Can I descale my DeLonghi with vinegar?

If you have a DeLonghi and you want to keep it working in the best condition possible, you should descale regularly to prevent a buildup of minerals inside the machine.

When it comes to descaling, you’ll need a descaling solution to help you out. If you have some citric acid handy, it can be a decent and convenient solution to descale your Delonghi La Specialista safely.

If you don’t have any citric acid laying around, you may be tempted to use vinegar instead of going out to get some. I personally have many years of servicing and descaling coffee makers, so ill be the first to tell you never to use vinegar to descale your Delonghi.

The problem with vinegar is that it contains acetic acid, which over time can attack and wear down the pipes within your Delonghi’s internal mechanisms and potentially cause leaks, effectively slowly killing your machine over time.

If you want to properly clean your Delonghi it’s recommended to use their (cheap) official descaling liquid on Amazon.

With the descaler liquid, it significantly reduces the likelihood of premature breakdown from scale build-up. It also can give you the added benefit of increased energy efficiency and can improve the flavor and crema.