Clean a Coffee Maker with Apple Cider Vinegar

If you drink coffee frequently, you probably need to know how to clean a coffee maker with apple cider vinegar or citric acid for optimal coffee machine upkeep. Although you may wash your coffee pot frequently, minerals in your water leave a residue inside the water compartment and coffee carafe each time you brew a cup.

Depending on the “hardness” of your water, you occasionally descale your coffee maker to remove the aforementioned mineral deposits and coffee residues. This process should occur every three to six months for even the best coffee maker. If you dislike the smell of vinegar, which is used for its acetic acid, you may use citric acid to clean a coffee maker.

Cleaning Your Coffee Brewers

You should rinse your coffee machine with soapy water regularly, but deep cleaning is recommended every three to six months in areas with water that isn’t hard. If you don’t have hard water in your city, you could descale your coffee machine up to once a month, depending on how often you make coffee at home.

While you perform this deep clean, you may want to use the break while the vinegar’s acidic properties work on the buildup for washing the exterior of your machine or for other maintenance. For example, you could find out why the coffee machine’s steam wand is not working.

Steps for Descaling a Coffee Maker

• Tools Needed
  • Vinegar
  • Tap water or filtered water. Can be hot water, tepid, or cold
  • 1 pitcher or another large container
  • 1 Spoon to mix the water and vinegar (optional)

1. Pour out your coffee pot and rinse it. Some of the mineral buildups of limescale, calcium, and magnesium occurs inside of the carafe because it holds your coffee. So, you will need an empty pot to collect the cleaning solution of vinegar and water.
2. Remove your coffee grounds and coffee filter from the compartment. You want the concentrate to pass through the empty grounds compartment, so it can cleanse the area and the pot itself.
3. Pour vinegar into the empty water reservoir until it reaches halfway. Then, fill the rest with water. This process allows the vinegar and water to mix, diluting the vinegar some. You should not use undiluted vinegar because it affects the taste of your coffee.
4. Brew for half of a cycle. Some devices have a feature called “half brew,” which results in the same type of cycle as half of a regular one. Let the liquid sit in your coffee pot for about a half hour to an hour. You need longer if your area has hard water or you haven’t descaled your coffee pot recently. By only brewing half of a cycle, you trap some of the liquid in the reservoir and carafe at the same time.
5. Finish your brew cycle or select the “half brew” feature. The buildup of minerals loosens during the break in brewing. This second cycle allows the coffee pot to expel the minerals. After completing this step, dump out the liquid in the carafe.
6. Refill the reservoir with clean water and brew for at least one more cycle. You may need several cycles to completely eliminate that vinegar smell and taste. If you can still smell vinegar, continue repeating this step. You don’t want any vinegar left in the coffee maker because it leaves a taste when you brew your morning cup of coffee.

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