For your Delonghi Dinamica to continue working at its best and brew tasty coffee, it needs to be descaled from time to time. But it can be frustrating when you don’t know where and how to start.
To descale your machine:
- Remove the water filter.
- Put the machine on standby by trning it on.
- Empty and rinse the drip tray and grounds container.
- Press and hold the coffee bean icon until the descale, steam, and water droplet icons light up.
- Fill the descaling solution into the water tank and top with clean water to level “B”.
- Place a container under the dispensers.
- Press the water droplet icon and wait for the steam icon to flash.
- Turn the steam dial to “I” to activate the descale cycle. Wait for the water icon to flash. Empty and rinse the water tray and container.
- Place the container under the spouts. Press the water droplets icon. When the steam icon flashes, turn the steam dial to “0”.
- When the steam icon flashes, turn the dial to “I”.
- Once the water icon flashes, the rinse cycle is complete.
- Empty and rinse the water tray and container.
In this post, we’ll show you how to descale your machine to enhance its longevity while it produces a refreshing cup of coffee. Let’s dive in!
Not the right machine for you? Check out our other descaling guides for Delonghi coffee machines below:
Why Listen To Us? Well, because we KNOW coffee! In fact, we make our own coffee, coffee machine cleaners, and reusable capsules which we've sold to over 41 countries. Our team ouf experts include Tristan (an engineer), Claire (a food writer) and Richy (a barista). So, whether you're looking for a recipe or repair guide, we've got you covered 💚
Table of Contents
What is Descaling?
Descaling is the process of running a descaler through the machine to dissolve and flush out mineral build up or limescale.
Why Descale Your Delonghi Dinamica
Water hardness is the main contributing factor to scale build up. Because it contains high levels of minerals, like calcium and magnesium, they coat and form limescale on the internal components of your machine when heated or evaporated. We found that when we don’t descale our machine it resulted in:
- Stale, bitter, sour, or metallic tasting coffee.
- The machine taking longer to heat up or it brews less coffee.
- Mold forming on other parts of the machine.
Taking the time to thoroughly clean your machine means you get tasty coffee with every brew, prevent any potential illnesses, and increase the lifespan of your machine.
How Often Do You Need to Descale Your Delonghi Dinamica Machine?
We are avid coffee drinkers. To keep our coffee maker in tip-top shape, we descale it regularly, every 2-6 months as recommended by Delonghi. But how often do YOU need to descale yours? That depends on the hardness of your water and how often you brew coffee. A good rule of thumb is to perform this task every quarter or twice a year.
The internal components aren’t the only parts that need to be taken care of. We also remove coffee stains, spills, and residue often. To take your mind off the guesswork, use the table below as a reference for the cleaning frequency of your Dinamica.
| Part | Cleaning Frequency |
| The drip tray | Every day |
| Cup tray | After every use |
| Espresso cup grille | Every day |
| Coffee filters | After every use |
| Bean container | Every 2-3 weeks |
| Coffee grinder burrs | Every 2-3 weeks |
| Coffee grinder outlet | Every 200 coffees |
| Boiler outlet | After 200 coffees |
| Water tank | Weekly |
| Cappuccino maker | After every use |
| Infuser | Once a month |
How Long Does The Descaling Process Take?
Descaling your Delonghi Dinamica can take you about an hour.
What You Will Need
To effectively remove limescale, you’ll need a descaling product. They are formulated to remove mineral buildup while leaving your machine refreshed. But most descalers are costly. We suggest this eco-friendly descaling powder. It works well on any kind of coffee machine and it’s very affordable. You’ll get 4 sachets (for every descale cycle) for just $20.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Descaling Solution
- Clean water
- A container (large enough to capture the spent solution)
A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Descale Your Delonghi Dinamica Machine?
Here’s a comprehensive guide to descaling your machine.
Preparation
- Remove the water filter.
- Press the power button to turn the machine on standby.
- Empty and rinse the drip tray and grounds container.
- Press and hold the coffee bean icon until the descale, steam, and water droplet icons light up.
- Fill the descaling solution into the water tank.
- Pour water into the tank to level “B”.
- Place the container under the dispensers.
Descale cycle
- Press the water droplet icon.
- When the steam icon flashes, turn the steam dial to “I”. This activates the descale cycle.
- Wait for the water icon to flash.
- Now it’s time to rinse the machine.
Rinse cycle
- Empty and rinse the water tray and container.
- Place the container under the coffee spouts and frother.
- Press the water droplets icon. When the steam icon flashes, turn the steam dial to “0”.
- When the steam icon flashes, turn the dial to “I”.
- Once the water icon flashes, the rinse cycle is complete.
- Empty and rinse the water tray and container.
- Repeat the rinse cycle.
Download: Get a copy of our descaling cheatsheet below.
For a step-by-step visual guide on how to clean your coffee maker, check out this YouTube video by Delonghi.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do I put my Delonghi in descale mode?
To put your Delonghi in descale mode, follow these steps:
1. Press and hold the coffee bean icon until the descale, steam, and water droplet icons light up.
2. Press the water droplet icon.
3. When the steam icon flashes, turn the steam dial to “I”. This activates the descale cycle.
Then follow the instructions in the manual to descale.
Q. How do I deep clean my Delonghi Dinamica?
Follow these steps to deep clean your Delonghi Dinamica.
1. Clean the water tank, the drip tray, the coffee grounds container, and the infuser with warm soapy water. You can even wash them in the top rack of your dishwasher.
2. Use a damp cloth and mild detergent to wipe the external surfaces of the machine.
3. Dust off any coffee residue with a soft brush.
4. Let all the parts dry completely before attaching them to the machine.
5. Follow this with a descale cycle using a descaler.
Q. How often do you need to descale Delonghi Dinamica?
The frequency of descaling your Delonghi Dinamica depends on the water hardness level in your area and how often you use the machine. But Delonghi’s user manual recommends you descale your machine every 2 months or after 200 cups of coffee, whichever comes first.
Q. Is descaler better than vinegar?
Descaler is generally better than vinegar because it’s more concentrated, effective, and less likely to leave any residue smell or taste.
Vinegar is cheaper and more accessible than descaler, but it may not work as well at removing tough mineral deposits. It may also damage some parts of the machine and void the warranty.
Q. Is baking soda good for descaling?
Baking soda is not very good for descaling coffee machines because it’s not acidic enough to dissolve limescale effectively. Baking soda may also create foam and clog the machine.
Final Thoughts And Recommendations
Descaling your Delonghi Dinamica machine is an essential task that will keep your coffee maker running smoothly and your coffee tasting great. You will need to set aside an hour to perform this task. It might seem like a long time but your machine (and taste buds) will thank you for it. As recommended by Delonghi, you should descale your machine every 3-6 months.
You can use any brand of descaling product in your Dinamica machine, as long as you dilute it with the correct amount of water to the manufacturer’s instructions.
We recommend using this 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 Keurig Descalers.
You can get it from Amazon here.
- ✔️ ENJOY BETTER TASTING COFFEE: Infrequent descaling is the #1 reason your coffee is tasting bad. Descale and you’ll taste the difference.
- ✔️ SAFE FOR YOU AND YOUR MACHINE: Our Eco Descaler is safe for all machine parts. It leaves no harmful residues and does not cause corrosion within the coffee machine.
- ✔️ WORKS ON ALL COFFEE MACHINES: Designed and tested on all leading coffee machines including Nespresso, Keurig, Dolce Gusto, Caffitaly, Breville, Delonghi, and more.
Let us know in the comments below if this helped an what tips and tricks you have to keep your delonghi magnifica clean and fresh.
