Method for cleaning / descaling a hot beverage maker and hot beverage maker for carrying out the method

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for cleaning and / or descaling a hot beverage maker, comprising the following steps: a) detecting an activation request for the cleaning and / or descaling method on the hot beverage maker (I), b) detecting a user input regarding the cleaning and / or descaling method (II), and c) executing a cleaning / descaling program associated with the user input (IV), characterized in that the user input consists in specifying the cleaning / descaling agent to be used. The invention also relates to a corresponding hot beverage maker (1) for carrying out the method according to the invention.

Description

The invention relates to a method for cleaning and / or decalcifying a hot beverage preparation device, which comprises the following steps: a) activating the method for cleaning and / or decalcifying on the device, b) detecting an input on the user side with respect to the method for cleaning and / or decalcifying, and c) executing a cleaning / decalcifying program which is associated with the input on the user side. The invention also relates to a corresponding hot beverage maker having an activation unit, an input unit and a control unit, in particular a fully automatic coffee maker or a capsule machine, preferably for domestic purposes.DE 20201112459 U1 describes a cleaning system for a cooking device with a hot air damper, in which the operator can change a plurality of parameters of a cleaning parameter set. This requires good skills for the operator.The object of the invention is to specify an improved method for cleaning and / or decalcifying a hot beverage preparation device and a corresponding hot beverage preparation device for carrying out the method, with the result that more efficient use of active ingredients and / or a more rapid sequence of the service method is possible.The invention achieves this object in the case of the method mentioned above in that the user input consists in specifying the cleaning and / or decalcifying agent to be used and the cleaning / decalcifying program is executed in accordance with the user input.Most hot beverage preparation machines have a cleaning and / or decalcifying program which is set up in advance and at the factory. With a cleaning program, in particular all fluid paths of the hot beverage maker can be freed from the deposit products such as fats, oils, solids and mold spores, germs and bacteria which are produced during the coffee preparation. Alternatively or additionally, a decalcification program can be used to remove water-insoluble deposits of lime which form from tap water at elevated temperatures. The cleaning program and the decalcifying program can each be selected and executed alone or together. If one of the two or both programs is meant below without specific distinction, they are collectively referred to as a service program or service method.The service program of a hot beverage maker is usually designed and defined on a machine-specific basis. The user of the hot beverage maker is also not always free to choose a cleaning or decalcifying agent with regard to the producer, its shape (solid or liquid), concentration and chemical composition. However, under non-consideration of manufacturer's requirements, suboptimal results may be shown, depending on the agent used. When using unsuitable agents, the service methods can damage the hot beverage maker over the long term, for example due to corrosion on metals or damage to seals.The method according to the invention comprises steps a) to c) which are carried out in a hot beverage maker. It is also referred to below as "hot beverage device" or simply as "device".The method for cleaning and / or decalcifying on the hot beverage maker in step a) is activated in a manner known per se after switching on the hot beverage maker by selection and input within a menu guide or by pressing or turning a corresponding button. Acoustic activation is also possible. The menu of the device can likewise be controlled remotely, for example in an application of a smartphone ("app") wirelessly connected to the device.According to the invention, the user input acquired in step b) now does not consist of specific parameter values, but consists of specifying the cleaning / decalcifying agent provided for the immediately following service operation. The user therefore only needs to specify the product he selected for the service program. Knowledge about technical, in particular technical, relationships regarding the method does not need to be provided by the user, but nevertheless receives an optimum result of the service program which is subsequently carried out.Thus, for example, he does not have to set the mixing ratio automatically or lengthen the duration of action should he use a cleaner / decalcifier which is weaker than recommended. Rather, the device uses the parameters stored beforehand for the selected product to set all the required and / or favorable parameters in order to perform the method not only efficiently but also as environmentally friendly as possible, for example.In order to make it easier for the user to enter the cleaning / decalcifying agent provided by him, after the appliance has been switched on and the "cleaning / decalcifying" menu item has been called up, for example, different cleaning / decalcifying agents can be selected in a reproduction unit on the appliance, so that he merely needs to select the provided agent. If the user has selected the one he wants to use from among the displayed cleaning / decalcifying agents, he confirms his selection, for example by starting the program.Alternatively, instead of selecting from a display, the user may, for example, input an identification code for the cleaning / decalcifying agent he selects. The input can be manual or acoustic. The input can alternatively be simplified for the user by machine support, for example optically by object, writing, barcode or QR code recognition. The detection can be performed on a camera basis, wherein the camera or a scanner can be used on the device or in an application of a smartphone ("app"). Alternatively, it can be carried out by radio, for example by detecting an NFC or another RFID code, again by the hot beverage device itself or in an app.In step c), the device now executes the service program based on the indication of the product that the user has selected for the service program.Quite generally, a service program runs as standard and is essentially divided into the three main process steps "Dissolve / Dilute", "Act" and "Flush". The "dissolving / diluting" can take a varying length of time depending on the aggregate state of the cleaning / decalcifying agent, in particular the degree of pressing or granulation of solid agents, or the concentration of liquid agents. The "allowing to act" serves to dissolve dirt or deposits of lime and takes a varying length of time depending on the efficiency of the agent. During "flushing out", the dissolved impurities and the agents used for them are flushed out of the fluid paths. Parameters for carrying out the method can be assigned to each of the process steps.According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, after specifying the cleaning / decalcifying agent to be used in step b), the device invokes a specific parameter set for the execution of a service program. The parameter set is assigned to the cleaning / decalcifying agent selected and to be used by the user and relates, for example, to the dissolution time, the concentration to be achieved, an action time of the cleaning / decalcifying agent, a throughflow time of a cleaning / decalcifying solution, the temperature of which, an amount of water with which it is to be rinsed, or other parameters relevant for the execution of the service program.The specific parameter set is called up on the device side from a parameter memory in which parameters of the service program individually linked to the respective cleaning / decalcifying agent have been stored on the factory side. The user consequently does not need to undertake an adaptation of the service program to the means used by himself, with which he would be frequently overrequested. Rather, the hot beverage device provides those parameters which can be expected to produce the best cleaning and / or decalcification result for the respective means. The manufacturer has determined and stored the parameters of the respective cleaning / decalcifying agent in advance by test series.For a foreign product, a standard parameter set can be stored on the device side, which is composed of generously selected parameters. In order to enable efficient execution of the service program, however, the hot beverage maker can start a more detailed query regarding its properties when a foreign product is selected by the user, for example according to its administration form as a tablet, as a powder or as a liquid. This can be followed by a query for the quantity, for example in grams or milliliters, etc. Suitable parameters can then be assigned to the particulars obtained therefrom for the foreign product, so that an individual and suitable parameter set can be compiled for the foreign product on the device side.If a user input results in an unsuitable cleaning / decalcifying agent, the device can output a corresponding display for its protection. If a user wishes to use pure citric acid in liquid form, for example, the device can issue the message: "Use is not recommended for this device.".Advantageously, the parameter set which a control unit of the device invokes for a particular cleaning / decalcifying agent can differ in only a single parameter, such as the duration of action, from a parameter set which is present for another selectable cleaning / decalcifying agent. This can save a certain amount of time, since the adaptation of only one parameter by the device is uncomplicated and does not take a long time.In the case of cleaning / decalcifying agents known from the appliance, it is generally possible to display a total duration for the service program to be executed in step c) already during their reproduction. Otherwise, in other selection methods, e.g. in the above knitting code acquisition or the like and in particular in the case of foreign products, according to a further advantageous embodiment, after the selection, and indication of a cleaning / decalcifying agent in step b) or after a possible detailing of its properties, a total duration for the service program to be executed in step c) can be displayed. Method step c) is thus defined with regard to its total duration by the detected user-side input in step b). Thus, after specifying the cleaning / decalcifying agent to be used, the user is displayed an optionally changed total duration on the device. The user thus receives the information as to when the appliance is available again for a beverage preparation.The total duration can be displayed, for example, directly in the reproduction unit, e.g. a display, and appear immediately after the cleaning / decalcifying agent to be used has been specified. Alternatively or additionally, the total duration can be displayed in the app in which the cleaning / decalcifying agent to be used was also input.Advantageously, step c) is not carried out until the selected cleaning / decalcifying agent is again confirmed by a user-side input after displaying its total duration.The user can thus also decide on the basis of the displayed total duration which cleaning / decalcifying agent he wishes to use-possibly during a later service operation. If he appears to have an overall displayed duration too long, he can choose a different product.As a further embodiment, the user can, in the reverse manner, first specify a desired time duration for the service program, as a result of which one or more cleaning / decalcifying agents suitable for this are proposed. The time duration can be specified as a maximum time duration, i.e. as a maximum available time. This variant is particularly advantageous in the area of a shopping decision if a limited time window available for carrying out the service program is to serve as the basis for the purchase decision of the cleaning / decalcifying agent.According to a further advantageous embodiment, this information can be called up via an application on a smartphone ("app"). The user can then make his decision about the cleaning / decalcifying agent to be obtained spatially independently of the hot beverage maker, for example directly at the time of shopping.According to a further advantageous embodiment, the above step c) is followed by a step d) in which the decalcification performance of the current service process is recognized, optionally stored, compared with an expected result and a display corresponding to the result of the comparison is output. Such a step d) takes place in particular when a foreign product, e.g. designated as "other" in the display, has been selected in step b). This has the advantage that the user can read directly the efficiency of the product unknown to the device after the completion of the service program.Programs for identifying the decalcification performance are known from EP 2 080 461 B1, DE 10 2019 217 640 A1 and EP 4 033 161 A1.According to a further advantageous embodiment, after the decalcification performance has been detected and optionally stored, it is compared with an expected result and, in the case of a corresponding subsequent service method, at least one parameter of the method is adapted as a function of the comparison. In this embodiment, the device "learns" the actual decalcifying performance of a cleaning / decalcifying agent. The device uses a predefined standard set of parameter values for the first execution of the service method and, in a subsequent method, adjusts one or more parameters of the service method using the same cleaning / decalcifying agent in such a way that a service result that is optimum for the device is achieved.A deviation from the expected result can result from the fact that a foreign product was used as a cleaning / decalcifying agent, which is not known by the manufacturer, for which no parameter values were therefore determined and which is therefore not proposed by the device.Thus, unknown cleaning / descaling agents can be used with the greatest possible certainty against damage to the equipment.Deviations from the expected result can also result when selecting a cleaning / decalcifying agent known per se by means of environmental or other boundary conditions which are unexpected by the manufacturer or not taken into account by the device, for example by means of a water hardness which deviates greatly from the usual one, an unusual water temperature, a change in the recipe of the cleaning / decalcifying agent or the absolute height of the installation location of the device above normal zero. Such changes can therefore also be detected and taken into account according to the invention. Again, environmental aspects such as water and power consumption may be considered.The user does not need to make any adjustments at all, so that he does not need any skills if he wants to use a new cleaning / decalcifying agent of his choice or to take account of different conditions. Rather, the device optimizes its service program itself, so that efficient decalcification is ensured and damage to seals or the like in the device is avoided.Advantageously, step d) for detecting the decalcification performance can only be carried out when selecting or specifying a foreign product. A foreign product is a cleaning / decalcifying agent which the hot beverage maker does not know and therefore does not suggest itself. If the decalcification performance is carried out only when the service method is carried out with a foreign product, the program sequence can be shortened at least for the device, even if the user may not have any time gain.According to a further advantageous embodiment, the parameter which is adapted as a function of a comparison of the obtained or expected decalcification performances in a corresponding subsequent method can be, for example, the mixing ratio of cleaning / decalcifying agent to water in the process step "dissolving / diluting", the duration of action of the cleaning / decalcifying solution in the process step "allowing to act", the temperature of the cleaning / decalcifying solution acting and / or a service interval. For example, should decalcification performance be poorer than expected, the mixing ratio may be adjusted to the effect that the concentration of decalcifying agent is higher. Likewise, the mixing ratio can be maintained and the duration of action can be selected to be longer. A temperature increase can likewise lead to an increase in the decalcification performance, so that an adaptation of only one of the parameters already leads to an adaptation of the overall decalcification performance; an adaptation of a plurality of parameters simultaneously can have both an additive and synergistic effect on the decalcification performance.If all the above-mentioned parameters are to be retained, the time interval between the decalcification with the detected decalcification performance and the following decalcification method can also be shortened or extended. If the decalcification performance was classified as unexpectedly good, for example, water and energy can also be saved in addition to decalcification agent with an increased time interval until the next decalcification.The object underlying the invention is also achieved by a hot beverage maker having an activation unit, an input unit and a control unit, wherein the hot beverage maker according to the invention comprises a storage unit which contains a link between cleaning / decalcifying agents and associated service programs or parameter sets which define the respective service programs. The hot beverage maker is suitable in particular for carrying out the above-mentioned method.The hot beverage preparation device is used for the automatic preparation of hot beverages, for example as a fully automatic coffee machine or as a capsule or coffee pad machine, preferably in domestic use. It is of enormous advantage especially for users who have little or no knowledge about technical, in particular process, relationships if the hot beverage maker provides a link between specific cleaning / decalcifying agents and respectively adapted service programs, so that optimum service processes proceed, namely merely by specifying the respective cleaning / decalcifying agent.The activation unit of the hot beverage maker is generally a device for putting the appliance into operation, for example by pressing, rotating, touching or by an acoustic signal. Activation by an external device, such as via an application in a smartphone ("app"), is likewise possible.The input unit can be configured in a variety of ways and includes a user interface via which a user can make an input. The input can be effected via a user interface on the device side, for example with buttons and / or with a touchscreen. Alternatively or additionally, user selection and input via an external or remote control panel, such as, for example, via an application in a smartphone ("app") or another mobile device, or via an acoustic signal, may be possible. Alternatively, the hot beverage machine may be equipped with a camera or scanner or device for detecting an NFC or other RFID code to detect an input of the user regarding the selection of the cleaning / decalcifying agent.The user interface may also include a display unit which presents and selects, for example, various cleaning / decalcifying agents on the device to the user, so that he merely needs to select the intended agent.The reproduction can be effected both pictorially, writtenly and acoustically. In this case, the user can be selected from both cleaning / decalcifying agents of a self-marker and those of other manufacturers. They can each be solid agents in the form of tablets or powders or liquid cleaning / decalcifying agents.The control unit is a central component of the computer located in the heat processor and controls all functions such as, for example, the heating processes or the water feeding, pumping and dispensing processes and all further processes of the preparation and service programs.According to the invention, the hot beverage maker comprises a storage unit which contains a combination of cleaning / decalcifying agents and associated service programs. The storage unit contains in each case a specific parameter set for the execution of a service program which is linked to a respectively selectable cleaning / decalcifying agent. The parameter set is thus assigned to the selected cleaning / decalcifying agent to be used and relates, for example, to the dissolution time, the concentration, the action time, the throughflow time, the temperature, the flushing quantity of water or other parameters relevant for the execution of the service program. It is thus possible for the first time to carry out a method described above, in which a specific cleaning / decalcifying program (service program) is executed as a function of a selected cleaning / decalcifying agent, without the user having to take over further settings by himself.According to a further advantageous embodiment, the input unit of the hot beverage maker comprises a user interface in which different cleaning / decalcifying agents can be displayed for user selection by means of the above-mentioned reproduction unit. The display can be effected, for example, in writing and / or pictorial fashion. This makes it particularly easy for a user to have a service program matching the cleaning / decalcifying agent executed by the hot beverage maker, since he only needs to select from the displays.According to a further advantageous embodiment, the hot beverage maker comprises a device for detecting the decalcification performance, as described, for example, in EP 2080461 B1, DE 102019217640 A1 or EP 4033161 A1. In this case, a calcification state is determined either on the basis of changing temperature differences or on the basis of changing temporal behavior, for example an increased duration until a temperature value is reached. The hot beverage maker also has a comparison unit in which the detected decalcification performance is compared with an expected decalcification performance and the result of the comparison is processed for a subsequent decalcification process. Based on the result of the comparison, the control unit adjusts and stores the parameters for a subsequent decalcification process.The device can thus determine the decalcification performance of a foreign product by detecting the degree of decalcification and comparing this value with a previously stored standard value for the assessment, for example. Thus, the effectiveness of the foreign product can be determined and lead to a desired result when used again. The data determined for the foreign product can be identified and stored by the user, so that they can be used in a later method.The invention effectively optimizes the cleaning or decalcifying performance by matching it to the particular cleaning / decalcifying agent used, and thereby optionally shortens the duration of the cleaning / decalcifying procedure. Due to the improved cleaning or decalcifying performance, the service life of a hot beverage maker is extended and the environment is saved.The principle of the invention is explained in greater detail below by way of example with reference to a drawing. In the drawing, the following are shown: FIG. 1 : a flow diagram of a first method according to the invention, FIG. 2 : a flow diagram of a second method according to the invention, and FIG. 3 : a schematic structure of a hot beverage maker according to the inventionFigure 1 shows a flow chart of the method according to the invention, in which a user selects a cleaning / decalcifying agent from a series of products known to the device.First, the device is turned on by a user using a start button on the device or other power-on device. After the device has been put into operation, the user enters the "clean / decalcify" menu item in a step I, whereby the service method is activated. This can be done, for example, by pressing a corresponding button or a key.A user interface on the device then displays various cleaning / decalcifying agents known to the device and available for selection by means of a playback unit in step la. The selection can be continuously extended by new products by means of software updates. It also offers an option for unknown cleaning / descaling agents, which is designated, for example, as "others". The known cleaning / decalcifying agents can be either proprietary products of the manufacturer of the device or products of other manufacturers. Suitable parameters for the known cleaning / decalcifying agents were stored in the device in each case by test series carried out beforehand, which parameters determine a method sequence for cleaning and / or decalcifying the device.The display may consist, for example, of images of the known products and of their name. The user now selects one of the displayed cleaning / decalcifying agents by making an input on the device-side user interface in step II, for example by touching a touch-sensitive screen of the user interface.The playback unit then displays the total duration of the service program provided and stored for this selected product in a step IIa.Based on this information, the user can align his current or later selection of the cleaning / decalcifying agent.If the user has agreed with the displayed time duration, he confirms his input from step II by a new input in step III, for example, by again touching the touchscreen at the location corresponding to his selection.If the user does not agree with the total duration displayed in step IIa and does not confirm his input made in step II, after a defined period of time of, for example, 5 seconds, the device returns to step la again and displays again the cleaning / decalcifying agents available for selection, including the option of "others".Once the user has selected and has specified it in step III, the hot beverage maker then executes the service program corresponding to the selected cleaning / decalcifying agent independently in step IV, using the parameters stored in the appliance. For this purpose, the user does not have to carry out any further steps, because, with the selection of the cleaning / decalcifying agent, he has indirectly already communicated to the device those parameters for carrying out the service program which, with respect to the respective selected cleaning / decalcifying agent, make it possible to expect an optimum service result.When the service procedure is finished, the device prompts the user for service activities such as emptying a residual water tray and / or flushing a water storage container and thereafter either switches itself off directly or returns to a standby mode for a certain time.FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of a method according to the invention, in which a user wishes to use a cleaning / decalcifying agent unknown to the device.As in the method described above with reference to FIG. 1, the user switches on the device and activates the "cleaning / decalcifying" service program in a step I in the device menu.As in FIG. 1, in step la various cleaning / decalcifying agents are then displayed, which can be both proprietary products of the manufacturer and products of other manufacturers, for which parameters were respectively stored in the device by test series carried out beforehand. Likewise, an option for unknown foreign products is displayed for which no specific parameters have yet been stored, for example displayed as "others".If the user now selects the option "Others" and makes the corresponding input in step II, in step IIIb parameter checking is carried out to determine whether values or data from a preceding method with a foreign product are already present in the parameter memory.If this is negated ("-") by the parameter memory, the device executes a service program with standard parameters stored in the device for this case in step IV. They are determined at the factory on the basis of experiments.In the subsequent step V, the decalcification performance of the last-executed service program is determined with the aid of a program for detecting the decalcification performance and compared with a predefined service result in a comparison unit in step VI.If the comparison in step VI reveals that the decalcification performance was in order (symbol "+"), the standard parameters which were applied for the foreign product in the service method are left unchanged for the use of a next foreign product and stored.If the comparison in step VI reveals that the decalcification performance was not sufficient, i.e. was poorer (symbol "-"), the applied standard parameters are adapted in a step VII and the adapted parameters are stored in the memory for the next use of a / the foreign product. A foreign product can also be stored individualized together with the associated, adapted process, so that the foreign product is recognized in a subsequent use and an individualized device setting is thus obtained.When the service method is finished, the device prompts the user for service activities such as emptying a residual water tray and / or flushing a water storage container and then either switches itself off directly or switches itself to a standby mode for a certain time.If, on the other hand, it is determined in step IIIb that values from a preceding method with a foreign product are already present ("+"), these values are called up from the memory in step IIIc and the service method is carried out with the stored parameter values in step IV. Optionally (not shown), the decalcification performance can also be determined in a step V using a program for detecting the decalcification performance and compared with a previously defined service result in a step VI and the parameter values used can be adapted and then optionally stored.After carrying out the service method at the appliance side in step IV, the appliance prompts the user for service activities such as emptying a residual water tray and / or flushing a water storage container and then either switches off directly itself or switches into a standby mode for a certain time.FIG. 3 shows a schematic structure of a hot beverage maker 1 according to the invention as coffee machine, which is suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention.The coffee machine has a touch-sensitive screen 6, on which touch-sensitive fields represented as buttons 5, 7 can be seen. The start button 5 which switches on the coffee machine 1 is located at the extreme left-hand edge as the beginning of a row of selection buttons 7 which adjoins the right.The screen 6 also contains a rectangular display panel 8, which displays to the user, after switching on the device, a plurality of cleaning / decalcifying agents for selection in the form of product images and / or in words. Below the display panel 8, touch-sensitive panels 7 are shown on the screen 6 as buttons, by means of which one of the cleaning / decalcifying agents displayed in the display 8 can be selected and confirmed.The coffee machine 1 has a computing unit 2 in the interior and comprises a storage unit 3 in which, among other things, the parameters are stored. The arithmetic unit 2 further comprises a comparison unit in which measured values are compared with predetermined values and a decalcification performance detection device (both not shown) which is connected to the comparison unit.The coffee machine 1 also comprises a control unit 4. the control unit 4 is a central component of the computer located in the coffee machine and controls all functions and processes of the preparation and service programs.Since the foregoing embodiments described in detail are examples, they can be modified widely by those skilled in the art in a conventional manner without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, a decalcifying performance can also be detected, for example, in the case of cleaning / decalcifying agents known in the device, in order to be able to detect product or recipe changes and to be able to adapt the parameters accordingly, or the arrangement of operating elements can be configured in another form if this is necessary for space reasons or design reasons. Furthermore, the use of the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude that the features in question can also be present multiple or multiple times.List of reference charactersI Activation of the service method Ia Display Cleaning / decalcifying agent II Input by user IIa Display Total duration III Confirmation by user IIIa No confirmation by user IIIb Checking whether values from preceding methods are present Illc Retrieval of values IV Execution of service program V Recognition of decalcifying performance VI Comparison of decalcifying performance values VII Change of parameter values 1 coffee machine as hot beverage maker 2 Computing unit 3 Storage unit 4 Control unit 5 Start button 6 Screen 7 Selection buttons 8 Display fieldReferences included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedDE 20201112459 U1

[0002] EP 2 080 461 B1 [0027, 0045]DE 10 2019,217 640 A1 [0027, 0045]EP 4 033 161 A1 [0027, 0045]

Claims

Method for cleaning and / or decalcifying a hot beverage preparation device, having the steps: a) detecting an activation request for the method for cleaning and / or decalcifying at the hot beverage preparation device (I), b) detecting a user input with respect to the method for cleaning and / or decalcifying (II), c) executing a cleaning / decalcifying program which is assigned (IV) to the user input (II), characterized in that the user input (II) consists in specifying the cleaning / decalcifying agent to be used.Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that, after specifying the cleaning / decalcifying agent (II) to be used for the selected cleaning / decalcifying agent, a specific parameter set is called up by the device for execution in step c).Method according to one of the above claims, characterized in that the method step c) is defined and displayed with respect to its total duration by the detected user-side input (II) in step b).Method according to one of the above claims, characterized in that after step c) in a step d) the decalcification performance is recognized, stored, compared (V, VI) with an expected result and a corresponding display is output.Method according to one of the above claims, characterized in that after step c) in a step d) the decalcification performance is recognized, stored, compared with an expected result (V, VI) and in a corresponding subsequent cleaning / decalcification method at least one parameter of the method is adapted (VII) depending on the comparison.Method according to Claim 5, characterized in that the parameters are a mixing ratio, an action time, a temperature and / or a decalcification interval.A hot beverage maker (1) having an activation unit (5), an input unit and a control unit, characterised in that the hot beverage maker comprises a storage unit which contains a combination of cleaning / decalcifying agents and associated cleaning / decalcifying programs, in particular for carrying out a method according to one of the above claims.Hot beverage preparation device according to claim 7, characterised in that it is a fully automatic coffee machine or a capsule machine.Hot beverage preparation device according to claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the input unit comprises a user interface in which different cleaning / decalcifying agents can be displayed for user selection.Hot beverage maker according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterised bya device for detecting the decalcification performance and by a comparison unit in which the detected decalcification performance is compared with an expected decalcification performance and the result of the comparison can be called up and processed for a subsequent decalcification process.

Images