You May Want To Hold Off Descaling Your Coffee Maker With Vinegar, Here's Why

Descaling your coffee machine is an important task that should be undertaken around every three to six months, and one of the more popular items people use to do this is white vinegar. Some makers even tell you to use the ingredient as a descaling agent to keep your machine in good condition. However, you should avoid using it because it's far too acidic for some machines and may damage the tubes within.

The reason vinegar is often recommended is because it gets rid of limescale extremely well. However, the same acidity that rids it of build-up could cause problems. Nevertheless, if you don't regularly descale your coffee maker, you could not only get coffee that tastes bitter but could also end up with a clogged machine that eventually stops working. And, now that you know why you shouldn't use vinegar when descaling, here's what to use to clean your coffee maker instead.

So, while it may be tempting to reach for a household cleaner like vinegar that you already have on hand, it's best to buy a designated product to ensure your coffee machine is kept in peak condition. So, you'll want to buy a credited descaling product, which can be found online or in a variety of retail stores. The packaging should explicitly say which machines it can be used on. These are also incredibly simple to use and come in liquid, pod, and powder forms.  

Nuvera's liquid version costs less than $5 at Target and is designed for single-cup units. Amazon also sells a three-pack of tablets by Affresh that you just have to pop into your coffee maker's reservoir for easy cleaning. Once you've found your preferred one, simply follow the package's directions to clean your machine. After you're done, repeat the cycle a few times with just clean water.