What descaling does
Tap water carries dissolved minerals, mainly calcium and magnesium. When water is heated, part of those minerals settles as limescale on boiler walls, heating elements and inside pipes and valves. Scale insulates the heating element, narrows water paths and can block small parts such as valves and jets. Descaling dissolves that layer with an acid-based solution.
Descaling is a different job from cleaning. Coffee oils in the group head and portafilter need an alkaline cleaner such as a backflush powder, while scale needs an acid. Most espresso machine owners need both, on different schedules.
How to use Dezcal Liquid
In the machine: Add 30 ml of Dezcal for every litre of water tank capacity, top up the tank with water and run your machine’s descaling routine as described in its manual. Do not leave the solution in the machine for more than 30 minutes. Then rinse the tank and run clean water through the machine before brewing again.
Soaking parts: Mix 1 part Dezcal with 10 parts warm water, for example 50 ml in 500 ml. Soak removable boilers or parts for up to 30 minutes, then rinse them thoroughly with clean water.
Avoid skin contact with the concentrate. Always follow your machine manufacturer’s descaling instructions, as some machines have their own descaling programme or a recommended product.
How often to descale
It depends on your water and how much you use the machine: the harder the water, the sooner scale builds up. If you want to understand how water hardness affects both flavour and scale, Water for Coffee (2nd Edition) by Maxwell Dashwood and Christopher H. Hendon covers the chemistry in plain language.
Specifications
| Product | Urnex Dezcal Activated Scale Remover, liquid |
|---|---|
| Product code | 15-DLQ1 |
| Volume | 1 litre |
| In-machine dose | 30 ml per litre of water tank capacity |
| Soaking ratio | 1:10 with warm water |
| Maximum contact time | 30 minutes |
| Suitable for | Espresso machines, coffee brewers, kettles, hot water tanks and boilers |
| Formula | Non-toxic, biodegradable |
| Certification | NSF |
What’s in the box
- 1 x 1 litre bottle of Urnex Dezcal Liquid
- Measuring cup


Reviews
There are no reviews yet.