Archive for October 8th, 2009
When I wake up early in the morning to get ready for work, I’m not exactly the most observant person. Still, I’ve had so many cups of coffee over the years that I can detect even the slightest change in taste and timing. Last week I noticed that my coffee maker was taking an especially long time just to brew a pot; upon tasting it, I knew right away that it was time to clean out the gunk and debris that had built up over time.
While an espresso machine should be cleaned with Durgol or some other high-quality decalcifying agent, you can probably get away with using a water and vinegar solution to unclog a basic coffee machine. About once a month, take a close look at the machine and whether grease and coffee grounds have collected in its parts. The following cleaning method does the trick for me every time.
Take the filter off the basket and fill the reservoir with your water and vinegar combo. Run the coffee maker as normal, but turn it off about halfway through. Allow the machine to rest for about 15 minutes as the vinegar does its work. Switch the machine back on and allow it to complete its process. Then run a rinse cycle with just water in the reservoir. Repeat the entire process once a few minutes later.