Your coffee maker could be killing you. That is if your morning cup of coffee is a matter of life and death and you have a dirty coffee maker. When was the last time you thoroughly cleaned your coffee machine? Washing the pot is important, but cleaning the internals of the coffee maker is a task you shouldn't skip. Did you even know you were supposed to clean it? A clean coffee maker can be the difference between a good cup of coffee and an ugly cup of sludge.
A clean coffee maker makes a big difference in how coffee tastes. Coffee oil residue can build up inside your coffee machine. Mineral deposits can also form especially in areas with hard water. These deposits are called "scaling". There are two types of scale, scale, and mineral scale, and you don't want either. Limescale can affect the heating unit and water flow of your coffee maker and reduce its efficiency. How quickly limescale forms depends on the quality of your drinking water. If you're using bottled water to make your coffee, the scale probably won't form as quickly, but you still have coffee oil build-up to worry about. It is better to play it safe and clean the coffee machine regularly.
Cleaning your coffee machine is not a difficult task and in fact, it is as easy as making the coffee. All you have to do is pour a pot of half vinegar and half water into the water tank of the coffee maker. The use of white vinegar is a matter of course. Avoid red wine or apple cider vinegar varieties. Then just turn on the regular cooking cycle. Your kitchen will probably smell like a salad while it's cooking, which you might even like. But if you're not a fan of salads, don't forget that it's a small price to pay for a good cup of coffee.
Now rinse the coffee machine by using only water in the water tank this time and start the brewing cycle again. You may need to do this a few more times if you still smell the vinegar.
Another easy way to keep the coffee machine clean is to put a glass ball in the water chamber. All the mineral deposits that would normally build up inside the coffee maker instead build up on the marble. From time to time remove the marble, wash it and then put it back in the chamber. How much easier could it be?
The best solution would be to clean the coffee maker with vinegar monthly while using the marble method. Replace the marble once a week and your coffee maker will be in great shape.
If you have an old coffee maker and you are not satisfied with the taste of its brewing, why not try cleaning it? A clean coffee maker will make better-tasting coffee.
Signs that it may be time to clean your single-serve coffee maker include:
Longer than usual time to brew a cup of joe
.When you expect a full cup of coffee, but the brew only fills half of your cup
Extra groundor granules in your brewed cup
Any unexpected musty or musty odor
Mineral deposits on visible parts of the machine
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