If there is one thing that we simply cannot abide, love, it's an uncared for espresso machine. Making sure your most important piece of equipment is in tip-top shape will not only extend its overall life, it will result in much better tasting coffee. The exceedingly popular Rancilio Silvia has a couple of maintenance procedures that should be followed regularly -- namely descaling and backflushing -- and today's video blog covers the former. Depending on the mineral content of your water, we suggest descaling every one to three months. Unless you're using exceptionally filtered water, you'll have a little bit of scale build up in your Silvia's boiler and water works over time, which can result in decreased steam performance, temperature fluctuations, leaking from the brew head and steam wand and, eventually, a burned out element. By using a descaling solution like Dezcal every so often, you ensure that any scale that may be adhering to water intake tubes, the side of your boiler or your heating element are properly dissolved and flushed from the machine. You can do this as part of a regular tune up on your Rancilio Silvia -- and we even have a kit for that -- or just as a one-off if your water happens to be on the softer side. In this step-by-step how-to video, Bunny guides us through the very easy to follow process.
How to Descale the Rancilio Silvia
Kat is a passionate coffee enthusiast and seasoned blogger. Read her posts for insights on brew methods, coffee recipes, and machine reviews.
