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There is one holy grail of kitchen appliances that every coffee lover knows and needs, and that is a great coffee maker. It all starts and ends with the perfect coffee, be it a productive day in the office, a calm Sunday morning, or a cozy catch-up with friends. Good coffee makes everything great! However, in order for your coffee maker to produce the same heavenly brew every day and be working in a perfect way, you might want to consider taking proper care of its inner parts.
Did it ever happen that your coffee maker made strange noises, or took longer to brew than usual? Or the taste was slightly off and odd? Nothing to be worried about on how to clean a coffee maker? The time has come when you will have to go deeper and discover what might be causing that, and what can be done to avoid it.
For good!
You may see what comes outside, but on the inside, your coffee maker is producing heat and moisture, creating a perfect environment for germs. They love that! But your coffee does not, and certainly not you! That nasty stuff can seriously affect the quality of your brew and potentially cause you food poisoning. With that being said, It’s the perfect time to decompose your coffee maker and start cleaning its parts on a regular basis, following the simple and easy ways provided below.
How To Clean A Coffee Maker: Wash the removable parts after every use
A regular, daily wash after every use is highly recommendable for all the removable parts of your coffee maker. Use simply a dishwashing soap and lukewarm water.
That will help in removing all the grinds and coffee leftovers in no time. Some parts are dishwasher friendly, so you can also count on that option too, or do it in the sink. Leaving the lid of your reservoir open will help in drying out completely after each use.
How To Clean A Coffee Maker: Cleaning your reservoir and basket is next
Good old reliable white vinegar will do wonders for your coffee maker. Simply fill your reservoir with ½ of water and ½ of white vinegar. This mixture will remove all the limescale and all the other buildups from the inside.
Then run your coffee maker as you were about to prepare your coffee.
Once the cycle is completed, return the mixture to the reservoir again and repeat the whole process. Once the second cycle is over, wash the pot with warm and soapy water. That will finally remove any stains or brown film.
Wash the basket with soapy water too using an old toothbrush to thoroughly remove any coffee residue from the basket services.
To get rid of the vinegar smell, fill the reservoir with clean water and run the pot as you normally do when preparing coffee. Repeat that two times in a row again, each time using clean water.
Lastly, whip out the exterior of the machine with a 50-50 solution of water and vinegar and buff-dry it with a lint-free cloth.
How often should I clean my coffee maker?
Deep cleaning it with vinegar or powder once per month should be just enough.
How To Clean A Coffee Maker: A trick to help you maintain the cleanliness of your coffee maker
In between cleaning cycles, there are a few things you can do to cut down on the grime. Ultimately, anything you do to reduce the amount of moisture in your machine post-brew will help.
Coffee beans contain oil, and like any oil, the ones in the coffee go rancid over time. That might also affect the taste of your coffee. In between monthly cleaning, make sure you maintain your coffee maker by taking care of its removable and washable parts daily, after preparing your coffee.
After each use, remove the pot and wash it with soapy warm water, removing all the oily residue, leaving the lid of the pot always open so it can completely dry on the inside.
You can use a special coffee-machine-cleaning product for your monthly deep clean ritual, instead of using the water-vinegar solution. Simply dissolve the powder in 32 ounces of water, brew, and rinse.
Then repeat the cycle two more times using only clean water.
One last mention would be to wipe completely the exterior of your coffee maker, using a cloth with a touch of water or sanitizer after each use, leaving it grease and mark-free.
Wrap Up
Cleaning your coffee maker is super easy, time-friendly, and highly recommendable.
Investing a bit of time for these routines daily, will not only keep your coffee maker “healthy” but your brew perfectly tasty and yourself perfectly safe.