How do i clean my coffee pot with vinegar

Bleary-eyed fumbling for that first cup of joe can lead to spills, yet despite this repeated abuse during the morning rush, your coffeemaker may be one of your most neglected kitchen tools. Sometimes it’s those appliances that we use every single day that accumulate the most dirt and germs—and the least TLC. Think back now: When was the last time you gave your coffeepot a thorough cleaning? The worst part is, this isn’t just about aesthetics: The mineral and coffee oil buildup in your appliance can actually be making your java taste terribly bitter—and that’s no way to start your day. To brew a fresh cuppa that you and your family can enjoy, follow these simple steps that will get your coffeemaker back into pristine condition.

Tools & Materials
  • White vinegar
  • Dish sponge
  • Dishwashing liquid
  • Cleaning towel

How do i clean my coffee pot with vinegar
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How do i clean my coffee pot with vinegar
How do i clean my coffee pot with vinegar

Photo: shutterstock.com

Step 1

First, fill your coffeemaker’s water chamber with equal parts water and white vinegar, then start the brew cycle.

Step 2

Halfway through the brew cycle, turn off the coffeemaker and let it sit for 30 minutes. This wait time will give the vinegar a chance to do its job, which is cleaning and disinfecting the insides of the appliance. When the time is up, turn the coffeemaker back on and let it complete its cycle. Let it cool.

Step 3

Pour cool water into the water chamber and run the machine again without stopping. Let it cool. Repeat two or three cycles of clean water to make sure all the vinegar is removed—that can taste more bitter than the burnt-on coffee oils.

Step 4

Once the carafe and machine have cooled, wash the inside and outside of the carafe with warm water and dishwashing liquid using a dish sponge. Next, turn back to the countertop appliance and thoroughly wipe down the entire outside, paying extra attention to crevices and buttons. Now’s the time to clean off any last sticky spot that might be left over from a morning spill.

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Step 5

Dry both the machine and carafe thoroughly with a soft towel, then fill the water reservoir again—because all that work deserves a fresh brew!

Let’s be honest. A good cup of coffee in the morning is just what you need to start the morning off right. But you cannot just expect your everyday coffee maker to work seamlessly day in and day out, so it’s no surprise that your neglected coffee maker spits out poor tasting coffee.

The good news is that the loss of flavor from your coffee maker does not have to be permanent. In fact, a good cleaning may be all you need to restore the taste of your morning brew.

What is Happening to my Coffee?

Basically, mineral deposits from water and coffee residue will build up over time and impact both the flavor and the efficiency of the coffee pot. In addition, coffee pots are known havens for bacteria and mold, so drinking from an unclean coffee pot could potentially mean drinking mold!

Clearly, regularly cleaning your coffee maker is the smart thing to do. A great way to do this is to use a tried and true vinegar solution.

Cleaning the Coffee Maker

Follow this step by step instruction and your coffee maker will be brewing sweet smelling coffee in no time.

1) First, rinse what you can. Dump out old coffee and grounds, and rinse removable parts like the carafe. Make sure to remove the coffee filter and water filter if present.

2) Now, fill the water reservoir with a concoction of equal parts white vinegar and water. This will loosen and remove bacteria and mold buildup inside the machine.

3) Run it through a drip cycle and let the mixture sit in the carafe for a few moments. Then, for thorough cleaning, do it again. 

4) Then, fill the water reservoir with clean water (no vinegar) and run the machine through a drip cycle twice. This will clean out any lingering vinegar in the machine.

5) If the outside of your coffee maker has seen better days, you should also take this time to wipe down the exterior with a lint-free cloth and hot soapy water.

6) Your coffee machine is now back in business, and ready to brew better tasting coffee for your enjoyment!

Maintaining that Sweet Morning Smell

Obviously rinsing what you can after each brew is the best way to maintain good tasting coffee in the long run. But if that takes too much time for you, we still recommend using a monthly schedule to clean your coffee machine. It is that important to maintain a clean machine because we want you to have a strong-tasting brew every morning. 

Remember, cleaning your coffee pot is not just for aesthetic reasons. If waking up to a great tasting morning brew is important to you, then a clean coffee pot is just as important. Thus, cleaning the pot is investing in your future coffee enjoyment!

What is the ratio of vinegar to water to clean a coffee maker?

Fill the water tank of the coffee maker with a mixture of one-half water and one-half white vinegar. Vinegar is an effective natural solution for cleaning a coffee maker.

How much vinegar do you put in a 12 cup coffee maker to clean it?

How Much Vinegar To Use To Clean a Coffee Maker. A 12-cup coffee pot makes 12, 5-ounce cups of coffee, or 60 ounces total. You'll need 30 ounces of vinegar and 30 ounces of water to deep clean it.

Which vinegar is best for cleaning coffee pots?

To clean your coffee maker, begin by filling the reservoir with a 50-50 mixture of white distilled vinegar and water. You can increase the ratio of vinegar to water if your coffee maker has a particularly nasty case of buildup.

What does running vinegar through a coffee maker do?

order to remove hard water deposits (limescale). Some coffee machine owners find that vinegar cleans the limescale from the machine, but it is proven that vinegar makes irreversible damage in the machine other parts.