How To Easily Clean a Coffee Maker

Your coffee machine, whether a bean-to-cup, espresso or capsule machine will need regular cleaning to ensure every cup of coffee it produces not only tastes as good as the last one, but also has the flavour you’d expect from the finest coffee.

Yet many of us are guilty of neglecting our coffee makers and not providing them with the cleaning they require, so it should come as no surprise that coffee makers are a hot bed for bacteria. In fact, a study from 2011 found the reservoir in a coffee maker is likely to have a higher germ count than some spots in your bathroom.

Cleaning your coffee maker, including a bean-to-cup machine, needn’t be difficult. Below, we provide a guide on how to clean your coffee machine on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

Daily Cleaning of Your Coffee Machine:

After each use of your coffee machine there are a few cleaning steps you should be taking to make sure the appliance continues to perform at its peak performance, and the coffee it produces taste of the rich aroma you’d expect.

Such cleaning includes:

• Discarding any coffee grounds and cleaning the head under running water. It’s worth remembering that coffee grounds can be used in your garden to keep slugs and snails out of your flowerbeds.

• Wipe the milk nozzle with a clean damp cloth, before blasting steam through the nozzle to remove any residue.

• Run a clean water cycle through the coffee machine before refilling with coffee, this will help to remove any residue left from the previous coffee cycle.

• If you’re not using the coffee machine again that day, leave the water reservoir open to allow it to dry naturally. This will help prevent the build up of mould and bacteria.

Weekly Cleaning of Your Coffee Machine:

Cleaning your coffee machine after each use will help to keep it clean, reduce the bacteria within it and help ensure your coffee continues to remain great tasting. But to ensure it continues to perform at its peak performance for longer, there are also weekly cleaning tasks you need to carry out.

These include:

• Rinsing and cleaning the overflow tray in hot, soapy water. This will remove any coffee, dirt and bacteria which has built up over the week – helping to keep your machine free from bacteria.

• Wash any removable fittings and handles to keep them working to their full potential, ensuring they’re free from any dirt, bacteria and blockages.

• Clean inside the milk nozzle with a thin bottle brush or pipe brush. Whilst blasting steam through the nozzle after each use will help to keep it clean, cleaning it on a weekly basis will help to prevent any blockages.

Monthly Cleaning of Your Coffee Machine:

Over time, mineral deposits and other impurities will build up, along with natural oils left behind by coffee. If left these can (and will) hinder the flavour of your next cup. But cleaning your machine of such impurities to keep your coffee tasting great and the appliance working well needn’t be difficult.

The best way to clean your coffee machine of any mineral deposits and other impurities is to descale it, and this can be done via one of two methods.

Vinegar & Water Solution:

Fill your water reservoir with equal parts vinegar and water and then filter half the solution through your appliance. Once half the solution has gone through, switch the coffee machine off for half an hour, before finishing the process with the rest of the solution.

Specialist Descaler Products:

There are a wide range of descalers available, from liquids to tablets – and each of them are equally as good at removing limescale particles from your appliance to keep it working to its full potential.

To get the most out of a specialist descaler product, it’s important you follow the instructions outlined on the packaging.

Whilst following the coffee maker cleaning tips above will help to keep your machine working to its full potential for longer, ensuring it continues to produce great tasting coffee, you can further enhance the cleanliness with one simple step – use filtered water.

Using filtered water will have a number of benefits not only to the appliance itself, but also the taste of your coffee and also your health.

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