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How to Clean Your Coffee Maker

To keep a good taste of your coffee, your coffee maker has to be cleaned regularly. But, not many people know how to clean their coffee maker. They may swish out the pot after use or at least change the filter, but this does not really clean the important parts of the whole machine. To really get a deep clean you need to get inside the coffee maker and flush it out.

Don't worry; to clean a coffee maker is much easier than you might think. However, it depends on the type of the coffee maker. Look in your coffee maker manual how to do this properly.

In brief, there are two things that need to be cleaned. First here are remains of the old coffee oils and the second is lime deposits from the water.

I suggest not using any soapy cleaners! When soap goes up against stubbornly oil-encrusted coffee equipment, the coffee oils win and you end up with a soap film on top of your old rancid coffee oils. And this is not good.

Many people prefer to use vinegar, rather than soap.

Or you can use citric acid, which will do a better job than vinegar since you can make a stronger acid if you want, and it has no odor.

Or you can use cleaning non-toxic chemical product like Urnex Cleancaf (or some others).

Clean your coffee maker and you will notice a definite difference in your next pot of coffee!

We recommend you clean the water tank and change the water daily.
Clean the ground coffee doser daily.
Use the supplied brush to clean the doser
To clean the appliance, use a soft cloth dampened with water.

Warnings:
!!! To avoid serious injury and electrical shock, it is important to turn off and unplug your coffee maker and allow it to thoroughly cool before cleaning.
!!! Do not immerse the appliance in water and do not wash the parts in the dishwasher.
!!! Do not use abrasives or aggressive chemicals (solvents) for cleaning.
!!! Do not dry the machine and/or any of its parts using a microwave and/or conventional
oven.

Cleaning Coffee Makers with Vinegar (or citric acid)

The drip coffee maker

1. Pour mixture of about 2 parts water for one part of vinegar into your coffee maker water tank. If coffee maker is very dirty use mix with 1/1 ratio. If you don’t have vinegar, you can use citric acid or lemon juice. (Don’t add any coffee!!!)
2. Put the pot back in the housing compartment.
3. Install a filter as if you were about to brew a pot of coffee.
4. Switch on the coffee maker and allow for the entire brew cycle to be completely. If your coffee maker has a “clean” setting use that. Vinegar mixture will circulate through coffee maker for a thorough rinsing of the inside components.
5. After the cycle is fully completed and the solution is back into the pot, let it set for half an hour, allowing for both the pot to cool and the solution to clean the pot.
6. Pour out the vinegar and water mix.
7. Through away used paper filter.
8. Fill up your coffee maker water thank with clean water.
9. Start the brew cycle again but this time without filter.

This should remove any left over vinegar. If you can smell any hint of vinegar from your machine, you can repeat the rinse cycle as necessary until the smell is gone.

Do this cleaning process every month once a month for light use or after twenty brewing processes, for hard use.

The percolator

On chrome-plated and stainless steel pots, use commercial coffeepot cleaner to remove stubborn stains.

Clean the percolator after every use. Keep the heating unit away from water or other liquids. Don't clean percolator in the dishwasher. To remove the calcium scales, the same solution of water and vinegar/lemon works best. To palm of the vinegar smell, rinse thoroughly with plain water.

The vacuum brewer

Clean thoroughly every part of the vacuum brewer with water and vinegar mixture. Use a very fine bottlebrush to clean the bowl. Be careful not to break glass bowls while you are cleaning them. Dry it well and assemble the unit. After cleaning vacuum pot, the glass will shine nicely.

Don’t Forget the Outside!

Wipe down the outside of your coffeemaker as well! Don’t forget to wipe down the part where the coffee drips out of the machine into the pot. The filter basket and glass carafe need regular cleaning as well. Lime deposits can form on the inside of your carafe. Use any good surface cleaner to clean the outside of the pot. The ice and salt will also clean the burner. If your coffee maker is white and there are coffees stains that would not come off with your regular cleaner, one drop of bleach on a sponge will take it off. Rinse it well.

How to clean electric espresso maker

Caution! Never use vinegar to with electric espresso maker!

Here are instructions for cleaning electric espresso maker. Your model can be different, but you will get the picture how to clean a home espresso coffee maker. For exact instructions on how to clean your espresso machine, check your manual!

1.    Switch off the espresso maker by pressing the ON/OFF switch to the OFF position.
2.    Remove the plug from the wall outlet.
3.    Open the access door. Remove the drip tray and the coffee grounds drawer.
4.    Remove the coffee dispenser by holding it by its handle and pressing the “PUSH” button.
5.    Make sure that the two steel filters are free from any coffee residues. The top filter can
be removed by unscrewing the plastic pin counter clockwise using the specific supplied
key.
6. Wash the coffee dispenser only with hot water: do not use detergents. Then accurately wash
and dry all its components. NEVER PUT INTO A DISHWASHER.
7. Refit the filter and carefully screw the plastic pin back on using the specific key.
8. Clean the compartment inside the appliance.
9. Holding it by its handle, insert the coffee dispenser into its housing until it snaps into
place.
10. Insert the coffee grounds drawer, the drip tray plate and the drip tray.
11. Close the access door.

DESCALING

Scaling occurs naturally when the appliance is used. Approximately every 3-4 months you should descale it; it is ready for descaling when you notice a reduction in the water flow or when the descale button flashes.
If you wish to carry this out at home, you can use a descaling product for coffee makers that is non toxic and/or not harmful and commonly available on the market.

We recommend the Starbucks Barista Cleaner and Descaler.

Caution! Never use vinegar for descaling espresso coffee maker.

To descale the appliance proceed as follows:

1. Mix the descaler with water as specified on the package and fill the water tank.
2. Switch ON the appliance.
3. Press the descale button for at least 5 seconds to select the descaling operating mode; the button emits a fixed light.
4. Direct the steam wand towards the drip tray.
5. Position a cup of adequate capacity under the steam wand and turn the steam knob counter clockwise. The espresso maker starts an automatic descaling cycle with pauses preset by the manufacturer and managed
automatically by the machine.
6. At the end of the cycle, the flow of the descaling solution is shut off and the 5 buttons start flashing simultaneously.
7. Turn the knob of the hot water wand clockwise to OFF. In this case, also the warning light flashes.
8. Rinse the water tank and fill it with fresh drinking water.
9. Position a cup of adequate capacity under the steam wand and empty 2/3 of the contents of the water tank by turning the steam knob counter clockwise; to shut off the flow, turn the knob clockwise.
10. Let the espresso maker heat up and empty the remaining contents of the water tank by turning the steam knob counter clockwise; to stop the flow, turn it clockwise. If you use a different product from the recommended one, we recommend you follow the instructions of the descaler manufacturer as specified on the package.
If switching the machine OFF interrupts the descaling cycle, this is restarted when the machine is switched back.

Here is how you can clean Home Coffee Makers with Cleancaf Home cleaner and Descaler:

Home Coffee Brewers Cleaning Instructions:

Prepare

Dissolve Contents of Cleancaf® package into 4 cups of water.
Pour entire contents into water reservoir (fill reservoir until top edge).
Put empty pot and filter basket in place.

Clean

Turn machine on and begin brew cycle.
Discard the solution once it has passed through your machine.

Rinse

Fill water reservoir with fresh water.
Run brew cycle twice with clean water (if you notice and residual taste, an additional rinse cycle is recommended).

How to Clean your Pod and Capsule Machine Using Cleancaf® Home Cleaner and Descaler

Prepare

Dissolve Contents of Cleancaf® package into 4 cups of water.
Pour entire contents into water reservoir (fill reservoir until top edge).
Put empty pot and filter basket in place.

Clean

Turn machine on and begin brew cycle.
Discard the solution once it has passed through your machine.

Rinse

Fill water reservoir with fresh water.
Run brew cycle twice with clean water (if you notice and residual taste, an additional rinse cycle is recommended).

How to Clean your Domestic Traditional Espresso Machine (these are home machines with portafilter) Using Cleancaf® Home Cleaner and Descaler

Prepare

Dissolve Contents of Cleancaf® package into 4 cups of water.
Pour entire contents into water reservoir (fill reservoir until top edge).
Attach handle and place an empty cup below.

Clean

Turn machine on and begin brew cycle (make sure solution flows through steam pipe).
Discard the solution once it has passed through your machine.

Rinse

Fill water reservoir with fresh water.
Run brew cycle twice with clean water (if you notice and residual taste, an additional rinse cycle is recommended).

Watch out:

1. Back flushing the Silvia and most domestic espresso machines is not recommended due to the style of pump and type of valves on these machines.

2. Be sure to soak portafilter in Cleancaf® being careful not to submerge handle and to rinse thoroughly.

3. Follow the machine manufacturer directions for anything specific to your equipment

Take a good cup of coffee.


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