Ever wondered how to clean a coffee maker? No matter what device you are using, the cleaning routine should be performed as follows:
- once a month for light use;
- every two-dozen brewing processes, for hard use.
Usually, a vinegar and water solution seems to work just fine. The cleaning routine also depends on how well the coffee maker has been maintained. If the calcium sediments accumulated hard on the components, you may need proper decalcifying detergents, not to mention purchasing a new coffee maker.
How to clean the drip coffee maker
The drip coffee maker accumulates grounds, grease and other impurities on the parts. Therefore, it needs serious cleaning once a month. The following is the most popular 7 step cleaning method:
- remove the filter from the basket;
- fill the reservoir with a water& vinegar solution (some say two tablespoons are enough, others advice a 1/1 ratio);
- run the coffee maker and turn off at half the brewing process;
- let it rest for 10-15 minutes;
- run the coffee maker again until all the water is passed through;
- run the coffee maker with plain water, for rinsing;
- repeat the rinsing process after 10 minutes.
For a thorough cleaning of the plastic components, some housekeeping experts recommend using baking soda (4 tablespoons per water pot). The calcium deposits on the drip coffee maker components are imminent and their quantity depends on the water hardness. In order to remove them you can use decalcifying substances available on the market.
How to clean a percolator
For proper maintenance, the percolator should be cleaned after every use. Always keep the heating unit away from water or other liquids; that's why cleaning in the dishwasher is not a good idea. To remove the calcium scales, the same solution of water and vinegar/ lemon works best. To get rid of the vinegar smell (or taste), give it a good rinse with plain water.
How to clean a vacuum brewer
On this issue we found that The Coffee Kid offers a very complete cleaning guide. His methods are based on thorough cleaning of every part of the vac brewer, with water and dish-wash soap. You can use a very fine bottle brush to clean the syphon tube. He mentions however that cleaning a vacuum pot is quite a pain, and one of the reasons they were abandoned somewhere on the road of automation, but the good tasting coffee it's worth the effort.