Cleaning Your Coffee Makers

Last weekend I took the time to clean both my coffee makers. The Keurig and the Cuisinart. I'll explain how I did this.


Here's what you will need:
 
Materials
Water
White vinegar
Hot soapy water
Sponge
Dry dish towel

Cleaning The Keurig: I took the pieces that come off the machine, the bottom reservoir pieces, and cleaned them with soapy water. 

I took off the water dispenser, as I was going to use it for cleaning.

I filled the water dispenser with half white vinegar and half water. 

I then ran all of the fluid through by making one coffee cup after another, and emptying it down the sink drain.

Once that was done, I filled it with just water and repeated the first step, using up all the water and pouring it down the drain.

When I had coffee the next morning, there was no leftover taste or odor of vinegar. 

Cleaning The Cuisinart
I filled the carafe with half white vinegar and half water. I then turned on the coffee maker and brewed half a pot of coffee.

I turned the coffee maker off, and let the remainder of coffee in the carafe sit for one hour. Then I ran the rest through.

During that hour, I took the parts like the filter and filter holder and washed them in soapy water, just as I did with the Keurig. 

I then filled the Cuisinart carafe with just water and brewed a full carafe.  

While you're at it, sponge down (or whatever you use to clean with) the actual coffee makers on the outside and around the edges to give it a good cleaning and clear water build up. 

This will keep your coffee tasting flavorful. 

The jar above is what I put my coffee in for the Cuisinart. I brought it with me from Texas, as I did the Cuisinart. I happen to like Folgers. I mix plain Folgers with French Vanilla Folgers.

I have one cup of coffee each morning, so this lasts me quite awhile. 

Occasionally I have a cup of coffee from the Keurig, but since the k-cups aren't all that cheap, I don't use it as much as the Cuisinart.

When other coffee makers have bit the dust, this Cuisinart has been around about 10 years.

Even though the Cuisinart has the gold filter, I don't want to be buying those. So I use a regular paper coffee filter I get at the grocery store and put one of those inside the gold filter. 

I keep the filters in this vintage Maxwell House can I've had a long time.

Do you have any tips for cleaning your coffee makers?