Coffee Maker Smells Awful!

[AZRedhawk44]

My coffee maker stinks.  I just rejected a pot of coffee outright from it.

Can stuff grow in the non-cleanable parts?

I'm running an ounce of bleach mixed with a pot of water through it, but should I just scrap it and replace it instead?  It's a cheapo 4-cup coffee maker I've had since college, probably all of about $12 to replace at ChinaMart.

[Waitone]

Live a little and buy a new one.  Hint:  don't use the carafe to pour water in the tank.  Coffee builds up on the inside of tank and eventually stinks up everything.  Use a clean pitcher or glass to fill the tank.

[Declaration Day]

I've heard that vinegar is the best way to go, but bleach will probably do the trick.  Make sure you rinse it out several times or you'll have swimming pool flavored coffee.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2323550_clean-coffee-maker-vinegar.html

[Brad Johnson]

Bleach will kill bacteria.  Vinegar will remove hard water deposites.

Brad

[alex_trebek]

Bleach will kill bacteria.  Vinegar will remove hard water deposites.

Brad

Yep. Coffee is only partially soluble in water, if you want to get rid of the residue, you should consider other solvents. If you go that route, be aware of flammability limits including the vapor phase.

Generally using soap on coffee makers/pots is considered a bad idea, as it will effect the flavor.

I would consider a detergent soap, or possibly baking soda solution. Do not use the baking soda solution in the heat cycle.

Also since bleach is a strong oxidizer, it may be corroding any steel components especially when heating.  I hope the bleach solution is diluted substantially.

[Jamisjockey]

I've heard that vinegar is the best way to go, but bleach will probably do the trick.  Make sure you rinse it out several times or you'll have swimming pool flavored coffee.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2323550_clean-coffee-maker-vinegar.html

Both.  Run a pot of water through it with a little bleach (just a little bit).  Run several pots of water through it with water and vinegar.  Then run several pots of water only through it. 
Alternately, chuck it and buy a new one 

[AZRedhawk44]

I did two pots of bleach/water (about 1 ounce bleach and mostly water), then 3 rinse cycles of water only.  Then made a fresh pot. 

All better now.

The idea of not using the carafe to fill the reservoir is a good one.  That's probably how it got funky.  I'll use a pitcher from now on.

It's kinda dumb, but I like that coffee maker.  I think it's the only thing in my kitchen that has made it all the way from Seattle to Texas to all my different places in Arizona I've lived.

[charby]

  It's a cheapo 4-cup coffee maker I've had since college, probably all of about $12 to replace at ChinaMart.

Go to Mao-Mart and buy another one.

[thebaldguy]

I had a four cup Proctor/Silex coffeemaker for 10+ years that I got from my sister who had it for who knows how long. It was probably from the 80's. I cleaned/dried it after use and ran vinegar through it once a year. It worked great but it had no timer. But it was free and I liked it and I used it for a long time.

It was so old that it was made in the USA. Unreal.

I finally cracked the glass carafe, and almost cried. Generic replacement carafes (no Proctor/Silex carafes were found) were $9-$19.

Target had a Black & Decker five cup with clock and timer model with a stainless carafe for less than $13. I bought it. It works great and makes great coffee.

Besides the vinegar once in a while thing, try to keep the water tank, basket/basket area, and carafe clean and dry when not in use. Either wipe it dry or prop it open so that it air dries. Don't let a coffee maker sit around for days with moisture, old grounds and coffee.

[KD5NRH]

Bleach will kill bacteria.  Vinegar will remove hard water deposites.

It's worth noting that most of the nasties are held in place by the hard water deposits.  Get them out, and everything else comes out with them.

9% acidity vinegar is about $3/gallon around here, so I run a full pot at full strength every 6-12 months.  The vinegar comes out brown, and the rinse water comes out clear.  When we were on well water, I did it every month with similar results.

Have proper ventilation.  One sniff of hot, high-strength vinegar is enough to be rather painful.  I haven't noticed any long-term effects from several exposures, but I still open a window and/or wear a respirator when I'm close to it.

Bonus: put your shower head (and the aerator from the sink nozzle, and anything else with calcium deposits) in the pot of hot, dirty vinegar for 10 minutes, and it'll flow like new.

[lee n. field]

I'm running an ounce of bleach mixed with a pot of water through it, but should I just scrap it and replace it instead?  It's a cheapo 4-cup coffee maker I've had since college, probably all of about $12 to replace at ChinaMart.

A French press is cheap, and can be completely disassembled for cleaning.

[charby]

A French press is cheap, and can be completely disassembled for cleaning.

Then you need to buy a grinder.

[InfidelSerf]

Then you need to buy a grinder.

<coffeesnob>If your not grinding your own coffee, your not drinking coffee!</coffeesnob>

I highly recommend a carafe less model.
Our Hamilton Beach insulated maker finally died.
So I picked up an HB carafe less maker


I really like it.  I love being able to snag a cup before it's done brewing without making a mess...
as well as being able to drop a warmer in my cup without having to handle a carafe.

You can find that style in a less pricey model.  I have no use for the clock or timer.
Since I grind (Cuisinart burr grinder) and brew the moment I wake up.

[lupinus]

Then you need to buy a grinder.

Most coffee "grinders" are really choppers with a whirling blade that produces very inconsistent results. You get some powder, you get some chunks. A burr grinder actually crushes and grinds. Down side of course is burr grinders are rarely inexpensive. When I still used my french press I would buy whole bean and use the grinders at the store which are usually quite good. Bought in smaller batches that would last me a week or so I never noticed a difference from the first press to the last.

As to a drip pot, most recommend cleaning once a month with 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water in a full pot quantity. Run that through, let the pot cool down for ten minutes, then run two or three pots worth of plain water through the pot with a ten minute rest between pots. This removes both mineral deposits and coffee oils that go rancid, which has as much or more an impact on an off flavor. The more plastic your coffee maker has in contact with coffee the more relevant the last one is since oils bond pretty easily to plastics compared to metal parts. As to bleach I see no benefit over plain old white vinegar.

[lee n. field]

Then you need to buy a grinder.

I see no problem here.

<coffeesnob>If your not grinding your own coffee, your not drinking coffee!</coffeesnob>

If you're not roasting your own beans, you're not drinking coffee.  (My older daughter does.  (Well, did, before pregnancy made coffee unpalatable to her.  (I'm gonna be a Grandpa.))  My palate isn't that refined.  I'm going for the caffeine based mental maintenance.)

[charby]

<coffeesnob>If your not grinding your own coffee, your not drinking coffee!</coffeesnob>

I highly recommend a carafe less model.
Our Hamilton Beach insulated maker finally died.
So I picked up an HB carafe less maker


I really like it.  I love being able to snag a cup before it's done brewing without making a mess...
as well as being able to drop a warmer in my cup without having to handle a carafe.

You can find that style in a less pricey model.  I have no use for the clock or timer.
Since I grind (Cuisinart burr grinder) and brew the moment I wake up.

I have a burr grinder and ever since I went a vaccuum carafe pot my coffee tastes just as good from the time I brewed it to the time I empty the carafe. I hate coffee that has been sitting in a heated glass carafe.

[MillCreek]

Speaking as the geek who has 200 pounds of green coffee beans in his garage, roasts his own coffee, owns a commercial espresso grinder and machine and a $ 175 drip coffee maker, citric acid is commonly used as a coffee machine cleaner in the commercial setting.

You can often find citric acid in the grocery store in the canning section, or at a soap or candle making supply company.  I use 1 oz. citric acid dissolved in four cups of hot water and run that through the machine.

[AmbulanceDriver]

Speaking as the geek who has 200 pounds of green coffee beans in his garage, roasts his own coffee, owns a commercial espresso grinder and machine and a $ 175 drip coffee maker

ADOPT ME PLEASE!!!!

[Bigjake]

Speaking as the geek who has 200 pounds of green coffee beans in his garage.

That's awesome.   I'd really like to learn how that works, someday.


I don't have time for another hobby, so I get beans from this place, pry 3 times a year.  It keeps really well, too.

http://www.sturgiscoffeecompany.com/catalog/

The Heavy Metal and The Cartel are the best blends, IMO.

[Chuck Dye]

In my days as a galley slave, the coffee makers were cleaned with washing soda.  Seemed to work well.

If you go for a French press be sure to look at the double walled stainless variety.  I bought a Frieling 1 liter pot through Amazon and have been very pleased.
(I have several sets of handles and plungers from broken glass Bodum and cheap knockoff pots.  They are free to a good home if you pay the postage. :D)

Gavalia can be good for a bargain coffee maker.  Check the home, garden, fashion type magazines.  Be sure you do not let them set the hook with the subscription agreement.  IMHO, their coffee is a waste of postage, though I must admit to having tried only three of their varieties..

[MillCreek]

That's awesome.   I'd really like to learn how that works, someday.

www.sweetmarias.com is your one-stop shop for information about home roasting coffee.  I am mentioned there and my pictures are posted in the heatgun/dogbowl coffee roasting section.

[erictank]

That's awesome.   I'd really like to learn how that works, someday.


I don't have time for another hobby, so I get beans from this place, pry 3 times a year.  It keeps really well, too.

http://www.sturgiscoffeecompany.com/catalog/

The Heavy Metal and The Cartel are the best blends, IMO.

It's really not hard to roast your own beans.  I buy mine from sweetmarias.com (where they frequently have Kona beans for around $15 a pound, and lesser-but-still-excellent varieties for $5-6 per pound), and they have instructions, reviews, and guides for roasters, grinders, and other goodies as well.

Aaaaand, scrolling down, I see that Bigjake has already recommended Sweet Maria's.  So consider this a +1.

[Daniel964]

Wouldn't it be easier to just use instant coffee?

[Bigjake]

Wouldn't it be easier to just use instant coffee?

Heresy!   

[Doggy Daddy]

The idea of not using the carafe to fill the reservoir is a good one.  That's probably how it got funky.  I'll use a pitcher from now on.

Ever considered pouring in water straight from the bong?   

DD