How to Clean and Descale a De'Longhi Espresso Machine

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Everyday cleaning for a De'Longhi espresso machine

• After each espresso: knock out the grounds and rinse the filter basket and portafilter under hot water.
• After milk: wipe the steam wand and purge it briefly over the drip tray so milk doesn't dry inside.
• Daily: empty the drip tray and, on bean-to-cup models like the Magnifica S, the grounds container.
• The water softener filter: take it out before descaling and replace it as De'Longhi's manual says.

How to descale a De'Longhi, model by model

• Dedica (EC685, Dedica Arte EC885): fill to MAX with diluted descaler, remove the portafilter and put a container under the wand and coffee outlet. Hold the button with the steam icon 10 seconds until the three buttons flash in sequence, turn the steam dial to hot water and press the steam button. Close the dial now and then so some solution runs through the coffee outlet too. Rinse: fresh water to MAX, press the steam button again; short of MAX, it asks for another rinse.
• Magnifica S (ECAM22.110): descaler to level A, water to level B (1 L), a 1.5 L container under the spouts. Hold the descale button 5 seconds and turn the steam dial to I. When the tank is empty, rinse with clean water the same way.
• Stilosa (EC260): no descale program. About every 200 coffees, run the tank through the hot water setting a quarter at a time, then rinse with two full tanks.

De'Longhi descale alarm and how often

Machines with a descale alarm signal when scale has built up, based on use and the water hardness set in the machine; descale when it lights. Setting the right water hardness, as the manual explains, makes the alarm come on at the right time, and hard water brings it sooner.

Models without an alarm, like the Stilosa, rely on a count: about every 200 coffees.

Cleaning a De'Longhi espresso machine with a BLITZ tablet

In a De'Longhi espresso machine, the BLITZ tablet goes in the water tank, as in every drip and espresso machine, and runs through the same cleaning or descale cycle. BLITZ Coffee Maker Cleaner breaks down mineral scale and coffee oil residue in one cycle, without vinegar.

A box of 24 is $24.95, about $1.04 a clean, and the same tablets work in Keurig, Nespresso and other machines. Rinse until the water tastes of nothing.

24 tablets for $24.95

More help: how to clean a drip coffee maker, descaling, brand by brand, descaler vs vinegar, bitter coffee after cleaning, and our coffee maker care page.

Frequently asked questions

How do I descale my De'Longhi Dedica?

Fill to MAX with diluted descaler, hold the steam-icon button 10 seconds until the buttons flash, turn the steam dial to hot water and press the steam button. Rinse with fresh water to MAX.

Can I use something other than EcoDecalk?

Yes. A BLITZ tablet goes in the water tank and runs through the same descale program, about $1.04 a descale against about $4.00 with EcoDecalk.

How often should I descale a De'Longhi?

When the descale alarm lights, or about every 200 coffees on a Stilosa. Hard water means more often.

Do I remove the water filter before descaling?

Yes, take the water softener filter out first.

Sources

De'Longhi Dedica EC685 and Dedica Arte EC885, Magnifica S ECAM22.110 and Stilosa EC260 instruction manuals (descaling); De'Longhi EcoDecalk directions (100 mL per descale) and Canadian price, October 25, 2026; BLITZ Coffee Maker Cleaner product page and directions. Checked October 2026.

De'Longhi and its model names are trademarks of their owner. BLITZ is not affiliated with De'Longhi.