How to Clean your Coffee Maker

17th January 2023

Nothing beats a nice, hot cup of coffee in the morning. It’s all thanks to your trusty coffee maker that you can continuously make coffee every morning with no hassle. It’s time to return the love to your coffee maker by giving it a clean.

Like many household appliances, coffee makers are often overlooked and not cleaned as much as they should be. However, with all the mineral buildup and coffee residue that builds up in these machines, it’s essential that you clean your coffee maker regularly. Not only is it harmful and perhaps unhygienic, but it also reduces the taste of your coffee. Nothing ruins a morning like a bad cup of coffee.

To avoid the worst, you should clean your coffee maker and here’s how to do it.

Clean the Removable Parts

There are many important components within a coffee machine, so you need to make sure each item is getting a thorough clean. Some of these parts need to get cleaned more often than others.

You should begin by removing the coffee basket and emptying out any leftover coffee grounds. You should also remove the coffee pot and wash it in soapy water. You can let these removable parts soak in water while you get to work on washing the rest of your coffee maker.

Decalcifying and Cleaning Filter Coffee Machines

Hard water is usually the cause of mineral buildup; white vinegar is the best way to combat this. Yep, you heard that right. White vinegar is a coffee maker’s best friend. Here’s how to clean your coffee with vinegar:

• Use one sachet of RenegIte in 0.6 Ltr of luke warm water; pour this solution into the glass decanter.
• Put a paper filter in the machine’s empty basket.
• Press the brew button after the descaler solution has been placed in the machine. To stop the coffee maker from finishing the cycle, keep an eye on it as it brews. Turn off the coffee maker at the halfway point of the brewing process.
• After turning it off, let the solution sit for 30 minutes. This provides time for any remaining oil and mineral buildup to be cleaned by the descaler solution.
• Restart the coffee maker and give it a chance to brew the remaining solution. Remove all of the vinegar and water from the coffee pot after the brew cycle is finished.
• Rinse everything well by running two pots of fresh water through the machine.

Once you follow these exact steps, your coffee maker will be thoroughly decalcified.

Top tip: to avoid excess mineral buildup, use soft water instead of hard water. Hard water is high in minerals which lead to buildup. Soft water is free of calcium and magnesium, which makes it easier to wash your coffee machine in the long run. You might also see a better taste in your coffee as well!

Time to Clean your Coffee Maker

In order to avoid a massive cleaning session, you should aim to wash different parts of your coffee maker consistently. Your coffee pot should be washed every day since it faces the brunt of coffee making. So, in order to avoid coffee residue and oil, be sure to clean it daily.

As for your coffee maker (this includes Keurig coffee makers), make sure you clean it after use and descale monthly. Once your coffee machine is completely cleaned, you will be able to enjoy great-tasting and satisfying coffee.

For more coffee tips, be sure to check out our blogs here at John Street Beverage.

< BACK TO BLOG