Coffee makers are one of the most used appliances in our homes. Isn’t that true? Because we are crazy coffee lovers, we tend to start our day with a cup of coffee.
It gives us the strength to go through a busy day by giving us energy.
But when the coffee maker is uncleaned, the residue of the coffee starts firmly sticking to the maker, which creates a kind of acrid smell that ruins the taste of our coffee.
Not only that, but it’s also very dangerous for our health.
But, can you clean a coffee maker with baking soda? Yes, you can either use baking soda or vinegar to clean it.
However, white vinegar leaves a terrible smell in the maker after having been cleaned. Therefore, it's best to use baking soda.
Now you’ll ask. How to clean a coffee maker with baking soda? This is what we’re going to tell you in this article.
Remember, no matter what type of coffee maker, you’re using, we’ll tell you the methods for cleaning each of them. Also, we’ll tell you the alternative ways of cleaning your coffee machine.
Therefore, be sure to read the article all the way to the end so you can learn everything in a good way.
Why Baking Soda?
You must be wondering why you should use baking soda to clean the coffee maker when there are so many other options available as well.
So, baking soda is unremarkable, and you’ll need a powerful detergent to obtain a clean gadget.
You may, however, clean your coffee machine with baking soda. Baking soda is a safe and efficient way to clean your coffee machine.
This is due to the fact that baking soda can remove buildup and lingering odors from the appliance.
For the best results, dissolve a quarter cup of baking soda in water in the container. Use warm water and whisk the mixture thoroughly to avoid lumps.
Run the coffee maker through a regular cycle to clean out the insides. If there are any residual lumps, your coffee machine may become clogged.
Although abrasive, this product is gentler than store-bought cleaning chemicals.
As a result, it will dissolve residue and buildup, as well as unusual odors that can spoil your brew.
To achieve the optimum effects, combine the baking soda with acidic solutions. Cleaning coffee makers with white vinegar, for example, is a well-known home treatment that may be used in tandem for a sparkling clean coffee machine.
Related: Osaka Glass Cold Brew Coffee Maker Review
How To Clean A Coffee Maker With Baking Soda?
Cleaning a coffee maker, using baking soda is easier than you think. You only have to follow the below-mentioned steps to do it and you’ll be good to go.
The Things you’ll need for cleaning:
- A cup with filled warm water.
- 4–6 teaspoons of baking soda.
The Method
- Take a cup of warm water and add the required amount of baking soda.
- Stir the baking soda into the water until it is completely dissolved and there are no lumps.
- Fill the tank of your automatic coffee maker with this combination.
- Turn on your coffee machine and begin a brewing cycle as usual.
- Running the cycle will allow the solution to circulate through all of the coffee maker’s components, removing residue, crud, and lingering aromas.
- Allow the solution to drip into a carafe, coffee pot, or other suitable container.
- Empty the vessel and thoroughly rinse it.
- Run another cycle to drain out the baking soda solution. This procedure may need to be repeated until the coffee machine just dispenses plain water.
This is how you can clean your coffee maker, using baking soda.
But, do you know there is a way to clean a coffee maker, using vinegar and baking soda together? It will also clean your coffee maker completely.
But hadn't I said in the intro that vinegar leaves an unpleasant smell in the making?
Yes, I'd said, but since we're using it with baking soda, there will not be any smell. So, don't worry about it and learn the second method of cleaning your coffee maker.
Cleaning The Coffee Maker Using White Vinegar And Baking Soda
Undoubtedly, white vinegar leaves a bad smell in the maker, but an undeniable fact is that it has a lot of advantages for coffee makers.
You may even use vinegar to descale the Ninja coffee bar because it dissolves hard water buildup.
And white vinegar and baking soda combined work great at cleaning the coffee machines.
The things you’ll need for the process:
- A soft cleaning cloth.
- Half cup of baking soda.
- 4 tablespoons of either the white vinegar or cider vinegar.
- Water is optional.
The Method
- Combine the baking soda and vinegar to make a homogeneous paste. To dilute the mixture, add water.
- Apply this paste to the accumulation areas of your coffee maker, carafe, and heating plate.
- Allow the paste to sit for a few minutes to dissolve the buildup.
- Remove the paste with a damp towel and rinse the pot and the carafe under running water.
- Continue rinsing with water or soak the components in plenty of water overnight to remove the vinegar smell.
And boom, your coffee maker is now cleaned. You can brew your coffee in it and enjoy it.
Precautions
There are some precautions that you have to take while using baking soda and white vinegar throughout your coffee maker. So, take careful notes of them.
The Method
- The internal elements of your coffee maker may be damaged if you dissolve baking soda in vinegar and perform a brew cycle with this mixture.
- However, you can clean the various components of a coffee maker by running vinegar through it diluted with water.
- When cleaning a glass coffee pot or carafe, avoid using abrasive items such as baking soda, which can scratch and damage the material.
- You may need to run your brewer with regular water after using vinegar and/or lemon juice until it no longer smells like vinegar.
Alternatives Methods Of Cleaning Coffee Maker With Baking Soda
If, for any reason, you don't want to use the above-mentioned methods to clean your coffee maker, then you can follow other alternatives as well.
Luckily, there are many alternate methods for cleaning your coffee maker. We’re going to tell you about all of them so that you can use the one that you like the most.
1) Use Denture Tablets For Cleaning The Coffee Maker.
This is the method of cleaning your coffee machine that you may never have heard of. This method involves denture tablets. Let's learn how we can apply this method.
- If you have a drip coffee maker or a single-serve coffee maker with a water reservoir, dissolve two denture tablets in the water before starting the brew cycle.
- Drop a tablet into a coffee carafe or pot with two cups of cold water and allow it to dissolve.
- After the tablets have dissolved, scrub the inside and exterior of your pot or carafe with a toothbrush.
- Hard water stains and mineral deposits are easily removed using denture tablets. To remove any cleaner residue, always rinse your coffee maker and pot with clean water after cleaning.
2) Use Lemon Juice To Clean The Coffee Maker
Using lemon juice to clean the coffee maker is another good method. Cleaning a coffee maker with lemon juice is similar to cleaning it with white vinegar.
The Method
- Fill one-third of the way with lemon juice and the rest with water in the water reservoir.
- To clean the machine, do a brew cycle as usual. You can rinse with clean water, but it is not necessary because you can brew a pot of coffee immediately after washing with no negative consequences.
Methods For Cleaning Other Famous Brands Of Coffee Makers.
Since this article is about cleaning coffee makers, we’re giving you these little bonus methods to clean other types of coffee makers as well.
Even though there are many methods that you could try, but the ones that we’re going to talk about being the easiest ones. You’ll be able to get them done easily.
1) The Method Of Cleaning, French Press
French press coffee makers are considered to be the toughest to clean. It is almost impossible to rinse the plunger after scooping old grounds from the bottom of the carafe.
Filling your French press with water to loosen the grounds on the bottom is one of the simplest ways to fully clean it.
The Method
- Pour the water and grind through a mesh sieve, then throw away the used grounds.
- Insert the plunger into the carafe and fill it with soapy water.
- Several times, move the plunger up and down inside the water. This cleans the carafe’s sides and gets rid of any stuck grounds in the plunger.
- Allow drying after properly rinsing.
While cleaning your coffee maker, you should also clean your manual coffee grinder. Fill the grinder with white rice and grind it into tiny bits.
This cleans the machine’s innards of stray coffee bean residue and prepares it for the next grinding operation.
2) Method For Cleaning Espresso Coffee Maker
Espresso is famous worldwide as one of the most advanced coffee makers. So, what’s the best way to clean it? Just follow the below-mentioned steps.
The Things you'll need:
- Squirt bottle.
- White vinegar.
The Method
- Shake the ingredients in your squirt bottle.
- Spray the solution immediately on the outside of your machine and wipe in circular motions with a moist towel.
- Inside the machine, combine the same amount of vinegar with water and brew as usual.
- Drain the solution and rinse the machine with fresh water several times.
- The filter basket should be washed in hot, soapy water, fully rinsed, and allowed to dry.
So, these were some of the easiest bonus methods for cleaning your coffee makers.I hope, the methods were easy enough for you to follow.
FAQs
1) Can you use vinegar and baking soda to clean the coffee maker?
The best approach to clean a coffee maker with vinegar and baking soda is to use vinegar in the machine and baking soda in the pot, carafe, thermos, and heating plate.
2) Is vinegar or baking soda better for cleaning the coffee makers?
Yes, using baking soda and white vinegar is the best for cleaning your coffee makers.
3) Can I descale with baking soda?
To completely remove limescale, clean the kettle on a regular basis by sprinkling baking soda inside and washing it with a soft sponge. Remove the kettle, filter and soak it in a cup of vinegar for 10 minutes to release the tenacious residue.
Conclusion
Cleaning the coffee maker, using baking soda is an easy method that you could try.
The reason why most people prefer using baking soda for cleaning their coffee makers over vinegar is that vinegar leaves a little bad smell after cleaning.
However, if you use it with baking soda, then not only will it clean the coffee maker properly, but also will not leave any sort of smell.
Therefore, if you’re willing to use vinegar for cleaning your coffee machine, but don’t like the smell of it, then this is the method that you can consider.
You can easily do it by following the above-mentioned methods. So, you won’t have any difficulty applying this method.
Since most of the people were asking about cleaning different types of coffee makers, such as espresso and French press, I thought of including them in this article as well.
So, now you know how to clean a coffee maker using baking soda. Also, you know about the alternatives to this method.
I hope the methods were easy enough for you to understand. Because we’ve tried our best to tell you as easy a method as possible, regardless of your expertise, you can still clean your coffee maker.
But, still, if you get stuck in the middle of the process, please let us know in the comments section. We’d love to help you out.