Brew your own coffee at home? Has it started acting up or tasting bitter? Keep your coffeepot clean for a better cup of joe.
Coffee at Home
I will be the first to admit, I am a coffee addict.
Everyone in my house knows not to bother me until I’m at LEAST on my second cup of the day. It’s actually a running joke that I love my coffee more than I love my family. Not true, but it’s funny.
So as much as I drink each day, it’s only common sense that I have to have a hard working, well-oiled machine to brew my “Trucker Tar” (as my hubby calls it).
Why Clean Your Coffeepot?
Extend Life
Just like everything else in your home, proper upkeep and maintenance is essential. I was raised in the era of “take care of things so you don’t have to replace them”. I couldn’t tell you how many times growing up that my Dad made us go without something because we broke it. And he refused to buy us new things.
Keeping your coffeepot clean not only brews a better pot of coffee, but it extends the life of your coffeemaker.
Taking the time to clean your coffeemaker once a month will extend its lifetime by years. My current coffeepot is going on 10 years old. It still works and brews my coffee now as well as I did when I first got it.
Better Taste
Years ago, when I waited tables, I remember a certain mailman who came in every morning for coffee. He had a large travel mug that I filled for him before he went out on his route. It was the dirtiest cup you have ever seen. There had to be years worth of coffee gunk in that cup.
I made the mistake of washing it once. He was not impressed with me for that. He said that the buildup in there added to the taste in the coffee.
Gross.
But since that time, I know that some people like bitter in their coffee. It’s just the way of the world that some people like some things and others don’t. We all have different tastes and preferences. It’s just the way of the world. It’d be a much better place if we all respected that each of us is different.
How to Clean Your Coffeepot
There are actually two ways that I like to do this. Mostly it depends on what I have on hand to do it.
But it never fails that I do this to both my and my husband’s coffeepot every month. (Yes, we have two. I need the whole pot to myself dangit!)
Method #1- Vinegar
This is by far my go-to method. I typically have vinegar around to use, so I just grab it and go.
I mix 2 cups of vinegar with 4 cups of water. It’s easiest to just mix it using the markings right on the coffee carafe. Then I run it through my coffeepot 3 times.
Why 3 you ask?
I find that because we have hard water, it seems to break up the iron and other minerals that build up in our pots over the month. By all means, you can do it however many times you want to, but this works best for me.
I then rinse with clean water 3 times to make sure that all of the vinegar has been thoroughly rinsed away. Once again, do it however many times you choose to.
Method #2- Baking Soda
If you don’t want to use vinegar or do not happen to have any onhand, baking soda is also a great way to clean your coffeemaker.
Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda to 4 cups of hot water to dissolve. Then repeat the steps I outlined for the vinegar method.
Cycle and rinse as many times as you like to ensure that your coffeemaker is as clean as YOU want it.
Clean Coffeemaker= Better Tasting Coffee
Try cleaning your coffeemaker once a month. Not only will it help your coffee taste better, but you will be extending the life of your coffeemaker. And we all like to save money instead of wasting it, right?
When you are a coffee drinker, you are pretty particular about what you like and don’t like. Whether you like it black, sweet, or with creamer, you want your coffee to taste good. Why worry about having bitter coffee when you can take a little time to do something so simple to keep it tasting perfect.
Brewing coffee at home can save you tons of money in the long run. Stop your takeout coffee habit by making sure that your coffee at home tastes just as good as the $5 cup you buy every morning. Think about it. If you are just buying one cup on workdays, that equates to $25 a week. Monthly, it’s $100. So if you just start making your own coffee at home, you will save $1200 a year!!
Ditch the takeout coffee and get yourself used to brewing your coffee at home. Invest in a cute travel mug or two. Don’t ditch your coffee habit, just ditch the high cost of the foo-foo coffee! You will definitely thank me at the end of the month when you see how much money is left over in your budget.
Want more Homemaking inspiration? Check out all of my Home ideas here.
