How To: Clean Your Coffee Pot
For many of us, our coffee makers tend to get a lot of use, however, over time mineral deposits and bacteria begins to accumulate which can affect the overall taste of your coffee.
The good news is, cleaning your coffee pot is easier than you may think and it doesn't take much to get the job done.
Cleaning a Regular Coffee Maker
What you need:
Warm, soapy water
Clean cloth
Distilled White Vinegar
Clean drying towel
Steps:
Start by emptying and leftover coffee out of the carafe and rinse it out. Remove the filter and all the coffee grounds.
Next, fill the reservoir halfway with white vinegar then fill the rest of the reservoir all the way up with water.
Run a partial brewing cycle and about halfway through, stop the cycle and allow the machine to sit for an hour. Doing this allows the coffee pot to soak and the built-up residue on the inside of the pot softens.
After an hour, turn the coffee pot back on and allow the cycle to finish.
Empty the coffee pot and fill the water reservoir to the max fill line.
Run a full brewing cycle with just water and nothing else.
Repeat this process 2 times to ensure all the vinegar is rinsed from the machine.
Once the coffee pot has cooled, take some time to clean the outside of the machine, wiping down all the parts with a damp cloth.
Wash the pot and filter basket in hot soapy water, then dry.
After all the pieces are dry, it's time to reassemble your coffee maker.
Additional Tips:
Allowing the coffee pot to cool between each cycle will help you determine if you've rinsed all the vinegar from the machine.
Frequently clean your coffee pot and empty it of coffee after each use to prevent staining.
Keep the lid of your coffee pot open to allow the machine to dry out between uses. This helps cut back on unwanted odor.
Cleaning a Keurig Coffee Machine
Over the last few years, Keurig Coffee Makers have increased in popularity and now, for most, they've become a staple in their home. There are a few recommended ways to clean your Keurig Coffee Maker in order to prevent clogs from forming and to improve the overall quality of your Cup of Joe.
Keurig recommends using the Keurig Descaling Solution to break down build-up and clean your machine, however, there are other ways to clean your Keurig using natural house hold products.
What you need:
Warm, soapy water
Clean cloth
Distilled White Vinegar
Clean drying towel
Steps:
For safety reasons, start by unplugging your Keurig.
Next, take apart all of the removable parts such as the water reservoir and lid, mug stand, and the K-cup holder. Wash these pieces in warm, soapy water then dry.
Using a clean, damp cloth wipe the outside surface of the machine making sure to include the areas around the coffee pod holder where coffee granulets tend to collect.
Return all of the removable parts, then plug your Keurig back in.
Using white distilled vinegar, fill the water reservoir halfway with vinegar then the rest of the way with water. This helps to descale the machine, removing lime and scale build-up and extending the life of your coffee maker.
Start the brewing cycle without inserting a K-cup. Repeat this process until the reservoir is empty, discarding the contents of the mug after each brewing cycle.
Once the water reservoir is empty, refill it with just water.
Continue brewing without a K-cup until all of the water is emptied from the reservoir.
Replace all of the pieces and let your Keurig air dry.
Additional Tips:
Help keep your Keurig from accruing build-up by hand washing the removable pieces weekly.
Keurig recommends descaling your machine every 3 to 6 months depending on use and water source. If you have hard water it is necessary to descale your machine more frequently to avoid lime build up.
According to the Keurig website they don't recommend the use of softened water or distilled water in their machines, rather they suggest using bottled or spring water.