How to Clean a Coffee Maker

Learning how to clean a coffee maker can make your morning routine a lot more pleasant. If you’ve ever taken a sip from your morning joe and it tasted stale or bitter, you may not need a new coffee maker—you may just have to clean your coffee maker to get the taste you want!

A simple cleaning not only means great tasting coffee, it can also help ensure freshness, remove hard water spots from the coffee pot and fight staining. This will also remove mineral buildup and remove the leftover coffee oils that can make your coffee taste bad. Best of all, this is easy to do and you probably already have everything you’ll need to clean your coffee maker.

What You’ll Need to Clean a Coffee Maker

• Water
• HEINZ Distilled White Vinegar (about a half a coffee pot’s worth)
• Warm, soapy water
• Sponge
• Damp dish towel
• Dry dish towel

Step By Step Instructions for Cleaning a Coffee Maker

1. Empty the coffee pot and grounds: Make sure the coffee pot is empty and rinsed and that any coffee grounds are thrown out.
2. Combine the cleaning solution ingredients: Mix one-part water to one-part vinegar.
3. Pour the solution into the water chamber: Make sure the water chamber is filled to capacity with equal parts HEINZ Distilled White Vinegar and water.
4. Run a half brew cycle: Start a brew cycle as (if you were making coffee). Halfway through the brew cycle, stop the machine. Then let it sit for an hour.
5. Finish the brew cycle: After an hour, turn the coffee maker back on and finish brew cycle finish.
6. Pour out the vinegar-water solution: When the brew cycle has completed, pour out the vinegar-water solution and fill the coffee pot with fresh, vinegar-free water.
7. Run a full brew cycle: Do this two more times. Be sure to allow your coffee maker to cool slightly between brew cycles.
8. Wipe down your coffee maker: Wipe down the exterior of your coffee maker and wash the coffee pot and filter basket in hot, soapy water.

Some of Our Favorite Coffee Recipes

Put the coffee pot and coffee filter basket back where they belong, and you can start enjoying coffee that tastes great again.

• Iced Coffee Latte
  This simple cold drink will be a welcome addition to your coffee repertoire.
• Tiramisu Hearts
  A unique take on a classic dessert, you can use your now-clean coffee maker to add some zip to this simple dish.
• Moroccan Meatballs
  Infused with the bold flavor of MAXWELL HOUSE coffee, this hearty dish is perfect to help keep you warm on cold nights.

If you’re an iced-coffee fan, you can cool your drink without watering it down by making Coffee Ice Cubes—a game-changer for hot days.

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