How To Clean Coffee Machine/Maker – Best Ways & Cleaning Solutions

A few days ago, I brewed coffee in my home coffee machine, and it tasted too bitter.

More precisely, it seemed like I sipped old funky coffee. It changed my mood entirely, and I spent the rest of the day figuring out what’s wrong with the coffee maker.

Well, it was nothing wrong. The coffee pot just needed a little cleaning and maintenance. In other words, it required affection and love to work correctly.

So, I thoroughly cleaned it by using some easy DIY hacks.

Plus, I also decided to share these cleaning methods with you guys. This way, you could also enjoy the same freshness and natural taste using the home coffee machine.

Long story short, let us answer, “How to clean a Coffee Machine?” with some easy DIY cleaning methods:

Easy Coffee Machine Cleaning Methods:

Coffee machine, if left uncleaned, could cause a lot of problems. Some of them include bitterness in taste, oil and minerals buildup, and a foul smell.

To counter all these issues, it’s necessary that you clean your machine every once in a while.

To do so, you’ll require certain tools (easily available in a kitchen) for cleaning the coffee maker effectively.

Let us have a look at them:

Tools You’ll Require for Cleaning:

• A coffee machine. (That’s a must! Hehe!)
• Coffee Filter
• Warm water
• Distilled white vinegar (Or Simple Vinegar) 
• Baking Soda
• Lemon Juice and
• Lemon Dish Soap. 

Let us now get down to the first DIY method of cleaning a coffee machine via vinegar:

How to Clean A Coffee Pot with Vinegar?

Follow the instructions mentioned below:

Step 1: Mixing Vinegar and Water:

First things first, mix half cup white vinegar with half cup warm water in a bowl.

The ratio of vinegar could be increased if you think that the buildup is more than expected.

Fill the reservoir of your coffee machine with vinegar-water solution and let it settle for a few minutes.

Why vinegar? For starters: Vinegar works as a germ remover. Besides, it’s a perfect solvent and absorbs most of the gunk and mineral buildup at the same time.

Step 2: Brewing and Soaking:

Secondly, place the filter basket at the right position and start brewing instantly.

Halfway through, unplug your coffee maker and allow half solution to settle in the reservoir while the other half to settle inside the brewing jug.

Wait for 30 to 60 minutes depending upon the stubbornness of stains. As per my suggestion, you should wait for at least an hour to ensure proper cleaning.

Step 3: Finish the Cleaning Cycle:

After 60 minutes, turn on the coffee machine and allow it to complete the brewing cycle.

Remove the paper filter and empty both the machine and carafe from vinegar + gunk mixture.

Now, that’s not enough. You have to make sure that the coffee maker doesn’t smell like vinegar.

For that, fill water reservoir with clean and warm water. Place the filter basket again and turn on the brewer.

Allow the cycle to complete. After that, empty the water reservoir and carafe.

Repeat the brewing cycle again until there’s no smell remaining.

Step 4: Cleaning the Machine:

Last but not least, wipe down the coffee maker and its pot with a clean cloth.

Leave it for a while to dry completely.

Ta-da! You could now enjoy freshly brewed coffee with delicious natural taste using the same coffee machine.

Want to avoid using vinegar because of its smell?

It’s possible to remove gunk and mineral buildup from a coffee machine without using vinegar.

Take a look:

Cleaning A Coffee Maker Without Vinegar?

Here are some methods that I’ve found effective in cleaning a coffee machine without using vinegar:

Using the Descaling Solution:

Descaling solution is easily available at nearby stores.

Use it instead of water to thoroughly remove stubborn buildup and stains from the machine’s reservoir and carafe.

Rinse it with hot water and let it dry afterward.

Using Lemon Juice and Lemon Dish Soap:

Lemon juice is a perfect alternative to white vinegar as it has acidic properties.

Besides, it can also absorb gunk and mineral buildup without any hassle.

Moreover, lemon juice has a neutral smell and its aroma is quite natural.

• Using Lemon Juice:

Extract half cup of lemon juice into a bowl and mix it with water.

Pour it into the water reservoir and let it settle for 2 to 3 minutes.

Turn on the brewer and let the solution brew into carafe.

Run two to three cycles of brewing with clean water afterward and BINGO, you’ll clean the coffee maker thoroughly.

• Using Lemon Dish Soap:

I’ve used Lemon dish soap to clean the removable components of coffee maker and it yielded perfect results.

Simply remove all detachable parts of the machine and hand wash them using a sponge and lemon dish soap.

Rinse the parts with warm water and let them air dry.

Reassemble the parts and enjoy freshly brewed coffee every day without any hassle.

• Cleaning the Carafe Without Vinegar:

You could use the salt + ice water solution to remove grime and gunk off carafe easily.

Here’s how to prepare the solution:

Crush ice with a blender or a food processor.

Throw it halfway through the carafe. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of salt to the crushed ice and let it convert into liquid.

You could also use cloth or a large spoon to stir the crushed ice and salt for quick melting.

The solution will start absorbing gunk and mineral buildup of carafe and will change its color.

Keep the solution in carafe for a while and then flush it in the sink.

Yet again, rinse the carafe thoroughly with warm water and turn it upside down for quick drying.

Best Way To Clean Your Coffee Maker with Baking Soda?

Another method of cleaning a coffee machine without vinegar involves baking soda.

Let me remind you that baking soda is one of the most common products used for cleaning kitchen appliances.

That said, let us have a look at cleaning a coffee machine with it:

First of all, take a bowl and mix a cup of baking soda with half cup of water. Stir it for at least a minute.

Fill the coffee machine’s reservoir with baking soda solution and turn on the brewing cycle.

Flush the entire solution and then rinse the system with hot water.

You’ll be able to remove most of the grime and buildup this way.

Now that we are done with the basic cleaning (involving vinegar/baking soda/lemon juice) let us focus on how to clean a coffee machine filter below:

How to Clean Coffee Maker’s Filter?

If the filter isn’t clean enough, it will slow down the brewing process. Not only that, but it could also change the overall taste of coffee if not cleaned properly.

Hence, one needs to focus on cleaning the filter of a coffee machine thoroughly.

So, the whole cleaning process is as follows:

Make a solution of distilled white vinegar and water in a bowl with a 1:2 formula of distilled vinegar to water.

Soak filter in it and let it be there for a few hours.

Soaking at midnight could yield better results though.

Take out the filter and scrub it with a sponge or a used toothbrush using liquid dish soap.

Rinse it thoroughly with clean water and put it back to enjoy a daily dose of fresh coffee.

That’s how you could clean a coffee machine’s filter without much effort.

How Often It Should Be Cleaned?

It’s recommended that you clean your coffee machine after every use.

That’s because a coffee maker, if not cleaned daily could end up with stubborn mineral buildup that could harm the internal parts.

Moreover, the taste worsens when you don’t clean the brewing basket, reservoir, and carafe on daily basis.

So, to avoid the residue, germs, bacteria, and bad taste, you should clean your coffee maker daily.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What is the best way to clean a coffee maker?

The best way is to use white vinegar and water solution and run brewing cycles until the whole buildup gets removed. That’s the technique I’ve been following since 2018 and it has never disappointed me.

2. How do you clean a 4 cup coffee maker?

Cleaning a 4 cup coffee maker is no different than cleaning a normal coffee machine. Just increase the quantity of white vinegar from one cup to 4 cups and add it to this reservoir. Repeat the brewing process with vinegar and then with hot water. Rinse the coffee machine and let it dry.

3. How do I clean my coffee maker without vinegar?

You could use lemon juice instead of vinegar to get almost same cleaning results. Besides, the removable parts could be cleaned with liquid lemon dish soap via hand washing. Last but not the least, use baking soda instead of vinegar and brew the coffee machine for removing grime and gunk instantly. These are some of the methods you could implement instead of using vinegar.

Summing It Up:

I think that’s enough for today. Follow all the cleaning instructions thoroughly. Plus, don’t forget to read the user manual before disassembling the coffee machine parts.

You could also mention your secret tips for cleaning a coffee maker in the comment box mentioned below.

I’ll update this article accordingly!

Enjoy freshly brewed Coffee with a well-maintained coffee machine!