Do you have a clean coffee maker?

Worried about how to maintain a clean coffee maker? Using your coffee maker is a joy, and probably something you do everyday… But after a while you notice that you just don't seem to be able to make the best tasting coffee any more? What’s wrong? 

Simply put, your home or office coffee maker needs proper cleaning. This article looks at cleaning three popular methods of making coffee and explains how to keep your clean coffee maker up to scratch! You can also check out the coffee machine cleaning products for yourself.

First Use: Don't forget!

Putting your coffee maker together is common sense, for the most part. But before you use it for the first time, you may need to put just water through the machine several cycles, to clean the machine and check that everything is working.

Don't reuse the water for anything as the machine may be a little dusty. You could even use some cheap coffee to brew once or twice, and throw it on your plants!

If this is the first time you’ve used your coffee machine, then it is really important to have a clean coffee maker!

However, even after a while you have to have a clean coffee maker, cleaning really is still necessary. But, depending on the type of coffee machine you purchase, you will need to look at several different ways to clean the equipment.

Type 1: French press

When you use a french press, this is the single simplest way to have a clean coffee maker. You simply pull out the plunger, and empty the contents. While many french presses are dishwasher safe, I always hesitate to put them in the dishwasher or rumble them in the sink. The glass is relatively strong, but sharp knocks will easily break pieces off!

So I always rinse the jug lightly in cold water to clean out the coffee grounds, then if the glass is still dirty, I’ll use a wine glass scrubber to clean the glass inside. Never use too much force, or you will find that the glass can be broken! Gently, gently. Don’t forget to rinse the plunger thoroughly, too.

Perhaps it’s my lazy tendency, or my fear of breaking yet another french press, but I never dry it manually. I always put it upside down on the drainer, and let it dry naturally! If you have a busy kitchen, this may not be a good idea!

Want a clean coffee maker in a hurry?

If you don't have time to clean it after use, simply rinse the pot out. Leaving coffee IN the pot for several days will only allow bacteria to grow, or even mould. Both of these are unpleasant and potentially unhealthy! Just plan ahead a little!

Type 2: Drip Coffee Maker

When you’re finished with your drip coffee maker, simply rinse the jug out using the same caution as you would a french press. You should also empty the plastic filter cone, and either rinse out the gold coffee filter or throw away the paper filter and contents. Don't leave grounds in the basket for days as it will encourage mould to grow and put nasty stains on your coffee machine. It may even affect the flavor of your future brews.

Wiping the unit down will help keep a clean coffee maker – just use a damp cloth. Never do this while the machine is plugged in or turned on, in case you electrocute yourself.

The filtering can be messy, so the drip unit at the top, the basket, the filter unit, and the hot plate will all need cleaning, too. Clean off the grounds and the stains after use, and you will find you brew a better cup more often!

If you spill coffee on the hotplate, don't scrub the non-stick surface or you will find that the jug starts to stick to the surface, making it harder to remove and perhaps causing more spilling or accidents. The scrubbing action will remove the non-stick surface.

The used grounds can be dried and used for ashtrays to absorb the bad smells, and some friends have recommended using the grounds in their refrigerators for the same reason.

It's a good idea to run through the entire coffee brewing process every few weeks using vinegar instead of water to get rid of excess deposits. A clean pot keeps the coffee flavor pure and fresh. After the vinegar cycle, run fresh water alone through the system, and you'll be ready to go!

The Gold Filter

If you recycle, you could compost the grounds, too. One of the advantages of using a gold filter in your machine! Lightly rinse your gold filter, do not press the sides or scrub as both of these actions will tear or break your filter surface.

Cleaning Tips

Maria Cleaveland of Equator Estate Coffees & Teas offers some practical tips on how to clean your coffee maker in this video.

Type 3: Cleaning Your Moka Pot

If you need to clean your moka pot, you should really only do this once the unit has cooled to allow handling.

Remove the top unit, and the rest of the unit: the coffee tray, cone unit, and filter should all just fall out easily. Be careful in case there is still some remaining hot water at the bottom. I think the best way is to remove the top filter by hand, then tip any remaining hot water out into the sink.

Run the entire unit through cold water to remove the grounds, and you're pretty much done. So it's really not difficult to do. However, because the flavor of coffee depends on the oils extracted by the heated water, those oils cling to everything they touch. So it's important to keep your Moka Pot clean. The buildup of oils can make the espresso coffee taste bitter and otherwise affect the taste of the coffee.

Type 4: Cleaning Your Espresso Makers

Keep the espresso makers clean! Otherwise you will find the coffee flavor does deteriorate over time! That can be the most difficult coffee maker of all, especially if you have some of the fancier espresso machines to clean. So refer to the manufacturer's instruction book or pdf to find out the particulars for your machine.

Coffee Maker Cleaning Products

If you don't fancy using some vinegar/water based concoctions, you can still buy commercial alternatives such as those at the following link: coffee machine cleaning products.

If you have any thoughts on how to clean coffee makers effectively, I'd love to hear from you. Drop me a line via the contact form!

And finally...

Wherever you are, remember "Only Coffee Beans Make Great Coffee"! And enjoy that cup of coffee!

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