how to clean delonghi rivelia start coffee brewer

The brewing unit inside your De'Longhi Rivelia Start handles the ground coffee during every coffee preparation. Over time, loose coffee grounds and oils can collect around the brewer and inside its housing, so it needs to be removed and rinsed as part of regular maintenance. The Rivelia Start has a specific procedure for moving the brewing unit into the correct position before removal. Don't simply switch the machine off and try to pull the brewer out.

You will need fresh running water, the supplied cleaning brush, a container holding at least 0.5 litres, and a clean work surface. Do not use detergent on the brewing unit. Do not put the brewing unit in the dishwasher. The brewer should be cleaned using water only.

Before removing the brewing unit, the Rivelia Start must move it into the correct position. Follow the brewer-cleaning sequence on the machine. When the brewing unit has reached its removal position, the Rivelia Start indicates this on its control panel: the four Intensity LEDs illuminate and the Settings LED flashes. Wait for this indication before trying to remove the brewer. Important: don't force the brewing unit out if the machine hasn't completed this positioning stage.

Once the brewer is correctly positioned, remove the water tank from the machine. The brewing-unit access door is located behind the tank area on the right-hand side of the Rivelia Start. Put the water tank safely to one side.

Open the brewing-unit access door. You should now be able to see the removable brewing unit inside the machine. Don't try to dismantle the brewer while it is still fitted.

Locate the two coloured release buttons on the brewing unit. Press both coloured buttons inwards at the same time. While holding them in, pull the brewing unit towards you and remove it from its housing. If it doesn't release normally, don't use excessive force. Check that the machine has completed the positioning procedure described in Step 1.

Take the removed brewing unit to the sink. Rinse it thoroughly under fresh running water. Turn the brewer as you rinse it so water reaches the areas where loose coffee grounds can collect. Pay particular attention to visible coffee residue around the moving sections and screens of the brewer. The brewer should be cleaned with water only. Do not use washing-up liquid, coffee-machine cleaning chemicals, abrasive cleaners, or dishwasher detergent. Do not put the brewing unit in the dishwasher.

Inspect the brewer after rinsing. If loose coffee grounds remain in accessible areas, continue rinsing until they have been removed. Don't attack the mechanism with sharp objects or try to dismantle the brewing unit into smaller pieces. The aim is to rinse away accumulated coffee residue while leaving the brewing mechanism intact.

Before putting the brewing unit back, inspect the empty brewing-unit compartment inside the Rivelia Start. Loose ground coffee can accumulate here as coffee is prepared. Use the supplied cleaning brush to remove coffee residue from the brewing-unit housing. Brush the loose grounds out carefully rather than pushing them further into the machine. Don't pour water directly into the empty brewer compartment.

Before reinstalling the brewing unit, check that it is in the correct position. The Rivelia Start instructions show that, if necessary, the brewer can be correctly sized/positioned by squeezing the two levers before installation. This is particularly useful if the brewing unit appears too large to slide naturally back into its housing after cleaning. Don't try to overcome this by forcing the brewer into the machine.

Line the brewing unit up with its housing. Slide it into the machine until it clicks into place. Once installed, check the two coloured release buttons. They should have snapped back outwards. If they remain pressed in, the brewer may not be fully locked into position.

Close the brewing-unit access door completely. Make sure nothing is preventing the door from sitting correctly. If the door won't close normally, remove the brewer and check its position rather than forcing the access door shut.

Reinstall the water tank. Make sure it is seated fully in the machine. The Rivelia Start can now continue the brewer-cleaning procedure.

Place a container beneath the coffee outlets. The container should hold at least 0.5 litres. The Rivelia Start is going to rinse the coffee circuit after the brewing unit has been cleaned and reinstalled.

Press the Settings button as instructed to continue/finish the brewer-cleaning process. The Rivelia Start then carries out an automatic hot-water rinse through the coffee spouts. Keep your hands away from the outlets while this is happening. The discharged water will be hot.

Allow the automatic rinse to finish. Don't remove the water tank, brewer or collection container while the rinse is operating. Once the cleaning sequence has completed, the machine returns to its normal ready condition. The brewer is now clean and correctly installed.

Don't force it. First check whether you've put the Rivelia Start into the correct brewer-removal position. The machine should indicate that it has reached this stage with all four Intensity LEDs illuminated plus the Settings LED flashing. Only then should you remove the water tank, open the access door and release the brewing unit. Trying to pull the brewer out while its internal drive is in the wrong position can make it feel stuck.

Check the brewer itself before applying force. The Rivelia Start instructions show the two levers being squeezed to bring the brewer into the correct position for refitting. Once correctly positioned, slide the brewer into its housing until it clicks. Then check that both coloured release buttons have returned to their outward position.

Before closing everything up, check three things: the brewer has clicked into position, both coloured release buttons have sprung back out, and the brewer access door closes normally. If any of these aren't right, remove the brewer and refit it rather than forcing the water tank or access door into place.