Cleaning Your Small Coffee Machine
Over time your small coffee machine will accumulate hard water deposits and coffee residues that can have a negative influence on the flavor of your coffee. Although your coffee maker might appear to be clean from the outside, chances are that the internal components are coated with coffee oils that are imparting off flavors to the coffee you enjoy. Keeping your small coffee machine clean will keep your coffee tasting great while preserving the life of the machine in the process. So what is the best way to clean your machine and how often should you clean it? What cleaners should you avoid? What about cleaning the glass or stainless steel carafe? Please read on for the answers to these questions.
I purchased my first small coffee maker several years ago while I was away at college and used it almost every day to get myself going in the morning. Initially, I enjoyed the coffee that my machine produced, but started to notice over time that there was a subtle bitterness that I couldn’t quite identify. I tried changing the amount and type of coffee I was using, but this did nothing to correct the off flavor. Searching desperately for an answer I turned to the Internet and concluded that it was my dirty coffee maker that was causing my coffee to taste bad. I found out that my coffee maker had accumulated a significant amount of spent grounds and rancid sticky oils that had surrounded the “shower head” portion of the machine, which is where the water exits before infusing into the grounds. I also found out what I needed to do to correct the issue.
I found out that the most common way to clean small coffee machines was by using a diluted vinegar solution – specifically 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water. The strength of this solution can be increased to 1:1 should your coffee maker be soiled enough to require it. You should make enough solution to fill an entire pot, since you will be running it through the machine as you would during a normal brew cycle. You will want to pour the vinegar solution into the water reservoir and activate the brew cycle, allowing the entire amount of solution to make its way back into the pot. In order to completely remove all traces of the cleaning solution it’s important that you run at least 2 additional pots of clean water through your machine.
The cleaning solution will not only clean off the hard to reach oils and residue, but will also remove the scale and hard water deposits from the water uptake tube and reservoir. In addition, it’s also important to clean the external components to keep your machine looking its best. The best way to do this is simply to use a damp cloth, being sure to clean around the “shower head” portion where most of the residues tend to accumulate. By paying attention to your small coffee maker and giving it a thorough cleaning at least once per month you will extend the life of your machine and keep the quality of your coffee where it should be.
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