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All The Tips You Need To Know To Clean Your Coffee Maker And Keep Your Appliance In Top Shape

Because coffee is serious business.

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Alyssa Gray

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Chances are, if you use your coffee machine everyday, it could use a good cleaning. Believe it or not, there are even some parts of your machine that deserve a good cleaning once a week. A good rule of thumb to follow is that if a piece of your coffee machine can be easily removed (like a drip tray), it should get cleaned once a week. It's as easy as washing a dish, AKA lathering it up in dish soap and water and giving it a thorough dry. This way, there's no build up of dust or any spillage from your hot beverages. Other parts like the water reservoir and lid could also use a good soak on a weekly basis, but don't dry those with a kitchen cloth because that could leave lint inside and in your drink.

For all of the inside parts of your machine, it may be harder to spot when they need a good cleaning, but every two-to-three months is a good hard-and-fast rule. This is when you should be replacing water filters, and checking up to make sure everything is working as it should to spot a clog before it happens. If you notice your machine being less productive, dripping and brewing slower, or tasting like a previous drink, these are all signs that your appliance could use a little bit of extra love and care.

Although it's not necessary to do it as often, be aware that coffee machines can build up minerals from the water on the inside, which is when you really need to give it a good clean using something like household white vinegar or a specialty solution made by your coffee machine brand. To do so, you'll fill the water reservoir with the cleaning solution of your choice—keep in mind if you use vinegar it should be diluted with water—and run your machine as if you're brewing a normal pot of coffee before rinsing it out with warm water to flush any lingering tastes.

Here are all of the products you'll need to keep your coffee machine brewing like new.

1

Heinz Vinegar Heinz White Vinegar

Heinz White Vinegar

For an easy fix, you can clean your coffee pot using the white vinegar you probably have in your kitchen already. Minerals can calcify in your coffee machine with every use, and this makes the coffee drip slower into the pot. 

Use equal parts vinegar and water and brew the solution halfway, wait 30 minutes, then brew the rest. Once that's done, rinse everything out and you'll be good to go for your next use.

2

Keurig 3 Month Brewer Care Kit

3 Month Brewer Care Kit

This Keurig kit has everything you need to keep your coffee maker in tip-top shape for three months. It comes with rinse pods, descaling solution, water filters, cleaning tablets, and of course  thorough instructions to make sure you're using everything right. 

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3

Nuvera Nuvera 8 fl oz Unscented Coffee Maker Cleaner

Nuvera 8 fl oz Unscented Coffee Maker Cleaner

If you'd rather not use up all your cooking vinegar, you can use this unscented coffee maker cleaner in the same way as the white vinegar.

4

Breville The Descaler

Breville The Descaler

This Breville descaling solution helps clear out buildup from espresso machines, coffee brewers, and kettles. It helps remove anything that can clog brewer and affect the temperature and can be used for drip coffeemakers, French presses, single cup brewers and espresso machines.

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5

Keurig Keurig Rinse Pods

Keurig Rinse Pods

These Keurig rinse pods couldn't be any easier to use. If you taste some leftover coffee when you brew a cup of tea or vice versa, these pods will ensure that never happens again. Brew these rinse pods just like any other drink, and it will clear out any residual flavor from your previous beverage. 

6

nespresso Nespresso Descaling Agent

Nespresso Descaling Agent

Limescale can build-up in your coffee machine if you use it often, and this descaling agent helps get rid of that, making sure each cup of coffee you make tastes as good as the very first time you used your machine. This product works with Nespresso Vertuo and original-style machines. 

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7

Breville Espresso Cleaning Tablets

Breville Espresso Cleaning Tablets

Breville cleaning tablets keep your machine free of coffee oil and other residue. This pack comes with eight tablets and can be used with any Breville espresso machines to clean the shower screen and filter baskets.

8

Keurig Keurig Needle Cleaning Tool

Keurig Needle Cleaning Tool

When you use a Keurig, a hole gets punctured through the K-cup so you can get your drink and all of its flavor. The part of the machine that makes that hole is called the needle, and if your drink isn't coming out flavored well, this needle cleaning tool can help. This one works with the Keurig 2.0 machine and is filled with water before being placed in the K-cup slot. 

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