"Dead" Espresso Machine

Make a solution of ½ pot vinegar and ½ pot water.
Run a cycle thru the machine. If there is a cleaning function on the coffee maker, use that.
If very calcified, run a newly made solution thru again.
Rinse by cycling fresh, plain water thru, 2 times.

Yes
You should run the decalcify program with the JURA decal tablets or DURGOL. Do not use other agents.
See page 25 of user manual.

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Have you had the same message for a while, but were able to make coffee? When was the last time you decalcified the machine? Your Syncrony probably needs to be decalcified. But do not use the descalers you usually find in the grocery stores, which are for drip coffee makers. Durgol is one of the best ones and the advantage is that it comes as a liquid (on the powder descalers you have to make sure they dissolve completely before you use them and that you measure the correct amount of water). You can find it online or the only store I could find that carries it is Bed, Bath and Beyond. Turn the machine off and let it cool off. When you are ready, take the water tank off and add the decalcifying solution mixed according to the instructions on the package. If you are using a powder, mix it in a different container. And never pour the solution in the tank while this is on the machine (also, make sure the coffee beans container has the cover on - you don't want any liquid making it into the grinder, as it will damage it). Put the water tank with the descaling solution back and turn the machine on. You will then have to press and hold the button that looks like the number 8 on the side (or the infinity symbol in math) and the machine will start the descaling process. Follow the instructions on the display. Put a large container under the steam wand and turn the knob (the same knob you turn for steam and hot water). Be sure to watch for when descaling is done (you will have a message on the display indicating that). Close the knob, rinse the water tank well, fill it with fresh water and put it back on the machine, which will now need to be rinsed. Place an empty container under the steam wand and push the same (8 on the side) button once, turn the knob. The machine will start the rinsing process. You might have to refill the water tank once or twice before it is finished. Once rinsing is done, your machine will be ready for use or it will ask you to ventilate. To do that, fill the water tank with fresh water, place an empty container under the steam wand, push the hot water button and turn the knob. Let the machine circulate water through. Once the ventilate message is gone you're done.

First of all - Dip-it is a detergent to remove rancid oils from coffee cups and coffee makers. That is not the same thing as a decalcifier or descaler. Dip-it was never meant to go through your boiler and pump and valves and all the other parts inside your Gaggia.

I'm quite sure that if you read the Gaggia manual it will tell you to use a special descaler such as Dezcal or Durgol.

Some people say use white vinegar - the manual specifically says not to use vinegar.

The machine is pretty expensive - it's worth buying the right product to descale it.

The manual should walk you through the steps to descale which will clear the error message once all the steps have been completed. I don't own that specific model, but typically you add the dezcal powder to very warm water in the water tank. Then start the descale process which will prompt you to open the steam valve and pump some water through the steam valve (into a container you place under the steam wand to catch it). Typically it will cycle a little water then pause for several minutes while the descaler disolves the calcium build up in the boiler - then it will pump a little more though and then wait etc. etc. Depending on your machine it may pump water out the coffee spout as well as out the steam wand. If so, the machine should prompt you to tell you to open and close the steam valve.
After it has run all the chemical through the machine (usually after it has emptied the tank) it should then prompt you to rinse. You remove the tank and wash it out and fill it with clean drinking water and then let the machine continue on the rinse cycle which will pump all the clean water through the unit. So you need to be on hand to catch all that water and dump it in the sink. When you are all done, run a few blank shots and make sure the water tastes like clean drinking water. The descaler is mostly citrix acid (like lemon juice) so if the water tastes sour like lemons then it isn't completly rinsed yet and you may want to pump more fresh water through the machine (pull blank shots or pump hot water through the steam wand) until it is fully rinsed.
Once the machine completes the rinse cycle it should stop prompting you that you need to descale.

From page 18 of the owner's manual: 125 mL of Durgol plus 34 ounces of water. Since 1 mL = 0.0338 ounces, that's 4.2 ounces of Durgol in 34 ounces of water, or an 8.1 ratio.

The usual way is to put the solution into the tank at the required strentgh (usually on the packet/bottle) and run it through the machine as if you were making espresso. Once all the solution has gone through run three more tanks of fresh water through to clean it out.

I assume yours is not the digital, here are some instructions for properly descaling your machine.
1. To decalcify your boiler, remove your water tank and fill it with hot water (100 to 120 degrees). Open a pack of decalcifier and mix into the water tank. Once it is dissolved, place the tank back on the machine, and then turn the machine on.
2. If you just open the steam knob and run approximately eight ounces of solution into a spare container. Turn the machine off and let set about 10 to 15 minutes. Longer is better. It is very important that the machine does not remain on to heat the boiler anymore than necessary.
3. Repeat step #2 for your machine. Do this until you have consumed the entire water tank of solution (approximately four to five cycles). (I do it at night before I go to bed and let the last cycle set in the boiler till morning.)
4. Remove water tank and rinse it with fresh water.
5. Refill water tank with fresh water and place it back on the machine.
Repeat step #2 to rinse the machine, only this time use the entire water tank at one time, and there is no need to let it set.
Remember, it is better to descale more often than not enough.

Hi
Go to your menu in the machine. Use your up arrow to go to decalcify and push enter. Have your solution for decalcifing the machine mixed in your water tank. Have a large container under the steam wand and cappuccinator on the left. Then open the knob for steam. Machine will say "Machine descaling". It has to finish the whole tank before it says "descale finished". Now rinse the water tank and put fresh water in it and put back on machine. Now close knob and then reopen it. Machine will say "Rinsing" When that tank is gone, it will say finished. Put water in tank and then go back to your menu and go down 1 to reset descale. push enter and chose "Yes" and hit enter to lock it. Now go down to water hardness and hit enter. Cahnge the # to 4 and hit enter. Push the escape button 2 times and your back. and ready to go.

It is endemic to this unit - condensation builds up in the grind chute, which makes the grinds stick to the walls of the chute. Decalcifying with vinegar/water helps, but only in an indirect way - by keeping the inside tubing clean, decalcifying generally allows the water to flow through the machine without obstruction. Inside tubing that has calcium, lime deposits built up obstructs water, and makes it flow through the machine slower - when water flows more slowly through the machine, the machine steams off the water at a higher rate, hence more condensation builds up in the grind chute walls.

Generally, i have found all Cuisinart coffee and espresso makers to be high maintenance to a greater or lesser extent, but the Grind-n-Brews have the highest cleaning/maintenance requirement.

when the machine gives the signal press the bottom right hand button for 5 seconds.
it will tell you to open the knob.
before you open the knob fill the water tank with the descaling solution
place a large water receptacle under the steam wand.
now turn your knob
the machine will start to descale this can take a while
when the descale cycle is finished close the knob.
rinse the water tank out with fresh water and fill it will clean drinking water.
Press the same button on the bottom right to confirm that yo are doing the rinse cycle.
open with knob and the machine will start the rinse cycle.
when the rinse cycle is complete close the knob and load the circuit.
when descaling is over fit a new cartridge filter in your water tank and off you go with your descaled cleaned coffee machine.