How to Descale a Keurig or Nespresso Coffee Machine

Pod-based coffee machines like Keurig and Nespresso are more convenient than their pot-filling predecessors, but they still get dirty inside, the same as any coffee maker. Whether you’re a seasoned owner or just got yours, you may not know you should be descaling your machine every three months or so, removing calcium buildup and other gunk.

Sure, you can buy products designed to do this for you, but you can also just use vinegar. Here’s what to do either way.

How to generally clean a pod-based coffee machine

Before we get to descaling, which is a more intense cleaning of the interior of the machine, let’s go over general cleaning and maintenance for Nespresso, Keurig, and other pod-based coffee brewers.

I got my first Keurig in college, over a decade ago, and I won’t lie: At 21, I had very little interest in doing anything but studying or going out with friends. That machine fell into absolute disarray, and I ended up “generously” giving it to my roommate and getting a new one altogether. I could have avoided that pretty easily with a little extra effort. First of all, consider using fresh water for every brew. Each morning, put just enough water in the reservoir to meet your coffee needs. If you have any left over from the previous day, water your plants or find another use for it.

To keep your machine clean on the outside, wipe it down regularly. Wiping it down after every use is best, but try to do it at least once every week. Unplug the machine and use water with a drop or two of dish soap mixed in to wipe away any drips. Finally, each machine is a little different, but they all have removable parts. Remove the drip tray (the little pedestal your mug sits on under the spout) and wash it with soapy water, then do the same with the reservoir and anything else you can remove. Dry them completely and reattach them.

How to clean and descale a Keurig

To descale the inside of your Keurig machine, fill your water reservoir with a mixture of half water and half distilled white vinegar. Place a large mug or bowl where you’d typically put your coffee cup and run the machine as normal, dumping the mixture every time the mug fills. Keep doing this until the water reservoir runs out of mixture.

Wash and refill the reservoir, then repeat the process to rinse it out, refilling your container until there’s nothing left in the machine. (Obviously, try to use a large bowl if possible so you’re not running back and forth to the sink with a full mug.)

Be careful not to overwork your poor Keurig—consider giving it a half-hour break between descaling and rinsing. It’s designed to dispense a cup at a time, not to run for extended periods like a traditional brewer. 

How to clean and descale a Nespresso

Nespresso warns against using vinegar or other-branded descaling solutions, which you could argue is because they want you to spend money on theirs (and that’s a fair argument, considering a Nespresso is something that has a lot of after-purchase costs associated with it). If you’re nervous about messing up your machine, just buy the Nespresso cleaning products. But online, plenty of people have discussed using vinegar to clean their machines out. If you’re going to try it, first dilute the vinegar significantly. In my own Nespresso, I use one part vinegar and two parts water, and only run the solution through once. It works great. 

Here are general instructions for how to do it (but it’s a good idea to check your manual and follow the directions for your specific model): First, turn off your machine, then push the top button and the lever simultaneously until the light turns orange. Next, press the lever down once to start descaling.

The process will take a while, and will empty your reservoir. (Conversely, I just “brewed” a cup of the mixture and had no issues.) Rinse the machine by washing out the reservoir, filling it with water, and running some plain water through a few times. 

If you’re cheap like me, grab some distilled white vinegar and get to it. If you want to go with the “official” products, Amazon sells Keurig’s three-month brewer maintenance kit ($14.98) and Nespresso’s descaling solution ($14).