How often should you descale?

How this estimate works

We start from the frequency most manufacturers recommend for your water hardness — about every three months for soft water, every one to two months for typical tap water, and every three to four weeks for hard or well water. Heavy daily use nudges that sooner; a water filter or softener nudges it later. We never recommend descaling more often than the hard-water baseline or less often than the soft-water baseline — it is a starting point, not a precise prediction.

The most reliable signal is your machine itself: if it has a descale indicator light, descale as soon as it appears, even if that’s earlier than this estimate. For the full method behind these ranges, see our guide to descaling an espresso machine, and read why it matters in our methodology.

Then descale the right way

Once you know your interval, follow the step-by-step process for your machine: Nespresso, Breville, De’Longhi, Gaggia, or Jura. Whatever you own, use a real descaler rather than vinegar and rinse thoroughly — the full reasoning is in our descaling guide.