There are many elements involved in creating delicious, consistent espresso. We all know that grind size, dosage, tamping, and water temperature all have an effect on your extraction, but there’s one more major factor that can ruin even the most perfect balance of these elements: the build-up of scale in your espresso machine.
DESCALING Vs CLEANING
Descaling and cleaning your coffee machine are two very different processes which address two separate problems. Although your machine might be sparkling clean, free of coffee grounds, and well-maintained on the outside, if you don’t look after the inside of your machine by descaling, you will eventually run into some huge problems.
WHAT IS SCALE?
Scale occurs when there are high levels of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate in the water supply. When water is heated, these elements form a ‘crust’ on the hot surfaces. This is scale. Scale builds up on the boiler, the heating element, and the pipe and jet network in an espresso machine. Descaling is the process of removing this mineral build-up.
WHY DESCALE?
A cup of coffee is nearly 99% water, making it one of the most important elements in brewing a delicious and hot cup of coffee. If scale is present in the boiler or pipes of an espresso machine, the water component may be compromised, and you may not get a consistent, optimum yield. Here are several reasons why descaling is important:
1. WATER MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO REACH ITS OPTIMAL BREWING TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE BOILER.
It is commonly understood that a lower brew temperature produces a lower extraction yield, and a higher brew temperature produces a higher extraction yield. (Extraction yield is calculated using: Brewed Coffee Weight × (TDS ÷ Ground Coffee Weight) = Yield %) This means that the higher the water temperature at brew point, the higher percentage of ground coffee is actually being extracted into the cup. Although these changes in extraction yield will be relatively small (from one study, there was only a less than one percent total yield difference over a 6°C temperature change), change of brew temperature will have an effect on taste.
2. TASTE AND DRINKING TEMPERATURE MAY BE COMPROMISED.
If water does not reach its optimal brewing temperature – or produces varying brew temperatures – it will be difficult to achieve cupping profile consistency. When it comes to taste, it is generally accepted within the specialty coffee industry that sweetness, bitterness, and body are increased as the brew temperature is increased, while the acidity is slightly reduced. With lower brew temperatures, the opposite occurs, with more pronounced acidity and decreased sweetness, bitterness, and body. So, as the temperature of your water within the boiler decreases due to built-up scale, your extraction is more likely to become more acidic, with less of those delicious flavours that you love in a full-bodied espresso.
3. YOUR MACHINE MAY STOP WORKING.
If not dealt with properly, scale can eventually build up so much within a machine’s pipe network, that the flow of water can be obstructed, either partially or completely. If scale is partially blocking the pipes, the amount of water flowing through to both the steam wand and the brew head may become limited. If this happens, the machine will not produce a proper extraction and will not be able to heat or aerate milk effectively. If scale build-up is so bad within an espresso machine that the pipes are completely blocked, the machine will not produce any steam or milk. It is also common for scale to build up on the level probe within the boiler. This stops the machine detecting the level of water in the boiler, which may lead to overfilling and overflowing of the boiler.
SO, WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Descaling your espresso machine on a regular basis will keep your machine performing at its full potential for longer. As each machine is built differently, unfortunately there is not one set of descaling instructions for all espresso machines. For this reason, we strongly recommend you adhere to your machine manufacturers’ instructions for cleaning and descaling your machine. We also recommend that you install a water filter to remove contaminants and sediment from your water supply, as well as take the appropriate steps in minimising potential scale build-up if the water in your area is particularly ‘hard’.
To shop our range all of our Descaling Products, please click here. For any enquiries regarding cleaning or descaling products, please feel free to send a message to our team via the chat module on the bottom left hand side of your screen. Alternatively, you can give us a call on 1300 724 249 or send us an email to [email protected].
