A brushed stainless home espresso machine on a kitchen counter with its water tank removed and set beside it, a measuring jug of clear water and a small empty white bowl under the group head, tidy mai

How to descale a Breville espresso machine

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Research-based: We haven’t tested these steps ourselves. Every step below comes from Breville’s own instruction books, support pages, and how-to guides, which are listed under “Sources” at the end.

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In this guide
  1. Quick answer
  2. Find your model
  3. What you’ll need
  4. Barista Express (BES870)
  5. Barista Express Impress (BES876)
  6. Barista Pro (BES878)
  7. Barista Touch (BES880)
  8. Bambino Plus (BES500)
  9. Bambino (BES450)
  10. Other Breville models
  11. Descaling vs. the cleaning cycle
  12. How often to descale
  13. Troubleshooting
  14. FAQ

Quick answer

Descaling a Breville machine usually means filling the tank with Breville’s descaler, entering the machine’s descale mode, and running the solution through the coffee, hot-water and steam paths. You then repeat the run with fresh water as a rinse. Breville models start the cycle in different ways. The Barista Express uses a button combination, the Barista Pro and Barista Touch use a menu, and the Bambino models use a two-button hold. Find your model below and follow its steps, and keep the machine’s own instruction book nearby.

Keep · Adjust · Upgrade

  • Keep: Descale when your machine asks you to, using the descaler Breville’s instructions call for. The packet in the box is Breville’s descaler.
  • Adjust: Breville says that changing the water filter on schedule (every 2 months on the Barista Express and Barista Pro) reduces how often you need to descale. On the Barista Touch, test your water hardness and enter it in the settings so the reminders match your water.
  • Upgrade: If your water tests very hard (level 4 or 5 on the Barista Touch strip), Breville “strongly recommend[s]” switching to a different water source. That’s when a filtered-water setup is worth looking at. Breville also warns against distilled or heavily demineralized water, so skip the “purest possible water” idea.

Find your model

Model How it tells you to descale Steps
Barista Express (BES870) CLEAN / DESCALE light is solid. A flashing light means a cleaning cycle, not a descale. Barista Express
Barista Express Impress (BES876) The maintenance light comes on Barista Express Impress
Barista Pro (BES878) The LCD shows a DESCALE alert Barista Pro
Barista Touch (BES880) A pop-up message on the touchscreen Barista Touch
Bambino Plus (BES500) The 1 CUP and STEAM buttons flash, alternating with the 2 CUP button, for 15 seconds for 15 seconds Bambino Plus
Bambino (BES450) The 2 CUP button flashes continuously Bambino
Dual Boiler, Oracle, Oracle Touch, other models Varies Other models

You’ll find the model number on the rating label of your machine and on the cover of its instruction book.

What you’ll need

  • Breville descaler. Breville’s current instruction books call for “one Breville Descaling powder sachet” (Barista Express) or a “descaling agent” (Barista Pro, Bambino models). The Barista Express Impress guide says to use the descaler packet that came with your machine. If you’ve used yours up, Breville sells replacement packs as “the Descaler” (model BES007). View on Amazon
  • A large container. For the Bambino models, Breville specifies a 2L / 68 fl oz container that sits on the drip tray under the group head and steam wand. For other models, use a container that holds at least as much as your water tank.
  • Fresh cold water for the rinse.
  • About an hour of cool-down time if you’ve just used the machine (Barista Pro and Barista Touch). The Bambino Plus instructions also say to let the machine cool completely first.

Before you start: safety

  • Hot water and steam come out during descaling. Breville’s manuals warn that hot steam may be released. Keep your hands away from the group head and steam wand while the cycle runs.
  • The drip tray must be empty and fully inserted.
  • Don’t remove or fully empty the water tank in the middle of the cycle. Every model’s manual includes this warning, except where a step tells you to refill.
  • Stay with the machine. Breville’s safety instructions say not to leave the appliance unattended while it’s in use.
  • Never put the machine, cord or plug in water.

Barista Express (BES870)

Signal: A solid CLEAN / DESCALE light. If the light is flashing, run the cleaning cycle instead (see Descaling vs. the cleaning cycle).

Breville’s general cleaning guide says to remove the water filter before descaling, because it will soak up the solution. The Barista Express instruction book doesn’t mention the filter in its descaling steps, so take it out to be safe.

  1. Dissolve one Breville descaling powder sachet in 34 fl oz (1L) of water, then pour it into the water tank.
  2. Make sure the drip tray is empty and in place, and put a large container under the group head and steam wand.
  3. With the machine off, press and hold the 2 CUP button, then press and hold the POWER button at the same time. This enters Descale mode.
  4. The machine heats up, and the POWER button flashes while it does. It’s ready when the POWER button, 1 CUP button, CLEAN / DESCALE light and HOT WATER / STEAM light are all lit (not flashing).
  5. Coffee side: Press 1 CUP. Solution runs through the group head for about 25 seconds. You can stop it early by pressing 1 CUP again.
  6. Steam side: Turn the steam dial right, toward the steam icon (about 13 seconds).
  7. Hot water side: Turn the dial left, toward the hot water icon (about 8 seconds). Turning the dial to STANDBY stops either step early.
  8. After one round, about half the solution (17 fl oz / 0.5L) should still be in the tank. Repeat steps 5–7 until the tank is empty. Empty the container between rounds if it’s getting full.
  9. Rinse: Remove the tank, rinse it thoroughly, and refill it with fresh cold water to the maximum line (68 fl oz / 2L). Repeat steps 5–7 to flush out any leftover solution.
  10. Press POWER to exit descale mode. The lights switch off.
  11. Put the water filter back in.

If you do nothing for 5 minutes in descale mode, the machine switches itself off. To resume, start again from step 3.

Barista Express Impress (BES876)

Signal: The maintenance light comes on.

Breville’s support page for this model says to use the descaler packet that came with the machine. It points owners to Breville’s “How to perform a descale” video, which starts by emptying the drip tray and water tank and ends with a clear-water rinse. We couldn’t get an official written copy of the Impress descaling steps for this guide, and we won’t guess at the button sequence. Follow Breville’s Impress descale page and video and your instruction book. The safety notes above still apply.

Barista Pro (BES878)

Signal: The LCD shows a DESCALE alert.

Before you start, turn the machine off, let it cool for at least 1 hour, and make sure the drip tray is empty and fully inserted.

  1. Empty the drip tray and put it back. Remove the water tank and take the water filter out of the tank.
  2. Fill the tank to the DESCALE line, add the descaling agent, and put the tank back on the machine.
  3. Press MENU. Turn the GRIND AMOUNT dial to DESCALE and press the dial to select it. The 1 CUP button lights up.
  4. Press 1 CUP to start. The cycle runs in three stages: coffee, hot water, then steam. The machine beeps after each stage. When the LCD tells you to, turn the steam dial to the HOT WATER or STEAM position.
  5. When the descale cycle finishes, the 1 CUP button lights up again for the rinse.
  6. Empty the drip tray and put it back. Pour any leftover solution out of the tank, refill it with fresh water to the MAX line, and put it back.
  7. Press 1 CUP to start the rinse. It also has three stages, and the LCD shows which one it’s on. Turn the steam dial when the screen tells you to.
  8. When the rinse is done, the machine beeps and goes back to READY.
  9. Remove the drip tray and water tank, rinse them, dry them, and put them back. Then reinstall the water filter.

Barista Touch (BES880)

Signal: A pop-up message on the touchscreen tells you it’s time to descale.

Before you start, turn the machine off, let it cool for at least 1 hour, and make sure the drip tray is empty and fully inserted.

  1. On the touchscreen, go to Settings and select Descale cycle.
  2. Follow the on-screen instructions. The machine guides you through each step.

The Barista Touch instruction book doesn’t print the individual steps, because the screen walks you through them. Breville’s tutorial page for the Barista Touch says the process “works the same” across the Barista series, so the Barista Pro steps above give you a good idea of what to expect. The screen is still the authority for your machine. Breville also suggests descaling even if you use the filter, whenever you see scale building up in the water tank.

Bambino Plus (BES500)

Signal: The 1 CUP and STEAM buttons flash, alternating with the 2 CUP button, for 15 seconds for 15 seconds. Pressing any of these buttons dismisses the alert, so the alert going away doesn’t mean the job is done.

  1. Empty the drip tray and put it back in place.
  2. Fill the water tank to the DESCALE line and add the descaling agent.
  3. Place a 2L / 68 fl oz container on the drip tray, under the portafilter area and the steam wand.
  4. Turn the machine off by pressing 1 CUP and STEAM at the same time, and let it cool completely.
  5. With the machine off, press and hold 1 CUP and STEAM together for 5 seconds to enter descale mode.
  6. When the 1 CUP and STEAM buttons light up, the machine is ready.
  7. Press 1 CUP or STEAM to start. The buttons flash alternately while the cycle runs.
  8. When the solution runs out, the cycle pauses. Refill the tank to the MAX line with fresh water, empty the container, and put both back.
  9. When 1 CUP and STEAM light up, press either one to resume. This runs the rinse.
  10. When descaling is complete, the 1 CUP and STEAM buttons flash alternately, then the machine goes into standby.
  11. Empty the container, then rinse and dry the drip tray and water tank before you put them back.

Bambino (BES450)

Signal: The 2 CUP button flashes continuously. Breville’s manual calls this a combined “clean & descale” alert and warns against ignoring it.

  1. Empty the drip tray and push it firmly back into place.
  2. Fill the water tank to the DESCALE line and add the descaling agent.
  3. Place a 2L / 68 fl oz container under the group head and steam wand.
  4. Press 2 CUP and STEAM together for 5 seconds to start descaling. The 2 CUP button flashes throughout the cycle. (steps from Breville’s international instruction book; check yours)
  5. When the solution runs out, the cycle pauses.
  6. Rinse the tank and refill it to the MAX line, empty the container, and put both back.
  7. Press 2 CUP to start the rinse cycle.
  8. When the rinse finishes, the machine returns to ready mode.
  9. Empty the container, then rinse and dry the drip tray and water tank before you put them back.

Other Breville models

The Dual Boiler, Oracle, Oracle Touch, Infuser and other Breville espresso machines have their own procedures. We haven’t verified those yet, so we won’t publish steps for them. Follow your machine’s instruction book, or find your model on Breville’s support site. The steps above don’t transfer between models, because each one enters descale mode differently.

Descaling vs. the cleaning cycle

Breville treats descaling and cleaning as separate tasks in every manual we checked.

  • Descaling removes mineral scale from the water side of the machine (the boiler or heating system, pump and lines). You use a descaler dissolved in the water tank. Breville says scale reduces “the brewing flow, brewing temperature, power of the machine, and taste of the espresso.”
  • The cleaning cycle (a back-flush or “FLUSH”) clears coffee oils from the group head. You lock in the portafilter with the cleaning disc and a cleaning tablet, and the machine flushes water through it. On the Barista Express, a flashing CLEAN / DESCALE light means a cleaning cycle and a solid light means descale. On the Bambino Plus, alternating 1 CUP and 2 CUP buttons mean a cleaning cycle.

For a step-by-step guide to the cleaning cycle, see our guide to cleaning a Breville Barista Express.

How often to descale

Breville gives a few kinds of guidance, depending on the machine:

  • Follow the machine’s alert. All the models covered here tell you when a descale is due.
  • Rough timing: Breville’s own troubleshooting guide says to descale “every one to three months, depending on how often it’s used.”
  • Water hardness matters most. Breville’s manuals note that the water filter helps prevent scale, and that changing it on schedule (every 2 months on the Barista Express and Barista Pro, or every 3 months or 10.6 gal / 40L on the Barista Touch) reduces how often you need to descale. In hard-water areas, Breville recommends changing the filter more often. The Barista Touch comes with a water hardness test strip and lets you enter the result so the machine can set the descale interval.
  • Water type: Breville recommends cold, filtered water and advises against distilled or demineralized water. Its manuals say these can affect the taste and how the machine is designed to work.

Troubleshooting

The problems below appear in Breville’s troubleshooting tables, which list “machine needs to be descaled” as a possible cause.

  • Water doesn’t flow from the group head, or only drips. Check that the tank is full and locked in and that your grind isn’t too fine. If those are fine, Breville lists descaling as a fix.
  • No steam. Wait for the machine to finish heating and check the tank. Then consider descaling. A blocked steam tip is a separate issue with its own cleaning steps.
  • Coffee isn’t hot enough. Preheat your cups and portafilter first. Breville also lists scale as a possible cause.
  • Barista Express exits descale mode on its own. It switches off after 5 minutes without any input. Restart from the step where you enter descale mode.
  • The descale light is flashing, not solid (Barista Express). That’s the cleaning-cycle signal, not the descale signal.
  • Bambino Plus alert disappeared. Pressing any of the flashing buttons dismisses the alert. It doesn’t mean the machine has been descaled.

If a problem continues after descaling, contact Breville support.

FAQ

Can I use vinegar to descale my Breville?

Breville’s own sources aren’t consistent on this. The current instruction books for the Barista Express, Barista Pro and Bambino models call for Breville’s descaling powder or a “descaling agent.” Older Barista Express instruction books (2015) described a 50/50 white vinegar and water method, and Breville’s general cleaning blog mentions a 1:1 vinegar mix. We’d follow the instruction book for your machine and use the descaler it calls for. That’s the packet Breville includes in the box.

Do I need to remove the water filter before descaling?

Yes, on machines that have one. Breville’s Barista Pro manual says to take it out as the first step, and Breville’s general cleaning guide explains that the filter “will soak the descale solution if left in.” Put it back once you’ve finished the rinse. The Bambino and Bambino Plus manuals don’t include a water filter.

Should I block out time before starting a Breville descale?

Yes, because Breville doesn’t publish a total time for most models and the cycle runs in repeated passes. On the Barista Express, each pass takes about 25 seconds through the group head, 13 seconds through the steam wand and 8 seconds through the hot water outlet. You repeat those passes until the tank is empty, then do it again with fresh water. Add the cool-down time, which is at least an hour on the Barista Pro and Barista Touch if the machine has been on.

Is descaling the same as the cleaning cycle?

No. Descaling removes mineral scale with a descaler in the water tank. The cleaning cycle removes coffee oils with a cleaning tablet in the portafilter. Your machine signals each one separately.

What if I’ve used up the descaler packet that came with my machine?

Breville sells replacement packs (the Descaler, BES007). Check your instruction book before you use any other product. View on Amazon

Best descaler for espresso machinesHow to clean an espresso machinedaily, weekly and monthly care

Sources

More sources (9)