Do You Clean Your Coffee Maker?

Ruthanne

Ruthanne

Caregiver
Location
Midwest
Coffee just hasn't been tasting that good to me recently so I was drinking tea instead. It dawned on me that maybe my coffee maker needs cleaning out.

So, I did what I learned long ago--poured a cup of white vinegar into it along with enough water to fill the pot. Turned it on and cleaned it. Then I ran another pot through it of plain water. I may run one more pot through yet tonight. I also cleaned the plastic basket inside and the other parts that connect. They had coffee "dust" on them.

We'll see what the coffee tastes like next time I make it.

How do you clean your coffee maker?

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Ruthanne said:
Coffee just hasn't been tasting that good to me recently so I was drinking tea instead. It dawned on me that maybe my coffee maker needs cleaning out.

So, I did what I learned long ago--poured a cup of white vinegar into it along with enough water to fill the pot. Turned it on and cleaned it. Then I ran another pot through it of plain water. I may run one more pot through yet tonight. I also cleaned the plastic basket inside and the other parts that connect. They had coffee "dust" on them.

We'll see what the coffee tastes like next time I make it.

How do you clean your coffee maker?

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That's how I clean mine out too Ruthanne. Also wipe the inside of the part that holds the water with paper towels, some pink mold may form there if left alone. After that I give another final rinse by running through plain water again.
 
My coffeemaker (Technivorm Moccamaster) specifically says not to use vinegar to clean it. I use 1 packet of "Dezscal" which is Citric Acid in 32 oz water & run it through, then run fresh water through 3 times. Our water here creates a lot of scale & this procedure completely gets rid of it, along with any coffee residue. I have to do it every 3 times I use the coffeemaker, which is twice/month when I have company.
All other times, I use a pourover.
 
Ken N Tx said:
The same as you..Coffee still does not taste the same..
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My former coffee pot started leaking after the last vinegar cleaning.
After lots of searching I settled on an Oster. The water is really hot but goes through so fast it doesn’t sit on the grounds long enough to extract the flavours. I now use much more bolder coffee and it still doesn’t have that nip that I like.
 
I made a fresh pot of Columbian coffee today after yesterday's cleanings and it tasted pretty good. It's a new bag and coffee for me so I'm not sure it is good because of the cleaning or the new coffee...😅
 
@Ruthanne, I do the same as you do with the vinegar. I run it through a couple of times. Neither one of us could tell the difference after I cleaned it. I do it anyway because I think it helps keep mineral deposits from clogging it up.
Maybe we drink the loosened particles in our morning coffee. Who knows?
 
Before you run the vinegar through, put in a clean filter. You’ll see how junk much comes out.
 
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With this new Oster coffee maker it signals when the machine should be cleaned. Like you, nothing came out. I’ll just pretend to clean it the next time the signal comes on.

We have really hard water. Sometimes it is shocking how much sediment builds up.
 
Jules said:
With this new Oster coffee maker it signals when the machine should be cleaned. Like you, nothing came out. I’ll just pretend to clean it the next time the signal comes on.

We have really hard water. Sometimes it is shocking how much sediment builds up.
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Interesting.
 
Ruthanne said:
Coffee just hasn't been tasting that good to me recently so I was drinking tea instead. It dawned on me that maybe my coffee maker needs cleaning out.

So, I did what I learned long ago--poured a cup of white vinegar into it along with enough water to fill the pot. Turned it on and cleaned it. Then I ran another pot through it of plain water. I may run one more pot through yet tonight. I also cleaned the plastic basket inside and the other parts that connect. They had coffee "dust" on them.

We'll see what the coffee tastes like next time I make it.

How do you clean your coffee maker?

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Click to expand...
Since I got my pace-maker last year I stopped drinking "real" coffee but my wife drinks it so I clean the coffee machine about twice a year in the same way you did but I also clean the plastic parts with soap and water and I scrub the carafe & warming plate with ajax. But of course, there are people who say that leaving it unclean gives coffee that "coffee taste" and cleaning the machine will make the tase too sterile. :)
 
I use fresh spring water to brew my coffee (1 yr old Ninja coffee maker), then rinse out (also with spring water) the part that holds the grounds (and I use a filter) so I don't know when I'll ever need to clean it. I do occasionally use one of those sponges with an abrasive side to clean the glass pot inside with Dawn dish detergent but I rinse it well.

If my clean light comes on then I'll clean it but it hasn't ever come on. If and when I do a full clean where I run a full cycle without coffee grounds maybe I'll use distilled water so there aren't any mineral deposits to build up (?)
 
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