Ah! Waking up to the smell of coffee is incredible. Isn’t it? But for a few days now, your coffee’s aroma isn’t like what it used to be? Even the taste is weak, irrespective of you using two caffitaly pods to brew it up. Why? Well, the simplest explanation is that your coffee machine is dirty. Yes, a coffee-maker—whether it is an espresso machine, a single-serve machine, or so on—needs cleaning often. Here is how to clean the coffee machine.
When you brew coffee, the water is heated up and there is moisture as well. These two things provide the perfect environment for breeding of germs & yeast. When these little guys are in your machine’s water reservoir or filter, you will get a weak-tasting & muddy coffee.
Thus, to improve the taste of your coffee and make it healthier, clean your machine. In this blog, we will share some tips for the same.
Before that…
How often should you clean your coffee machine?
We wash the dishes that we use to cook food or eat food daily. Right? So our coffee machines, too, need daily cleaning. We don’t mean that you have to thoroughly scrub them every day. But a normal washing, after every use, is essential.
Cleaning after brewing a cup
- After you brew your cup of Joe, throw the remaining coffee grounds away. Do the same with the coffee filter, as it is dirty with coffee residue. If you are using coffee pods, you do not need a coffee filter.
- However, you should take the pod place out and wipe it with a cloth.
- Use a cloth to wipe down any coffee residue from the machine both inside or outside. Do not wash the water reservoir, but let it air-dry and when it is dry, put it back.
Cleaning at the end of the day
When you drink more than one cup of coffee every day, it might not be feasible to clean the machine after every brew. In such a case, do it at the end of the day. Follow the above steps and then a few other ones.
- Take every detachable part of the machine out and then clean it with hot water. You can use washing liquid or soap for cleaning the machine, too.
- Do not submerge the machine in the water or any part of the machine.
P.S. Every month at least once, you should use a descaling kit to clean the machine thoroughly. The manual will guide you on how to use the descaling liquid & also which one to use.
When do you know your coffee maker needs cleaning?
The machine gives signs. When you see these signs, it indicates that your coffee-maker needs cleaning.
- The machine is taking much longer than usual time to brew one cup
- The cup isn’t as full as it usually is
- The coffee or the machine smells moldy
- You can see extra grounds in the mug after brewing is over
How to clean a single-serve coffee machine?
Do you love the convenience that a single-serve coffee machine provides? However, if you do not clean your single-serve coffee machine often, the coffee will taste weak.
Here is how to clean it
Step 1: Clean the exterior of the machine
The first step is cleaning the exterior of the machine. It will have dirt and coffee residue, which does impact the taste. Now remove the water reservoir and the tray where you put the coffee pod. Do not put them in the dishwasher. (Only put those parts of the machine in the dishwasher that are safe. Read the manual).
Use a mixture of warm water and liquid detergent. Now, with a sponge, clean every inch of these parts. Now let them air-dry, as if you use a cloth, you may leave behind cloth particles.
Step 2: Run water through the machine
Now that the machine is clean. Use a solution of water & vinegar. Or you can use descaling liquid, too. Put it in the water reservoir. Now let the machine run without putting any coffee pods in place. Do it once or twice.
It will clean out any residue of coffee that was remaining. Now let it sit for a while and then remove the remaining water.
Coffee makers just like any other machine require love & care. If you keep it clean, it will love you back with a delicious cup of coffee.