How To Clean a Coffee Maker: An Easy Guide

Many consider coffee a beverage of choice in the morning, and a good Coffee Maker brews excellent coffee. Under neglect and lack of proper care by failing to clean it, chances are your Coffee Maker grows dirty and builds up oils, minerals, and residue, all leading to infection to a bitter drink and many health hazards like allergies and diseases. 

According to NSF International Household Germ Study, 50% of all coffee reservoirs in the kitchen had yeast and mould. This blog on How to Clean Coffee Maker will help you know the methods by which you can clean your coffee machine with simple household ingredients so that you can enjoy a delicious cup of coffee every time. 

Table of contents

1) Reasons to Clean a Coffee Maker

2) Signs of a dirty Coffee Maker

3) How to Clean a Coffee Maker

4) How often should the milk wand be wiped?

   a) Requirements

   b) Instructions

5) Conclusion

Reasons to Clean a Coffee Maker

Coffee Makers tend to build up mineral and coffee oil deposits, as water contains calcium, sodium, and magnesium. It ends up causing hard water spots inside a Coffee Maker. These leave a residue that restricts proper water flow, affecting the coffee's flavour. 

The taste is a big concern for coffee lovers; however, what follows it is far worse. Given a warm damp place in a coffee machine you failed to clean, the residues facilitate the growth of gross mould and yeasts! 

Keeping your Coffee Maker clean not only promises your brew tastes as good as the first time but also removes any health hazard caused due to impurities present within the coffee machine. A clean Coffee Maker results in a clean brew. 

Signs of a dirty Coffee Maker

Modern day lifestyle has transformed an average adult lifestyle leading to negligence and poor work life balance.   There are many cases where people predominantly fail to see the signs of a Coffee Maker losing its proper functioning. For those that wonder how to determine if their beloved Coffee Maker is in dire need of cleaning, these are some common signs your Coffee Maker has indeed turned yucky!

1) Your coffee doesn't taste like what it used to anymore or tastes odd recently

2) It takes much more time for you to brew the coffee compared to earlier

3) Your Coffee Maker might be making noises it did not use to or is unable to brew coffee anymore

4) Your Coffee Maker is much louder while making coffee than it used to be

5) Your Coffee Maker spills and spews coffee everywhere

How to Clean a Coffee Maker?

Cleaning a Coffee Maker may seem like a tedious process, but it takes minimal effort. Ideally, for those who love their daily coffee, you should clean your Coffee Maker at least once every month, as your Coffee Maker goes through regular use. 

People who drink coffee occasionally can keep note of cleaning the Coffee Maker once every three to five months. However, it's a good idea to clean your Coffee Maker as soon as you witness any visible build-up or if your coffee start's tasting differently.   

How often should the milk wand be wiped?  

Cleaning the milk wand of your coffee maker is crucial for maintaining both the machine's functionality and the quality of the beverages it produces. Below, we'll explore how often you should clean the wand and provide a simple guide to help you do so effectively. After each use of the coffee maker, it is essential to clean the milk wand with a dedicated, damp cloth. To effectively wipe the wand, mimic the method used in coffee shops: Wrap the cloth tightly around the wand and give it a twist. Then, cautiously turn on the steamer for a few seconds to ensure thorough cleaning.

Requirements

Before diving into the frequency of cleaning, let's outline what you'll need:

a) Clean, damp cloth: Use a cloth that is reserved solely for cleaning the milk wand to avoid cross-contamination.

b) Mild detergent (optional): For a deeper clean, especially if the wand has milk residue that is hard to remove.

c) Regular inspection: A quick check before each use ensures that no milk residue has built up, which could affect the performance of the wand and the taste of your milk.

Instructions

Daily cleaning

a) After every use: Immediately after every beverage preparation involving milk, wipe the wand with a clean, damp cloth. This prevents milk residues from drying and hardening, which makes them more difficult to clean later.

b) End of the day cleaning: At the end of each day, perform a more thorough cleaning. If your machine includes a cleaning function for the steam wand, use it. Otherwise, manually steam the wand with the cloth wrapped around it to remove any remaining milk traces.

Weekly maintenance

1) Deep cleaning: Once a week, take the time to inspect the milk wand more closely. If accessible, detach the wand and soak it in warm water with a mild detergent to dissolve any residues inside the nozzle.

2) Rinse thoroughly: After soaking, rinse the wand thoroughly with clean water  make sure no soap residue remains.

3) Reassemble and test: Reattach the wand to the coffee maker and test it by steaming some water. This ensures that everything is clear and working correctly.

Conclusion

Impurities present within a Coffee Maker are likely to ruin the experience for a coffee lover and risk health thanks to microbodies that may grow in the shelter of the impurities present in it. But by knowing How to Clean your Coffee Maker and finding some time to clean it occasionally, you can have the perfect cup of coffee each time with no alteration in flavour or health base consequences.