Descaling your Tassimo maker regularly is important to avoid accumulating mineral deposits inside the machine. Limescale can clog the pipes, affect the coffee quality, and damage the coffee maker’s internal components.
In addition, descaling also helps maintain the taste and quality of the coffee your Tassimo produces by ensuring that the coffee is at the right temperature and pressure. The descalcification is an important way to keep your coffee maker in good working order and prolong its life.
How often should a Tassimo maker be descaled?
All models of Tassimo makers are designed with an automatic alarm that will alert you when you need to descale your machine. Tassimo makers turn on a red light next to the letters “calc” or next to a spray symbol.
The recommended frequency for descaling your Tassimo machine is every 3-4 months, but this may vary depending on how often you use it. If you are a frequent user of the coffee maker and use it several times a day, you may need to descale it more frequently.
You should also consider the hardness of the water in your area since hard water can generate an accumulation of mineral deposits more quickly, which can affect the performance of the coffee maker.
You can monitor the descaling alarm to determine the appropriate descaling frequency for your Tassimo maker. However, it is also advisable to pay attention to any change in the taste of the coffee or any decrease in the quality of the coffee produced by the machine.
What do I need to descale my Tassimo?
You will need to use two descaling tablets per descaling cycle. These tablets are specifically designed to remove limescale build-up from the water circuit of the coffee machine and ensure that your coffee remains of optimum taste and quality.
Descaling tablets are easy to find in specialized appliance stores and online. The price can vary, but is generally affordable (around 3$ per tablet) and is well worth it for the benefits it brings to the life and performance of your coffee maker.
The descaling process is easy and simple, and specific instructions are usually included with the descaling tablets and in the manual of the coffee maker, as well as in the following section of this article.
It is important to note that Tassimo does not recommend using alternative methods to descale your Tassimo maker. I believe that using white vinegar is an easy and economical option, and in no case will it damage the water circuit of the coffee maker and reduce its useful life.
However, you should only use vinegar if your coffee maker is no longer under warranty.
Using universal descalers or vinegar may not be as effective as the descaling tablets recommended by Tassimo, but the savings compensate for having to make more frequent descaling.
How to descale a Tassimo machine with tablets
As I have already explained, descaling is an important process that should be done periodically to remove lime deposits that accumulate inside the coffee maker and can affect the coffee’s taste. This process is very simple and does not take a lot of time, so follow these steps:
- The first thing is to buy the official Tassimo descaling tablets: the easiest is to buy them on Amazon or in the official Tassimo store.
- Preparing the coffee maker: make sure your Tassimo maker is clean and empty. If you have a Brita water filter in your coffee maker, remove it before starting. You should also have a large container to collect the dirty water and a damp cloth to clean the coffee maker at the end of the process.
- Insert the service disc: In most Tassimo makers, you will find the service disc or T-Disc on the back or side of the machine. Insert it into the coffee maker, as this will allow the machine to operate without brewing any beverage.
- Fill the water tank: Fill the water tank with the amount of water specified on the machine. Usually, the water tank has a “calc” or “spray icon” mark or icon. Make sure the tank is filled to the appropriate mark.
- Add 2 descaling tablets to the water tank and wait for them to dissolve.
- Place the container under the coffee spout: place a large container under the coffee spout to collect the water with impurities and dirt from the internal circuits of the coffee maker.
- Start the descaling process: Turn on the brewer and press and hold the start button for 5 seconds to start the descaling process. The red descaling light will flash, along with the orange brewing light. The descaling process usually takes 15 to 20 minutes.
- Rinse the tank: When empty, the faucet light will turn on. Remove the water tank and rinse it under the faucet.
- Fill the tank with clean water: fill the water tank with fresh, clean water. Replace the water tank back into the brewer.
- Start the cleaning cycle: Press the start button once, and the cleaning cycle will start. Repeat this step once more.
- Clean the brewer: Remove the maintenance disk and wipe the outside of the brewer with a damp cloth.
Note: Be careful not to touch the tablets with bare hands, as they contain acid and can irritate the skin. Also, follow the specific instructions on the package of descaling tablets you use, as they may vary slightly between different brands and models.
Video on how to descale a Tassimo machine
In this section, I have selected two videos on how to descale Tassimo makers created by the brand. The first one is about how to descale the Vivy model, which turns on the red light over the spray symbol, and the Happy model, which turns on the light over the letters “calc”.
How to descale Tassimo Vivy:
How to descale Tassimo Happy:
As you can see, the descaling process is identical in both models.
How to descale a Tassimo maker without tablets
Do you want to describe your Tassimo maker but don’t have descaling tablets? There are alternatives you can use, such as vinegar or lemon juice.
Instead of putting tablets in the water tank, add a solution of vinegar (half white vinegar) or lemon juice (half water – half lemon juice) and follow the descaling process as indicated above and in the video above.
