How Often to Clean a Keurig or Nespresso, Per Southern Living’s Experts

Deep-clean and descale a Keurig once a month, and descale a Nespresso every two to three months, according to the cleaners and baristas Southern Living interviewed for a Nov. 12 piece on coffee maker upkeep.

For Keurigs, Juliana Rocha of Amazing Maids tells the magazine to wipe the outside regularly, toss used pods (or wash reusable ones) and rinse the reservoir, then do a monthly deep clean and descale of the reservoir and brew chamber. For Nespresso, April Jamison of Brew That Coffee recommends descaling every two to three months, and sooner if your tap water is hard, on top of the same daily rinse and wipe.

The piece also covers drip machines (monthly if you brew daily), French presses (after every brew), and pour-over, AeroPress and moka pots.

Our take: a monthly Keurig descale is on the cautious side, since Keurig’s own manuals generally say every three to six months, but a monthly reservoir scrub costs you five minutes. Our Keurig descaling guide walks through it, and if you tend to leave the last pod sitting in the machine, read why you shouldn’t.