Is Your Coffee Maker Gross?
Is your coffee maker clean? If you're an avid coffee drinker, then having a cup at home and at work is a daily ritual. If that's the case, you really need to think about getting the coffee maker, and the coffee pot cleaned. Correctly.
It's important to keep your machine clean to prevent yeast, bacteria, and even mold. Did you know that the reservoir, the part that holds the water, is one of the dirtiest part of the kitchen? A recent study by the NSF International study of kitchen products found that 50% of sampled reservoirs had mold or yeast. That's just gross!
Dr Chuck Gerba, a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona, said that the break room in your office has MORE bacteria than the public bathroom. If the break room has a coffee machine, the coffee pot handle has the most germs. The second most being the sponge coworkers use to "clean" coffee cups. Dr Gerba recommends using the office dishwasher (if available).
How To Clean Your Machine
No need to wear a face mask in the break room when making coffee. Just make sure you're using the correct cleaning product and you'll be all set.
If you want your coffee machine to be clean and your coffee to taste delicious you need to clean and descale. Cleaning is the process of removing the coffee oils that will affect the taste of your coffee. Descaling is the process of removing the mineral build-up from the heating elements in the machine. The white, dry and milk-like build up on your machine means it needs to be descaled.
Vinegar is often recommended when you want to remove mold and bacteria in your coffee maker, but doesn't have the punch to descale. It also smells really bad and leaves a gross aftertaste. I'm definitely not a fan of this.
That's where CAFIZA comes in, developed by a company called URNEX. Founded in 1936 it produces all of its cleaning products at its manufacturing and corporate headquarters in Elmsford, New York.
CAFIZA is much more effective at cleaning and descaling than vinegar. While vinegar is an effective descaler, it is difficult to rinse, takes longer to be effective and leaves behind an unpleasant odor and aftertaste that can affect future brews. Urnex descalers are formulated specifically for this function, they rinse quickly and are odorless.
We use CAFIZA in our cafe for cleaning our commercial coffee makers, grinders, and espresso machines. This product is amazing. I even use it at home for cleaning and descaling our coffee maker.
CAFIZA is both NSF and OMRI certified which means it meets strict standards and procedures to make sure this product is safe to public health protection. All ingredients used are listed by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture as approved for use in organic food processing.
When To Clean
So now that you know the right way to clean your coffee maker and pot, the next question is when. If you have a fancy coffee maker then you're in luck because it will automatically notify you when to clean and descale. If you're not sure what a fancy coffee maker is, you can read my article on why you need one here.
If your machine doesn't notify you to clean your machine, then here are some tips and tricks:
Don't leave any water in the reservoir and leave the lid open.
Rinse the carafe as soon as you're finished drinking coffee and leave it upside down to dry.
Brew a full pot of coffee using one tablespoon of CAFIZA every 3 months.
