Coffee makers are common household appliances. Most coffee lovers rely on coffee makers in their homes to prepare a hot, tasty cup of coffee. Since coffee makers are standard appliances in many homes, it’s extremely disappointing for the appliance to malfunction when you need it most.
One of the main reasons why your coffee machine may malfunction is due to getting clogged. There’re several reasons why the appliance may get clogged. Luckily, most of these clogs are relatively easy to clear.
How Does a Coffee Maker Get Clogged?
Some coffee lovers assume that when their precious coffee maker stops brewing coffee, it’s completely faulty and should be thrown away. However, don’t panic when your coffee maker fails to brew coffee. You don’t have to dispose it without attempting to fix it. It’s probably malfunctioning due to a mere clog. Clogs are fixable issues.
When brewing coffee with a coffee maker, hot water flows through coffee grounds to produce coffee. If the coffee pot doesn’t receive any coffee but water is heating up, the appliance is likely clogged. Thus, it’ll only produce steam without any coffee dripping into the pot. Such a problem can be quite frustrating. Fortunately, you can easily fix this issue by yourself.
Also, your coffee machine may have accumulated mold. Mold may gather within the components of the appliance due to its warm and damp interior. Warmth and dampness offer a great environment for germs and bacteria to thrive, thereby resulting in the formation of mold. Clean the appliance regularly to prevent mold from growing. Regular cleaning also assists in preventing clogs from forming in the appliance.
When Should You Clean Your Coffee Maker?
There’re several tell-tale signs that your coffee machines needs some serious cleaning. The signs may indicate several issues or just a single issue. If you brew coffee almost daily, you can easily tell when the appliance is malfunctioning. However, if you only brew coffee occasionally, then you’ll find it challenging to know how long the appliance has been faulty.
If the appliance beeps and you’re not brewing coffee, or the brewed coffee has a funny taste, then you should check its interior parts for any issues. If it’s taking longer than usual to brew coffee, or it’s making a noise like how it does when brewing coffee yet nothing is being brewed, then it’s having an issue that should be assessed.
A major issue to consider is the kind of water you typically use with your coffee machine. Essentially, hard water contains several minerals. If you use hard water to brew coffee, the appliance may develop mineral deposits. Eventually, the mineral deposits may build up within the working components, thereby clogging the appliance. The buildup of mineral deposits appears like white, scaly patches that form on the interior components and within the pipe network.
Your Keurig Is Not Brewing
Coffee machines are available in several different brands. Keurig coffee machines are among the most popular brands of coffee brewing machines. The technology used in Keurig coffee makers differs from that of other coffee maker brands such as the French press and Mr. Coffee machines. If you own a Keurig coffee maker, it’ll help to know more about its inner workings just in case it fails to brew. If you notice that it’s not brewing as required, you should try to troubleshoot the appliance.
In most instances, this problem results from the buildup of residue that clogs the pump mechanism in a Keurig. Although the mineral deposits don’t pose a health risk, they can make your Keurig less efficient. You should clear the clogs to make your Keurig function efficiently like new. You shouldn’t allow mineral deposits to buildup in your Keurig by cleaning it regularly.
Cleaning Your Keurig
First, open the Keurig at the top. Get rid of any old coffee grounds sitting in the filter basket. Upon emptying the basket, return it in place. Next, add hot water to the reservoir halfway. Top up the other half with white vinegar. However, vinegar may introduce its taste into your coffee brews if you fail to rinse the pot thoroughly after cleaning it with vinegar. Regardless, white vinegar is among the best solutions for clearing the buildup of mineral deposits.
The hot water and vinegar solution works by loosening mineral deposits. The solution will also disinfect and deodorize your Keurig. Upon adding hot water and vinegar, run your Keurig like you do when brewing coffee. Once the cycle completes, run the appliance with the same solution once again. If you’re dealing with severe clogs, run the appliance for a third cycle.
Upon running the Keurig twice or thrice with the vinegar and hot water mixture, clean the coffee pot with soapy water. Scrub it to clear any stains or film it might have acquired. Also, remove the filter basket and clean it thoroughly. Clear any grounds from the filter basket with a scrubbing brush or toothbrush. Put it back in place once done.
Upon cleaning and disinfecting your Keurig coffee maker, it’s important to make sure that there’s no buildup left in the Keurig pot. Add cool, plain water into the reservoir until full. Run it for three cycles with plain water. Doing so will rinse and clear any residue vinegar from the pot. That way, you can brew coffee without any vinegar smell.
You can also cleanse the exterior surface of your Keurig. To do this, spray it with a solution of vinegar and water. The solution will remove any bacteria, dirt, and water spots on the exterior surface of the coffee pot. Upon cleaning the pot thoroughly, make it a regular cleaning habit monthly. Regular cleaning will allow you to use the Keurig without any interruption. That way, you’ll enjoy a smooth coffee brewing process at all times.
Troubleshooting Mr. Coffee
Generally, slow performance or clogging of a Mr. Coffee machine is an indicator of accumulated mineral deposits resulting from brewing coffee with hard water. Avoid this problem by brewing coffee with spring or filtered water. However, not everyone may have the luxury to brew coffee with spring or filtered water. If your water supply relies on hard water, yet you’re consuming it without any issues, then you can use it to make coffee. All you should do is clean the coffee pot after every use and descale it every month to prevent the buildup of mineral deposits.
If you’ve cleared mineral buildup in your coffee machine but it’s not yet working properly, check whether the tube has any issues. Ensure it’s not blocked with mineral deposits or coffee grounds. If the water flow in the coffee machine seems to be working properly, proceed to check whether the thermostat has any issues.
If you’re unable to find the problem with your coffee maker, it’ll be wise to switch it off and unplug it from the socket. Allow the appliance to cool. Open it up and check whether the components have any issues. If you understand its inner workings, you’ll find it easier to troubleshoot and fix the problem.
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