How to Clean an Automatic Coffee Maker ?

If you prepare a lot of coffee with an automatic coffee maker, you will need to know how to clean it thoroughly. The accumulation of the oils from the coffee can cause it to slow down and also harm the taste of your coffee. Considering no one likes to wait for 30 minutes for a pot of coffee to brew and then have it taste badly, the following steps should be followed to ensure that your coffee machine performs optimally. One way is to get a solution that is specifically made for cleaning automatic coffee makers. It is easy to apply and all you have to do is pour it in, run it through and your coffee pot will be as good as new. However, if you do not want to use this method, you can mix your own solution.

Use an ounce of citric acid or white vinegar dissolved in four cups of hot water from the tap. Add four cups of cold water from the tap and pour this into the coffee maker just as you would the water when making coffee. Take out the coffee filter, putting it aside, turn your coffee pot on and only four cups of the citric acid and water run through the pot. Turn your coffee pot off and let it settle for about twenty minutes. You are now ready to turn it back on and let the remaining water and citric acid to flow through. This should remove any residue from inside the coffeemaker. The lime that can built up from your water will be flushed out of the coffee maker as well. This is another issue that can cause your coffee maker to malfunction.

When it is finished, depending on the amount of accumulation in your coffee maker, you may need to redo it again. If so, wait until the coffee maker has cooled down. Do not forget to rinse your coffee maker. You will need to run at least eight cups of cold water from your tap through your coffee maker at least four times to make sure it is rinsed. When the water that cycles through is clear, your coffee maker is clean. This will probably last about three or four weeks before you have to do it again.

Another product that is recommended instead of the citric acid or vinegar is baking soda. About four tablespoons mixed with eight cups of water is used. Run it through the same as above and see if this does the trick. If this process does not work, it may be too late for your coffee maker. A lot depends on how thoroughly it has been cleaned from the beginning. After a certain amount of accumulation within the coffee maker it may be futile to get it to dissolve. When this happens, it is time to get a new coffee maker.

Natalie Williams is the author of CoffeeMachines101.com. Visit her site for more free tips on how to select the right coffee machine for your needs.