How to Clean a Coffee Maker

Is your coffee maker slow or your coffee pot stained? Learn how to clean a coffee maker with our step by step instructions! If your coffee just doesn’t taste good anymore, it’s time to learn how to clean and descale your coffee maker. Don’t worry – cleaning a coffee maker is quick and easy if you know what to do!
Most of us use our coffee pots to brew our java at home every day, but most of us don’t have a regular schedule for cleaning the coffee maker. If you’re like me, most days you just rinse out the coffee carafe with water from the faucet. If you’re a little more diligent, you might put the carafe in the dishwasher from time to time.

Definition: carafe (noun) A carafe is a wide mouthed bottle or container for serving coffee or other beverages. In an automatic drip coffee maker, the coffee pot is called a carafe.

Fortunately, cleaning coffee pots is fast, easy, and won’t cost you any more than the price of a few household ingredients like vinegar and baking soda. If you like green cleaning, we’ve included safe homemade cleaners for your coffee pot. If you don’t mind chemicals, we have directions for how to use soaps and detergents to clean your coffee maker.
Keep reading and we’ll show you how to get each piece of your automatic drip coffee machine as good as new, including how to clean the coffee maker’s internal components and brew basket, how to clean a glass carafe, and how to clean a stainless steel carafe.
Note: This How to Clean a Coffee Maker tutorial is not for use with single-serve coffee brewer machines like Keurig and Tassimo. Those machines have specific ways to clean the separate parts of the coffee maker, so make sure you follow the cleaning instructions that came with your product.
If you’re wondering about the reasons to clean a coffee maker, read How to Tell if Your Coffee Maker is Dirty.

How to Clean a Coffee Maker

When cleaning the actual automatic coffee maker machine, we’ll be running a cleaning solution through the machine just like you would put water in it to brew coffee. This is called “descaling”.
Now, if you like to green clean with natural ingredients and no chemicals, you can make a homemade descaling solution. Below are methods for making the homemade coffee maker cleaning solution out of either vinegar or baking soda.
Tip: If you don’t have either of those ingredients but want to avoid chemical cleaners, you can substitute Alka Seltzer tablets or denture tablets, just dissolve about 6 of them in water to make the cleaning solution. You can also substitute lemon juice mixed with water.
If you don’t feel like making your own homemade coffee maker cleaner, you can buy commercial cleaners designed for coffee maker cleaning such as Tabz, Dip-It, Miele Coffee Cleaning Tablets, Calcium, Capresso Cleaning Tablets, Goo Gone Coffee Maker Cleaner, and Mr. Coffee Coffeemaker Cleaner.

How to Clean a Coffee Maker with Vinegar

How to make the vinegar descaling solution: Fill your coffee pot half full of distilled white vinegar, then fill the rest of the pot with lukewarm water.
First, we will be flushing the coffee maker with our homemade cleaning solution.
Step 1. Pour your mixture into the coffee maker tank, just like you were brewing coffee.
Step 2. Close the top, replace the coffee pot, and turn the coffee maker on. Optional: run with a coffee filter in place.
Step 3. Once finished brewing, dump out the coffee pot.
Step 4. Repeat steps 1-3 to do this cleaning process a second time. This time, don’t dump out the solution when it has finished running through. Let the cleaning solution sit in the coffee pot for about 1 hour.
Step 5. Pour out the cleaning solution.
Step 6. Fill the coffee pot with plain water and pour it into the tank. Run the coffee maker 2 times like this with plain water to rinse out any debris, impurities, and remaining cleaner.
Next, we’ll clean the coffee pot and other parts as described below.

How to Clean a Coffee Maker with Baking Soda

How to make the baking soda descaling solution: Fill your coffee pot full of warm water, then add 1/4 cup of baking soda. Stir until dissolved.
First, we will be flushing the coffee maker with our homemade cleaning solution.
Step 1. Pour your dissolved baking soda mixture into the coffee maker tank, just like you were brewing coffee.
Step 2. Close the top, replace the coffee pot, and turn the coffee maker on. Some people put a coffee filter in place; this is optional and a I prefer to leave it out.
Step 3. Once finished brewing, dump out the coffee pot.
Step 4. Repeat steps 1-3 to do this cleaning process a second time. This time, don’t dump out the solution when it has finished running through. Let the cleaning solution sit in the coffee pot for about 1 hour.
Step 5. Pour out the cleaning solution.
Step 6. Fill the coffee pot with plain water and pour it into the tank. Run the coffee maker 2 times like this with plain water to rinse out any debris, impurities, and remaining cleaner.
Next, we’ll clean the coffee pot and other parts as described below.

How to Clean a Coffee Pot (Carafe)

The directions for cleaning coffee pots are different based on if you have a glass coffee pot or a stainless steel carafe. Find the type of coffee pot you have in the list below and follow the link to the cleaning instructions:

• How to clean a glass coffee pot
• How to clean a stainless steel coffee pot
• How to clean burnt coffee from the bottom of a coffee pot

How to Clean a Coffee Brew Basket & Shower Head

The main problem on the coffee maker’s brew basket and shower head is oil buildup and coffee residue from the coffee grounds. These two coffee maker parts are easy to clean by hand in your sink with a little dish detergent, a sponge, and running water to rinse.
The most difficult part of this task might be detaching the brew basket and shower head from your coffee maker. Refer to your coffee maker’s manual for how to safely remove these pieces for cleaning. If they can’t be removed, you can hold them at an angle over the sink for cleaning. Be careful never to get the electrical components wet or submerged.

How to Clean a Coffee Maker: Questions & Answers

Q: How often should I clean my coffee maker?
A: If you use your coffee maker daily like most of us, that’s approximately 30 uses per month. Plan to do a full cleaning of your coffee maker and carafe once a month. Wash your carafe thoroughly (by hand or in the dishwasher if dishwasher safe) once a week.
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Q: What if my coffee tastes like vinegar after I clean my coffee maker?
A: If your coffee tastes like vinegar after you’ve finished the cleaning process, it simply means that the machine didn’t get rinsed out well enough. Run 2 more cycles of plain water through the machine and then try making coffee again.
You can also try this method to get rid of the vinegar taste: add hot water and 1 teaspoon of baking soda to your coffee pot. Let it soak for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with clean water.
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Q: Can you wash a coffee pot in the dishwasher?
A: There are many brands and types of carafes that can be washed in the dishwasher. You have 2 ways to find out if your coffee pot is dishwasher safe: 1) read the manual, 2) try washing it and see what happens! Do this at your own risk, since it might break or warp pieces of the carafe. I wash my glass coffee pot in the dishwasher, making sure to remove the plastic lid first and hand wash it.

Cleaning a Coffee Maker is Easy!

See, I told you that it would be easy to clean your coffee maker if you just followed these instructions!
Taking care of your coffee maker and coffee pot will keep your coffee maker is good working condition and help it to last longer. I know from personal experience that not cleaning a coffee machine will shorten its life dramatically, and you don’t want to be replacing a costly coffee brewer if you don’t have to.
Make sure to add cleaning the coffee maker to your regular cleaning schedule so that you don’t have excessive buildup. Keeping up on your coffee maker cleanings will also keep your coffee tasting great!