How To Clean A Coffee Carafe

Coffee is one of those morning staples that many people habitually add to their daily routines. Whether it's made in a French press, an espresso maker or a regular drip coffee system, the one thing that always comes along with coffee makers is the inevitable stains. These stains not only happen when you spill your cup of coffee, but they can also happen in the bottom of your coffee carafe and even your coffee cup.

The stains in the bottom of your coffee carafe do not mean that you are a dirty person. You could clean your coffee maker daily and still end up with what seems like impossible stains in your coffee carafe. Joyride Coffee explains that this happens because the oils in coffee build up on the inside walls and create a residue. These oils are difficult to remove and are often not entirely removed even when you clean the coffee carafe with dishwashing liquid.

The stains will be more noticeable in glass coffee carafes. However, it is important to clean stainless steel coffee pots as well because the residue may be harder to notice. You may think that the stainless steel lining does not need a deep clean like a glass coffee carafe, but if you want to have the best possible tasting cup of coffee, then regular deep cleaning of your carafe is a necessity.

You may have tried everything under the sun, from hard scrubbing to long soaking periods, but you still notice that the stain will not go away. Luckily the best carafe cleaner can be found in most households in the form of baking soda. To clean the carafe, simply sprinkle baking soda on the stain.

Add a touch of water to form a paste with the baking soda and begin scrubbing the stain. The stain should be relatively easy to remove with minimal effort. The Kitchn suggests adding this cleaning step to your regular cleaning rituals to have a clean coffee carafe all the time.

It may seem a bit more complex to clean stainless steel coffee pots; however, the concept remains the same. Add baking soda to the bottom of the pot and add water. Scrub the inside of the pot until you are satisfied with the results. If you notice your stainless steel carafe is still holding onto those stubborn stains, then you may need to implement a more vigorous cleaning technique.

Grab Green mentions a few ways on how to clean stainless steel pots; however, they include high concentrations of soap or vinegar. Cleaning with vinegar could give good visual results, but the strong acidic odor and flavor could remain on the inside lining of your carafe, ruining your future pots of coffee.

You should use vinegar if you need to descale your coffee maker due to hard water. You will need to run a few cycles of water through the coffee pot first to rinse out any potential remaining odors or flavors. If you have already tried vinegar and found yourself with a stinky carafe, soak the carafe in baking soda and water to neutralize the vinegar residue. When it comes to the actual brown stains due to coffee oils, your best bet is a coat of baking soda and a little bit of water.