How to Clean a CoffeeMaker
Cleaning a coffeemaker does not require a lot of effort and does not take a long time to do. If you drink a lot of coffee and use your coffeemaker on a day to day basis, then it is important to give it a thorough cleaning once a month.
Before you use your coffeemaker the first time you will need to do a thorough cleaning of it first.
When you start noticing that your coffee has a stale taste to it and the flavor is less intense, this is a sure sign that your coffeemaker is telling you it needs to be cleaned. You may even notice that the coffee itself does not get as hot as usual which is another sign of a needed cleaning.
There are coffeemaker cleaning kits that you can purchase but that is not necessary that you do so when all it takes to clean a coffeemaker is water right from the tap and white vinegar. Vinegar makes an excellent cleaning solution for coffeemakers because of the acid that it contains in it. The acid is what removes all of the mineral deposits that buildup inside the coffeemaker. The vinegar loosens up these mineral deposits and rinses away all of the gunk and residue. The buildup of the mineral deposits is what takes away the full flavor of the coffee.
On a weekly basis do the following cleaning regimen.
Fill the coffee pot with warm soapy water and add three tablespoons of Baking Soda to the soapy water and swirl the water solution around a bit.
Fill the sink with warm soapy water and also add three tablespoons of Baking Soda to this water and then place the lid to the coffee pot down into the soapy solution as well as the filter basket. Let them both soak in the soapy water while the coffeemaker gets its cleaning. Then rinse everything off well and let air dry or you can use a soft cloth to dry them with.
If the coffee pot itself has a lot of brown coffee stains on the inside of it you can use a small soft brush to scrub away the stains. This works very well to remove the stains from inside the coffee pot.
You will need to clean the outside of the coffeemaker as well. Using a soft cloth, wet the cloth with warm soapy water and wipe down the outside and do not forget about the hot plate that the coffee pot sits on at the bottom of the coffeemaker.
The coffee pot and the lid and the filter basket are all usually dishwasher safe but I have found that by letting them soak in warm soapy water and adding baking soda works much better and does a much better job on cleaning them than a dishwasher does. Dishwashers cannot do any scrubbing away of any of the gunk and stains that have built up. That is why I prefer the soaking method instead.
On a monthly basis do the following cleaning regimen.
Mix one part white vinegar to two parts water. If you do not have any vinegar handy you can use one part Baking Soda to three parts warm water instead.
Place a fresh filter into the filter basket. Pour in the cleaning solution directly into the water reservoir where you would normally pour the water for brewing coffee. Turn the coffeemaker on and let it run its normal time. After it is finished then turn the coffeemaker off and allow the solution to sit inside for ten to fifteen minutes. Then pour out the cleaning solution and then repeat this same procedure once more using fresh water and fresh vinegar solution.
Let the coffeemaker run its normal cycle again and once it has been completed allow this solution to set another ten to fifteen minutes. Then pour out the water and vinegar solution and hen refill the water reservoir with plain tap water and run the cycle again as usual. Pour out the water when the coffeemaker cycle is over and continue this rinsing out process until you can longer smell the vinegar. When you do use your coffeemaker again after the cleaning and you do taste vinegar this means that the coffeemaker was not rinsed out thoroughly enough.
If you do not remember to clean your coffeemaker every month and it has been several months or longer since you did clean it, then it is a great idea to use a stronger cleaning solution. You will need to mix half water to half vinegar which will give you a deeper cleaning since it has been a while that the last one was done.
By keeping you coffeemaker clean inside as well as on the outside you will be enjoying fresh tasting coffee everyday. You will be amazed and delighted at how much more intense the flavor of your coffee is.
