Your Nespresso Pixie is probably an important aspect of your life. Making a great cup of coffee in those times when you need it the most is what your Pixie does best. Therefore, keeping it clean and healthy is important.
If your Nespresso Pixie tastes off, it may need descaling. Descaling is an important aspect of maintenance that only takes around 20 minutes out of your day and we can show you how to do it.
What is Descaling?
When you use your Pixie, hot water flows through the machine depositing a mineral called calcium carbonate. After every use, this calcium carbonate builds up, especially in places with a higher concentration of hard water. The descaling process flushes out the calcium carbonate resulting in a cleaner, healthier machine.
How Often Should I Descale My Nespresso Pixie?
It is recommended that one should descale their Nespresso Pixie every three months or after around 300 uses, but we don’t expect anyone to keep track of how much coffee they drink. As a minimum, descaling once a year will still help maintain your machine.
What Will I Need?
To descale your Nespresso Pixie, you will need a descaling solution kit. A recommended kit to use is the Urnex Dezcal Activated Scale Remover. This kit is cheap, non-toxic, biodegradable, safe and works on most machines. With this, fresh water and a container to catch the deposited solution, you can successfully descale your Nespresso Pixie.
Steps To Descaling My Nespresso Pixie
The steps required to descale a Nespresso Pixie are quite simple. Follow this process to ensure your Pixie is clean and ready to make delicious coffee.
Preparing my Pixie
First of all, you need to prepare your machine. Start by turning it on allowing it to heat up.
Lift the bar and check that there are no capsules inserted in the machine, if there are, remove them.
Then remove the empty capsule container and drain the drip tray.
Place a cup or container under the dispenser to catch the liquid that flows through. It is advised that the cup or container be able to hold at least 1 litre of liquid.
Once ready, fill the water tank with 500ml water and mix in the descaling solution.
Starting the descaling process
This step will take around 10 minutes.
To start the process, you need to activate descaling mode on your machine.
Wait for the two buttons on top of the machine to stop flashing.
Then simultaneously press both buttons for three seconds so the lights start flashing quickly indicating that the process has begun.
Press the Lungo button to begin the descaling process.
The water tank will drain, flow through the machine, and then dispense into the cup or container you have placed underneath.
Once drained, repeat the process with the used solution.
Rinsing my Nespresso machine
After the process is completed, empty the water tank and rinse it out making sure it is devoid of any solution.
Refill the water tank with fresh water and restart the cycle for a third and final time, emptying the tank completely.
Dispose of the water.
Exiting descaling mode
Finally, press the two front buttons simultaneously for three seconds to deactivate the descaling mode.
Now, your Nespresso Pixie has been descaled and can return to producing exceptional coffee.
If you’re more of a visual learner, check out this video on how to descale a Nespresso Pixie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RCCTmZPANk.
Nespresso Pixie Features
The Nespresso Pixie is a great machine for those that live in an apartment and don't have space for a huge coffee maker. This machines compact size doesn't hinder its performance though, as it still makes great coffee and its minimal button scheme still allows you to change the volume of coffee you’d prefer. Moreover, this machine preheats water in just 30 seconds and turns off after 9 minutes of inactivity to save energy.
As an add-on, you can buy an Aeroccino milk frother to guarantee an extremely smooth brew. In order to maintain an efficient and great tasting Aeroccino, it should be cleaned completely after every use including rinsing and washing and drying.
Why Go Organic
Using the Cafetto Restorer Descaleris great for the environment as it is non-toxic and biodegradable resulting in less of an impact on the environment. Most products from Artizan Coffee are 100% organic as they are the first company in the world to receive the USDA organic certification for their line of Nespresso compatible capsules. By using these products you can continue drinking amazing coffee and save the environment at the same time.