How to Clean Your Coffee Maker in Just 30 Minutes
Illustration by: Samantha Hahn/Getty Images
The average person has three cups of coffee a day, reports the National Coffee Association. That means you better know how to clean a coffee maker. Americans may like smudge-free, stainless steel appliances, but they don’t particularly like to clean the one that wakes them up in the morning. Think about it: You likely wash dishes, shower, and brush teeth either right before or after you use your coffee machine to make a cup of joe, so it makes sense that you don’t want to be bothered with even more soapy water. Before you dismiss regularly cleaning a coffee maker as unnecessary, know that your unwashed brew buddy can get pretty disgusting. An often cited study by NSF International found that half of these caffeine incubators contain yeast and mold because of its “warm and moist environment,” which can heighten the bitter taste of your brew at best and spur allergic reactions at worst. Alongside sponges, the study found that coffee makers are among the top 10 germiest places in a home.
Don’t toss your coffee maker in the garbage just yet. Once you take the time to run the coffee maker under clean water, you won’t have to worry about the not-so-appetizing coffee residue that can ruin an otherwise perfect cup of joe. Christopher Peacock, founder and CEO of an eponymous design firm in New York, starts his day with an Americano—black, no sugar— and then an espresso in the afternoon, and knows a thing or two about cleaning a coffee maker regularly. “For a regular drip coffee maker, I clean it with hot water and dish soap after each brew,” he says.
