How To Clean a Coffee Maker with Vinegar
When the coffee you brew starts to taste bitter and funky, it’s time to give your coffee machine a little extra love. A simple cleaning will help maintain freshness, remove hard water spots from the carafe, and prevent staining. It will also remove mineral deposit buildup and clean out the coffee oils that get left behind and turn rancid. The best news? It’s easy to do and you probably have everything needed to freshen up your machine at home! An easy, effective method for cleaning your coffee maker only requires white vinegar.
I was reminded of this the other day when my coffee-guzzling husband noticed that his morning brew tasted stale. I made my way over to our machine to check out its condition. When my husband pronounced that his coffee tasted like a foot, I asked him when he last cleaned the machine. The response was an unintelligible mumble while avoiding eye contact. I took that as a bad sign.
I could see the hard water buildup in the carafe and some mineral deposits on the inside of the machine (not to mention its outward appearance lacking shine). So I took it upon myself to be his coffee hero. I can fix this, I bragged to myself. Pass me some vinegar, it’s time to get serious.
How to Clean a Coffee Maker with Vinegar
- Empty the carafe and grounds: Empty and rinse the carafe and dump out any coffee grounds left in the filter.
- Make your cleaning solution: You’ll want one part water to one part vinegar.
- Pour the solution into the water chamber: Fill the water chamber to its full capacity with equal parts white vinegar and water. I used the carafe to measure equal parts of each.
- Run a half brew cycle: Start a brew cycle. Midway through the brew cycle, turn off the coffee maker and let it sit for an hour.
- Finish the brew cycle: After an hour, turn on the coffee maker and let the brew cycle finish.
- Discard the vinegar-water solution and run a fresh water cycle: After the brew cycle has completed, pour out the vinegar-water solution and fill the water chamber with fresh water (no vinegar). Run a whole new brew cycle just with the water. Repeat two more times, allowing your coffee maker to cool slightly between brews.
- Wipe down your coffee maker: Wipe down the exterior of your coffee maker, and wash the carafe and filter basket in hot, soapy water. Reassemble and make coffee that tastes fresher than ever.
How Often Should You Clean Your Coffee Maker?
It depends on how much minerality your water has, but specialty-coffee professional Ever Meister suggests a biannual cleaning at minimum. If you drink lots of coffee, once a quarter might be more appropriate. As soon as you notice a white film on any of your equipment, it’s time to descale. Some coffee manufacturers even recommend descaling after you’ve gone through an entire pack of filters (which is usually 100 per box).
How to Clean Your Coffee Maker with Vinegar
What You’ll Need
- Water
- White vinegar
- Hot soapy water
- Sponge
- Damp dish towel
- Dry dish towel
- Empty the carafe and grounds: Empty and rinse the carafe and dump out any coffee grounds left in the filter.
2. Make your cleaning solution: You’ll want one part water to one part vinegar.
3. Pour the solution into the water chamber: Fill the water chamber to its full capacity with equal parts white vinegar and water. I used the carafe to measure equal parts of each.
4. Run a half brew cycle: Start a brew cycle. Midway through the brew cycle, turn off the coffee maker and let it sit for an hour.
5. Finish the brew cycle: After an hour, turn on the coffee maker and let the brew cycle finish.
6. Discard the vinegar-water solution and run a fresh water cycle: After the brew cycle has completed, pour out the vinegar-water solution and fill the water chamber with fresh water (no vinegar). Run a whole new brew cycle just with the water. Repeat two more times, allowing your coffee maker to cool slightly between brews.
7. Wipe down your coffee maker: Wipe down the exterior of your coffee maker, and wash the carafe and filter basket in hot, soapy water. Reassemble and make coffee that tastes fresher than ever!