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Descale needed · Sage / Breville Barista Express

Sage / Breville Barista Express: CLEAN / DESCALE light on steadily

CALC

Descaling is required (Breville US and Canada machine). On a Sage machine the CLEAN ME light is for cleaning only; Sage says to descale every 90 days at water hardness 4 and every 60 days at hardness 6.

Which light
Descale light or symbol
Colour
Colour not named by the maker
Steady or flashing
Steady

What Sage / Breville says to do

  1. Dissolve one sachet of descaling powder in 1 litre of water and fill the tank; take the water filter out first.
  2. Hold 2 CUP, then hold POWER as well, to enter descale mode. POWER flashes while it heats; it is ready when POWER, 1 CUP, the CLEAN light and the STEAM/HOT WATER light are all steady.
  3. Press 1 CUP to descale the coffee side (about 25 seconds), then turn the dial to steam (about 13 seconds) and to hot water (about 8 seconds). Repeat until the tank is empty.
  4. Rinse the tank, fill it with fresh water to MAX, repeat the same steps to rinse, then press POWER to leave descale mode. The machine turns itself off after 5 minutes of no action in descale mode.

From the Barista Express® — Instruction Book: Functions, Care & Cleaning (Cleaning cycle, Descaling) and Troubleshooting and the Barista Express™ BES875 / SES875 — User Guide: Functions, Care & Cleaning and Troubleshooting. This is the Barista Express’s pattern; another Sage / Breville machine may use the same light for something else — check the manual for your model.

Other Sage / Breville Barista Express lights

Descale needed on other machines

The same need shows up as a different light on each machine — which is why a light cannot be read without the machine.

Sources

Every line on this page comes from Sage / Breville’s own documents, read on the date shown. Nothing is taken from third-party manual sites.