Costs:
Brita requires about 48 euros for 12 cartridges => 48 euros per year / 4 Euro per cartridge (Tip: the set of 12 with pot costs just 2 euros more)
This system here costs 38 euros for 15 cartridges => 30 euros per year / 2.5 Euro per cartridge.
What descaling?
Before, I had the conviction to feed the coffee with tap water and later simply to descale. After I but several times repaired to the part "could", I informed myself necessarily in the relevant forums. It is obvious: lime simply damages the little machine. And decalcification is not cheap (except for devices that can be decalcified with citric acid).
The Brita filter hit quite good (definitely cheaper than the original part for coffee machines). The proven Kalkmess set used again:
My tap water (from the tap) has about 10 ° dH (. The higher, the worse "10" corresponds to about 10mg per lime water - that's simplistic, Wikipedia gives more details). To "7 ° dH" water is considered SOFT, from "21 ° dH" as HART.
-My Stadtwerke say it would be 8.9 ° dH - so we expect times to an accuracy of about a degree of hardness of my measurement.
The result of the first month - amazingly resembles the Brita measurement:
After the first filling: 0 ° dH (ie no measurable hardness)
After filling 10x: 2.5 ° dH
After filling 15x: 3.0 ° dH
After filling 25x: 3.5 ° dH
After filling 35x: 4.5 ° dH
The will tend to be somewhat more effective than the original product. But: The measurement error of this method (turning the color of the sample after a certain number drop test fluid) is about about 1 ° dH (some measurements I have repeated single and double precision measurement = double amount of water / test amount of liquid).
To summarize: based supervisors pure descaling I think that Unimax Clear inks are the original par. But I can not make any statements to the filtering of other substances and freedom from germs after filtering. As for me, this water is used only to operate the coffee machine, sterility is not my primary focus (the water heater will kill most germs anyway).
Here are the tips that I have given in the original article:
1. Tip: depending on the variant of the pot used: The display on the pot only measures the elapsed time (after cartridge change), not the actual "consumption" of the filter.
2. Tip: The original (replacement) filters the coffee machine manufacturer are not cheap and can also very quickly in their filter effect.
3. Tip: Do not place the coffee maker on "hardness 0". Dear to "1-2". Then from time to time anyway Entkalkungsvorgänge be started and here I am of the opinion "rather once too much than too little decalcified".
4. Tip: If your temper is very different from my (Google: "IHR_ORTSNAME" water hardness "), they can also watch a hardness measurement set FILTRASOFT eg water hardness test kit order 2x 15 ml to determine their own numbers.
5. Tip: If your machine can be decalcified with citric acid (! Necessarily clarify before), which is the cheapest and healthiest solution - citric acid is used in soft drinks and is non-toxic, which can not be said of all other resources. But make sure to first clarify the relevant forums !!! Some heaters may not !!!
In that case: You can buy ready to be mixed and thus greatly reduce the cost Entkalkerlösungen also in larger quantities. Simply search for a forum that deals with their brand (Google "Forum MEINE_KAFFEMASCHINE Descale"), for example, as an alternative for machines that help be decalcified with amidosulfonic eilfix descaler powder, 1 kg - Highly concentrated - 1 tin.
6. Tip: the water tank of the coffee machine and the water filter regularly (if possible in the dishwasher, or with denture cleaners tablets) clean. Nobody wants to have a "algae cultivation with an attached coffee machine".
Note: I have consciously limited myself to the decalcification. Also, one should defer changing the cartridge is not too long for reasons of hygiene (so probably also the 30 day timer) ...
If this review was helpful, I would (also on corrective comments and) looking forward a positive evaluation.
