Cleaning and descaling of Jura coffee machines

Most of the problems that coffee makers suffer from nowadays are related to the lack of cleaning and maintenance. Therefore, it is imperative to perform regular cleaning (and descaling) whenever our Jura coffee maker requests it or when we notice that the coffee is not prepared as it should be.

Fortunately, cleaning and descaling a Jura coffee maker are easy tasks since those machines with a digital screen will guide us through the process. It will not be difficult for those who do not have a screen to perform the processes; however, here I explain how to do it in both types of Jura coffee makers.

Remember that to clean or descale our Jura coffee maker; we only need the original tablets. Depending on where and how many you buy, the price of the cleaning tablets will vary between $2 and $3.5 per unit; for example, in the official store, 6 units cost $21.00 ($3.5 per unit), while on Amazon, 6 units cost $14.30 ($2.4 per unit).

Note: Cleaning and descaling are two different processes.

How to do the cleaning process in Jura coffee makers with a digital display

Any Jura coffee maker will ask us to clean approximately every 180 coffees with or without a digital display. It is not obligatory to do this immediately after the warning appears, but the sooner we do it, the better it will be for extending the life of the coffee maker.

Note: Although the cleaning warning does not appear, we can perform this process whenever we want. I recommend doing it if you notice any malfunction or change in the taste of the coffee.

Step by step to perform the cleaning process in a Jura coffee maker with display (for this guide, we will use a Jura S8):

  1. If the cleaning warning pops up, click on the warning to enter the cleaning menu.
  2. If the warning does not appear, go to the main menu by pressing the “P” button and access the cleaning menu.
  3. Click on the option to perform cleaning. A warning will appear stating that the process will take 20 minutes.
  4. Next, the Jura coffee machine will ask you to empty the waste container and drip tray. Once they have been reinserted into the coffee maker, place a container under the coffee spout and press “next.”
  5. The machine will begin a rinsing process of about 40 seconds before prompting you to add the cleaning tablet.
  6. When the “add cleaning tablet” message appears, insert the tablet through the dedicated compartment used for ground coffee and press the “next” button.
  7. The coffee machine will automatically perform the cleaning process for 20 minutes.
  8. Once the cleaning process is finished, we must clean the drip tray and the coffee grounds container.
  9. Prepare a coffee after the cleaning cycle and discard it. Your Jura coffee maker is now ready to prepare delicious coffee again.
P button to access the cleaning menu
P button to access the cleaning menu

How to do the cleaning process in Jura coffee makers without a digital display

Certain models of Jura coffee makers, such as the D6, do not have a digital display to indicate the step-by-step cleaning process. However, they have a text interface that will guide us through the process.

Step by step to perform the cleaning process in a Jura coffee maker without display (for this guide, we will use a Jura D6):

  1. To access the cleaning menu of the machine, press and hold the P button until you enter the menu.
  2. To select the cleaning, you must turn the knob to the right until you reach the “rinse” mode and then press the knob button to enter the menu.
  3. Turn the knob to the right until you reach the “Clean” menu. To do this, you must go through the “M-Rise,” “M-clean” (the M stands for milk), and “Rinse” menus.
  4. Once in the “Clean” menu, press the knob button to enter.
  5. You will now be prompted to clean the drip tray and coffee grounds drawer.
  6. Once the tray is inserted again, the brewer will display a “Rinse” message.
  7. Place a container under the spouts and press and hold the drip button located in the lower center area (Jura D6 model – image above).
  8. After about 40 seconds of rinsing, the coffee maker will ask for a cleaning tablet, which should be inserted into the ground coffee tank.
  9. Once the tablet is inside the machine, we press the button of the drops for a long time to start the cleaning process, which will last about 15-20 minutes.
  10. You should remove and clean the drip tray and the coffee grounds deposit when finished.
  11. To finish, replace the drip tray and the coffee grounds drawer. Prepare a coffee and discard it.
Jura D6 cleaning button
Jura D6 cleaning button

Why should I descale my Jura coffee maker?

All coffee makers should be descaled regularly to prolong their useful life. Still, this becomes even more essential when talking about super-automatic coffee makers like Jura.

It would help if you described your Jura coffee maker not only because you have spent a lot of money on a high-end coffee maker but also because its state-of-the-art technology requires it to produce quality coffees and avoid operational problems.

When you regularly descale a Jura coffee maker, you minimize the probability of failure, increasing its useful life. You will be able to enjoy a Jura coffee maker as good as new after years of service.

Note: Although Jura coffee makers are similar, you should consult the user’s manual whenever you want to descale. Always use official products if the coffee maker is still under warranty.

How to descale a Jura coffee maker with a digital display

If you know how to clean the coffee maker, descaling will be easy. The process is very similar, varying the type of cleaning tablet we use and where we use it (it is now added to the water tank). Also, remember that we will use different tablets for decalcification:

Jura cleaning tablets vs descaling tablets
Jura cleaning tablets vs. descaling tablets

Step by step to perform the descaling process in a Jura coffee maker with display (for this guide, we will use a Jura S8):

  • If the machine prompts us for descaling, click on the warning to enter the descaling menu.
  • If the machine does not request a descaling, but you want to do it, go to the main menu by pressing the “P” button and enter the descaling menu.
  • Click on start to begin descaling. A warning will appear, indicating that the process will take 45 minutes.
  • The coffee maker will remind us to use only original Jura products.
  • The brewer will then ask you to empty the waste container and drip a tray of water and debris.
  • Once placed back in the brewer, we must add a mixture of water and 3 descaling tablets to the water tank (wait for the tablets to dissolve completely).
  • When you put the water tank back in, you must place a container under the coffee and milk spout and press “next.”
  • The coffee maker will start the decalcification process and indicate the status on the screen at each moment.
  • Once the tank empties, it will ask you to empty the drip tray and the coffee grounds container.
  • Then it will ask you to refill the water tank with clean water to proceed with a rinse.
  • When finished, the drip tray and coffee grounds container will be cleaned again, and the process will be finished.
  • Prepare a coffee and discard it.

How to descale a Jura coffee maker without a digital display:

This descaling process is very similar to the cleaning process we saw earlier. As with the decalcification of the Jura coffee machines with display, the main difference lies in the use of different tablets that are added to the water tank.

Step by step to perform the descaling process in a Jura coffee maker without display (for this guide, we will use a Jura D6):

  • To access the descaling menu of the machine, press and hold the P button until you enter the menu.
  • To select the descaling, turn the knob to the right until you reach the “rinse” mode, and then press the knob button to enter the menu.
  • Turn the knob to the right until you reach the “Descale” menu. To do this, you must go through the “M-Rise,” “M-clean” (the M stands for milk), “Rinse,” and “Clean” menus.
  • Once in the “Descale” menu, press the knob button to enter.
  • You will now be prompted to clean the drip tray and coffee grounds drawer.
  • Once the tray is inserted again, the brewer will display an “Agent in Tank” message.
  • Remove the water tank and add a mixture of 500 ml water with three decalcifying tablets. Wait until they are well dissolved before replacing the tank.
  • Now, we place a container under the coffee and milk outlets.
  • Once the water tank is in place, the message “switch open” will appear, which means to open the milk switch.
  • After a short time, the message “switch close” will appear, and the decalcification process will start when closed.
  • Once the tank is empty, it will ask you to clean the drip tray and the coffee grounds container.
  • Then it will ask you to refill the water tank with clean water to proceed with a rinse.
  • When finished, the drip tray and coffee grounds container will be cleaned again, and the process will be finished.
  • Prepare a coffee and discard it.