How To Descale Coffee Maker: 6 Steps To descale Your Coffee Maker!
Tap water that we use contains various minerals like calcium and magnesium. That is why it is common for minerals to deposit inside the coffee maker. Descaling minerals from a coffee maker is vital to prevent the coffee machine from breaking. Also, mineral build-up ruins the taste of the coffee grounds. But how to descale a coffee maker in a proper way?
Besides minerals, coffee oils also get attached to the coffee pot. Now, you can easily clean your coffee maker by following simple steps. All you have to do is run the descaling solution through the brew cycle to break down the minerals. Then, re-run the brew cycle with water to rinse the cleaning solution.
Are you interested to know the details of decalcifying a coffee maker? If so, keep reading the article.
6 Simple Steps To Descale Your Coffee Maker
Whether you have a drip coffee maker or a Keurig one, the cleaning or descaling process is quite similar. The only difference is that you have to remove the K-cup while descaling your Keurig coffee maker. On the other hand, for a drip coffee maker, you have to take the filter out of the machine.
The below steps will show you how to descale the mineral build-up from your coffee maker.
Decide What Descaling Ingredient You Want To Use
Before starting the cleaning process, you must decide which ingredient to use to clean the coffee maker. Generally, white vinegar is one of the most popular and effective ingredients for descaling. It consists of acetic acid that dissolved minerals inside the coffee maker.
However, you might not be a fan of vinegar as it has a strong smell. So, instead of vinegar, you can use lemon juice, baking soda, or any store-bought descaling powder or citric acid powder. Lemon juice contains citric acid that helps break the mineral deposits.
So, choose a descaling ingredient beforehand.
Make The Descaling Solution
After you have decided which ingredient to use, make a descaling solution with that ingredient. Fill the carafe with 50% vinegar and 50% water if you want to use vinegar.
For the lemon juice, take two lemons and squeeze out the juice to mix with water. After mixing the lemon juice with water, you will have a citric acid solution.
In the case of baking soda, mix one-fouth cup of baking soda with one cup of warm distilled water. If you are using descaling or cleaning powder, then mix the powder in 32 ounces of warm water.
Note: Never use two descaling solutions at a time. Choose any one solution for descaling. Also, avoid using boiling hot water to clean your coffee maker, as it can defile the boiler.
Go Through A Brewing Cycle
Fill the water reservoir with the cleaning solution you made and turn on the brewing cycle. Wait till the brew cycle finishes completely. When the cleaning solution moves through the coffee machine, it breaks up the minerals and coffee oil residue, pushing them to the spray head.
The brewed solution will get stored inside the carafe. You might observe some white chalky flakes if the water in your region is hard. Otherwise, the solution will become foamy after the cycle.
Note: Some coffee makers come with a pre-set cleaning cycle. Check the user’s manual if you have one of those coffee makers.
Rinse The Coffee Maker
After the cleaning solution has been brewed through the coffee maker and stored in the carafe, throw away the solution. Fill the coffee maker’s reservoir with filtered water and re-run the brew cycle. Keep repeating the process until you think the descaling solution has rinsed off completely.
Note: Running the brewing cycle twice with filtered water is enough to rinse off the solution.
Wash The Coffee Pot And The Brew Basket
Mix liquid dish soap with hot water to wash the coffee carafe and the brew basket. Soaking the coffee pot in hot soapy water will remove the coffee stains.
After soaking them in soapy water for a few minutes, scrub them with a soft cloth. After scrubbing, rinse them with tap water.
Wipe Or Clean The Water Reservoir
The inner part of the water reservoir might contain some mineral content. So, take a microfiber cloth and use it to wipe inside the reservoir.
How Frequent One Should Descale A Coffee Maker
If you are a regular coffee maker user, it is best to go through a descaling process once a month.
However, this descaling frequency depends on many factors. Sometimes due to excess minerals in the water, some people find the necessity to descale a coffee maker thrice a month.
Now, the question is how to know the time has come for deep cleaning. If you observe a few factors, you can easily determine that the coffee maker requires deep cleaning. When you find the signs below, prepare to describe your coffee pot or machine.
Coffee Tastes Bitter
Due to the regular use of a coffee machine, it is common for the mineral build-up to deposit inside the coffee makers. So, brewing coffee grounds with the minerals inside the machine degrades the coffee taste. As a result, the coffee tastes weird and bitter.
Whenever you feel like something is off with the taste of the coffee, it is time to descaling the coffee machine.
Takes Time To Complete Brew Cycle
When you do not descale your coffee maker on time, completing the brewing cycle will take longer than usual. So, taking longer to brew indicates that your coffee maker needs cleansing.
Makes Noise
If your coffee maker makes weird or unusual noise after turning on the brewing cycle, it is time to clean out the mineral deposits.
Check The Indicator Light
Some models of coffee makers come with indicator lights. That means the machine blinks the indicator light when it is time to clean or descale a coffee maker.
Chalky White Residue
If you find chalky white residue on different parts of the visible coffee maker, it is time to deep clean it.
FAQ
Should I remove the filter before descaling?
Yes, you should always remove the water filter before descaling your coffee maker. You must not skip this step; otherwise, the filter will grab the toxic descaling solution while brewing.
What is the best natural descaler?
White vinegar is a coffee maker’s most common and effective natural descaler. Fill the carafe with water and vinegar in equal portions and run the solution through the cycle. It will help to descale the mineral build-up from the machine.
Does coffee taste bitter after descaling?
The coffee will taste bitter if you do not rinse the cleaning solution from your coffee machine after descaling. So, always remember to run the brew cycle with clean water at least twice.
Final Words
That is all about how to descale coffee maker with a descaling solution at your home. Follow every step carefully, and rinse all the removable parts after descaling the coffee maker. Hopefully, the process mentioned in this article will deep clean and decalcify the coffee maker thoroughly.
Say cheers to a freshly brewed cup of coffee after descaling your coffee maker!