Can you get sick from a dirty Nespresso coffee machine?
Posted on November 23 2016
Do Coffee machines need care and attention to keep them giving you the best coffee moment?
When I open the coffee machine flap and here a capsule drop into the holder, so does my positive mood drop. How long has that capsule been there? Did I leave it there? No I would never do that! My mood takes a dive, until I have my coffee in hand, and then all is forgotten and forgiven.
I always flush the machine first with water only. I let the water run into the coffee cup, which also clears the machine and heats the cup. I hate luke-warm coffee. I then chose the capsule which grabs my fancy and make my coffee moment … What else? After I clear the capsule, I always (well mostly always) flush the machine again with water only. “Water only before and Water only after” that my ritual.
I may not be the “coffee aficionado” of note, but I started to think I should clean my brew master to ensure a great coffee moment. So I went on a quest to get the best advice. Firstly, let me tell you there is not much on the worldwide web! The www maestro as I call it.
To clean or not to clean that is the question?
I would suggest that dirty Coffee machines can affect the taste of the coffee and more importantly, your health. Coffee is an oily beverage after all. An award-winning barista has said that “Every time you extract a shot of espresso, it leaves a layer of oil behind in the machine, no matter what machine you use. Cleaning is not optional, it is a must.” I did read somewhere that bacteria grow rapidly in the sludgy substance that remains behind the coffee machines.
The Good news
Capsule machines and especially Nespresso machine owners, and the machines are probably the easiest machines to clean. Coffee capsule machines are the “most hassle-free way of making an espresso”. Ok everyone has their opinion and I am sure you have your view on this point.
Milk Frothing accessory cleaning: I am not going to talk about the cleaning of the milk-frothing accessory. An Aeroccino or a milk cartridge (which attaches to the machine). Fair to say that these will require more cleaning, as hardened milk can build up on the internal parts.
Moving on, I think that we can agree that capsule machines will need flushing through with water (to clean out the internal parts) and regular descaling.
Descaling your coffee machine
I can say with confidence that Descaling your machine is critical for keeping your machine in good working order. Check your machine manufacturers information and or instructions. Also. some guarantees which comes with the product will become invalid if descaling is not performed regularly. There are a lot of indications like, if you live in a hard water area, leaking, excessive dripping from the spout. reduced water flow water, flow stops completely to name a few. (This list sound like a list of old men’s complaints)
In all cases, please refer to the manual for full instructions or go to the www maestro for more information.
I found some interesting information like using vinegar and hot water, Citric acid wash and others. I also saw actual cleaning capsules that can be used to clean your Nespresso machine. I use the recommended-for-my-machine descaling kit and rinse my machine well and often.
I get a great-coffee-moment every time.
A Coffee treat for me and a Coffee treat for my garden.
Of course, I use the Nessie Press often, which helps me recycle the coffee from my used capsules. And my garden is the talk of the town. Well I think so anyway. See www.nessiepress.com
With one easy to use Nespresso hand held recycler!
2 comments
Hi Walter, we definitely clean our machine regularly and use the recommended de-scaling product. Thanks for the info though- never hurts to hear/see it again. Terry
Hi Walter, we definitely clean our machine regularly and use the recommended de-scaling product. Thanks for the info though- never hurts to hear/see it again. Terry