subject: How To Clean Coffee Makers - A Handy Guide [print this page] How To Clean Coffee Makers - A Handy Guide
Want to continue to enjoy fresh coffee every time you make it with the coffee maker? The key to doing so is keeping your coffee maker clean. Here is a quick and easy guide that will tell you how to clean coffee makers.
1. Clean the carafe.
One item that you can start with is the carafe. This is where the coffee is stored once it goes through the brewing process. It is the glass container with the handle that you use to pour the coffee into your mug.
Since this is where it spends most of it's time after going through the brewing process, it is where the most buildup can occur so you'll need to wash it on a regular basis. No, simply rinsing it out with water before the next brewing will not keep it clean. Coffee can easily stain anything that it is allowed to remain in for a long period of time.
Not only does it stain, but it can affect the taste of any subsequent brewing that are made. Coffee will begin to taste progressively worse if you don't clean the carafe due to grimy buildups that can occur.
You can clean the carafe quickly and easily with a wash rag and dish soap. Be sure to scrub the entire inside, and make sure you completely rinse it out.
2. Clean the filter cup.
Another item that you will want to clean is the coffee filter cup. This is where the filter is stored and where the grounds are placed during the brewing process. This component should also be cleaned on a regular basis.
To clean the coffee filter cup, remove it from the coffee maker and clean it with a wash cloth and dish soap. Be sure to scrub it completely, ensuring that all remaining grounds and coffee buildups are removed. Rinse thoroughly before replacing it in the coffee maker.
3. Clean the water reservoir and water tubes.
Finally, clean the water reservoir and the water tubes that carry the water to the coffee filter cup. Doing so will ensure that there is nothing affecting the taste or cleanliness of the water that ends up going through the grounds and filter.
To clean the reservoir and water tubes, add water to the reservoir as well as a cleaning solution. You can also use vinegar instead of water. Run the coffee maker brewing process as normal several times with the cleaning solution or vinegar, and the run the brewing process with water several times to ensure that all components are completely rinsed and any remaining cleaning solution or vinegar is removed.
