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How to Clean a Cuisinart Coffee Maker – 3 Simple Methods

Cuisinart offers much great value for money, entry-level, automatic Coffee makers to suit budget-conscious coffee consumers. They are capable of producing a tasty cup of coffee, quickly and easily, and look quite nice while doing it. But like any other coffee maker, a Cuisinart coffee maker will only produce good results if the machine is kept clean. Let’s take a good look at what the deal is with Cuisinart coffee makers, and how to keep them sparkling clean, just like the day you bought it.    

What Is a Cuisinart Coffee Maker

Cuisinart, a US company based out of Connecticut, started out as a home electrical appliance company selling food processors way back in 1973. As the company gained momentum, they added a plethora of other household products to their list, including coffee grinders, espresso makers, and, most importantly, drip coffee makers.

Today, Cuisinart offers no less than 20 (that’s right, 20!) coffee makers, along with a large roster of coffee grinders. Most of Cuisinart’s offerings these days are based around drip and single-serve coffee, with some models offering both options in one machine. This means that we can brew a whole pot of delicious filter coffee in the morning, then brew a single K-cup in the afternoon, all without changing machines. While it’s true that the Keurig k475 and k575 have the highest ranking, a few of the Cuisinart machines, like the Perfectemp, come in as a very close second.   

Benefits of Using a Cuisinart Coffee Maker

Cuisinart offers a huge number of different machines— so many machines, in fact, that it is unlikely that they don’t offer a machine that can fulfill your caffeinated needs. The Cuisinart automatic cold brew coffee maker whips up cold brew coffee with a rich and sweet flavor, while the current favorite, the Cuisinart Perfectemp, as with the Keurig k55, you can brew multiple cup sizes

With the number of machine options put aside, what are the real benefits of Cuisinart coffee makers?

Programmability

Cuisinart coffee makers are designed to be used every day, by absolutely anyone. They are not designed to be the world’s best pour-over coffee maker, only to be used by professional baristas in specialty cafes and coffee competitions. They are made to be easy. It is with this in mind that many Cuisinart coffee makers are highly programmable. With options like variable brew strength and multiple cup sizes— some even have a 24 hour delayed start timer. Delayed start timers are a bit of magic— waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee might feel like you have a coffee machine and alarm clock in one!

Price

The next pretty obvious benefit of Cuisinart coffee makers is the price, with many options going for far less than their competitor’s coffee makers. But what good is a cheap coffee maker if it’s going to break shortly after buying? Luckily, no need to worry about that— many Cuisinart coffee makers offer a 3-year warranty.   

Easy to Clean 

One of the coolest benefits of all — Cuisinart coffee makers are easy to clean! 

How Does a Cuisinart Coffee Maker Work

Most Cuisinart coffee makers brew either drip coffee or single-serve K-cups, with a few models offering both brew methods. The two styles taste incredibly different, sort of like pour-over vs French press coffee machines, so having the option of both methods in one machine is excellent.  

How to Clean a Cuisinart Single-Serve Brewer

It may sound odd, but keeping a coffee maker clean is something of a hack. This is mainly because so few people do it. In removing the oil from coffee and the limescale from water as it builds up, or rather not letting it build up in the first place, we are able to make a coffee far tastier than if it was brewed using an unclean machine. If you are used to brewing your coffee in a percolator, you’ll know how important a clean coffee maker is (percolator coffee tastes terrible if the device is dirty!). You can descale or clean your Keurig with vinegar and water or with a specialized coffee machine cleaner. 

While whole coffee beans can stay fresh for a while, a single-serve capsule—  like a Pod or K-cup— are often flushed with nitrogen. This keeps the ground coffee inside fresh-tasting for a long, long time.

Step 1 — Clean the exterior

First up, let’s clean the exterior of the machine. We can do this with a damp cloth and a little soapy water if need be— just make sure the cloth isn’t soaking wet. Wipe down the exterior, then wash and dry the drip tray.  

Step 2 — Begin descaling 

Next, we’re going to begin the simple but important process of descaling the coffee maker. We do this to remove any limescale that has built up within the machine. Make sure the water tank is empty, then remove the filter. 

Step 3 — Add the vinegar

Add 10oz of vinegar to the tank. Place a mug large enough to collect all the vinegar under the coffee outlet. Turn on the machine and raise the brew head the way you would if you were going to add a K-cup. Wait until all the vinegar has been pulled into the boiler.

Step 4 — Run the vinegar through the machine 

Once the hot water button is illuminated, meaning the brewer is warm, press it. The vinegar will run through the machine. Discard the vinegar. Now for round two!

Step 5 — Descale round two 

Add another 10oz of vinegar to the water tank, lift the brew head to draw the vinegar into the boiler and wait for the hot water button to illuminate. Press the hot water button once again, only this time, as soon as the vinegar has started to dispense, turn the machine off. We’re going to let the vinegar sit and do its thing for 30 minutes. 

Step 6 — Finish descaling 

Once 30 minutes is up, turn on the machine, lift, then lower the brew head and press the brew button. Discard the vinegar once the descaling is complete. Now, all we need to do is rinse the machine.

Step 7— Rinse 

Add 10oz of water to the tank. Lift the brew head until the water has been pulled into the boiler, lower the brew head, then press the hot water button. Once the water has fully dispensed, discard it. Repeat this rinse process 2 more times. 

How to Clean a Cuisinart Coffee Maker Using the Auto Clean Button

Some Cuisinart coffee makers come with an Auto-clean function. This doesn’t come standard on every machine, so if auto-clean is an important function to you, make sure you choose a model that has it. While you could use a purpose-made coffee machine cleaner, we’re going to be using just plain white vinegar.

Step 1 — Clean the exterior

Take a damp cloth and wipe down the machine. Wash and dry the drip tray, then return it to the machine. 

Step 2 — Add the vinegar

Fill the carafe with 9 cups of plain water and 5 cups of white vinegar. Take out the filter holder and pour the water and vinegar solution into the water reservoir of your machine. Place the carafe under the coffee outlet.

Step 3 — Auto-clean

Locate the clean button on the machine— press it and hold it for a few seconds. It will begin blinking red. The auto-clean function will now begin working its magic. 

Step 4 — Rinse 

Once the vinegar and water solution is all back in the carafe, discard it. Refill the carafe with clean, freshwater and empty it into the machine’s water tank. Press and hold the clean button and the machine will now begin a rinse cycle. Once this is complete, you’re all done. 

Enjoy your clean coffee maker!

How to Clean a Cuisinart Grind and Brew Coffee Maker

One of the prerequisites for making good coffee is freshly ground coffee beans. This is because freshly ground coffee contains all the aromatics and vibrant flavors that are missing from pre-ground coffee. Some of these flavors disappear within minutes of brewing. 

Grinding your own coffee can be done in a couple of ways—  you could choose one of the many excellent premium manual coffee grinders that are available, or you could go for a coffee maker like the Cuisinart Grind and Brew. The Grind and Brew is a grinder and drip coffee brewer combined, giving you the best of both worlds— convenience and loads of flavor!

When using any coffee maker, it is important to keep the machine clean— this is not only to keep your coffee tasting good but also to keep the machine running and functioning properly. Let’s take a look at how to clean a Cuisinart Grind and Brew coffee maker!

Step 1 — Clean the grinding cup and the exterior

First, we’ll clean the grinder. Open the lid of the machine and remove the grind chamber. Wash the chamber in soapy water and thoroughly rinse, dry, and replace it back into the machine. Take a soft damp cloth and wipe down the exterior of the Grind and Brew. Make sure you don’t use anything abrasive to clean your machine— this will scratch the surface.

Step 2 — Descale 

Descaling the machine helps remove any mineral deposits left behind by water that has built up within the machine. Fill the carafe up to the 8 cup mark with clean, freshwater, then fill to the 12 cup indicator with plain white vinegar. Remove the water filter and holder from the machine, then add the water and vinegar solution to the water tank. Place the empty carafe under the coffee outlet. 

Step 3 — Clean cycle 

Turn the grind function off, and engage a brew cycle on the coffee maker, just like you would if you were brewing a pot of coffee. This will run the cleaning solution through the machine, washing out any unwanted minerals and coffee particles. 

Step 4 — Rinse 

All we need to do now is run a rinse cycle. Discard the vinegar solution. Fill the carafe with fresh, clean water, add it to the water tank and run another cycle through. This step will rinse away any lingering vinegar and leave the machine sparkling clean. Replace the water filter and your machine is ready to brew! 

Do’s and Don’ts When Cleaning Your Cuisinart Coffee Maker

  • Do descale your machine regularly. At least once every 2-3 months is ideal. 
  • Do be sure to remove the water filter from your machine before cleaning.
  • Do clean out the filter basket and carafe thoroughly after each time you brew.
  • Don’t forget the rinse cycle! Without the rinse cycle, the first few brews after cleaning will taste awful!
  • Don’t try to descale the machine using soapy water— this will not end well.

FAQ About Cleaning Cuisinart Coffee Maker

How do I turn off the clean light on my Cuisinart coffee maker?

A few users have been having issues with the clean light on their coffee maker being stuck on. This usually indicates that the machine needs to be cleaned. Follow the instructions above, which detail how to run a vinegar and water cleaning solution through your machine.  

How often should you clean a Cuisinart coffee maker?

A deep clean/descale should be done at least once every 2-3 months. Be sure to thoroughly wash the filter basket and carafe after every batch of coffee you brew.  

How do you clean the Clean light on a Cuisinart coffee maker?

The exterior of the machine can be cleaned using a soft damp cloth. Try not to use anything abrasive as this will scratch the surface of the machine. 

Conclusion

The cleaning of brewing equipment is imperative for making tasty coffee. If our coffee maker is left for a year without cleaning, the best we can really hope for is a muddy tasting coffee. But that’s not all that keeping our gear clean will do— it will also keep the coffee maker functioning the way it should, day in and day out, for a long time to come. 

Photos from: HayDmitriy / depositphotos.com and tab62 / depositphotos.com.

The post How to Clean a Cuisinart Coffee Maker – 3 Simple Methods appeared first on Trouble Coffee.



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