A common reason why coffee makers take too long to brew is due to mineral build-up. Water contains calcium and lime that may accumulate and form deposits which delays the water heating process. The buildup of minerals could also cause machine damage and change your coffee’s taste and smell. Coffee granules also contain oil that could contribute to the problem.
There could also be a water clog or blockage causing it to take forever for the coffee to brew.
How to clean your coffee maker?
Here are the ways to clean your coffee maker:
By cleaning your coffee maker after every use.
Serious coffee lovers should take an extra mile to make sure their coffee makers are in good running condition and squeaky clean. You can prevent a build-up of residues by cleaning your coffee maker daily. Disassemble the parts and remove those that come off like the pot, brew basket and other components. Clean them separately for best results.
Through deep cleaning.
If you have too much going on in your life, you could skip the daily cleaning. What you can do is to have a deep cleaning of your coffee maker at least every three months. This way, you can avoid problems like a coffee machine that takes too long to brew.
These are the steps on how to deep clean your coffee maker:
- Mix vinegar and water and estimate the amount depending on your machine’s size. Pour the vinegar and water solution into the machine reservoir and let it sit for a couple of minutes.
- Turn on the coffee maker and allow it to run half of a brew cycle. Let the solution drip down the pot and turn it off when it is half full.
- Let the solution stay in the pot and reservoir for at least an hour as this will allow it to clean out mold and residue.
- Turn the machine on again and continue the brew. The cycle should be completed to allow the remaining solution to be filtered. Once this is done, dispose of the mixture.
- Run two brew cycles with plain water to rinse out any traces of vinegar from the machine.
- Wipe the machine parts with a clean and damp cloth to remove any dirt, residue and coffee grinds.
Proper cleaning of the coffee maker lets the water flow properly. A great tip to remember is to clean your carafe with rice. Wash the carafe after every use and if it gets a little grimy fill it with warm and soapy water plus a little rice. The mixture will loosen any gunk. Remove the debris by using a scrub sponge and rinse well.
How often should you clean your coffeemaker?
You should ideally clean your coffee maker each time you are through using it. You must also remove the coffee grounds and clean the brew basket, carafe and lid. Deep cleaning and descaling should be done every three months.
Residue can build up quickly if the water you use tends to have heavy mineral content or you do not regularly wash the water reservoir. If this is the case, you should clean the machine monthly. Some coffee maker brands have cleaning signals preceding a forced downtime. Most automatic brewing machines have a cleaning cycle set-up. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.
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