is a matter of life and death and you have a filthy coffee maker. When was the
last time you thoroughly cleaned your coffee maker? Washing the pot is important
but getting the internal components of a coffee maker clean is a task that
shouldn't be skipped. Did you even know that you were supposed to clean it? A
clean coffee maker can be the difference between a good cup of coffee and a
nasty cup of sludge.
A clean coffee maker really makes a big difference in how your coffee tastes.
Left over coffee oils can accumulate inside your coffee maker. Also mineral
deposits can form especially in areas with hard water. These deposits are called
“scale”. There are two kinds of scale, lime scale and mineral scale and you don't
want either one. Scale can affect the heating unit and the water flow of your
coffee maker and reduce it's efficiency. How quickly scale forms depends on the
quality of your drinking water. If you use bottled water to make your coffee,
scale probably won't form as fast but you still have to worry about accumulated
coffee oils. Better to play it safe and clean your coffee maker regularly.
Cleaning your coffee maker is not a hard task to accomplish and in fact it's as
easy as making coffee. All you have to do is pour a pot of half vinegar and half
water into the coffee maker's water reservoir. It goes without saying that white
vinegar should be used. Steer clear of the red wine or apple cider vinegar
varieties. Then just turn on the regular brew cycle. You're kitchen will
probably have a nice salad smell while it's brewing which you may even like. If
you're not a salad fan though, just remember that it's a small price to pay for
a good cup of coffee.
Now rinse the coffee maker out by using only water this time in the water
reservoir and running the brew cycle again. You may have to do this a few more
times if you still smell vinegar.
Another easy way to keep the coffee maker clean is to put a glass marble in the
water chamber. All the mineral deposits that would usually accumulate inside the
coffee maker will instead accumulate on the marble. Every once in a while just
remove the marble, wash it and then place it back in the chamber. How much
easier could that be?
The best solution would be to clean your coffee maker with vinegar monthly while
also using the marble method. Change the marble once a week and you're coffee
maker will be in great shape.
If you have an old coffee maker and you aren't happy with the taste of it's
brew, why not try cleaning it. A clean coffee maker will brew better tasting
coffee.