How To Descale A Breville Espresso Machine (All Models!)

One of my favorite things about owning a Breville espresso machine is that it has a ‘Descale Light’ that comes on when descaling is required.

The process of descaling differs from one model to the next. 

But, generally, to descale your machine, you’ll empty and rinse the water tank and drip tray. Then, you’ll fill the water tank with fresh water and pour the descaler. Next, reinsert the tank into the machine, and press the 1-cup and power buttons simultaneously to activate the descale mode. 

Decalcifying takes approximately 20 minutes and is followed by a rinse cycle.

Carry on reading to find out how to descale your machine.

Why Does Your Breville Machine Need Descaling?

Descaling your device prevents scale and mineral build-up caused by the salts in your water. Mineral build-up can clog your machine, resulting in slow water flow.

This is a vital step to ensuring it maintains its peak performance. A buildup of salts and scale can clog your machine, resulting in a slow water flow. Also, your coffee might not taste as good, so descaling produces a better quality coffee.

How Often Do You Descale The Breville Espresso Machine 

Breville recommends running a descale cycle every 4-8 weeks, depending on how often you use the machine. 

What Descaling Solution Do You Need? 

Ideally, use the descaler that came with your machine. Alternatively, you can use a solution suited for coffee and espresso machines like the ones below.

Our Recomendation: We noticed most brand name descalers are EXPENSIVE, and come in annoying single-use plastic bottles which are terrible for the environment. That’s why we created our own powdered descaler that comes in 4 prepackaged doses (enough for 1 year’s descaling) and is 100% compostable – nice!

First, A Clean – How To Correctly Clean Your Breville Machine 

Cleaning your machine is one of the crucial steps in maintaining the proper functioning of your appliance. Breville recommends cleaning your unit every 4-6 weeks.

Ensure your device is off before you clean it. Here’s how to clean your machine. 

Read More: This guide goes over cleaning your Breville in more detail.

You’ll need

• One cup dual wall filter basket
• Cleaning disc that came with your machine (You can get replacement discs here from Amazon) 
• One Breville cleaning tablet

Preparation 

1. Empty and reinsert the drip tray.
   
2. Ensure the water tank is filled to the max line with cold water and securely attached to your unit.
   
3. Insert the one-cup wall filter basket into the portafilter.
   
4. Insert the cleaning disc.
   
5. Place the cleaning tablet onto the cleaning disc.
   
6. Lock the portafilter into the group head.

Cleaning cycle 

1. Press the 1-cup, 2-cup, and power buttons simultaneously for 3 to 5 seconds.
   
2. The machine will power on, and the 1-cup button will flash to indicate the cycle is in progress. 
   
3. Let the cycle run for approximately 5 minutes until the machine returns to ready mode – when the lights illuminate solid. 

Rinse cycle

1. Remove and rinse the portafilter, filter basket, and cleaning disc.
   
2. Fill the water tank with clean water.
   
3. Press the 1-cup or 2-cup button to rinse the group head.
   
4. Empty and rinse the drip tray, then reattach it to the unit. 
   
5. Ensure the tablet has dissolved completely. If it’s not, repeat the process until it’s completely dissolved.
   
6. Turn off the machine. Your cleaning cycle is complete.

This video from the Breville website takes you step by step through the process

How To Descale Your Barista Espresso Machine (All Models)

When descaling, don’t interrupt the cycle because you’d have to restart the process. If you’ve just finished using your machine, ensure it’s off and allow it to cool for an hour before you start the descale cycle.

Below’s a guide on how to descale your Breville espresso machine.

1. Descaling The Breville Barista Pro Machine   

The barista has over 2,000 reviews and a 4.5-star rating on Amazon. Its touch screen control and multi-mode brewing function make it a favorite for the home coffee consumer

To descale the Barista Pro you’ll need to press the menu button and navigate to descale mode using the grinder dial.

You’ll need

• Descaler 
• 2-liter container 
• Spoon 

Preparation 

1. Remove the water tank and water filter.         
2. With the water filter removed, fill the tank with cold water to the descale line.
3. Add the descaler and stir until it’s completely dissolved.
4. Reattach the water tank to the machine.
5. Empty and rinse the drip tray.
6. Place the 2-liter container underneath the steam wand and group head.

Descale cycle 

1. Press the “MENU” button to enter the main menu.
2. Rotate the grind dial to navigate to descale.
3. Press the grind dial to enter the descale mode. The letter “d” should appear on the LCD, and the 1-cup button will light.
4. Press the 1cup button to activate the descale mode. “d3” should appear on the screen, and the machine will begin to descale the group head.
5. Once the unit has descaled the group head, “d2” will appear on the LCD.
6. To descale the hot water dispenser, rotate the dial to the hot water icon. When descaling is complete, “d1” should appear on the screen.
7. Rotate the dial to the steam icon to descale the steam wand. When the descaling is complete, the letter “R” will appear on the LCD, and the one-cup button will illuminate. 
8. Rotate the dial to the “STANDBY” position in preparation for the rinse cycle. 

Rinse cycle 

1. Empty and rinse the 2-liter container, drip tray, and water tank.
2. Refill the water tank with fresh water to the max line and reinsert it into the machine.
3. Place the 2-liter container under the steam wand and group head. 
4. Press the 1-cup button to activate the rinse mode. “R3” should appear on the screen and water should flow through the group head.
5. Once complete, “R2” will appear on the screen. 
6. Rotate the dial to the hot water icon to rinse the hot water dispenser.
7. Once complete, “R1” will appear on the LCD. Rotate the dial to the steam icon to rinse the steam wand.
8. Once the rinse cycle is complete, the grind amount dial will illuminate solid. 
9. Rotate the dial back to the “STANDBY” position. The machine will return to “READY” mode when all the lights remain solid.
10. Empty and rinse the container, drip tray, and water tank.
11. Reattach the water filter, refill the tank with clean water, and attach it to the machine.                                                                                 

This video from the Breville website takes you step by step through the process of descaling your Barista Pro.

2. Descaling The Breville Barista Express   

The barista express is one of the most popular models of Breville espresso machines with over 2,000 reviews and a 4.5 star rating on Amazon

To descale the Barista Pro you’ll need to press the menu button and navigate to descale mode using the grinder dial.

You’ll need

• Descaler 
• 2-liter container 
• Spoon 

Preparation 

1. Empty the drip tray and water tank. 
2. Remove the water filter from the water tank.
3. Pour 1 liter of warm water into the water tank. 
4. Pour the descaler and stir until it’s completely dissolved. Reinsert the tank into the machine.
5. Place the 2-liter container under the group head and steam wand.

Descale cycle

1. Press and hold the 2-cup and power buttons simultaneously. The 2-cup and power buttons should flash to indicate the machine is heating up. 
2. Wait for the power, 2-cup, maintenance indicator, hot water, and steam indicator to illuminate. Then press the 2-cup button to start. 
3. When descaling is complete, the machine will beep once, and the 2-cup button will illuminate. 
4. Turn the steam dial to the left toward the steam icon. 
5. Once the steam has purged, turn the dial toward the hot water icon.
6. If there’s any solution left, repeat the descale cycle to empty it.

Rinse cycle 

1. Empty and rinse the water tank and drip tray.
2. Fill the water tank with water to the max.  
3. Repeat the descale cycle steps to flush out any residual solution.                                                     

Download: Get a copy of our descaling cheatsheet below.

3. Descaling The Breville Bambino Plus       

You’ll need.

• Descaler 
• Spoon
• 2-liter container 

Preparation 

1. Press the 1-cup and steam buttons simultaneously.
2. Remove the lid from the water tank, and then remove the water tank from the machine.
3. Fill the tank with 1 liter of water.
4. Empty the descaler into the water tank and stir well.
5. Reattach the water tank to the appliance.     
6. Place the 2-liter container onto the drip tray.

Descale cycle

1. Press the 1-cup button to begin the descaling process. 
2. During this period, the buttons will flash. Also, water will dispense from the group head for the first half of the cycle and through the steam wand for the second half. 
3. The descale cycle is complete when the one cup and steam button illuminate. 

Rinse cycle 

1. Empty the 2-liter container and water tank.
2. Fill the tank with 2 liters of water and reattach it to the unit.
3. Reinsert the drip tray and place the container on the tray.
4. Press the 1-cup button to start the rinse cycle. Once the lights remain solid, the rinse cycle is complete.
5. Remove and empty the container, drip tray, and water tank.
6. Fill the tank with clean water and reinsert it into the machine.
7. Place the lid on the water tank.                               

This video from the Breville website takes you step by step through the process of descaling your barista express.

4. Descaling The Breville Bambino   

You’ll need 

• Descaler 
• 2-liter container 
• Spoon

Preparation 

1. Empty the drip tray and insert it into the machine.
2. Fill the water tank with clean water to the descale line. Add the descaler and stir.
3. Place the 2-liter container on the drip tray.

Descale cycle 

1. Press the 2-cup and steam buttons simultaneously for 5 seconds. The 2-cup button should flash throughout the process.
2. When the descaling solution is used up, the descaling mode will pause.

Rinse cycle 

1. Empty, rinse, and refill the water tank to the max line.
2. Empty the drip tray and the 2-liter container.
3. Press the 2-cup button to start the rinse cycle. When the rinse cycle is complete, your machine will go into “READY” mode. 
4. Empty and rinse the container, drip tray, and water tank.                                                            

This video from the Breville website takes you step by step through the process of descaling your bambino.

5. Descaling The Breville Barista Touch 

To descale your Breville barista touch, press the ‘SETTING’ icon, ‘Descale Cycle’ and the ‘START. You’ll need a 2L container to capsutre all the used descaling mixture. Then, perform a rinse run with fresh water.

You’ll need

• Descaler 
• 2-liter container 
• Spoon 

Descale cycle

1. Press the “SETTINGS” icon on the right-hand corner of the screen, then press “Descale Cycle.”
2. Press “START,” then follow the instructions on the screen.
3. Empty and reinsert the drip tray.
4. Place the 2-liter container under the steam wand and group head.
5. Remove both the water tank and the water filter.     
6. With the water filter removed, fill the water tank with fresh water to the descale line, then add the descaler. Stir well.
7. Insert the water tank into the machine and press the right arrow to proceed to the next step.
8. Press “START” and a timer will appear on the screen.   
9. Once the timer is complete, follow the instructions on the screen to prepare for the rinse cycle.

Rinse cycle 

1. Empty and reinsert the drip tray.
2. Empty and place the container on the drip tray.
3. Remove and rinse the water tank. Refill it with water to the max line.
4. Reinsert the water tank. Press the right arrow to proceed to the rinse cycle.
5. Press “START” to activate the rinse cycle, and a timer will appear. 
6. Once the timer is complete, follow the instructions on the screen. 
7. Remove and rinse the water tank, drip tray, and container. Reattach the water tank and drip tray to the machine.
8. To complete the descale cycle, press the right arrow followed by the check mark. Lastly, press “X” to exit the settings.                                       

This video from the Breville website takes you step by step through the process of descaling your Breville Barista Touch.

6. Descaling The Breville Infuser     

You’ll need 

• Descaler 
• 2-liter container 
• Spoon 

Preparation 

1. Remove the water tank and filter.
2. Fill the water tank with 1 liter of water, then add the descaler and stir well. 
3. Reinsert the water tank into the device.
4. Empty and rinse the drip tray.
5. Place the container under the group head and steam wand.

Descale cycle

1. Press and hold the power and 2-cup buttons simultaneously. The power button, 1-cup button, clean-descale light, and hot water-steam light will remain solid.
2. Press the 1-cup button to activate the descale mode for the group head.
3. After 15 seconds, rotate the dial to the steam icon to descale the steam wand.
4. After 15 seconds, rotate the dial toward the hot water icon to descale the hot water outlet.
5. After 15 seconds, rotate the dial to the “STANDBY” position.
6. If the descaling powder is still left, repeat the process until all the solution is used up.

Rinse cycle 

1. Remove and rinse the container and water tank.
2. Reinsert the drip tray, and place the container on the drip tray.
3. Fill the water tank to the max with fresh water.
4. Reinsert the water tank and press the 1-cup button to flush the group head. 
5. Repeat steps 3,4 and 5 under the descale cycle section to rinse all the residual solution.
6. Repeat the process to flush out all the components until all the water in the tank has been used.
7. Empty and rinse the container, drip tray, and water tank.                                                          

7. Descaling The Breville Dual Boiler 

You’ll need 

• Descaler 
• Cloth 
• Spoon 
• Flat head screwdriver 

Preparation     

1. Empty the drip tray and insert it into the machine.
2. Press and hold the 1-cup and power buttons simultaneously for 3 seconds. “rSEt” should appear on the screen.
3. Press the up or down arrow to set the descale mode. “dESC” should appear on the LCD. Press the “MENU” button to enter the descale mode.

Emptying the boilers 

1. Remove the grey silicone cover on the lower front of the panel marked “DESCALE ACCESS.” Place the cloth on the drip tray to prevent the steam from escaping. 
2. Unscrew the right valve by rotating the screwdriver anti-clockwise. Allow the water to exit the valves. 
3. Once complete, close the valve by rotating the screwdriver clockwise until sealed.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 on the left valve.
5. Empty the drip tray. Be careful because it may be hot.
6. Empty the water tank and remove the water filter. 
7. Fill the water tank with fresh water to the max line. Pour the descaler and stir well.
8. Reattach the water tank.

Descale cycle 

1. Press the 1-cup button. During this time, the screen will indicate a 20-second timer. 
2. When the timer reaches “0”, remove and empty the drip tray.
3. Empty the boilers by following steps 2, 3, and 4 in the “emptying the boilers” section above. 
4. Empty the drip tray and reinsert it into the machine.
5. Empty and rinse the water tank and fill it with clean water to the max line. Reattach it to the machine.

Rinse cycle

1. Press the 1-cup button; 20 minutes should appear on the timer. The machine will fill the boilers with clean water. Press the 1-cup button again.
2. Place the cloth on the drip tray.
3. Unscrew the right valve by rotating the screwdriver anti-clockwise. Allow all the water to exit the valve.
4. Once complete, close the valve by rotating the screwdriver clockwise until sealed.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 on the left valve. 
6. Empty the drip tray and reattach it to the machine.
7. Empty the water tank, rinse and fill it with clean water.
8. Press the power button to exit the descaling mode.                                          

8. Descaling The Breville Oracle Touch 

You’ll need 

• Descaler 
• Flathead screwdriver 
• Cloth 
• Spoon 

Emptying the boilers 

1. Turn on the machine and click “MENU.”
2. Press the “SETTINGS” button at the top right corner of your screen.
3. Scroll down to access the descale cycle mode. Press “descale cycle.”
4. Press “START” and follow the instructions on the screen.
5. Remove the rubber labeled “DESCALE ACCESS.”
6. Place a cloth on the drip tray.
7. Open the right valve by rotating the screwdriver anticlockwise. Allow all the water to exit the valve. 
8. Close the valve by rotating the screwdriver clockwise. 
9. Repeat step 7 on the left valve. Without closing the valve, press “START” on the screen.
10. When the timer reaches “0”, close the left valve.
11. Empty the drip tray.

Descale cycle 

1. Empty the water tank and remove the water filter.
2. Fill the tank with 1 liter of water, pour the descaler and stir well.
3. Reinsert the tank into the machine, then press “START.”
4. Follow the instructions on the screen, and then empty the boilers by following steps 6 to 10 under the “emptying the boilers” section.

Rinse cycle 

1. Fill the water tank with clean water to the max, and insert it into the machine. Press “START.”
2. Open the valves and flush the boilers by following steps 6 to 10 under the “emptying the boilers” section above.
3. Press the arrow at the top right corner of the screen to exit the rinse cycle.
4. Replace the water filter and reinsert the water tank and the rubber labeled “DESCALE ACCESS.”                                                                     

9. Descaling The Breville Cafe Roma 

NOTE: If you decide to use a commercial descaler for your Cafe Roma, use one in liquid form. Breville advises against using a powdered descaler for this model.

You’ll need

For softer water

• 1 part white vinegar
• 2 parts cold tap water 

For harder water

• 1 part white vinegar
• 1 part cold tap water 

Preparation

1. Ensure the selector control is in the “STAND BY” position and that the plug is disconnected from the power outlet.
2. Remove the filter holder and pour the vinegar solution into the water tank. 
3. Plug the machine into the power outlet.
4. Set the selector control to the “STANDBY” position and turn the machine on.

Descale cycle

1. Place a large container under the group head and the steam wand.
2. When the device reaches the brewing temperature, the orange “TEMPERATURE” light will switch off.
3. Set the selector control to the “ESPRESSO” position and let half the solution flow through the group head.
4. Turn the selector control to the “STEAM” position and let the remaining solution run through the steam wand. When the solution is used up, set the selector control back to the “STANDBY” position.

Rinse cycle

1. After descaling, rinse the water tank thoroughly. Refill the tank with fresh cold water. 
2. Run half the water through the group head and half through the steam wand.

Conclusion 

If you want to increase the longevity of your Breville espresso machine, you should descale it frequently. In essence, decalcifying involves cleaning every internal component of the unit and then rinsing any residual solutions in the machine. Though the process can be long and tedious, the result is a great quality coffee with every brew. 

You can use any brand of descaling product in your Breville Espresso machine, as long as you dilute it with the correct amount of water to the manufacturer’s instructions.

We recommend using our specially designed Green Pods Eco Descaler. It comes with 4 sachets (1 year’s supply) which are perfectly portioned. It’s environmentally friendly, and it’s also more cost-effective than the name-brand Breville Descaler.

You can get it from Amazon here.