Gourmet Coffee, Green Mountain Coffee & Single Cup Coffee Makers

If your coffee equipment is left uncleaned, residual oils will remain, grow bitter and build up. Most people do not like “Stale Residual Oil” flavored coffee, as it is a far cry from say, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters’  

WHAT DOES “CLEAN” MEAN?

One coffee expert with a BS in Nutrition Science offers this schedule:

Daily Routine:

“Brew” a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid with a full carafe of water. Let sit in pot for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse well.

Weekly Routine:

1. Clean the carafe: remove the plastic lid if possible and soak in dish washing detergent. Soak this while cleaning the lid and filter basket.

2. Clean the filter basket: Fill your sink about halfway with warm water and at least 4 tablespoons of baking soda. Using a rag, wipe the residual coffee oils from the plastic components. Rinse thoroughly with water.

3. Finish cleaning the carafe by swirling the soapy water around with a cleaning rag. Rinse thoroughly with water. You may even want to rinse this with a baking soda solution to fully remove the soap.

4. Using the rag that was in the baking soda, wipe around the coffee maker itself. Pay close attention to the shower head as many old coffee oils will be there.

Monthly Routine:

1. Perform your weekly cleaning routine.

2. If you have a filter built into your coffee maker, remove it. Fill your carafe with water and add two tablespoons of vinegar into it.

3. Pour into the coffee maker and begin brewing.

4. Halfway through the brewing cycle, stop the machine and wait 10-15 minutes. Resume the brewing process until completed.

5. Rinse your carafe out and pass another two cycles of plain water through the system. Rinse out the coffee maker and you are done.

WHEN YOUR EQUIPMENT ISN’T QUITE CLEAN YET

No matter how vigilant you are about your cleaning schedule, stubborn build up may persist. This is when you bring in the big guns, among them: Urnex’s CleanCaf , an odorless, non-toxic cleaner that eliminates mineral and oil deposits. Good for monthly use, if needed.

CLEANING ESPRESSO MACHINES

If you clean your espresso machine often, a good water and vinegar treatment should suffice. For many people however, it’s a good idea to get a specially made cleaner such as Puro Caff. Make sure to follow the directions printed on the packaging; a little Puro Caff goes a long way.

TIPS for CLEANING

1. If your machine has a three way valve you should regularly put a little cleaner (another good one is Urnex’s Cafiza) in the part that’s called the “null filter” and do a 30 second backflush.

2. If you don’t have a three way valve you can keep your coffee handle clean by soaking it in a cleaning solution and by removing and cleaning the shower curtain every week or two.

3. Use an angled plastic “group head brush” once a day or more and perhaps also a stainless steel bristle brush to remove compacted coffee.

4. To clean the tank use either CleanCaf or packet’s of the Urnex’s Lime Scale Remover.

5. Always follow up any cleaning routine with multiple fresh water rinses.

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR KEURIG SINGLE-CUP BREWER (B40, B50 or B60)

Instructions for De-Scaling your Keurig Home Brewer with Vinegar

a. PREPARE

Step 1: Make sure you have 48 ounces of white vinegar on hand. You will also need an empty sink and a ceramic mug (do not use a paper cup.)

Step 2: Empty the water in the Water Reservoir

b. FILL AND CLEAN

Step 1: Pour the vinegar into the Water Reservoir and fill it to the top edge of the clear viewing area.

Step 2: Place a ceramic cup in the Drip Tray and run a brew cycle. DO NOT USE A K-CUP…just press the Large Cup Button. Pour the contents of the cup into the sink.

Step 3: Repeat the brew process until the Water Reservoir is empty, pouring the contents of the cup into the sink after each cycle. Remember to open and close the lid between each cycle.

Step 4: Rinse the Water Reservoir thoroughly and fill with fresh water.

Step 5: Now let the Brewer stand for 4 hours while still on.
 

c. RINSE

Step 1: Ensure the Water Reservoir is filled with fresh water.

Step 2: Place a ceramic cup on the Drip Tray and run a regular brew cycle. Pour the contents of the cup into the sink.

Step 3: Repeat the brew process until the Water Reservoir is empty.

Step 4: You may need to perform additional brew cycles if you notice any residual taste.