Here’s A Step-by-Step Guide On How Best To Clean Your Coffee Maker

Cleaning your coffee maker is essential to increase its longevity and give your brew a better, fresher taste — coffee buildup could cause not only your coffee to be bitter, but something worse like yeast or mold hiding in the container could cause health issues for you. So following a proper cleaning routine would help you increase the machine's life but could be of health benefits to you. So, here are the steps you should follow in cleaning your coffee maker with water and vinegar.

For people who use the coffee maker daily, it is advisable to clean the appliance at least once a month, and for those who use the coffee maker occasionally, cleaning is advised every three to six months. Apart from this, once buildup is noticed, cleaning should be done.

You'll need:

To clean your coffee maker, you need the coffee maker, of course, then you'd need;

• white distilled vinegar
• water
• coffee filters
• paper filters
• cleaning cloth

Method

Step 1: Beginning the cleaning of your coffee maker by filling the reservoir with an equal quantity of water and the white distilled vinegar — you should increase the quantity of the vinegar if the buildup is very messy — apart from sanitizing the coffee maker, the vinegar also dissolves the accumulated mineral deposits.

Step 2: Next up, place the coffee filter in the basket and turn on the brewer. When the brewing is halfway done, turn off the coffee maker and let the leftover vinegar solution soak the reservoir and carafe for 30 minutes to one hour, depending on how much coffee buildup has to be removed.

Step 3: After allowing the leftover vinegar to work, turn back on the coffee maker to finish the cycle of brewing, then toss the paper filter away and pour the vinegar solution out.

Step 4: This last step helps you remove the taste and scent of vinegar from your coffee maker by filling the coffee reservoir with fresh water, then placing the coffee filter in the basket, turning on the coffee maker, and brewing to completion.

After this cycle, remove the filter, turn out the water and repeat the step for the second time. When the second cycle is done, wipe your coffee pot and maker with a clean cloth.

Signs That Your Coffee Maker Is Overdue For Cleaning

Your coffee maker may not be just as clean as you think. According to a study by NSF International, an independent public health organization, coffee makers are ranked 5th place in bacterial growth in the home, with half the tested containers containing built-up mold and yeast. These can cause infections and allergic reactions and can cause illness from coffee makers without proper cleaning.

Most of the dirty coffee maker warning signs are obvious — the mineral deposits and the oily sludge feel eventually accumulate in coffee makers and pots, causing stains, producing bitter coffee, and making the brewing process sticky, But bacteria and germs that you can't see can be more of a problem.