one rinse. Don't fuck up as I did and turned off the machine after descaling cycle. Instead of rinsing you get steaming.
Is it normal if: 1. the hot water came out? 2. Less than 1 month indicator light become blink? And also i had a problem to make a second flush. Please help me.
5:15 > Nice tip. I removed mine and it was a little bit dirty. Not too much. I would also recommend to clean where the part is attached. It also holds dirt. I used a wet cloth.
Hi there. Very informative video thanks! Another easy way is to use 1:1 (or less if you have problem with the smell) water white vinegar (the transparent one) and just simply turn it on like when you make coffee, a few times, and also with the steamer. boiling vinegar is the best ever :)
@@TomsCoffeeCorner It depends on the ratio. You could use of course only vinegar for the best cleaning effect (for example I don't mind the smell), or you can find a ratio that fits you. Usually I rinse it 3-5 times and let it stay for a while for the smell to go away. And btw if you decide to use for example a 10% ratio you can also put 1/2 tsp bicarbonate. I did it this way to clean a philips saeco xsmall and the result is awesome.
For the first time I can't find my manual. It has all my highlights for easy descaling plus my notes of when I have descaled it in the past. I may just have to write it on my machine somewhere...just in case? Along with when I bought it. FYI: citric acid from the cooking isle of the grocery shop is a descaler too. I've used it for kettles, jugs, vases, sinks, etc.. for decades before I bought a coffee machine.
Thanks for posting that tip! I'll have to look the next time I go grocery shopping. There's lots of other descaling solutions that should work well too, if they're milk or citrus acid based. Cheers!
Thanks for sharing this great video. I followed steps but after the first rinse I filled up water again for second rinse pressed the steam button but nothing happened? Only the shot buttons are flashing. How do I force it to rinse again?
Thanks for very nice videos! During my descaling process I switched off the machine accidentally and it does not switch on anymore (no lights). Using voltmeter I checked the power switch, power lines on the board, pump, etc. and all look OK. No signs of water or burn inside, the thermal protector should be also OK. Do you know what could be the issue? Damaged board or is it something simple? Thanks!
Great video! Bought 2 months ago the dedica arte and already orange light flashed.I followed your instructions but the orange light keeps flashing. Did the cleaning more than 8 times. What went wrong?still make coffee with the light on, but the taste is bitter.
I don't know. I have heard of people having this issue, but I have never faced it. Maybe there's an internal bit that didn't get reset by the descaling process. I would just try again in 2 months, and ignore the orange light in the meantime. Cheers!
thank you. i wipe the area above the screen before putting it back on. i would also emphasize the screw turn direction since the screw is upside down and can be confusing. the screw can also be stripped because it is a phillips and it is easy to not have the screwdriver at a pure vertical angle since it is awkward. Facing the machine from its right side, turn the screw driver from your right to your left (facing towards the ceiling it is counter-clockwise, confusing i know). I use a wratchet wrench with phillips head, with the nalde facing you i push it towards the front of the machine away from me. This is way harder to describe than show!
Hi Tom! I love your channel! Having bought the ecodecalc several times I have had good results but it does get more expensive every time. So for the last 5-6 times I have used diluted natural citric acid and the machine is as good as new. I run the process normally and do the rinsing cycle. Even the tank cleans very well. The use of bottled water with low sodium goes a long way to keep the machine clean! Thanks for the awesome content!
Thanks for your kind words, Dimitris! Using citric acid should work well too. Most of these descalers are either milk or citric based acids anyway. I have even seen people use vinegar. *I still like using the Ecodecalc myself, because I wait for it to go on sale, and it does a good job. ;)
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Thanks for the quick reply! I use citric acid because it leaves no residue, its very commonly used in almost all canned foods, and its natural. Vinegar on the other hand smells badly and needs very thorough rinsing afterwards.
@@juzCruising sorry for the delay I just saw the message. I usually put 1 teaspoon (or a little less…) of citric acid in a litre of water, and stir it very well before I use it in the machine’s tank.
Tom thank you very much for the videos, they helped a lot, i have a question how often do i need to descale? I did it last month and bow it needs another one, is this normal?
Thanks so much for this Tom. Had to do my first de-scale only one month into the purchase this weekend with nobody from customer service at hand so your video made me less nervous about the process as I was not sure if I did it all correctly as the descaling seems to focus mainly on the milk frothing spout, very little comes through the coffee outlet. It is also quite messy guys so be careful water does not splash everywhere guys. Found the descaling process a big disadvantage and really hope I will not need to do this every month. Not efficient on energy consumption at all in these tough times...
Sure thing, Biggi! The machine reminds you based on how often you make an espresso, and how hard you set the water hardness setting. If you have soft water, you can descale less often. Where I live, water is really hard, so I use a Brita filter to help keep some scale out of the water. Cheers!
Good video. I've used it now a number of times as I do forget now to do it. Mine will only even rinse once no matter what I do, so I'm guessing it a different model
Hi @TomsCoffeeCorner! Thanks for the video. I have a question regarding this: I've had my Dedica for 6 months and it's never shown the orange light indicating I must descale it. Should I do it anyway or continue using it normally until I get the orange light? (I always use it with bottled mineral water)
I am surprised it hasn't lit up yet. You need that to happen before you can enter the automatic descaling program...but anyway if you have been using bottled water with fewer minerals, it should be much better than tap water.
What if you're in a rush when the indicator starts blinking orange? Can you turn off the machine and do the descaling later? As always your videos are easy to follow and helpful :)
Hi tom, really like all your video especially on descaling, but just wondering, what’s gonna happen if we descale without using the descaling solution ?
Thank you for your hard working, Tom! The next thing I noticed that is the lighting outside of your window changed, again appreciate you time and effort !
Hi Andy, I think that would be redundant, as they do the same thing. I do Brita water, and recommend to descale monthly or at least every 2 months. Cheers!
Top tip, I get the solution to go into a jug rather than the sink and then pour that into my Breville OneCup to descale that as well. I usually find the liquid is in a good state to do another machine like the OneCup.
@Tom's Coffee Corner tea mostly, but has an adjustable so you can change how much comes out, handy for a jug of gravy as well. Theory being that it should use less electricity as you're boiling what you need rather than too much.
Hi Tom, Thanks for this. I've descaled mine several times over the years without issue, however today after selecting the descaling function, I switch the steam valve to 'on' and then press the steam button to start descaling, however nothing happens?
Hey Jon, could it be that the machine exited the setup mode before you flipped the steam dial? Otherwise, I would try cycling power to the machine, and trying again.
Shouldn’t you have rinsed the shower too? You didn’t switch from the steam wind while rinsing. Also is rinsing twice required ? They seem to say only once in most videos.
how the water tank can be cleaned regularly? It needs to be cleaned to avoid from bacteria in it. Is it enough just only rinsing it with water regularly or which other tips can you recommend? Danke Schön
Tom, your video is great. But in the official Delonghi video they show doing the descaling process with the porta filter in place and I noticed that you did not have your filter in. I’m using the original Delonghi filter with the removable inner part. It’s unclear to me whether you should have the portafilter in place, and with or without the inner cup.
Tom please tell me how to get my descaling light to stop flashing . I have descaled and rinsed my machine and it is still flashing. Also should I have to do this like every 2 months. That's how often mine needs to be descaled. Seems excessive.
It seems some people have issues with this. I never had that problem. Might just be a defect. Sorry to hear it, but try to ignore the light if it doesn't extinguish.
Thanks great video 👍 Always a hassle with different descaling programs on different machines. I’ve been working professionally for some years as a technician repairing n doing service on all kinds of coffee machines. You are in my opinion absolutely right about the descaling products. They are basically the same and it probably doesn’t matter at all. But when it comes to some of the more expensive pro machines I’ve worked in (very different animal) it becomes very important because the use allot of different materials inside the machines and some descaling agents act corrosive on some materials. I’ve seen machines get broken this way 🙂 Does not relate to this video just fun fact
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Sorry I haven’t really paid much attention to the descaling agents. I’ve just learned to always be careful with using the provided brand when working on clients machines. Especially on automatic machines. Another interesting thing I’ve noticed are that some brands repeatedly use metals that reacts with each other creating galvanic currents, eating away on the cheaper metal. Blows my mind every time
Hi there! Thanks for making this video! You have a very nice kitchen btw. I was surching for a way to descale my Dedica EC before the steam button starts blinking orange. That is because there is much calcium coming out with the steam, which I noticed after not using it for a few month, and then wanted to rinse it. But my cute little Dedica means very much to me and it's brand new...bought it 5 month ago. And I don't wanna play around, trying to get the descaling to run by itself. Our tap water is very rich in calcium and I didn't wanna buy plastic bottled water or filters. Mainly cos I don't trust filters in what they might leave in the water and cos our tap water here (besides from the high calcium) is really good. You can prepare babys food with it savely. Germany has high regulations on its water.. So, anybody knows anything? I may just call the deLonghi people, cos there is nothing in the handbook about it.
Hi Lisa! Germany's tap water is really full of calcium! While not unhealthy to people, it is really hard on household appliances. That is why water cookers for example need to be descaled every 2 weeks as well. You can start the descaling process yourself, without having to wait for the orange light indicator. Just follow the steps as outlined here. Thanks for the compliment on the kitchen! Tom
Sure, you can still make coffee just fine. It is just a reminder basically, that you should descale. 2x per month seems excessive though. If it bothers you, you can just do the descaling without the descaler, to acknowledge the warning. Cheers!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Great! But will it have an effect on my coffee tho if I just ignore them? And true tho, I read on Google, they recommend once per 3 month. But then I got the descale warning twice now within a month period. Just wondering if I should descale it often. And just fyi too, I set my settings to max in everything (water hotness and hardness), but still to do it twice a month to descale, is that logical?
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Hi , Vintage Hunter, thank you for the information, but… it looks different than your in the video, in video dark blue got some ring at the center, but in the Amazon doesn’t look the same. It’s ok sorry for troubling you. 😃👍
My machine got 3/4 of the way through the descaling mode and stopped. I switched from the brew head back to the steam wand and it kick started back up and finished the descale. But once it came time to rinse my solo/double buttons were simultaneously flashing. The machine would not let me rinse (as a continuation of the descaling process). I’m now just pulling double shot after double shot to rinse. Where did I go wrong?
Hey Tom! Is it required to use Delonghi brand descalers for the Delonghi machine or smilar branda descalers work too? (Very hard to find Delonghi brand descalers here in İstanbul)
To anybody who owns this machine. Remove plastic from inside of stock handle, saw it off or get aftermarket one. Plastic in stock one drastically changes taste.
Is it possible to use Melittas "Anti Calc Tabs" which really are meant for filter coffee and aqua machines? If so then how should you dissolve the tab? It says that one tab should be mixed with 500ml water and once you've done that I assume you would get something like the DeLonghi Eco Decalk, so you would add 100ml of this liquid into the tank and then fill it up with water to max?
Hey GZA, most descalers will work fine in this machine, since it is stainless steel lined. I would just follow the directions on the package to get the 100ml of descaler solution, and add water to top it up to 1 liter, and follow the directions the same way. 👍
thank you for your video but the steam light still an orange colour after clean 😢 .i tried clean 2 times but no change. this week when i use steam function it will stop me😢
I can’t quite understand if you rinse once or twice. On my gaggia I’m supposed to rinse twice. But I think the delonghi dedica program only foresees one rinse. That is, after one rinse it doesn’t seem to be in descaling mode anymore. I’m definitely not sure.
On the older Dedicas, the firmware had you rinse 2x. On the newer models, just 1x. On the Gaggia, it says in the directions to rinse 4x, which I think is overkill.
Hey Sue-Ellen, I just use the slotted screwdriver from this set: it's the 3/32" slotted screwdriver. greatlakespowertools.com/milwaukee-48-22-2604-4-pc-precision-screwdriver-set/
I dont have much calcium in the water at my place (we have our own well) and we seldom get any scales. Is the machine set to a specific ammount of times before wanting to get descaled, or does it measure the scales in some way ? How does one know if its not really nesessary to do a descale with acids ?
Hi there! It either counts the number of extractions, or monitors the water flow through the water sensor, but it does NOT have a scale sensor. Cheers!
😝 @TomsCoffeeCorner i followed the instruktions in the manual ones again and let the machine finish till it emptied the water beholder completely two times i think the Delonghi Dedica Descale program are timer based it took almost 2x half an hour for the whole proses and first now we got rid of the yellow light 😜😜
"The process takes about 10 minutes". What indicates the end of the process? You wait for the water to run out or something else happens? Do you have to do anything else to initiate the rinsing process?I had seen a top voted clarifying comment in one of the official delonghi videos but they turned off the comments at some point.
Hi Tom, I bought a second hand 685 for £20 and the water tank smells a bit like cheap/weak perfume. Have you ever seen this and do you know what might fix it?
How often do you need to descale? I've had my machine for two years and use it about five times a week but still no flashing orange light. I do live in Melbourne so the water hardness is low.
Hey Dale, I would recommend descaling every 3 months if you have soft water. Every water has some magnesium and calcium in it. The light flashes orange after counting a certain number of extractions. Perhaps the light is faulty, as is should have lit by now. Cheers!
Thanks a bunch Tom! Found this very useful for my first descaling exercise. Do you by any chance have a set of instructions written down? If you do and can share, will really help. If not, I will try to write that down following your video sometime.
Hello, I followed your descaling video but it doesn't let me do the second rinse and the orange light goes off. Did I do something wrong? Thanks for your patience.
Thanks for watching guys! Subscribe to keep this video referenced for the future!:
Descaler: geni.us/DeLongiDescaler
Want to support the channel? Shop Amazon with my affiliate link: amzn.to/3tU9btX (it doesn't cost you anything more, but I earn a small provision if you buy anything).
DISCLOSURE: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase and/or subscribe. Affiliate commissions help fund videos like this one.
Hello Tom! I just bought the EC885 a month ago and the steam icon already blink in orange color. Is it normal that i need to descale so soon?
@@okc4029 Yes, it has counted the number of extractions, and is suggesting you descale. Cheers!
Same for me
@@okc4029same for me
Very useful, thank you
I have to descale my DeLonghi a few times a year and I forget how to do it every time, it drives me nuts because I fix things for a living and I can’t remember this simple procedure lol, thanks Tom. 🇮🇹😎🇮🇹
Haha, same here - don't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday. So, I come back to this video even myself. Cheers!
Thank You for this information we have now descaled our Dedica the first time and cleaned it twice but the stream button are still blinking orange color 🤢 do i have to reset the machine after this ❓
@@Svendus it’s done that to me a few times, I just repeat the whole process, I’m not 100% on this, but I think if it’s still flashing orange, there’s still scale in it, it should go back to white automatically, funny you sent this today, I’m descaling mine again today 😉
@@stevieg4201i followed the instruktions in the manual ones again and let the machine finish till it emptied the water beholder completely two times
i think the Delonghi Dedica Descale program are timer based it took almost 2x half an hour for the whole proses and first now we got rid of the yellow light 😜😜
Same here. Haha
Who else shows up here every few months to refresh how to descale like you’ve never done it before? This must be Tom’s most viewed tutorial. 😂
Lol, I come back to this video myself, because I tend to forget how to start the process as well. 😅
Me too!
🙋🏻♀️
🙋🏻♀️
Haha same 😅
Much better and understandable than the original video from Delonghi
Thanks for that!
My delonghi is 20 years old and has totally different buttons. I’ve never descaled it and it’s about time! I bought the bottle but don’t know what to do 😢
It’s that time again and Tom thank you for making this informative, thorough and easy to follow video. Still loving my Dedica after multiple daily use of over 5 years straight now! Wahoo!
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback, and I am glad you're still enjoying your Dedica :)
This is the video I always come back to! 🎉 THANK YOU! It saves me so much time and thinking when it comes to descaling. Your video “DeLonghi Dedica Home Espresso Machine Review & Test” was actually the first one I saw when I first bought my Dedica EC685 - that’s where you earned my trust
Glad it was helpful, and thanks very much for your feedback!
Much better instructions than the official. Just edit your video next time instead of saying “but before what I ‘ve just said, do this other thing….”in the next cut. Keep in mind people will follow your instructions step by step
Thanks for the constructive criticism. I am trying to get better with my prep and delivery. Cheers! Tom
It’s one thing losing the manual but your guide makes much more sense to me. Thanks Tom, I’ll be back to this in another couple of months for the refresher. You’re my go to when it comes to all things coffee.
Very nice, thanks!
Thank you for your video. I tried to follow the manufacturer youtube video to descale and only got confused....anyway got my machine clean and ready with the help of your video. 👍☕️
Great to hear, and thanks for your comment!
So glad I found your video! Exactly what I needed to guide me through the process. I'm sticking this in my calendar! Your voice is so pleasant and your demeanor so calm, you took the first-time jitters away.
That's so kind, thank you! Glad it helped. Tom
You saved the day! You always come in for the rescue! Thanks again for continued advice.
Thanks Tom, watching your video showed me how easy it is to descale the dedica and descaled mine in about twenty minutes
I followed your instructions using vinegar. Tomorrow morning, i will have my coffee and see how ot worked out. Thank you very much for the upload.
Holy crap man! you fixed my Delonghi espresso machine!! Just watched your video and descaled it the right way (not the way Delonghi has on their website) and it now works!! Thanks so much!!! Oh and I used CLR and am going to run a few batches of clean water through it to make sure it's cleaned out, but thank you so much!! I used CLR because according to them it works and the shops handy here didn't have any of the proper solution or disks available. Thanks again!!
You're welcome! I'm glad I could help. It's important to keep your espresso machine well-maintained, and descaling is a crucial part of that. If you have any other questions or need further assistance, don't hesitate to reach out. Happy brewing
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Hey Tom, i watched the Delonghi video and you are the only one that said hit the steam button after switching on the steam lever! And that is what saved our machine! And yes it will be descaled regularly now!! Thanks so much!! I've subscribed now!
@@mallow173 Awesome! Welcome, and thanks for sharing! Tom
does descaling also gives you better expresso?@@TomsCoffeeCorner
I suggest that the first time you try this you do a dry run with just water and no de-scaler. That way if you make a mistake you do not have acid water going everywhere and you can easily abort and try again. Also, I strongly recommend you do not use vinegar. It will descale, but if left on stainless steel for any length of time, it will rust it - if you do everything right with no spillage, it will work, but if you make a mistake you are heading for trouble.
Hey Tom, well it's a diluted food-based acid like milk acid or citrus acid, so not really dangerous. But it is sour, so you have to make sure to rinse well. Good tip about the vinegar, and making sure to keep everything clean and dry! Cheers, Tom
Just use citric acid powder and water. Vinegar can leave nasty taste/residue. Citric acid is cheap. Just use one or two desert spoons and run through a full tank.
@@f0rtuzer0 Citric acid does dissolve calcium and magnesium carbonates (scale).
I bought this machine yesterday and i was wondering how to clean it deeper since I can't backflush. Thank you so much, your videos are super helpful
Glad I could help!
One important point is that you can't rinse on demand. It's only a part of discaling process. So you basically have one rinse. Don't fuck up as I did and turned off the machine after descaling cycle. Instead of rinsing you get steaming.
I refer to this vid every time I descale my Delonghi - thanks so much!
You betcha Emily, thanks for watching!
Is it normal if:
1. the hot water came out?
2. Less than 1 month indicator light become blink?
And also i had a problem to make a second flush. Please help me.
Man please never delete this vídeo ❤
Excellent! Much better then Delonghi's 'official' video. Thanks from Scotland!
You betcha!
5:15 > Nice tip. I removed mine and it was a little bit dirty. Not too much. I would also recommend to clean where the part is attached. It also holds dirt. I used a wet cloth.
A puckscreen would help a lot. Prevents cleaning the shower screen a lot
Hi there. Very informative video thanks! Another easy way is to use 1:1 (or less if you have problem with the smell) water white vinegar (the transparent one) and just simply turn it on like when you make coffee, a few times, and also with the steamer. boiling vinegar is the best ever :)
But doesn't the vinegar smell linger a long time afterwards?
@@TomsCoffeeCorner It depends on the ratio. You could use of course only vinegar for the best cleaning effect (for example I don't mind the smell), or you can find a ratio that fits you. Usually I rinse it 3-5 times and let it stay for a while for the smell to go away. And btw if you decide to use for example a 10% ratio you can also put 1/2 tsp bicarbonate. I did it this way to clean a philips saeco xsmall and the result is awesome.
Very new espresso machine owner here, this is very helpful, thank you!
Glad it was helpful! Enjoy your new machine!
For the first time I can't find my manual. It has all my highlights for easy descaling plus my notes of when I have descaled it in the past.
I may just have to write it on my machine somewhere...just in case? Along with when I bought it.
FYI: citric acid from the cooking isle of the grocery shop is a descaler too. I've used it for kettles, jugs, vases, sinks, etc.. for decades before I bought a coffee machine.
Thanks for posting that tip! I'll have to look the next time I go grocery shopping.
There's lots of other descaling solutions that should work well too, if they're milk or citrus acid based. Cheers!
Fantastic! Googled the process because I couldn't find the manual😂. Thanks very much mate.
Thanks for sharing this great video. I followed steps but after the first rinse I filled up water again for second rinse pressed the steam button but nothing happened? Only the shot buttons are flashing. How do I force it to rinse again?
In some of the newer versions of the Dedica, it only requires 1 rinse. Cheers!
Love the channel and thanks for keeping the coffee community aware of all things dedica....
Hi Tom, when is the best time descale the machine. Thanks
Well, the machine will remind you, but I would say, at least every other month. If you have really hard water, do it every month ideally.
every single time i have a doubt about my delonghi i end up in this channel
Nice to see you here!
Thanks for very nice videos! During my descaling process I switched off the machine accidentally and it does not switch on anymore (no lights). Using voltmeter I checked the power switch, power lines on the board, pump, etc. and all look OK. No signs of water or burn inside, the thermal protector should be also OK. Do you know what could be the issue? Damaged board or is it something simple? Thanks!
Great video! Bought 2 months ago the dedica arte and already orange light flashed.I followed your instructions but the orange light keeps flashing. Did the cleaning more than 8 times. What went wrong?still make coffee with the light on, but the taste is bitter.
I don't know. I have heard of people having this issue, but I have never faced it. Maybe there's an internal bit that didn't get reset by the descaling process. I would just try again in 2 months, and ignore the orange light in the meantime. Cheers!
thank you. i wipe the area above the screen before putting it back on. i would also emphasize the screw turn direction since the screw is upside down and can be confusing. the screw can also be stripped because it is a phillips and it is easy to not have the screwdriver at a pure vertical angle since it is awkward. Facing the machine from its right side, turn the screw driver from your right to your left (facing towards the ceiling it is counter-clockwise, confusing i know). I use a wratchet wrench with phillips head, with the nalde facing you i push it towards the front of the machine away from me. This is way harder to describe than show!
how do you know when the descale first step is done/time to empty the tank and refill with fresh water to rinse?
The last tip make the difference 👌
I like your portafilter. Can you give me a link or the model. Thanks a lot
This is the one I use: geni.us/BottomlessPF (affiliate link)
Cheers!
Every two months i come back to this video.
Nice, thank you!
Hi Tom! I love your channel! Having bought the ecodecalc several times I have had good results but it does get more expensive every time. So for the last 5-6 times I have used diluted natural citric acid and the machine is as good as new. I run the process normally and do the rinsing cycle. Even the tank cleans very well. The use of bottled water with low sodium goes a long way to keep the machine clean! Thanks for the awesome content!
Thanks for your kind words, Dimitris!
Using citric acid should work well too. Most of these descalers are either milk or citric based acids anyway. I have even seen people use vinegar.
*I still like using the Ecodecalc myself, because I wait for it to go on sale, and it does a good job. ;)
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Thanks for the quick reply! I use citric acid because it leaves no residue, its very commonly used in almost all canned foods, and its natural. Vinegar on the other hand smells badly and needs very thorough rinsing afterwards.
@@JEYD220699 what proportions of citric acid do you use, to the tank's max level of water pls?
@@juzCruising good question! Not very much, I guess. Otherwise it will destroy everything from inside
@@juzCruising sorry for the delay I just saw the message. I usually put 1 teaspoon (or a little less…) of citric acid in a litre of water, and stir it very well before I use it in the machine’s tank.
Tom thank you very much for the videos, they helped a lot, i have a question how often do i need to descale? I did it last month and bow it needs another one, is this normal?
It depends on how hard your water is, but I would suggest at least every 2-3 months.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner thanks alot man i really appreciate it.
Thanks for the reference and honesty. Lovely music, easy to follow instructions and great editing. Thanks again! Keep up the wonderful work!
Awesome, so glad you liked it! Cheers!
Thanks so much for this Tom. Had to do my first de-scale only one month into the purchase this weekend with nobody from customer service at hand so your video made me less nervous about the process as I was not sure if I did it all correctly as the descaling seems to focus mainly on the milk frothing spout, very little comes through the coffee outlet. It is also quite messy guys so be careful water does not splash everywhere guys. Found the descaling process a big disadvantage and really hope I will not need to do this every month.
Not efficient on energy consumption at all in these tough times...
Sure thing, Biggi! The machine reminds you based on how often you make an espresso, and how hard you set the water hardness setting. If you have soft water, you can descale less often. Where I live, water is really hard, so I use a Brita filter to help keep some scale out of the water. Cheers!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner You are a smart cookie😊I knew one day I would have to get one of those Brita thing is...Thanks again Tom.
The tip with the screen cleaning was fab, thank you!
How often should i descale ? Should i wait until the orange light come out or rather do it periodically ? Thank you
It depends how hard your water is, but I normally wait for the orange light, since I filter my water anyway. Cheers!
Good video. I've used it now a number of times as I do forget now to do it. Mine will only even rinse once no matter what I do, so I'm guessing it a different model
I think you are right! I have a newer EC885 model, and that one seems to only need one rinse cycle. Cheers!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner I just descaled this morning and yes only the one rinse and the process comes to an end.
@@Ash1955 Thanks for that info!
Thank you for sharing this, question, I finished the descale process but the orange light is till blinking, any suggestions? Thank you!
Hmm, some people have said that. Maybe just try the process again, but with plain water.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner thank you! I’ll try that
Hi @TomsCoffeeCorner! Thanks for the video. I have a question regarding this: I've had my Dedica for 6 months and it's never shown the orange light indicating I must descale it. Should I do it anyway or continue using it normally until I get the orange light? (I always use it with bottled mineral water)
I am surprised it hasn't lit up yet. You need that to happen before you can enter the automatic descaling program...but anyway if you have been using bottled water with fewer minerals, it should be much better than tap water.
What if you're in a rush when the indicator starts blinking orange? Can you turn off the machine and do the descaling later?
As always your videos are easy to follow and helpful :)
Thanks Tom, this is great. I found the manual hard to follow.
Hi tom, really like all your video especially on descaling, but just wondering, what’s gonna happen if we descale without using the descaling solution ?
Thanks Tom! Really useful video and always a pleasure to watch your videos! 🙂🇫🇷🙂
Thank you for your hard working, Tom! The next thing I noticed that is the lighting outside of your window changed, again appreciate you time and effort !
You are right! I started recording before dawn, and then it got light out. :)
would you recommend D Longhi water filter if you are already using Britta filtered water ? Thx
Hi Andy, I think that would be redundant, as they do the same thing. I do Brita water, and recommend to descale monthly or at least every 2 months. Cheers!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Thanx a lot. Did not know descaling that much. I think I 'd rather buy a new machine every year :)
Top tip, I get the solution to go into a jug rather than the sink and then pour that into my Breville OneCup to descale that as well. I usually find the liquid is in a good state to do another machine like the OneCup.
Hmm, never thought of that - thanks for the idea, Rob! Hey what do you use that OneCup for? Is that just for making tea?
@Tom's Coffee Corner tea mostly, but has an adjustable so you can change how much comes out, handy for a jug of gravy as well. Theory being that it should use less electricity as you're boiling what you need rather than too much.
@@RobPennDigital Sounds cool! I never knew these existed. 👍
Hi Tom, Thanks for this. I've descaled mine several times over the years without issue, however today after selecting the descaling function, I switch the steam valve to 'on' and then press the steam button to start descaling, however nothing happens?
Hey Jon, could it be that the machine exited the setup mode before you flipped the steam dial? Otherwise, I would try cycling power to the machine, and trying again.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Thanks for your reply Tom. I've just had another go and it seems be working 👍
@@jonplumtree2339 Good deal, Jon!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Watched a few of your videos today- great channel - subscribed!
@@jonplumtree2339 Awesome - thanks for the support, Jon!
I'd forgotten about cleaning the screen! Thanks, Tom.
Is the descale warning light based on # of uses or does it actually detect scale buildup?
It just counts the number of extractions.
Thanks Legend the only video that worked for me
Shouldn’t you have rinsed the shower too? You didn’t switch from the steam wind while rinsing. Also is rinsing twice required ? They seem to say only once in most videos.
how the water tank can be cleaned regularly? It needs to be cleaned to avoid from bacteria in it. Is it enough just only rinsing it with water regularly or which other tips can you recommend? Danke Schön
I'd wash it with a mild dish soap and water, and rinse thoroughly. Cheers!
Tom, your video is great. But in the official Delonghi video they show doing the descaling process with the porta filter in place and I noticed that you did not have your filter in. I’m using the original Delonghi filter with the removable inner part. It’s unclear to me whether you should have the portafilter in place, and with or without the inner cup.
Hello
How did you rinse the Dedica for the second time?😅
Tom please tell me how to get my descaling light to stop flashing . I have descaled and rinsed my machine and it is still flashing. Also should I have to do this like every 2 months. That's how often mine needs to be descaled. Seems excessive.
It seems some people have issues with this. I never had that problem. Might just be a defect. Sorry to hear it, but try to ignore the light if it doesn't extinguish.
Thank you, I descale my Delonghi today!
Glad I could help!
Thanks great video 👍 Always a hassle with different descaling programs on different machines.
I’ve been working professionally for some years as a technician repairing n doing service on all kinds of coffee machines. You are in my opinion absolutely right about the descaling products. They are basically the same and it probably doesn’t matter at all. But when it comes to some of the more expensive pro machines I’ve worked in (very different animal) it becomes very important because the use allot of different materials inside the machines and some descaling agents act corrosive on some materials. I’ve seen machines get broken this way 🙂
Does not relate to this video just fun fact
Thanks for sharing that info! Which descaler would you recommend for the aluminum boiler of the Gaggia Classic?
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Sorry I haven’t really paid much attention to the descaling agents. I’ve just learned to always be careful with using the provided brand when working on clients machines. Especially on automatic machines.
Another interesting thing I’ve noticed are that some brands repeatedly use metals that reacts with each other creating galvanic currents, eating away on the cheaper metal. Blows my mind every time
Nice videos. Didn’t you used to make photography flash videos?
@@TasKarp Nope, never did. Cheers!
Hi there! Thanks for making this video! You have a very nice kitchen btw. I was surching for a way to descale my Dedica EC before the steam button starts blinking orange. That is because there is much calcium coming out with the steam, which I noticed after not using it for a few month, and then wanted to rinse it.
But my cute little Dedica means very much to me and it's brand new...bought it 5 month ago. And I don't wanna play around, trying to get the descaling to run by itself.
Our tap water is very rich in calcium and I didn't wanna buy plastic bottled water or filters. Mainly cos I don't trust filters in what they might leave in the water and cos our tap water here (besides from the high calcium) is really good. You can prepare babys food with it savely. Germany has high regulations on its water..
So, anybody knows anything? I may just call the deLonghi people, cos there is nothing in the handbook about it.
Hi Lisa! Germany's tap water is really full of calcium! While not unhealthy to people, it is really hard on household appliances. That is why water cookers for example need to be descaled every 2 weeks as well.
You can start the descaling process yourself, without having to wait for the orange light indicator. Just follow the steps as outlined here.
Thanks for the compliment on the kitchen!
Tom
If I never use the steam wand, should I just leave it on descaling the group head?
I still think you should descale out of both ends - the steam wand is less restrictive, and it's what it says in the instructions.
Hi Tom. I got descale alarm 2x now in a month. Is that normal? And what if I ignore the descale lights? Can I still make coffee?
Sure, you can still make coffee just fine. It is just a reminder basically, that you should descale. 2x per month seems excessive though. If it bothers you, you can just do the descaling without the descaler, to acknowledge the warning. Cheers!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Great! But will it have an effect on my coffee tho if I just ignore them? And true tho, I read on Google, they recommend once per 3 month. But then I got the descale warning twice now within a month period. Just wondering if I should descale it often. And just fyi too, I set my settings to max in everything (water hotness and hardness), but still to do it twice a month to descale, is that logical?
@@gg17_tv 1x month should be good
@@TomsCoffeeCorner noted and thanks for the fast response, Tom. Love ur content btw
Is it ok if in the second rinse there was a bit of the descaling liquid?
Hi , great video tutorial, may I know what coffee tamper you use in this video? Thank you.
Hey QR, it is this one: amzn.to/3ivZY2A
Thanks for watching!
-T
@@TomsCoffeeCorner Hi , Vintage Hunter, thank you for the information, but… it looks different than your in the video, in video dark blue got some ring at the center, but in the Amazon doesn’t look the same. It’s ok sorry for troubling you. 😃👍
Ah you’re right. Here’s the correct link. Sorry about that!
amzn.to/3CuwOJ5
@@TomsCoffeeCorner yup this is the one, thank you very much Sir! :))
Mine only did one rinse.. but I’m doing the “clean” part again to rinse it again
My machine got 3/4 of the way through the descaling mode and stopped. I switched from the brew head back to the steam wand and it kick started back up and finished the descale. But once it came time to rinse my solo/double buttons were simultaneously flashing. The machine would not let me rinse (as a continuation of the descaling process). I’m now just pulling double shot after double shot to rinse. Where did I go wrong?
Hey Tom! Is it required to use Delonghi brand descalers for the Delonghi machine or smilar branda descalers work too? (Very hard to find Delonghi brand descalers here in İstanbul)
No, you can use any citrus based or milk acid based descaler. Cheers!
Hey Tom I have bought boseh descaler for coffee machine but little bit nervous using it. What's your thoughts
Hey, do you mean Bosch? What’s the type of acid?
Hi Tom! I love your channel so much it is very usfel, please , can you show us how to descale the delonghi clessidra 17210 , thanks.
Oh wow, never seen that machine before. Thanks for the idea. Cheers!
Can we not use vinegar for the dedica thermoblock ? If not, why ?
I have seen some videos where people do it. I mean, using the EcoCalk is easier, and was designed for the machine, so that's what I use. 👍
@@TomsCoffeeCorner it is expensive.
Hi Tom
Thank you for your video I tried doing the descaling the machine still orange sign is showing up ,as this was my first time doing this process.
Hi Kamal! Did you rinse twice? Otherwise, I would suggest repeating the process, just without the descaler.
@@TomsCoffeeCorner thank you for replying !!!
Could you please tell me how many times do I need to take out water from boiler !!!
And the process is same start the machine when the lights are still press steam button for 10 seconds
@@Panmaster13 Descale once, and rinse twice. At least that is what the directions say. Cheers!
@@Panmaster13 Yes 👍
To anybody who owns this machine. Remove plastic from inside of stock handle, saw it off or get aftermarket one. Plastic in stock one drastically changes taste.
Is it possible to use Melittas "Anti Calc Tabs" which really are meant for filter coffee and aqua machines? If so then how should you dissolve the tab? It says that one tab should be mixed with 500ml water and once you've done that I assume you would get something like the DeLonghi Eco Decalk, so you would add 100ml of this liquid into the tank and then fill it up with water to max?
Hey GZA, most descalers will work fine in this machine, since it is stainless steel lined. I would just follow the directions on the package to get the 100ml of descaler solution, and add water to top it up to 1 liter, and follow the directions the same way. 👍
thank you for your video but the steam light still an orange colour after clean 😢 .i tried clean 2 times but no change.
this week when i use steam function it will stop me😢
I can’t quite understand if you rinse once or twice. On my gaggia I’m supposed to rinse twice. But I think the delonghi dedica program only foresees one rinse. That is, after one rinse it doesn’t seem to be in descaling mode anymore. I’m definitely not sure.
On the older Dedicas, the firmware had you rinse 2x. On the newer models, just 1x. On the Gaggia, it says in the directions to rinse 4x, which I think is overkill.
i think i did something wrong..I had to rinse 3X before the red light went away @@TomsCoffeeCorner
Hello sir ! Between delonghi machine, which one did you choose ?
ECP 35.1, Dedica or Stilosa ?
I want to have the best only for expresso.
Thanks !
ECP 35.31. Cheers!
Hi Tom, So you are saying to run the rinse cycle twice ? I'm getting ready for my first descaling. Thanks for any help. Joel
Hey Joel, that’s right - you have to rinse twice. Thanks for watching! 🙋♂️ Happy coffee ☕️ drinking!
The delonghi instruction says to rinse only once, which I thought strange, thanks for the tip!
what are those round stickers on the bottom of the machine?
Those are still the stickers that come on the machine, to advertise its features. :)
Hi Tom where do you get the screw driver to remove the under carriage of the delongi, thank you
Hey Sue-Ellen, I just use the slotted screwdriver from this set: it's the 3/32" slotted screwdriver.
greatlakespowertools.com/milwaukee-48-22-2604-4-pc-precision-screwdriver-set/
Thank you I just order my screw drivers thank you for your help
Your videos are very helpful and easy to follow. Thanks for all the help!
I dont have much calcium in the water at my place (we have our own well) and we seldom get any scales. Is the machine set to a specific ammount of times before wanting to get descaled, or does it measure the scales in some way ? How does one know if its not really nesessary to do a descale with acids ?
Hi there! It either counts the number of extractions, or monitors the water flow through the water sensor, but it does NOT have a scale sensor. Cheers!
Can I descale it with citric acid?
Should be possible, yes. Most descalers use citric or milk based acids.
Thank you so much for this! i did not know i can remove the filter/screen!
Glad I could help!
Mine always takes like over an hour as it drips out so slow! How is yours so fast!
😝
@TomsCoffeeCorner
i followed the instruktions in the manual ones again and let the machine finish till it emptied the water beholder completely two times
i think the Delonghi Dedica Descale program are timer based it took almost 2x half an hour for the whole proses and first now we got rid of the yellow light 😜😜
Ha ha, after five or six years using this machine, I always have to return to this or similar video to remember the process 😅😅
Me too, haha!
"The process takes about 10 minutes". What indicates the end of the process? You wait for the water to run out or something else happens? Do you have to do anything else to initiate the rinsing process?I had seen a top voted clarifying comment in one of the official delonghi videos but they turned off the comments at some point.
Can i descale it before the steam button flash orange?
You can descale it anytime, but I am not sure if that will still reset the shot counter or not...
Hi Tom, I bought a second hand 685 for £20 and the water tank smells a bit like cheap/weak perfume. Have you ever seen this and do you know what might fix it?
I would just buy a new one. www.juraprofi.de/DeLonghi-Ersatzteile/Wassertank/Wassertank-fuer-DeLonghi-EC680-und-EC685::15887.html
Thank you for sharing watching you and going it as you go through the steps makes it easy thank you
Thank you very much for video and for greek translate 🇬🇷 🌏😊
You're welcome 😊
How often do you need to descale? I've had my machine for two years and use it about five times a week but still no flashing orange light. I do live in Melbourne so the water hardness is low.
Hey Dale, I would recommend descaling every 3 months if you have soft water. Every water has some magnesium and calcium in it.
The light flashes orange after counting a certain number of extractions. Perhaps the light is faulty, as is should have lit by now. Cheers!
@@TomsCoffeeCorner okay cool. I'll get on it tomorrow. Thanks!
Very nice. I saw many videos and this one is best.
So nice of you to say Robert, thanks! 🙋🏼♂️
Thanks a bunch Tom! Found this very useful for my first descaling exercise. Do you by any chance have a set of instructions written down? If you do and can share, will really help. If not, I will try to write that down following your video sometime.
Sure thing! The instructions are in the description. Cheers! Tom
Hello, I followed your descaling video but it doesn't let me do the second rinse and the orange light goes off. Did I do something wrong? Thanks for your patience.
Hi there! I have noticed that the newest models only require 1 rinse.
You're the BEST, a lot better than their stupid manual