How To Descale Your Dolce Gusto Genio Machine (All Genio Versions)

The green pods how to descale your dolce gusto genios s coffee machine

Regularly descaling your Dolce Gusto machine is crucial to extend the life of the machine and to ensure it keeps producing high-quality and tasty coffee the way it was designed to.

In this guide, we’ll take you through the step-by-step process you need to follow to descale your Dolce Gusto coffee machine. The are several models of Genio machines on the market and this guide works for all the following models:

  • Genios S Plus Automatic – Delonghi
  • Genio S Touch – Delonghi
  • Genio S Automatic – Delonghi
  • Genio S Plus Automatic – Krups
  • Genio S Touch – Krups

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 💚

What Exactly Is Descaling?

Water is the most dominant ingredient in a cup of coffee. But water isn’t just water. It contains minerals, such as magnesium and calcium. When you make coffee, these minerals get into the machine and form mineral buildup in and around the heating element of the coffee maker. These deposits are known as limescale (or ‘scale’ for short).

The process of eliminating the mineral deposits from the heating element is known as descaling!

To keep your Dolce Gusto machine functioning properly, you should remove these buildups by descaling regularly.

How Often Should You Descale Your Genio Machine?

Most Dolce Gusto coffee machine manuals recommend that you descale your machine every three months or 300 coffees – whichever comes first.

That means if you use your machine often you may need to descale more frequently. Some examples of descaling frequencies are shown in the table below.

Number Of Coffees Per DayRecommended Genio Descaling Frequency
1-2Every 3 months
3-4Every 3 months
5-8Every 2 months
8-10Every month
examples of descaling frequencies based on usage

The frequency of descaling also largely depends on what is known as your ‘water hardness’ – which essentially means how much mineral salts are present in your town or city’s water supply. Areas with high water hardness will require you to descale your machine more often, and areas with low water hardness can reduce the amount of maintenance required.

Some models of Dolce Gusto machine including the Genio have a warning light that will turn orange to alert you that the machine needs to be descaled. 

How Long Will Descaling Take?

The entire process to descale your Dolce Gusto Genio should take between 20 and 30 minutes.

What You Will Need:

To descale your Genio machine, you’ll need a descaling solution kit. Some fresh water, a cleaning funnel, or empty Green Pods. Also, a toothbrush and paperclip for cleaning is a good idea!

What you’ll need:

Dolce Gusto offers their propriety descaling kit, which you can purchase from any Dolce Gusto machine retailer. We think this is a little expensive and prohibits people from descaling their machines as often as they need. We’ve reviewed the best descalers in this article here

Long story short: We created a multi-serving and eco-friendly alternative here on Amazon which works out cheaper too!

Nespresso Descaling Solution, Fits all Models, 2 Packets
Durgol Swiss Steamer, Descaler and Decalcifier for All Brands of Steamer Ovens, 16.9 Fluid Ounces
Best Overall
The Green Pods Eco Descaler - Coffee Machine Descaler Compatible With Nespresso, Keurig, Breville, DeLonghi, And All Others - Descaling Powder
Runner Up
De'Longhi EcoDecalk Descaler, Eco-Friendly Universal Descaling Solution for Coffee & Espresso Machines, 16.90 oz (5 uses)
Nespresso Descaling Solution, Fits all Models, 2 Packets
Durgol Swiss Steamer, Descaler and Decalcifier for All Brands of Steamer Ovens, 16.9 Fluid Ounces
The Green Pods Eco Descaler - Coffee Machine Descaler Compatible With Nespresso, Keurig, Breville, DeLonghi, And All Others - Descaling Powder
De'Longhi EcoDecalk Descaler, Eco-Friendly Universal Descaling Solution for Coffee & Espresso Machines, 16.90 oz (5 uses)
2 Doses
5 Doses
4 Doses
5 Doses
Our Take: Expensive, Plastic sachets are wasteful.
Our Take: More expensive than other options
Our Take: Easiest to use as each dose is pre-measued. Great instructions. Good for the environment too!
Our Take: Good price, size, but knowing how much to use is confusing
Nespresso Descaling Solution, Fits all Models, 2 Packets
Nespresso Descaling Solution, Fits all Models, 2 Packets
2 Doses
Our Take: Expensive, Plastic sachets are wasteful.
Durgol Swiss Steamer, Descaler and Decalcifier for All Brands of Steamer Ovens, 16.9 Fluid Ounces
Durgol Swiss Steamer, Descaler and Decalcifier for All Brands of Steamer Ovens, 16.9 Fluid Ounces
5 Doses
Our Take: More expensive than other options
Best Overall
The Green Pods Eco Descaler - Coffee Machine Descaler Compatible With Nespresso, Keurig, Breville, DeLonghi, And All Others - Descaling Powder
The Green Pods Eco Descaler - Coffee Machine Descaler Compatible With Nespresso, Keurig, Breville, DeLonghi, And All Others - Descaling Powder
4 Doses
Our Take: Easiest to use as each dose is pre-measued. Great instructions. Good for the environment too!
Runner Up
De'Longhi EcoDecalk Descaler, Eco-Friendly Universal Descaling Solution for Coffee & Espresso Machines, 16.90 oz (5 uses)
De'Longhi EcoDecalk Descaler, Eco-Friendly Universal Descaling Solution for Coffee & Espresso Machines, 16.90 oz (5 uses)
5 Doses
Our Take: Good price, size, but knowing how much to use is confusing

How To Descale The Dolce Gusto Genio (Step-By-Step)

The descaling process can take you around 20-30 minutes. We recommend descaling first and then taking the extra time to also clean your extraction unit as this tends to build up with coffee residue over time.   

When mixing up the descaling mixture, make sure to read the instructions to determine the correct ratio of water to add. If using our Green Pods Descaler you’ll need to add 3-parts water for every 1-part descaler.

  1. Turn on the machine. Empty the drip tray and make sure that the last capsule has been removed from the tray. Place an empty 1 litre or bigger container under the spout.
  2. Fill the water tank with around 500ml of clean water and descaling solution. Mix thoroughly and return the tank to the machine.
  3. Turn the machine on as per normal. Inset the plastic descaling funnel into the capsule holder. If you’ve lost yours, one of our green pods works well, or grab a replacment off Amazon.
  4. To enter the descaling mode, select ‘XL’ and then turn the ring four times clockwise. The orange descaling light will illuminate. You’re now in descaling mode!
    How to descale your dolce gusto genio machine 5
  5. Press the ‘Start/Stop’ button to begin the descaling routine.
  6. The indictor light will move down to the 4th (centre) position. The descaling operation will run until the entire water tank is empty. The machine will then turn the indicator light off, and pause for 2 minutes. After two minutes, the indictor light will return and start flashing. This is your cue to replace the water.
    How to descale your dolce gusto genio machine 4
  7. Thoroughly rinse the water tank and replace with clean water.
  8. Press the ‘Start/Stop’ button again to resume the descaling process.
  9. The machine will rinse through until all the water is used again. The orange descaling light will turn off once done.
  10. Again, refil the water tank with fresh water. The red temperature light will illumiante to indicate the machine is up to temperature.
  11. Remove the descaling funnel (or Green Pod) from the capsule holder. Rinse the capsule holder and replace in the machine.
    How to descale your dolce gusto genio machine 3

Congratulations: Your machine has now been successfully descaled!

Note: Make sure to put the plastic descaling funnel insert somewhere safe so you don’t lose it. Also, store the remaining descaling solution.

Download: Get a copy of our descaling cheatsheet below.

How To Descale Dolce Gusto Genio cheatsheet

Watch: You can also check out this video from the NESCAFE youtube channel showing how to descale the Genio 2

Descale your NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto® Genio 2 coffee machine by Krups®

Next: we recommend cleaning the injection pin, capsule holder, drip tray, and exterior machine to remove any coffee residue.

Cleaning Your Dolce Gusto Genio

It’s hard to get in the habit of rinsing your Dolce Gusto machine after every use. Unfortunately, because of this, coffee sediment can build up in the spout of the machine over time and can even block the whole system.

To clean the coffee buildup inside the spout try straightening out a paper clip, pipe cleaner, or q-tip and scrape up around within the spout. Once done close the lever in rinse through a couple of times to wash out any particles that have become dislodged.

We also recommend using an old toothbrush to scrub the inside of the capsule holder clean from time to time to avoid this from happening. Again, once done close the lever in rinse through a couple of times to wash out any particles that have become dislodged.

Genio Descaling – Frequently Asked Questions:

We get a lot of questions about the descaling process. Here are some of the answers to these frequently asked questions.

  1. How much descaler do i need?
  2. How often do i need to descale?
  3. Can you use vinegar instead of descaling solution?
  4. What is descaling solution made from?
  5. Can you make your own descaling solution?
  6. Can I use any descaler in my Dolce Gusto machine?
  7. What happens if I don’t descale my coffee machine?
  8. Is decaling soltion toxic
  9. Can you descale with baking soda?

Q. How much descaling solution should I use in my Dolce Gusto Genio machine?

Each descaling product comes at a different concentration, so you’ll need to read the instructions on the label to see how much to use, and how much water to add. In terms of the total amount of solution to mix up, we recommend making enough to completely fill the water tank on your machine.

Q. How often do I need to descale my Dolce Gusto Genio machine?

Nespresso recommends that you descale your machine every three months or 300 coffees – whichever comes first.

That means if you use your machine often you may need to descale more frequently.
1-2: Every 3 months
3-4: Every 3 months
5-8: Every 2 months
8-10: Every month

Q. Can you use vinegar instead of descaling solution?

Scientifically speaking, cleaning your machine with vinegar is almost exactly the same as with commercial descaler solution.

Unfortunately, however, vinegar tends to peel off the scale build up in flakes which could clog your machine causing irreparable damage. We’ve heard numerous cases of people having to throw out their machine because of this. We’d recommend sticking with a commercial descaling product.

Q. What is a descaling solution made of?

Descaling solution is generally an acidic chemical that is capable of dissolving mineral salts such as oxides and carbonates. Notable descaling agents include acetic acid, citric acid and lactic acid. These are all food safe chemicals, however citric and acetic acid do impart a more noticeable taste to the machine, thus lactic is typically preferred.

Q. Can you make descaling solution?

You can make your own descaling solution using vinegar or citric acid, though we’d recommend using a commercial descaling product in a concentration that is proven not to damage your machine.

Q. Can I use any descaler in my Genio Machine?

Yes, in fact, you can use it for any brand of coffee machine.

Q. What happens if you don’t descale your coffee machine?

Scale builds up inside the pipes restricting the flow of water. If this happens inside the thermoblock (Nespresso’s heating element) water won’t be able to reach its optimal brewing temperature. When this happens it’s impossible to extract the full flavor from the coffee pods and the flavour will become weak. Severe scale buildup can clog water flow completely, causing a machine to stop working

Q. Is descaling solution toxic?

Our favorite Eco Descaler descaling powder is completely non-tox and eco-friendly. It’s made from citric acid which is food safe in moderate doses. Other descaling solutions may use caustic chemicals such as sodium hydroxide which is highly toxic, so please check the label if unsure.

Q. Can you descale with baking soda?

We don’t recommend using baking soda to descale your Dolce Gusto machine.

Final Thoughts And Recommendations

It’s essential to descale your Dolce Gusto Genio every 3 months. This will not only increase the life span of your machine, but also keep your coffees tasting great and fresh.

Descaling takes around 25 minutes and consists of a descaling run and a rinse run.

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

We recommend using the 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 Dolce Gusto Descalers.

You can get it from Amazon here.

Sale
The Green Pods Eco Descaler – Coffee Machine Descaler Compatible With Nespresso, Keurig, Breville, DeLonghi, And All Others – Descaling Powder
  • ✔️ 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.

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