When cleaning the kitchen, it’s easy to overlook countertop appliances. Yes, you give them a glance and everything looks shiny from the outside, but it’s inside the machines that the problems can arise.
The hot, humid and dark interior of coffee machines can become a haven for mold, yeast and bacteria, which then creep into the pipes and into your cup of coffee. The heat can destroy some of the harmful stuff, but that’s not the kind of added flavoring you want wafting through your morning brew.
There is also the problem of limescale, which can accumulate inside the machine and affect both its operation and the taste of the drink. (Some coffee makers, like the Sage Bambino, have a removable filter in their reservoir, which helps. But you’ll still need to clean it.)
Therefore, if you have a coffee maker at home, you need to clean it regularly.
If you use your coffee maker every day, a good cleaning every two weeks would be ideal. On the other hand, if that seems unrealistic, once a month should actually be enough. Set a recurring reminder on your phone and access it.
But if you can’t take the machine apart and see what’s going on inside, how can you clean it effectively?
Fortunately, there is a very simple solution. The problems start in the water tank, so that’s where you need to start.
Do this every week:
- At least once a week, remove the water reservoir from your coffee maker. Clean it inside and out with warm soapy water. Rinse it and dry it well before putting it back in the coffee maker. (Okay, yes, it involved a bit of cleanup, but not much.)
- If you have a bean-to-cup coffee maker, be sure to empty the grounds container regularly, even if you don’t use it often. Used coffee grounds behave like food, and like food left in a container for a long time at room temperature, it will quickly become covered in mold. Clean the container with hot soapy water and dry it before putting it back in the machine.
- If you have an espresso machine, remove the portafilter basket and clean them both. Clean the dispense head. Run hot water or steam through the steam wand, clean it out, and if it looks clogged, use a toothpick to clear the channel.
- If you have a pod coffee maker, clean the cartridge head.
Every two weeks/monthly
- Clean the water tank as above and fill it two-thirds full with a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water.
- Then operate the coffee maker as usual, but obviously do not add any coffee. But place a cup under the spout to catch the vinegar concoction.
Continue to run the machine until most of the vinegar and water mixture has gone through. - Then leave the machine alone for an hour for the vinegar to work inside.
- When you return, empty and clean the tank with warm soapy water. Then rinse it out and fill it with clean water.
- Start the machine (again, with a glass under the tap). Keep doing this until all the clean water has gone through. Whatever you do, don’t forget this step and don’t forget to tell other members of your household not to use the coffee maker while cleaning or they expect the worst of tomorrow.
- Fill the reservoir and you’re ready to brew a drip-free coffee.
It is an effective way to clean any type of coffee machine or machine: capsule, ground, drip coffee or coffee beans.
If your coffee maker is on its last legs and you’re considering buying a new one, check out our roundup of the best coffee makers we’ve tested.
Original article published in English on our sister site TechAdvisor UK.
