Can I fix this myself?

Yes, this is routine maintenance rather than a repair. Follow the steps above using the consumable the manufacturer specifies, and if the message returns immediately after a correctly completed cycle, treat it as a service call.

Where do these steps come from?

They are transcribed from De'Longhi Coffee Machines Help Center — Eletta Explore. We do not repair machines and we do not publish a fix we cannot cite to the manufacturer.

Will this code clear on its own?

Maintenance prompts clear when the cycle they are asking for is completed in full — stopping partway usually leaves the counter running. Fault codes clear when the underlying condition is corrected, not by power-cycling past them.

De'Longhi The machine needs to be descaled. Press OK to start: Message: The machine needs to be descaled (~50min) — Causes and Fixes

Routine maintenanceUpdated August 3, 2026

De'Longhi · Eletta Explore

The machine needs to be descaled. Press OK to start — Message: The machine needs to be descaled (~50min)

Routine maintenance

What the machine is reporting

The machine must be descaled.

Likely causes, most likely first

The machine must be descaled

What to do

1. To proceed with descaling, press 'OK' and follow the guided procedure, otherwise press 'Cancel'. In that case the symbol appears on the homepage to remind you that descaling is needed.

Source: De'Longhi Coffee Machines Help Center — Eletta Explore. Transcribed from De'Longhi's own published documentation — we do not repair machines and do not publish fixes we cannot cite.

When to stop and call a technician

The machine trips a breaker, smells of burning, or shows scorched wiring.
Water is leaking from inside the chassis rather than from the tank, tray or portafilter.
The fault involves the boiler, a pressure valve, the heating element or the pump itself.
The code returns immediately after a correctly completed reset or maintenance cycle.
The machine is under warranty — opening it yourself usually ends that cover.

Never bypass, disable or remove a safety device — a thermal fuse, pressure relief valve or lid interlock is the part standing between a fault and a fire. Do not open a pressurised boiler or work on mains wiring.

Machines this applies to

What the fix needs

Descaler
Descaling removes the mineral scale this fault is caused by. Use a product made for espresso machines.
Find on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. These are category searches, not product endorsements — always use the consumable your machine's own manual specifies.

Other De'Longhi codes

DESCALE — Message: DESCALE
GENERAL ALARM — Message: GENERAL ALARM
REPLACE FILTER — Message: REPLACE FILTER
PRESS OK TO CLEAN — Message: PRESS OK TO CLEAN
SET DIAL TO CLEAN — Message: SET DIAL TO CLEAN
Alarm lights on the bottom row — Alarm lights on the bottom row

All De'Longhi error codes →

Frequently asked

What does De'Longhi The machine needs to be descaled. Press OK to start mean?: The machine must be descaled.
Can I fix this myself?: Yes, this is routine maintenance rather than a repair. Follow the steps above using the consumable the manufacturer specifies, and if the message returns immediately after a correctly completed cycle, treat it as a service call.
Where do these steps come from?: They are transcribed from De'Longhi Coffee Machines Help Center — Eletta Explore. We do not repair machines and we do not publish a fix we cannot cite to the manufacturer.
Will this code clear on its own?: Maintenance prompts clear when the cycle they are asking for is completed in full — stopping partway usually leaves the counter running. Fault codes clear when the underlying condition is corrected, not by power-cycling past them.