# Lelit Elizabeth Plastic Taste



## Parky (Aug 28, 2021)

Hi,

I bought a new Elizabeth from Bella Barista a few weeks ago. Enjoying using the machine but have experienced plastic taste to the coffee which may be coming from the water tank. Has anyone experienced this and got a cure?

I'm mostly making Americanos with hot water from the machine so am getting more water flavour than straight espresso or milk based drinks.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

take tank out of machine, pour out a cup of water....what does it taste of?


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## Parky (Aug 28, 2021)

The water out of the tank does taste of plastic. I've tried soaking the tank in Puly Caff but that hasn't really helped.

I've also just tried feeding water from an external tank and have pulled maybe a litre of water through. The hot water from the spout still tastes of plastic. Maybe I haven't pulled enough through?

The water going in is from a Brita filter and tastes fine.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

@Parky



Parky said:


> soaking the tank in Puly Caff


 This is needless. Washing up liquid and a bottle brush would've been enough. There are no coffee oils in the water tank! Make sure you rinse that tank well with clean water, as there's a float shaft and water (and puly caf) will get trapped in there.

You'll also need to drain the steam boiler through the water tap. In essence, with machine up to temp and NOT in eco mode (I.e.: both boilers on) place a container capable of holding 800ml of water under the hot water tap and press the hot water button. Eventually it will stop and it will refil with water from the tank.

depending where you live, Brita filter will not do a good job preventing limescale.

im assuming you are NOT using the Lelit water filter as well, as that might possibly be tainting your water taste too.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Wash the tank in washing up liquid....Puly caff isn't the right product for the tank. The plastics will be BPA free and all that stuff, but washing up liquid and *hot* water should quickly remove any taint.

https://coffeeequipmentreviews.wordpress.com/2020/05/08/lelit-elizabeth/

read my review and I think it's the maintenance guide which will explain Elizabeth's special feature to allow the boilers to be well flushed out


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## Parky (Aug 28, 2021)

Thanks both,

I'm not using the Lelit filter and I do have access to RO water so plan on remineralising that for water in the longer term.

I just figured that puly caff may be more aggressive than washing up liquid. Will try again soaking in washing up liquid and see if that works.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

@Parky don't just soak, use a brush as well and hot water.


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

The best way of removing new plastic smell from....new plastic...is to rinse the container well with cold water (hot water tends to 'bake' smells in) and then fill with water and add a good tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate and leave it for a day. I used 25g to 25 litres for some huge buckets and got the smell out of those. You can also use charcoal (so like a charcoal stick you could add to the tank with water in it anyway).


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

@Rob1 I didn't know that about hot water...


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## Rob1 (Apr 9, 2015)

Just going off what I've read and what's worked. I think the heat and smell thing is probably for plastic containers that have had food in them rather than helping with outgassing. Still sodium bicarb should neutralise the VOCs.


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## Parky (Aug 28, 2021)

This is very weird. It seems like the plastic taint is coming from within the machine itself. I'm now drawing water from a glass jar alongside the machine. RO water remineralised with the recipe from barista hustle which tastes of nothing.

I've emptied the boiler twice using the instructions from @DavecUK and still water drawn from the machine tastes of plastic 😞


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

@Parky There is a thing called new machine taste...it's why I flush about 10 litres of water through any new machine and use it for a few weeks before even starting a review. The taste gradually goes.

P.S. The few machines that didn't have it or have it too bad were Quick Mill machines...I don't know if they did anything special washing em out or what...but they always tasted the best from new.


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## Parky (Aug 28, 2021)

Thanks @DavecUK I'll persevere a bit longer and try a few more litres of water. I'm also trying @Rob1's bicarb to deodorise the tank too.


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## kfiatos (Nov 27, 2013)

@Parky did the taste go away? I have the same issue with new machine


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## Parky (Aug 28, 2021)

Hi. Not that I'm aware of but I have just been using the kettle to provide hot water for an Americano. That's been an ok workaround for me.

I will try again though and report back


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## JahLaza (Mar 18, 2021)

Have you flushed water through the boiler since then? I mean let some through the water tap every now and then or whatever to flush roughly what Dave quotes above? Otherwise the 'new' taste would still be hanging around the boiler and pipes to and from it (also a good idea anyway if not using good/coffee machine quality water)


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## Ozzy (Dec 1, 2021)

Having the same issue here. Not only taste but smell is also present when the steam boiler is on. It is like the plastic smell that comes from the toaster when you first use it. When I use the hot water spout of Lelit, it also affects the drink.


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## Parky (Aug 28, 2021)

Sorry I forgot to reply to this previously. The taste is still there despite loads of flushes. I think part of it is due to the plastic tank being warmed within the machine as the smell is more noticeable when warm.

As I said before my only solution has been to not use the water spout for making drinks. Only other thing that may have been worth a try is trying to put some sort of carbon filter in the tank or inline with the hose?


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