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Cleaning your kitchen doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Dare we say it could be fun? Welcome to BA’s Cleaning Week: Consider this your trusty guide to the nooks and crannies that you definitely are not scrubbing often enough, plus the pro-approved tools and products to get the job done.
Maybe you’ve got a bargain basement coffee machine that eats French vanilla pods for breakfast. Maybe you’ve got a shiny new gadget that’s on a strict diet of fair-trade, freshly ground beans. No matter how you get your daily dose of caffeine, there’s one thing we know to be true: A cup of coffee tastes better when it comes out of a clean machine.
If you’ve noticed a pot of coffee is taking longer and longer to brew, that’s a tell-tale sign your machine needs a deep clean. Over time mineral deposits will clog your machine and slow down the drip—not only will your coffee take longer to brew, but it probably won’t taste very good either. Frequent cleaning and maintenance will 1) improve your coffee’s flavor and 2) prolong the lifespan of your machine—particularly crucial when you’ve shelled out the big bucks for a top-of-the-line gadget.
Whether you like a French press, a cappuccino, or a good old fashioned cup of drip coffee, here’s how to clean your coffee maker, based on your type of machine.
How to Clean a Drip Coffee Machine
If you’ve noticed coffee stains or yellowish calcium deposits ringing the bottom of your coffee pot, it’s time for a good scrub-down. Luckily, you don’t need any fancy chemicals or cleaning solution to deep-clean your drip coffee machine—all it takes is vinegar and water. Here’s how to clean your drip coffee maker in four simple steps:
- Fill the water reservoir with equal parts white vinegar and water. Place an empty paper coffee filter in the basket, position the coffee pot beneath the drip spout, and brew.
- Once the brew cycle completes, discard the vinegar-water in the coffee pot. Let the machine sit for 30 minutes, letting the inner parts of the machine soak.
- Empty the water reservoir and hand-wash any removable attachments—including the water reservoir, coffee pot, and filter basket—with dish soap in the sink. (Alternatively, if the removable parts of the machine are dishwasher-safe, you can wash them in the dishwasher.) Reassemble the machine.
- Fill the water reservoir with fresh water and place a paper filter in the basket. Position the coffee pot beneath the drip spout, brew, and discard water. Repeat the cleaning cycle 1–2 more times, until the vinegar smell has completely cleared from your machine.
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Drip Daily Clean: After each brew, discard coffee grounds and wipe the filter basket with a damp cloth. Wash the coffee pot with soap and water.
Drip Deep Clean: Decalcify with vinegar (as outlined above) every 3 months.
How to Clean a Keurig
Good news: Cleaning your Keurig coffee maker is just about as easy as brewing a cup of joe. Most coffee makers with single-use pods (such as Keurig or Nespresso machines) can be cleaned with a descaling kit. Deposited into the water reservoir, the descaling solution runs through a cleansing cycle to remove any mineral buildup or calcium deposits from hard water in your machine.
You can purchase a Keurig descaling kit online or, if you don’t want to wait for delivery day, make a DIY cleaning solution with white vinegar. Here’s how to descale your machine:
- Fill the water reservoir to its maximum with equal parts white vinegar and water (preferably distilled water, but tap water is fine too). Make sure there’s no pod in the machine and place your largest mug under the drip spout.
- Brew to the largest cup setting, then discard the vinegar-water. Repeat until the water reservoir is empty. Let the machine sit for 30 minutes, giving all the inner mechanisms a nice soak.
- Hand-wash any removable attachments—including the water reservoir, K-cup pod holster (yes, it pops out), and drip tray (which harbors coffee residue)—with hot water and dish soap in the sink. Dry the attachments, then reassemble the machine.
- Fill the water reservoir with clean water and repeat step 2, brewing and discarding water until the reservoir is empty. It’ll take 6–12 brews to completely clear the vinegary smell and any lingering debris from your machine.
Note: Most single-serve coffee makers can be cleaned with this method.
Keurig Weekly Clean: Remove the water reservoir and wash with soapy water once a week.
Keurig Deep Clean: Descale your machine with Keurig descaling solution or white vinegar (as outlined above) once a month.
How to Clean a French Press
This hand-held gadget is not only one of the most convenient coffee makers out there—it’s also one of the easiest to clean. You just need a few pantry staples to deep clean your French press. Here’s how to do it:
- Fill the glass or stainless steel carafe with a 1:1 mixture of white vinegar and water. Let hang out for 10–15 minutes, then empty. Rinse and scrub with soap and warm water until no vinegar smell remains.
- Disassemble the plunger, taking note of how the pieces fit together so you’re able to reassemble it later. (Most French presses have a lid and a plunging rod, plus three layers of filters—a spiral plate, mesh filter, and cross plate.) Separate the various pieces and place them in the sink.
- In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. baking soda with 1 Tbsp. water and mix into a thick paste. Using a toothbrush or sponge, scrub the plunger and filters with the baking soda solution. Rinse thoroughly, then wash with soap and water. Reassemble the plunger.
French Press Daily Clean: Empty coffee grounds into the garbage or compost. Rinse out the carafe with warm water, add a few drops of dish soap, and plunge up and down until the soapy water froths. Rinse again, then scrub the carafe and the plunger with a non-abrasive sponge or brush.
French Press Deep Clean: Soak carafe in vinegar solution and scrub plunger with baking soda paste once a month.
How to Clean an Espresso Machine
With lots of bits and bobs, espresso machines are slightly more complicated to clean than your standard drip machine. But professionals like Adam Keita, co-owner of Daughter Cafe & Wine Bar, swear by one product to get the job done: Cafiza. Widely used by baristas, Cafiza espresso machine cleaning powder is, according to Keita, “the most reliable cleaner out there.”
Cafiza powder strips away oily residue from an espresso machine’s group heads, valves, and lines. Here’s how to use it:
- Place a blind filter in the portafilter and add ½ tsp. Cafiza powder. Insert the portafilter into the group head and run a shot. This will backflush the machine, stripping away any coffee particles or mineral buildup.
- Remove the portafilter and rinse, then reinsert the portafilter with the blind filter, but without the cleaning powder. Run a shot to rinse the machine.
- Replace the blind filter with a standard basket. Make a cup of espresso to remove any traces of cleaner. Discard the espresso (do not drink!).
- Soak the tip of the steam wand in a small cup of boiling water for 15–30 minutes. Unscrew the tip of the steam wand and use the tool provided with your machine to poke through the holes, ensuring no milk has crusted over to block the steam route.
- To clean any other removable parts of your machine, create a soaking solution by mixing 1¼ tsp. Cafiza powder with 4 cups hot water. Remove any detachable parts of your machine. (If soaking a portafilter, do not submerge the handle.) Allow the parts to soak for 30 minutes, then rinse in clean water. Dry the parts and reassemble the machine.
Keep in mind that every espresso machine is different, so always consult the manufacturer’s instructions on how to clean your machine.
You can also use Cafiza powder to clean a Moka pot—find full instructions here. And if you’re ready to invest in coffee nirvana, here’s our guide to finding the right espresso machine for you.
Espresso Machine Daily Clean: After pulling a shot, discard the spent puck of coffee grounds immediately—if it’s left to sit, the oily residue will get stuck to the portafilter basket. Rinse the portafilter and purge the steam wand. Wipe the wand with a clean, damp rag, then purge again.
Espresso Machine Deep Clean: Clean the espresso machine with Cafiza (as outlined above) and soak steam wand weekly.