How to Clean a Coffee Maker

Drip filter coffee makers need to be cleaned monthly to remove hard water deposits (scale), leftover coffee oils that become rancid, and other impurities. Washing the pot just isn't going to cut it: what about the internal components? Follow these steps to clean your coffee maker through and through and you'll taste the difference.

Steps

1.
Make a mixture of 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water-- enough to fill the pot. For a stronger solution (which might be necessary if this is the first time you've cleaned your coffee maker since you got it three years ago) make a mixture that is half vinegar and half water instead.

Here are some alternative mixtures:
* a pot's worth of water and two denture tablets. Remember to dissolve the tablets in a separate container of water and not the coffee maker water reservoir. Undissolved tablets can make the rinsing process lengthy.
* dissolve 1 oz of citric acid in 4 cups of hot water, then add 4 cups of cold water to the mixture.
* 1 part baking soda to 4 parts of warm water
* store-bought coffee maker cleaners
* straight bleach(for the glass carafe ONLY)will instantly dissolve baked-on coffee. [NEVER mix bleach and vinegar or any acid; the fumes are poisonous]
2. Put a filter in your coffee maker, as usual.
3.
Pour the mixture into the coffee maker where you would normally add water.
4. Turn the coffee maker on and let the mixture run completely through.
5.
Discard the filter and mixture.
6. Let the coffee maker sit and cool for 15 minutes while it's off.
7.
Rinse the coffee pot.
8. Repeat all of the above twice, but this time with plain cold water. This will make sure all of the vinegar and water solution is completely gone. If short on time, smell the coffee pot and maker after the first rinse. If there is no smell of vinegar left, you can skip the second rinse.