Hey guys Im a proud owner of Delonghi Magnifica S automatic espresso machine for 6 months now. Our water is super hard with loads of scale and I have been cleaning (descaling) machine with Delonghi EcoDecalc, but friend recommends this one (much cheaper):
Is this safe to use? It says it contains citric, lactic and malic acid. It also says to use 50 ml on 500 ml of water while Delonghi EcoDecalc should be 100 ml on 1700 ml (I think) of water. Its almost 2x difference and I was thinking if acids are simmilar I should use 100 ml of acid for full tank anyway.
We abuse our machine by making loads of coffe and tea. With scale settings on max we get descaling alarm every 3-4 weeks. It used to be on medium settings, but machine almost clogged completely once...so thats why max settings. Delonghi liquid is not cheap, but dont want to take any risk for 30€ a year. On the other hand, I dont want to pay 10€ for a 2-3€ product just because it says Delonghi on the bottle.
What do you use for your machine? How often do you descale?
I'll echo everyone else and say vinegar for sure. A gallon of vinegar is a few bucks at worst.
Anymore, though, I buy distilled water for my coffee maker. It eliminates the possibility of scale. I use 750 mL when I make my coffee and a gallon of distilled isn't even a dollar. It's still a good idea to run some vinegar and water through it every once in a while because vinegar kills mold.
Here are some other vinegar uses for those who don't have much use for vinegar:
Vinegar Tips
Put a small amount (like 15-30 mL, depending on size) of vinegar in when you wash your laundry. It'll help keep mold in the washing machine down and eliminate odors. It won't make your clothes smell like vinegar either.
If you need buttermilk in a pinch, but don't have any, mix 15 mL vinegar with 225 mL of regular milk and let sit for 10 minutes, and you'll have something very close to buttermilk. I use this in my cornbread and waffles.
If you're removing wallpaper, spray some vinegar mixed with water on the wallpaper. It'll soak through and break down the adhesive. The wallpaper will detach much more easily and in larger pieces.
Very useful stuff to have around.