For those of us who love coffee, a coffee maker comes as a major convenience. A device that makes instant coffee whenever you need is probably one of our favourite appliances in the kitchen. And like all other appliances, even the best auto drip coffee maker may need some maintenance at some point.
Here are six steps to maintain that machine that helps you maintain focus in the morning:
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Empty the carafe
The carafe, for those of you who don’t know, is that part of the machine that holds the coffee grounds. You need to empty it out every once in awhile. Most manufacturers have made this really easy, since they know you’ll be doing it regularly. Just have a look at the instruction manual if you’re unsure.
2. Clean the inside of your coffee maker once per month with a solution of water and vinegar
A lot of people underestimate the power of a simple water and vinegar solution to clean out electrical devices. You can put the solution into the water chamber and run half a brew cycle like you are making regular coffee. Clean it out and you are done. Fun fact- you can also clean your laptop surfaces and LCD screens with it.
3. Soak and clean removable coffee maker parts once per week to remove coffee oil
You can dismantle many part of the coffee maker and give it a thorough cleaning whenever you need. This could include the filter basket, pot lid, coffee pot and the filter itself. Depending on the material used for these parts, you may be able to use regular dishwashing liquid and some water to help clean it all up. Use an old toothbrush to get to the small corners and clean out debris for good.
4. You can use canned air to dust the inside and outside of your coffee maker
Canned air is widely available and is usually used to clean out parts of your computer or laptop. You can, of course, also use it to clean out parts of the coffee maker you can not dismantle. It’s designed to clear away dust from the internal parts of electrical appliances, so it’s the perfect way to give your coffee maker a thorough clean.
5. Address severe damage immediately.
Damage is sometimes unavoidable. Pots crack and power cords burn down, especially if you’ve been using your coffee maker for more than a few years. It makes sense to replace these parts right away, before they have a chance to cause more damage or hurt someone. If the parts are covered under warranty, taking it back to the manufacturer is a no-brainer. If it isn’t, you could look around for some local repair shop that can get you parts for cheap.
6. Reassemble
Of course, put everything together at the end of the clean so that you can go back to using the coffee machine and making some of that delicious morning brews that keep you going.
