Start Descale Mode: button combination by model
We read three Keurig Use & Care Guides, and only these models are listed. Other models use other buttons. Check the guide for your brewer on support.keurig.com. The Keurig K-Mini Go guide we read sends you to the support site for its steps, so we do not list it. K-Supreme and K-Supreme Plus guides were not among the ones we read.
| Model | Start Descale Mode | During descaling | Light goes off when |
|---|---|---|---|
| K-Slim | Brewer off. Hold 8 oz + 12 oz together for 3 seconds until the DESCALE light is solid. | Press the brew button each time it flashes. Repeat until ADD WATER lights. | The rinse is done: the guide says the brewer then exits Descale Mode. |
| K-Express Essentials (Gen 2) | Plugged in and off. Hold SIZE + BREW together for 5 seconds. | Press BREW when it flashes. Brew 8 oz at a time until ADD WATER lights. | You rinse with fresh water, brewing 8 oz at a time, until the Descale notification turns off. |
| K-Café Essentials | Plugged in and off. Hold 8 oz + 12 oz together for 3 seconds. | Press the 12 oz button when it flashes. Repeat until ADD WATER lights. | You rinse with fresh water until the DESCALE notification turns off. |
Sources: K-Slim guide, K-Express Essentials guide, K-Café Essentials guide. Last checked 2026-11-04.
The full descale procedure
- Gather what you need. A large ceramic mug (10 oz minimum, not paper), fresh water, Keurig Descaling Solution and a sink. No pod in the pod holder. Allow about 20 minutes.
- Prepare the brewer. Pour the entire bottle of Keurig Descaling Solution into an emptied reservoir, fill the empty bottle with water and add that too.
- Enter Descale Mode. Use the combination for your model above, then brew when the button flashes. Pour each hot dispense into the sink.
- Keep brewing until ADD WATER lights. That empties the reservoir of the solution.
- Rinse. Empty and rinse the reservoir, refill to the MAX line with fresh water and brew again until the Descale notification turns off.
The guides say the cleaning action of the solution may dispense a foam. That is expected, because the solution is reacting with scale.
Why the light stays on
Rinsing the pod holder, washing the reservoir or running a plain water brew does not clear it. The K-Express Essentials guide states that the full descaling procedure must be completed to turn the light off, and the K-Café guide says the same. The usual cause is stopping before the rinse stage. Start again from Descale Mode.
Keurig recommends descaling every 3 months (K-Slim guide) or when the notification comes on. On the K-Café the alert appears after every 250 brews, and its guide explains how to switch alerts off: power off, then hold 10 oz + 12 oz for three seconds, and STRONG lights to confirm. Repeat the steps to switch them back on and SHOT lights. Keurig's guide adds that regular descaling helps the taste and the long-term performance of the coffee maker, so we would leave alerts on.
Hard water scales a brewer faster: see water for espresso at home for how minerals behave. For other machines, descaling a drip coffee maker with vinegar covers what drip-maker makers say.