Are you using a Bosch Tassimo coffee machine or brewer at your home? If so, do you really know the importance of cleaning and descaling it on a regular basis?
If you ignore this cleaning task at a regular interval, then you might end up brewing bad and unhealthy coffee for yourself and for your family members.
So, it is really important for you to follow proper maintenance and regular descaling of your coffee maker.
Today, I am going to tell you 2 easy methods to clean and descale your Bosch Tassimo coffee maker.
No matter what model you have, these instructions will apply to all of the specific models of Tassimo machines like version T12, T20, T47, T65, etc.
Table of Contents
- What Cleaning Method is Best for Descaling Bosch Tassimo Coffee Machine?
- Most Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Tassimo Coffee Brewer Cleaning
- Wrapping Up
What Cleaning Method is Best for Descaling Bosch Tassimo Coffee Machine?
Actually, there are 2 cleaning methods. One is a quick and easy cleaning method and the second method is a bit longer which takes at least 20 to 30 minutes to get the best results.
I will explain both the methods in this guide. Don’t worry; both cleaning methods are really easy to follow at your home.
Cleaning and Descaling Method 1: (Easiest and Takes 2-3 Minutes)
1. First, make sure that the water tank at the back of your Tassimo machine should be filled at least 50% or more.
2. Now take out the yellowish round cleaning T disk from your machine. It is usually located at the lower back of your machine just below the water tank.
This location could change depending on the type of your coffee machine and the time when you purchased it.
3. After this, open the front lid (brew head) of your machine and place this yellowish cleaning disk inside the lid and close it properly.
The machine automatically understands that the disk you placed is a cleaning disk and not a coffee disk due to its bar code on the back side.
4. Once you do this, just take a coffee mug or a glass and place it under the coffee outlet.
5. Now, it is time to press the big start button on the right side of the mug. Press the button and now wait for next 2-3 minutes to allow the machine to do the cleaning and descaling on its own.
6. Once the process is started, you will see the water coming out of the outlet. It will be yellowish or darker in color which indicates that the machine has already done the cleaning of its internal parts.
7. When this cleaning process is finished, you will see water steam coming out of the outlet and the whole descaling procedure is completed.
You will also see the “Ready” light flashing which means your machine is ready to brew a clean coffee for you.
8. In the end, throw away the dirty water stored inside the coffee mug or a cup. Take out the cleaning disk from the lid and place it in the back of your machine where it was originally located.
9. That’s it guys. This is the easiest and fastest cleaning method which you can follow at any time of the day.
I recommend you to do it at least once or twice a week to keep your machine clean internally. It is important to brew the cleanest and bacteria free coffee for yourself and for others too.
To understand the whole process more precisely, I suggest you watch the following video instructions.
Cleaning and Descaling Method 2: (Most Recommended and Takes About 20-30 Minutes)
This cleaning process is pretty comprehensive in nature and it takes into account the cleaning of almost all the parts of your Tassimo machine.
This method is also called as a complete descaling of your coffee brewer.
I highly recommend this method to every Bosch Tassimo machine owner.
You need to follow this procedure at least once or twice every 2-3 months depending upon your usage and coffee making frequency.
This is an advanced version of method 1 and can take up to 20 to 30 minutes to finish the entire cleaning process.
All the removable parts of the Tassimo coffee machine are dishwasher safe which means you can wash them with the help of your household dishwasher.
The only exceptions to this are the water tank and filter cartridge holder. You will need to rinse and clean them with your hands and only with the clean water.
This complete descaling method is applicable to almost all the newer and older versions of Tassimo coffee machines like T12, T32, T45, and T65, etc.
The actual process is as mentioned below.
What You Will Need:
1. A Glass Measuring Cup
2. Microfiber Cloth
3. Bosch Tassimo Descaling Tablets
Cleaning Procedure:
1. The first thing you will need to do is take out the water tank of your Tassimo machine located in the back.
Fill up the water tank with 17 ounces (about 500 ml) or more amount of clean water with the help of a glass measuring cup.
2. Now its time to take out 2 Bosch descaling tablets from the pack and add them inside the water tank.
The main advantage or the benefit of using Tassimo descaling tablets is their ability to eliminate limescale residue and prevent forming of calcium deposits inside your coffee machine.
This also helps to improve or enhance the overall life span and performance of your machine. Only 2 tablets per treatment are sufficient.
3. After you add the descaling tablets to the water, you will have to take out the yellowish service T disc from the back of your coffee machine.
It is usually located at the lowest back side. Place it inside the front brew head of the machine and snap down the lid properly.
4. You will also need to place the water tank at the back in its original position before you start the cleaning process.
5. Now, take out the coffee cup stand placed under the main coffee outlet. And place the empty measuring glass cup in its place.
6. The step I am about to mention now is the most important one and many people tend to ignore it when cleaning this machine. So please don’t forget this step.
You will need to press the main “Start” button for at least 5 seconds in order to initiate the complete cleaning and descaling process of Tassimo machine in this method.
7. Once you press the start button for at least 5 seconds, then the entire cleaning process will take place in about 20 to 30 minutes.
When you see the Orange light is ON, that’s the time to know that the machine has done its automated cleaning procedure.
8. Now, taker out the glass measuring cup which is now full of dirty and unclean water that came out from the main outlet.
Throw that water in the kitchen sink or just give it to your house plants.
9. After this process is over, you can take out the water tank, rinse it properly and clean it again with the water.
Fill up the water tank again with the clean water and place it back in its original position.
10. You might be thinking of removing the service disk now. But don’t do it yet. You will still need it.
Open the front lid or brew head again and just close it again while the cleaning T disk is inside.
11. Now, we have to repeat the first cleaning method here to clean the entire machine thoroughly and properly.
This step is also important to make sure all the internal calcium deposits and other dirt is eliminated completely.
12. Place the empty measuring glass cup on the cup stand again.
Press the start button again for just 1 or 2 seconds and not for 5 seconds this time. The second cleaning process will begin now.
13. Once this short cleaning process is finished, take out the filled measuring cup and throw the unclean water away.
You will need to repeat this simple cleaning process for 4 more times.
14. When this entire second phase cleaning is done, you can open the front lid and take out the cleaning service disc and put it in the back side where it was originally located.
15. Now for the final cleaning phase, you will just need to wash the T Disc Holder or Filter Cartridge Holder and piercer outlet.
These parts are removable and easily washable with the clean water.
16. As mentioned earlier, you can not wash these parts in the dishwasher as it can cause material damage.
So, it is advised to wash and clean these parts along with the water tank with your hands under the tap water.
17. Once you clean these parts properly with the water, install them appropriately at their original positions.
18. In the meantime, you can use a quality microfiber cloth to clean the barcode reader situated inside the brew head or front lid.
This is important in order to maintain the coffee maker’s ability to read the bar code properly.
19. And that’s it, guys. This is how you can thoroughly clean and properly descale your Tassimo coffee machine in under 20-30 minutes.
To get a clear idea of this second cleaning process, I highly recommend you to watch the following video instructions from official Bosch Tassimo manufacturer.
Most Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Tassimo Coffee Brewer Cleaning
How to Take Apart Bosch Tassimo Machine for Cleaning?
There are only few parts you have to remove when you perform a thorough cleaning of Tassimo machine.
It is actually very easy to disassemble these parts of this machine.
1. Drip Catch: First, take out the drip catch which is located at the bottom front of the machine. Pull this drip catch gently and not forcefully.
It can be separated into 2 parts viz. the basin and the lid. Now wash both of these parts with the help of your dishwasher or you can wash them under the tap water and the mild dish soap.
Always remember to shut off the machine before you take out these removable parts for cleaning purposes.
2. Cup Stand Backing: There is a backing to the cup stand which is also removable by default. It is there to form the curve for placing your coffee cup properly in its place.
Due to coffee splashes, it could get dirty in several instances. You can easily pull it out and clean it with your dishwasher or mild soap water.
3. Filter Cartridge Holder: As mentioned in the second cleaning method above, you will need to remove filter cartridge holder in order to keep it clean and bacteria free.
It is located inside the brew head. It is in the form of a clip which holds coffee pods in the right position.
Pull it out gently and clean this holder with your hands under the tap water. Don’t use dishwasher to clean it.
4. Water Tank: The water tank can be easily removed and put back in its original position.
Wash the water tank under the tap water and with your bare hands. The dishwasher must not be used to clean the water tank of this machine.
Apart from these 4 main parts, there are no other removable parts in the machine and you don’t have to worry about any other parts for cleaning.
Because all the other cleaning is done internally using the two methods as mentioned above.
I recommend watching the above company official video again in case you are still confused about how to remove this filter cartridge for washing it under the tap water.
Know How You can Use CLR to Remove Old Calcium Buildup from Your Coffee Maker.
Can You Clean Tassimo Machine without a Cleaning Disc?
I researched a lot about the possibility of cleaning all Tassimo single serve coffee makers without using T disc.
According to this source, it is not actually essential to use a cleaning disc.
This source says that you can simply use a diluted white vinegar solution to clean your machine. You don’t need a T-disc for this purpose.
But when I researched about the Tassimo company manual, then I found out that using vinegar solution is highly prohibited by the company itself.
If you use vinegar solution to clean your machine, then it will void your machine warranty.
Plus, any type of vinegar or other acetic acid-based descaler solutions can harm your coffee machine and could be responsible for changing the taste of your coffee.
So, I will not recommend cleaning your machine with vinegar solution.
It is always best to use a cleaning T disc provided by the company itself to clean your machine.
If your disc is damaged or even if you don’t have it right now, you can simply buy it online.
It is very affordable and the most reliable solution to keep your machine safe and working for a long period of time.
Click Here to Search and Buy The Appropriate Cleaning T Disc for Your Tassimo Machine.
Can I Use Vinegar to Descale My Tassimo Machine?
As mentioned in the above answer, I would not recommend to use white vinegar solution to clean your coffee machine.
It is not much of a good choice to clean your machine. If you use it anyhow, then you risk voiding your warranty.
Plus, using this type of acetic acid based descaling solution is not safe for your machine.
Because it could potentially damage some machine parts and the worst thing is it could entirely change the taste of your coffee.
At least, I would not take any risk of using vinegar solution to clean my machine. What is your opinion? Let me know.
In my opinion, the descaling tablets solution is much better and safer option than using vinegar itself.
Instead of white vinegar, the best thing to use is the official descaling tablets offered by the company itself.
These descaling tablets keep your machine in perfect working condition for a longer period. This is done by removal of calcium deposits and limescale residue of your coffee machine.
Click Here to Get The Official Approved Descaling Tablets for Your Tassimo Machine.
How Do I Reset My Tassimo Descaling Light?
Sometimes, when you clean and descale your Bosch Tassimo coffee machine; its red light could remain ON and won’t Turn Off easily.
If this happens with your machine, then don’t panic. I will give you the best solution to deal with this red light error when you descale your machine.
In just 1-2 minutes, you can reset your Tassimo machine and get rid of this red light error. The exact procedure to follow is as mentioned below.
1. Take out your cleaning T disc out of your machine, open the brew head and insert this cleaning disc inside the lid properly. Now snap down the brew head correctly.
2. Replace the drip tray on the cup stand with the large measuring glass cup.
3. Now, you will need to fill out the machine’s water tank with 50% clean water and remaining 50% with cleaning solution which contains Tassimo Descaling Tablets.
4. Once you start the descaling process, press the Start button for at least 3 to 5 seconds. Wait for next 20-30 minutes to finish the whole descaling process.
5. When the descaling is done, your red light error will be fixed automatically.
To understand the whole process, kindly watch the following video instructions.
Wrapping Up
When you see the red light becomes ON, you need to understand that its time to clean and descale your Bosch Tassimo coffee brewer.
I highly recommend to follow this descaling procedure at least every 2-3 months at your home. This also depends on your frequency of usage.
Cleaning and descaling of your machine on a regular basis is really important in order to keep it functioning for longer period of time.
It also prevents forming of calcium deposits and limescale residues.
Therefore, I suggest you to follow the above mentioned cleaning and descaling methods whenever you feel it necessary.
The first method is easy and should be carried out every two weeks.
The second method takes at least 30 minutes but its really important to follow it after every 2-3 months.
If your current Tassimo machine has become really old and not working to its full potential anymore, then I highly suggest to buy a newer more advanced version.
Click Here to Check out Most Popular Bosch Tassimo Coffee Machines.
References:
http://www.tassimodirect.com/system-maintenance.html
https://www.tassimo.com/gb/descaling