The DeLonghi Dedica is, for many, rightly the perfect entry-level espresso machine. With the right upgrades and a small grinder by its side, the Dedica can make many larger espresso machines look old.
However, the Dedica only works well as long as the internal hoses allow water to flow without limescale. Especially the thermoblock accumulates limescale over time, even with water with low hardness (magnesium and calcium). Therefore, regular descaling is crucial.
This should happen at least when the orange warning light comes on. If your tap water is "harder," more frequent descaling is even advisable.
In this article, we explain step by step how to do this and when you should descale. And our video can also help you.
Directly to the step-by-step guide
Don't want to descale alone? Do it with us on the YouTube stream.
Next descaling party: Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at 6:00 PM. Click here for the live stream.
Limescale, the enemy of every machine
What exactly is this limescale and why is it such a nuisance? Simply put: our tap water contains dissolved minerals, especially calcium and magnesium. When heated in your espresso machine, these minerals precipitate and settle as a hard, white layer. This is limescale. These deposits act like an insulating layer on the heating elements, which means your machine has to use more energy to reach temperature. In addition, the fine pipes and nozzles can become clogged, affecting water pressure and temperature. The result? Your coffee often tastes more acidic and no longer delicious! This is often because limescale-laden machines no longer brew hot enough. And that then leads to acidic coffee.
Orange alert: Dedica needs descaling
If the right steam button lights up orange, it's time to descale your machine. That's the latest opportune moment. Your machine needs your attention!
Sometimes you read in general instructions from DeLonghi or for newer models like the Dedica Arte about a "red descaling light". This can be a bit confusing at first. If you own a Dedica EC685 or a similar model, it is most likely the orange light on the steam button that guides you. This small ambiguity in colors should not unsettle you. The important thing is to pay attention to your machine's signal. When in doubt, a look at the specific operating manual for your model always helps.
Rules of thumb – When the light is silent:
But what if the light is still fast asleep, but you haven't descaled for what feels like an eternity? Here are a few rules of thumb:
- Regardless of the indicator light, it is good practice to descale your machine every two to three months. This prevents stubborn deposits.
- This guideline applies particularly if the water from your tap in your region has a hardness of more than 15 German degrees of hardness. You can find this out on the website of your local water supplier.
- If you are a true coffee lover and enjoy about 3-4 cups daily, then an interval of about 2 months is a very good guideline.
The water hardness factor – Your local limescale check
A crucial point that is often underestimated is the water hardness at your home. The "harder" the water, the more limescale is dissolved in it and the faster deposits form in your machine. This means that if you live in a region with very hard water, you may need to descale much more frequently, even if the warning light is not yet active. The machine often has a setting for water hardness that influences the timing of the descaling indicator, but if your water is harder than the standard setting, then limescale will appear faster than the machine "thinks".
Coffee maker tip: How do you find out your water hardness? The easiest way is roughly via the water supplier's website or with test strips, or precisely, with our water hardness test kit. With these so-called titration tests, you can determine the total hardness.
We have also written extensively about the topic of coffee water on our blog – it's worth reading up on! The result of your measurement will help you to optimally adapt the descaling intervals to your local conditions and not to act only when a thick layer of limescale has already formed. This way you avoid the "hidden costs" of not knowing – namely potential machine damage and, above all: less delicious coffee.
Roughly speaking: if total hardness is over 15 German degrees of hardness, descale more often than every three months. For 10 - 15 dH total hardness, descaling every 3 months is probably sufficient. Below 10 dH total hardness, the descaling periods can even be longer.
Always at your own risk, but that's roughly a guideline.
The right descaler: our tip
Of course, DeLonghi's in-house descaler called EcoDecalk Descaler works. However, we have added another compatible descaler to our range and had it specially tested in the laboratory. This descaler can also be used for other thermoblocks, e.g. from Ascaso. It was actually developed for the professional descaling of Ascaso espresso machines, but as already mentioned, it is also very suitable for the Delonghi Dedica.
Descaler we use for our Dedicas and in the video.
Even if Grandma swears by it: stay away from home remedies like pure citric acid for descaling your espresso machine! When heated, citric acid can react with limescale to form a compound called calcium citrate. The problem is that calcium citrate is insoluble and can really clog the fine lines of your machine – a true nightmare! Vinegar or vinegar essence are also not a good idea. The aggressive acid in vinegar can attack the metals and sensitive seals in your Dedica and make them porous.
You will also need:
- Collection container: You will need one or, even better, two containers that together can hold at least 1.5 liters of liquid. It's better to be a bit more generous so that nothing overflows during the process. A large mixing bowl, a measuring cup, or a small pitcher will serve well here.
- Water: Clear, fresh tap water for mixing the descaler solution and – very important – later for thorough rinsing.
- Timeframe: Plan about 25-30 minutes for the entire process. During this time, your Dedica can undergo its "treatment" in peace, and you can look forward to your next, particularly delicious espresso.
Water filter? Please remove.
If you use a water filter in your Dedica's tank (which is a great way to generally reduce limescale buildup!), be sure to remove it before descaling. The descaler is not intended for the filter and could damage it or reduce its effectiveness. It will be reinserted later, after rinsing.
Here's everything at a glance in your personal checklist:
With this preparation, nothing can go wrong!
Descaling the Dedica – Step by Step
Everything ready? Great! Then let's roll up our sleeves and give your Dedica the well-deserved cleaning treatment. Just follow these steps, and it'll be truly effortless. If you're unsure, watch our video again or join the next descaling live stream.
1. Prepare the machine:
- First, switch off your Dedica, if it's still on.
- Remove the water filter from the tank, if you haven't already done so during preparation.
- Empty the water tank completely and rinse it briefly with fresh water to remove any residue.
- Now mix the descaler with water. Follow the instructions on your descaler packaging precisely. For DeLonghi EcoDecalk, this is usually 100ml of descaler fluid per 1 liter of water. For our descaler, you use one third of the bottle, i.e., about 166 ml per liter. This corresponds to one tank filling of the Dedica.
- Pour the prepared descaler solution into the water tank of your Dedica, but not beyond the MAX mark.
- Reinsert the filled water tank correctly into the machine.
2. Take position:
- Very important: The portafilter stays out! It is not to be inserted during the entire descaling process. This is crucial so that the solution can flow freely and does not get stuck in the portafilter.
- Now place a sufficiently large container (or one of your containers, if you are using two) under the steam/milk frother (also called hot water spout). Position a second container under the brew group – exactly where the portafilter is normally inserted.
- Now switch on your Dedica using the ON/OFF button.
3. Awakening the descaling program:
- Wait a moment until the indicator lights for one and two cups illuminate continuously. This indicates that your Dedica is heated up and ready for operation. Then the orange indicator light will also illuminate, if the machine also wants to signal to you that you should descale.
- If the indicator light is on, but also if it is not on, start the descaling process by pressing the steam button for 10 seconds. You will know it has worked when all three buttons (single cup, double cup, and the steam button) begin to blink in sequence. This is the signal: descaling mode activated!
- Note: always check your manual briefly to see if it works the same way for your Dedica model.
4. Descaling in progress: operate the steam knob
- Turn the steam knob (the rotary control for the steam/hot water function) fully to the steam position. This is usually indicated by a steam symbol (similar to three wavy lines).
- Now briefly press the right button again (steam button – or the button you used to activate the mode) to start the actual descaling process.
- The machine will now pump the descaler solution through the system in intervals. It will also pause – this is completely normal and part of the program.
Coffee Maker Pro Tip – Absolutely essential!
To ensure that not only the lines to the steam wand but also the brew group (i.e., the shower screen where the water meets your coffee powder) are thoroughly cleaned of limescale, there's an important trick: briefly close the steam knob repeatedly in between (i.e., set it to "0" position). This forces the descaler solution to also flow through the brew group. After a few seconds (approx. 5-10 seconds), open the steam knob again. Repeat this every few minutes. Some instructions, such as those from DeLonghi itself for the Dedica Arte, suggest keeping the steam regulator closed for a while after about 10 minutes to achieve this effect. This simple step makes a huge difference to the thoroughness of descaling!
5. Tank empty? First round done!
The descaling process continues until the water tank with the descaler solution is completely empty. Throughout the entire process, the orange indicator light on the steam button continues to flash, signaling that the machine is still in descaling mode.
You see, with a little patience and the right know-how, it's not that complicated.
After rinsing is before rinsing
The descaler has done its job and banished the nasty limescale deposits. But now the descaler itself has to come out of the machine! Thorough rinsing is now super important, because no one wants the next espresso to have a slightly acidic aftertaste of descaler.
1. Freshen up the water tank:
- The orange indicator light on the steam button is still happily flashing – this is normal and indicates that the descaling cycle (including rinsing) is not yet complete.
- Remove the water tank from the machine. If there is still a small amount of descaler solution in it, empty it completely.
- Now rinse the water tank very, very thoroughly with fresh, clear water. Preferably several times, so that no descaler residue remains in the tank.
- Fill the clean water tank up to the MAX mark with fresh water. Ideally, as always when brewing coffee, soft water should be used here. We call this simply “coffee water” in our detailed article. If you use this water, you will have to descale less often.
- Reinsert the water tank filled with fresh water correctly into your Dedica.
2. Start rinse cycle:
- Empty the collection containers where the used descaler solution is now located. Be careful, the solution can still be irritating. It is best to pour it directly down the drain. Then place the empty containers back under the steam outlet and the brew head.
- Make sure the steam knob is still in the steam position (symbol ).
- Now press the right button again (steam button – or the button you used to start descaling) to start the rinsing process.
3. The steam valve trick again (Important for rinsing too!):
- Just as with descaling itself, the same applies to rinsing: always briefly close the steam knob in between. This ensures that the brew group and its lines are also thoroughly rinsed with fresh water and no descaler residue remains.
4. How often to rinse? The golden rule for clean pipes:
- The machine will now flush the entire contents of the water tank through the system.
- We recommend, and DeLonghi itself also suggests, running at least one, but preferably two full water tanks of fresh water through. This truly ensures that all descaler residues are removed. So, once the first water tank is emptied: Simply repeat the process from point 1 ("Freshen up the water tank") for a second rinse cycle. Better safe than sorry.
5. Water filter back in? Of course! (When exactly):
- If you use a water filter for your Dedica (which we highly recommend!), now is the right time to put it back in. And it's best to do this before you fill the tank with fresh water for the second rinse cycle. So, insert the filter into the empty tank, then fill it with fresh water and start the second rinse cycle. This way, the filter is also rinsed with fresh water and is immediately ready for the next coffee preparation.
Thorough rinsing may be the most time-consuming part, but it is absolutely crucial for the result. Take your time – it's worth it!
Finish line: The light goes out
You've almost made it! Your DeLonghi Dedica will soon be as fresh and clean as on day one, ready for your next espresso and more. But how do you know that the descaling wellness treatment is truly complete?
The clearest sign is: The rinsing process (or the last rinsing cycle you performed) is complete when the water tank is empty again AND the orange indicator light on the steam button finally goes out.
Steam valve closed
A very important final step: Turn the steam dial back to position "0" (closed). This signals to the machine that the special operation "descaling/rinsing" is over and it can return to normal coffee mode.
Machine ready!
Refill the water tank with fresh water if necessary. Your DeLonghi Dedica is now officially descaled, freshly rinsed, and fully ready to prepare delicious espresso again!
Kaffeemacher's Extra Tips & Tricks
Using soft (softened) water makes sense. The intervals between necessary descaling can be significantly extended. Especially if you live in a hard water area, this is a real blessing for your machine and your schedule!
What if something goes wrong? (Brief Troubleshooting Tips):
- Power outage during descaling? Don't panic! The safest thing to do is to restart the entire cycle (i.e., descaling AND rinsing) from the beginning to ensure everything is clean and no descaling solution remains in the machine.
- Machine requests another rinse cycle? This can happen if the water tank was perhaps not filled up to the MAX mark during a rinse cycle. The machine is clever here and just wants to ensure that all descaler residues are thoroughly flushed out. Simply follow the instructions on the display or the indicator lights.
Don't forget regular cleaning:
Descaling is an important part of machine maintenance, but not the only one! Don't forget the other regular cleaning of your Dedica. This includes cleaning the portafilter and sieves of coffee residue and oils, wiping the shower screen, and cleaning the steam wand after each milk frothing. Here is our article on cleaning the Delonghi Dedica.
Conclusion: Descaling ensures longevity
Regular and, above all, correct descaling is truly the key to a long-lasting DeLonghi Dedica that brings you pure joy day after day, espresso after espresso.
Do you perhaps have any questions about descaling your Dedica? Or your own tips and tricks that you'd like to share with the community? Then feel free to write them in the comments! We always appreciate the exchange with you and are happy to learn new things.
In this spirit: To many more delicious and perfectly extracted espressos with your well-maintained DeLonghi Dedica!
Your Ben Kaffeemacher
