How To Clean A Nespresso Coffee Machine

Chemex, Moka pot, French press — these are just a few of the many ways that you can brew your morning cup of Joe. Besides these manual coffee makers, however, you can also turn to a much more modern invention — the Nespresso coffee machine. 

Nespresso coffee machines are a brand of espresso makers that use coffee pods to create creamy, authentic Italian brews. There are a number of different kinds of Nespresso machines out there, ranging from simple devices that pull a straight espresso shot to more complex machines that allow you to froth milk for lattes and cappuccinos. 

Regardless of which of these machines you purchase, however, you've got to know how to keep it clean. Otherwise, you can wind up with a not-so-nice-tasting drink thanks to mineral build-up within the machine. Plus, keeping your machine spic and span can also help extend the life of your espresso maker. With that said, here's how to clean your Nespresso machine in a few simple steps.

The first step to cleaning your espresso machine is to purge your steam wand (if your machine has one). To do this, you'll send a blast of hot steam through the steam wand as if you were going to froth milk. Doing so pushes milk and any residue out of the steam wand, keeping the inside of your wand clear. To make sure your steam wand doesn't start to accumulate this debris, make sure to purge the wand after each time you use it.

Purging your wand alone isn't enough, however. You'll also want to wipe down the wand's exterior to ensure there's no milk left on the steam head. If you don't, milk can crust on the outside of the wand, making it harder for steam to escape and properly steam your milk.

Finally, for a deep clean, you can unscrew the head of the steam wand. Using a thin brush, gently scrub the inside of the steam wand. Then, rinse and brush the steam head to get rid of any built-up milk debris on that, too. Screw the steam head back on and you're ready to move on to the next step.

For Nespresso machines that have a milk frothing system, cleaning out the steam wand isn't the only important step. You'll also need to make sure that you're cleaning out the milk reservoir, too. This keeps leftover milk residue and bacteria at bay. 

Different Nespresso machines have different cleaning cycles. For Nespresso machines with a milk fridge, you'll want to remove the milk fridge and add a cleaning tablet to your cleaning tank. Place this back in the milk fridge and select the 'clean milk tank' cleaning cycle on your machine's touchscreen. Then, just let your machine work its magic.

The milk fridge isn't the only milk system available on Nespresso machines, however. Some Nespresso machines contain a Rapid Cappuccino System, which is essentially an automatic milk frother and tank. If your machine has one of these, you can simply pop it out of the machine and wash the parts either by hand or on the top row in your dishwasher. Then, place them back in your machine and you're ready to start brewing again.

Now that we've cleaned all the milk-related parts on your Nespresso machine, it's time to focus on cleaning the coffee-making aspects of the device. A good place to start is by cleaning your machine's water tank.

To clean the water reservoir, take it out of your Nespresso machine and use water and mild dish soap to clean the inside and outside. Then, rinse it off with water, refill it, and pop it back into your Nespresso machine.

Now, use the same method to clean out the cup support. Again, you'll use mild dish soap and water to clean and rinse off the cup stand on your machine. Instead of placing it directly back onto your Nespresso machine, allow the cup support to air dry first. Once it's dry, fit it back into its place on your machine. 

After you've cleaned your water tank, it's time to focus on the capsule head and container on your machine. To get started, make sure that there are no old capsules still sitting in the machine's container. Once it's empty, grab that mild dish soap you used earlier and use it to wash the container before rinsing it with water.

Then, make sure to wipe down the capsule head. The capsule head is where your espresso will come out as you brew your coffee, so keeping this clean is key. Using a moist cloth, wipe the capsule head. You can also wipe down the outside of the machine while you're at it to give your Nespresso maker an extra-shiny glow.

The last step of cleaning your Nespresso machine is to run a descaling cycle. You don't need to do this every time you use the machine; instead, every six months to a year run this cleaning cycle to get rid of mineral deposits and calcification within your machine's tubing. This is essentially a deep clean of your machine's inner workings and is what will keep your coffee tasting great and your machine working like a dream.

Different Nespresso machines have different sets of specific instructions to use, so make sure to refer back to your owner's manual before running a descaling cycle. In general, however, you'll want to use a Nespresso descaling kit which is specifically built for Nespresso machines. These descaling kits include a special solution that helps clear debris out of your device. Usually, you'll pop the contents of the solution into your machine's water tank and then run a cleaning cycle on your device using the touchscreen. Or, for devices without a touchscreen, you can enter descaling mode by holding your machine's button until the 'on' light starts flashing rapidly. Either way, you'll then be able to run your descaling cycle on your device and finish up cleaning your Nespresso machine to perfection.