Showing posts with label clean espresso machine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clean espresso machine. Show all posts

12/14/2011

Urnex 14-CL12-3-13 Urnex Cleancaf Coffee Machine Cleaner and Descaler Review

Urnex 14-CL12-3-13 Urnex Cleancaf Coffee Machine Cleaner and Descaler
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
Just my TWO CENTS:
Expensive to use? Bitter taste after usage? Not Recommended by OEM's? Use lemon juice? Maybe it's just me, but I really don't get it!
Unless you're using your machine commercially to make hundreds of shots per week, you're wasting your money, not to mention killing your machine by decalcifying constantly. I have nearly 6,000 shots (!) on my one year-old Saeco Incanto Sirius machine and I just finished my FIRST 3-package Cleancaf box. In all this time, the machine has only prompted me to decalcify ONCE. It bases this on a water pH test you perform at the time of new machine commissioning and the coresponding water hardness setting of the machine resulting from the set-up test. I ignore the prompt and just decalc every THREE months or so (i.e, like the package instructions recommend, LOL!) I've never noticed a decrease in water flow (during coffee or steam/hot water wand usage), nor has there been any decrease in coffee temperature. FWIW, I fill the machine reservoir (I have spare reservoir that I use for decalcifying only) all the way up with warm water and one packet of Cleancaf...it has a two-litre capacity. Then I rinse with TWO reservoirs full of clean warm water. It DOES take a while....the machine is next to the sink, so I aim the wand at the drain, let the thing go and walk away to do other things. I NEVER have an issue with taste after cleaning and I am anal about coffee taste, freshness and machine cleanliness. FWIW, the machine uses the Aqua Prima in-reservoir micropore and charcoal filter, and I use supermarket-brand spring water (loaded with mineral and micro-organisms, LOL) in the one-gallon jug (lots of them, with the amt. of espresso I brew, LOL!).
For those of you thinking of using a non-authorized acidic solution (lemon juice, vinegar, etc.) for decalcifying, think again. SAECO USA as well as Whole Latte Love (authorized SAECO sales/service) will tell you to use SAECO Dezcal (it's also made by Urnex)or Urnex Cleancaf ONLY for decalcification. They're non-toxic, bio-degradeable, chelation-process cleaners (Dezcal is weak sulfonic acid, Cleancaf is classified "non-hazardous" per their respective MSDS hazardous sheets). If you use lemon juice or white vinegar you will very likely cause water circuit damage and VOID your warrantee. Don't believe me, call the manufacturer and ask yourself...it's in the owner's manual as well. BTW, most Starbucks Barrista espresso machines are OEM'ed by SAECO in Bologna, Italia.
My machine has been in to the local factory authorized repair center (broken grinder...fixed FOC under the OEM warrantee), and they remarked on how spotless the machine was, inside, outside, in the brew circuit and in the hot water circuit...especially considering the amount of shots I make!
SAECO, WLL and the local warrantee station (The Repair Shack) also recommend Urnex Cafiza (I use the Tablets, you can also buy it in powder form) to keep the COFFEE circuit as spotless as the HOT WATER circuit. You can see it work as it "peels" the layers of stuck-on coffee residue that even constant rinsing on my part (remember, I am anal, LOL!) does not remove and flushes it out. That, my friends, DEFINITELY results in me being able to fully appreciate my Lavazza Super Crema-based espresso, caffe lungo (caffe crema) and capuccino with NO bitterness caused by a dirty machine! If you're going to spend the money on an expensive machine, and use expensive coffee, you might as well get great tasting caffe, right?
My vote: HIGHLY Recommended. Just use it sparingly and enjoy your coffee!


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11/12/2011

Durgol 2-bottle Swiss Espresso Decalcifier Review

Durgol 2-bottle Swiss Espresso Decalcifier
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I bought a De Longhi Magnifica Super Automatic espresso machine from Starbucks about 2 years ago. I use it almost everyday and since buying it, I have descaled it usually once a month, even though the automatic descaler indicator did not warn me to do so. I was using the descaler that was sold at Starbucks not knowing that the powder was actually not good for the internal components of the machine. Eventually, the steam wand would not work and I would constantly get a message that the beans were too fine and to adjust the grinder. When I called CS, they told me to use the Durgol. Thank goodness they did! After 1 cycle of descaling and dark, dirty deposits, the steam wand was back to normal. Yeah!!!

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10/04/2011

Saeco 52400 Dezcal Descaler Review

Saeco 52400 Dezcal Descaler
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Saeco recommends this product for descaling of their cappuccino makers. Hardly a surprise since they want you to buy their products. Their instructions warn against using vinegar but they don't say exactly why. I felt it prudent to follow the directions and bought this overpriced cleaning powder.
I have the Saeco Italiano model. In about 3 months I got a warning symbol on the machine to descale the unit. I followed the directions carefully and ran the cycle to find that a single packet was not enough. Despite this, I used the unit run for another 3 months before descaling again, this time using 2 packets or in other words, ran 2 cleaning cycles back-to-back. It worked.
I was tempted to use CLR on the machine but didn't, being concerned about the warranty and damaging the unit.

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7/28/2011

Durgol Swiss Espresso Special Decalcifier Review

Durgol Swiss Espresso Special Decalcifier
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There's not much to say - if you own an espresso machine, you need this. Every time the machine boils water, any minerals fall out of solution - the harder your water the more minerals - resulting in sluggish performance as the heating element now has to heat through "stone". Used regularly, your machine will run as good as new, without the horrible smell and aftertastes of other decalcifiers, such as vinegar.

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Swiss Espresso Special Decalcifier is specifically formulated to protect and care for all brands of espresso machines:fully or semi automatic machines, manual machines, machines working with coffee pods or capsules, even coffee makers, electric water heaters and tea kettles.Works 10 times faster than citric acid-based decalcifiers or vinegar with no unpleasant odors.Complete decalcification ensures a continuously optimal espresso quality.Due to its efficient corrosion protection, Swiss Espresso does not damage components.It will not leave any residues which could otherwise clog the machine.

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