Every pot of coffee leaves something behind: oils that turn rancid, fine grounds in the basket, and, if you have hard water, mineral scale inside the machine. That buildup is why an old coffee maker brews slowly and makes coffee that tastes bitter or flat. Here is how to clean a coffee maker properly, with vinegar or without it, plus how to clean a Keurig and the most common manual brewers.
No vinegar? Use citric acid. Dissolve about 1 tablespoon of citric acid in a quart (1 liter) of water and run it through the same cycle. It descales just as well, has no smell and rinses out more easily. Lemon juice and commercial descalers also work; baking soda does not remove scale.
Quick answer: how to clean a coffee maker
- Fill the reservoir with equal parts white vinegar and water.
- Run half a brew cycle, switch off, and let it sit 30 to 60 minutes.
- Finish the cycle and pour the solution away.
- Run two or three full cycles of fresh water to rinse out the vinegar.
How Often Should You Clean a Coffee Maker?
Different parts need different attention. The parts that touch brewed coffee need a wash every day; the inside of the machine needs descaling less often, depending on how hard your water is.
| What | How often | How |
|---|---|---|
| Carafe and filter basket | After every use | Warm soapy water, rinse well |
| Water reservoir and lid | Weekly | Wipe out, leave the lid open to dry |
| Warming plate and outside | Weekly | Damp cloth once the machine is cool |
| Descaling, hard water | Monthly | Vinegar or descaler cycle |
| Descaling, soft or filtered water | Every 3 months | Vinegar or descaler cycle |
| Manual brewers | After every use, deep clean monthly | See the brewer sections below |
How to Clean a Drip Coffee Maker With Vinegar
White vinegar is cheap, already in most kitchens, and its acidity dissolves the mineral scale that clogs a drip machine. Check your manual first: a few manufacturers recommend their own descaling solution instead.
Throw out old grounds and filters. Wash the carafe and filter basket in warm soapy water.
Fill the reservoir to the top with equal parts white vinegar and water. For heavy scale, use more vinegar than water.
Put an empty paper filter in the basket, start a brew, and switch off halfway. Leave it 30 to 60 minutes so the vinegar can work on the scale inside.
Switch back on, let the cycle finish, and pour the solution away.
Run two or three full cycles of clean water, with a fresh filter each time, letting the machine cool for a few minutes between cycles. If you can still smell vinegar, run one more.
Wipe the warming plate and outside with a damp cloth, and leave the reservoir lid open to dry.
How to Clean a Coffee Maker Without Vinegar
If you dislike the smell, or your manual says not to use vinegar, citric acid is the best substitute. It is a food-safe acid sold in the canning or baking aisle and online, and it is the main ingredient in many commercial descalers. Here is how to use it.
Dissolve about 1 tablespoon of citric acid in a quart (1 liter) of warm water, and fill the reservoir with it. For a large 12-cup machine, double it. For heavy scale, use up to 2 tablespoons per quart.
With an empty filter in the basket, start a brew and switch off halfway. Leave it 15 to 30 minutes.
Let the cycle finish, pour the solution away, then run two full cycles of fresh water. Citric acid rinses out faster than vinegar, so two are usually enough.
Your no-vinegar options at a glance:
About 1 tablespoon dissolved in a quart (1 liter) of water. No smell, and it is what many commercial descalers are made of.
Made for coffee machines and the safest choice if your manufacturer recommends one. Follow the dose on the bottle.
Half lemon juice, half water. Milder than vinegar, so it may need a second cycle on heavy scale.
Great for scrubbing coffee stains and smells out of the carafe, but it does not dissolve mineral scale, so it will not descale the machine.
How to Clean a Keurig
Pod machines scale up like drip machines, and they also have a small needle that clogs with grounds.
- Descale: empty the reservoir, add descaling solution and water (or equal parts vinegar and water), and run large-cup brews without a pod until the reservoir is empty. Let it sit 30 minutes.
- Rinse: refill with fresh water and run at least 12 brews to flush everything out.
- Clear the needle: unplug the machine, remove the pod holder, and gently clear the needle with a straightened paperclip.
- Wash the parts: wash the pod holder, drip tray and reservoir in warm soapy water, or on the top rack of the dishwasher if your manual allows it.
How to Clean Manual Coffee Makers
Manual brewers have no hidden pipes to scale up, so cleaning is mostly about coffee oils. Rinse after every use, and give them a proper wash about once a month.
Scoop the grounds into the trash or compost, not the sink. Once a month, unscrew the plunger and wash the mesh filters separately, since oils collect between the layers. More in our French press guide.
Plunging pushes out the puck and wipes the chamber, so a rinse is usually enough. Wash with soapy water now and then, and store it with the plunger pushed all the way through so the seal is not compressed.
Most are aluminum: rinse with hot water and dry fully, and keep it out of the dishwasher, which discolors aluminum. Check the gasket and filter plate for trapped grounds. See our moka pot guide.
Wash with hot soapy water and a bottle brush. For coffee stains, soak in warm water with a splash of vinegar. Take off the wood collar before washing.
Cleaning an espresso machine is a different job, with backflushing and steam wand care, and many manufacturers advise against vinegar. We cover it in how to clean an espresso machine.
Signs Your Coffee Maker Needs Cleaning
- Bitter or flat coffee with beans that used to taste fine. Old oils are a common cause; our guide to why coffee tastes bitter or sour covers the others.
- Slow brewing, or the machine stopping before the reservoir is empty.
- A white, chalky film in the reservoir or carafe. That is mineral scale.
- Extra sputtering or steam during brewing.
- A musty smell from the reservoir or basket.
Common cleaning mistakes
One rinse is rarely enough. Leftover vinegar will flavor your next few pots.
Never combine vinegar with bleach. Together they release chlorine gas, and bleach has no place in a coffee maker anyway.
Dishwasher detergent darkens and pits aluminum moka pots. Hand wash only.
Coffee left on the warming plate burns onto the glass and is much harder to clean the next day.
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For the no-vinegar method, look for food-grade citric acid, or use a ready-made coffee maker descaler.
Coffee Maker Cleaning FAQ
What is the best way to clean a coffee maker without vinegar?
Citric acid. Dissolve about 1 tablespoon in a quart (1 liter) of water, run half a brew cycle, wait 15 to 30 minutes, finish the cycle and rinse with two cycles of fresh water. A commercial descaler is the other good option.
Does baking soda clean a coffee maker?
It cleans the carafe and removes smells, but it is not an acid, so it does not dissolve mineral scale inside the machine. Use citric acid, vinegar or a descaler for that.
How do I get rid of the vinegar taste?
Run more cycles of fresh water, with a clean filter each time, until you can’t smell vinegar in the water. Leave the reservoir lid open afterward so it airs out.
How often should I descale my coffee maker?
About once a month with hard water and every 3 months with soft or filtered water. Descale sooner if brewing slows down. Here’s more on water for coffee.
Can I use bleach to clean a coffee maker?
No. Bleach is hard to rinse out completely and does not remove scale, and mixed with vinegar it releases toxic chlorine gas. Stick to citric acid, vinegar, a descaler and dish soap.
Sources: Food Network: how to clean a Keurig; Tasting Table: descaling with citric acid.
Former roastery owner and coffee tour operator. Steve spent five years roasting coffee for his own shop and wholesale customers. More about Steve