How To Descale A Delonghi La Specialista

The descale light just lit up on your Delonghi La Specialista.  Now what?  I’m glad you came looking for answers instead of taking a short cut. The descaling process is easy to do yourself but you need to follow the steps. 

There aren’t any shortcuts when it comes to using chemicals in your machine and you want to do it properly.  If your descale light comes on you need to act.

You can still operate your Delonghi La Specialista while this light is on but it is always a good idea to complete the descale cycle when your machine calls for it.

What Descaler Should I Use To Descale My Delonghi La Specialista?

DO NOT use vinegar as this can damage the machine which will result in costly repairs. It is important to use the manufacturers suggested descale to perform the cycle. The Delonghi Ecodecalk Descaler is cheap on Amazon so there’s no reason to hurt your machine by using vinegar. Using a non-approved descaler or performing descaling incorrectly can also result in faults not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.

You will want to use about 3 ounces or 100ml of the liquid descaler for a tank of water.  Once you start the descale cycle on the machine you need to perform the cycle until the end. This will be the only way to reset the message.

How To Start The Descale Cycle

Descale the appliance when the light comes on. To start the sequence here are the easy steps:          

If you are using a filter in the water tank you will need to remove this before you start the process. You can find replacement filters fairly cheap on Amazon.

1. Pour the Delonghi Ecodecalk Descaler (found on Amazon) into the tank up to level A. This is marked inside the tank (equal to one 100ml/3.3 fl oz), then add water up to level B which is also clearly marked on the water tank.
2. If the appliance is off, press the ON/Standby button. 
3. Remove the portafilter and set it aside.  You will not use this in the descale cycle as it can become stained from the chemical. Position a container under the portafilter area and the steam water spouts.
4. Turn the mode selector dial to the descale position. The light will flash and the “OK” light will come on solid. 
5. Press the “OK” button to start the descaling cycle.
6. The descaling programme will start and the descale solution will come out of the spouts and the boiler outlet. The descaling programme will automatically perform a series of rinses and pauses until the solution in the tank is empty. 
7. Delivery of the descaler will stop and the light for the “rinse” will come on.
8. Empty the catch container of the used solution.  Replace the empty container under the spouts and boiler outlet.
9. Remove the water tank and empty any remaining descale solution, rinse really well with running water and refill the tank with fresh water up to the Max level.. 
10. Press the “Rinse” button. The appliance will rinse the internal circuits and will deliver water from all three spouts. 
11. When the rinse is complete the delivery will stop and all the LEDs flash briefly. 
12. Once more, empty the container that you used to collect the rinse water. Refill the water tank with fresh water and then put it back on the machine.
13. Pull out and empty the drip tray, then put it back in the appliance. 
14. Turn the coffee mode dial to any of the coffee positions and the La Specialista will prepare itself to be used again.

Congrats! You just descaled your Delonghi La Specialista. 

Now…go and enjoy your espresso, and don’t be coffee grump!