How to Clean a Coffee Maker Because It Is Probably Dirty
Cleaning your coffee maker may be the last on your general cleaning list. After all, the only thing going through it is ground coffee, but hard water deposits and coffee oil can actually affect the mechanics of your coffee machine and change the taste of your coffee.
You should clean your coffee maker at least once every three months, but there are a few things to keep in mind, such as how soap can contaminate your coffee and that vending machines use special cleaning tools. Here’s how to keep your Classic Percolator, Keurig or French Press clean and functional.
How to clean a percolator
Instead of soap (which can turn your drink into coffee for dish soap), use vinegar to break down deposits. For percolators, add equal parts white vinegar and water to the reserve, turn on the coffee maker as you would in a regular coffee pot (but without a filter), and let the solution sit in the pot for a few minutes before rinsing thoroughly.
You shouldn’t try vinegar in your next cup of coffee, but if you’re concerned, fill in the remaining water with plain water and run the machine through another brewing cycle. Right after that, you should be ready for a new pot.
Pod coffee makers
Machines that include a capsule setting for one or two coffees include Keurig, Nespresso, Senseo and other brands. Cleaning is not entirely intuitive, however, as the machine simply pierces the capsule and siphons hot water through it, but the small piece that pierces the capsule can actually get very dirty and needs to be cleaned.
Clean the coffee needle
Make sure the coffee maker is unplugged before cleaning. Remove the capsule bag holder from the machine and press the release buttons to remove the holder from the body where you will find the coffee needle. There must be some kind of lever that needs to be pressed to expose the needle at the other end. Once you go inside, take a paperclip and unfold one end so it looks straight and scrape around the needle to remove any coffee grounds clogging that area.
You can also use a needle cleaning tool if you’re worried about using a paper clip, but the old paper clip in your trash bin is free and works well enough. When you’re done, simply rinse the body parts and reassemble the coffee maker. You can watch the Keurig cleaning video for detailed instructions on locating and cleaning the coffee needle.
Descale the coffee maker
You will also want to clean the coffee machine from scale – it will help remove the accumulated hard water and take care of other congestion associated with coffee. As with cleaning the percolator, you will need equal parts water and white vinegar.
Refill the water supply with the solution and run without a coffee capsule, draining each cup of water as you continue. (If you have a machine that will not work without a capsule inserted, thoroughly clean the used capsule.) Turn off the device when the reserve is half empty. For best results, let the solution sit overnight. Then turn on the machine in the morning to finish the job. Do this until the reservoir is empty, pouring out each cup you make. When the reserve is empty, refill it with water only to rinse off any remaining vinegar.
How to clean a French press
To clear french-press, you will need a small brush (it can be a brush for bottles or similar tool ), mesh filter to collect the loose coffee grounds, which may fall into the sink, and baking soda.
First remove the plunger of the French press and fill the press with warm water. Swipe the water to rinse off the coffee grounds, and use a small cleaning brush to clean the inside of the coffee maker. You can use soap if you like, but remember to rinse it several times so you don’t taste the soap in your next cup of coffee.
In addition to (or instead of) the soap, sprinkle baking soda and a little water on the press. Use just enough water to wipe off the baking soda and penetrate into small corners, then rinse. Rinse the plunger and scrub with a cloth to remove any stuck coffee grounds (again, no soap required), wipe it all off with a cloth and you are ready for the next preparation.