Urnex

Vinegar is an incredibly versatile product and has become a household staple as it is cheap, widely available, and can be used for just about anything. One misconception about vinegar is that it is a good way to clean and descale coffee machines. While it may sound self-serving, here’s why it is a bad idea to use vinegar:

1. The vinegar leaves a strong odor (as everyone knows) that can co-mingle with coffee oil, turning your fresh brew into a “fresh ew.”
2. It does not clean! While vinegar might be able to gently break down some hard water deposits, it does not effectively clean your coffee machine or remove oils.
3. It takes forever to rinse: our tests show that vinegar takes 3.5 times longer to rinse out of a drip brewer or capsule machine than does Dezcal,Full Circle Descaler, or other Urnex Brands, Inc. products.

There you have it: vinegar is great for almost anything. Rather than waste water trying to rinse out your semi-cleaned and now-smelly coffee machine, use a professionally formulated coffee machine cleaner or descaler.

And to prove that we at Urnex do not hate vinegar, here are a few of our favorite places to use vinegar (just some of the 1,001 ways to use vinegar):

1. Wacky cake—quick rise cake made without yeast, eggs, butter, or milk
2. Easter eggs—vinegar is an important component for coloring!
3. Window cleaner—simply combine vinegar, water, and some elbow grease!
4. Salad dressing—it’s as easy as olive oil and vinegar!
5. Pickling—come on, who doesn’t love pickles?

What if I told you there was a way to clean your espresso machine and its accessories while helping to keep the planet clean at the same time? New from Urnex comes their line of Full Circle products. These eco friendly cleaning solutions are odorless and free of ingredients derived from petroleum and phosphates and are manufactured right here in the USA.

Urnex's adapted commercial formulas can help extend the life and performance of your machine in ways that other "remedies" like vinegar simply can't, without impacting the flavor or aroma of your coffee. The Full Circle line doesn't stop at just espresso  machines however, and features  cleaners specially calibrated for coffee makers, grinders, and milk systems as well. Best of all, these fantastic new products are available now at Whole Latte Love.

Let’s face it, espresso machines require regular maintenance. This type of maintenance also requires time. If you recall, I previously posted a blog entitled “Time Is Money”. I may seem a little obsessive about the issue of time but as I have mentioned before, I do NOT particularly like to waste mine.

Cleaning my espresso machine feels like I am doing just that, wasting time. It really bothers me to think about it though I know it has to be done. I know there are others out there that share these sentiments and that is why, again, it is wiser to go with a one-touch super-automatic espresso machine rather than a semi-automatic.

It is just a matter of time for any espresso machine to require a proper cleaning and descaling. I’ll spare you the boring details as to why we need to do this exactly but it is certainly vital to the functionality and longevity of your machine.

The nice thing about super-automatic one-touch machines is not only do they alert you when it is time to clean, but they also do the cleaning for you. All you need to do is add your descaling cleaning agent accordingly, put a decent size container underneath the spouts and push the self cleaning button. Once it is finished with its 15-20 minute cleaning cycle, you simply refill your water reservoir and you are good to start brewing again.

Oh and as un-manly as it may seem to read instructions, you may want to consider reading the owner’s manual for cleaning your machine. Why? Because they are not all the same and you don’t want to miss an important step. This cleaning should ideally be done roughly every 2-3 months depending on how heavily you are using your machine.

I would much rather have a super-automatic one-touch machine that cleans itself rather than going through the whole back-flushing process required for a semi-auto or prosumer machine. Not to mention the ease of removing the brew group for a quick rinse, and sliding out the dredge drawer for a quick flip into the garbage, a rinse and snap back into the machine.

I find super automatics overall simplify your life by saving time and effort especially where cleaning is concerned. Semi-automatics are too hands-on even when cleaning…and don’t even get me started with the mess a grinder makes. Ugh! I am literally getting sick to my stomach just thinking of that whole mess.

I am not necessarily a clean freak but I definitely do like my kitchen to be tidy. Coffee grinds all over my counter tops is NOT tidy! Not only does the super-automatic one-touch machine aid in keeping my kitchen clean but it saves me time!