Can a Coffee Machine Grow Mold?
There aren’t as many pleasures so enjoyable in life as a fresh, strong cup of coffee. If you’re one of the people who enjoy their coffee made properly –i.e. – through a coffee machine, have you considered that your machine may very well be harbouring mould? It makes perfect sense, though; mould grows in dark, moist and low-traffic environments. Your coffee machine is warm, dark, and has many components we too often forget to remove and clean.
How To Remove Mold and Bacteria from a Coffee Machine
“If you have a classic coffee maker, a good idea might be to give it a gentle cleaning every day and to decalcify it depending on how hard the water is where you live.
“The milk carafe, lid and filter basket should be cleaned daily with warm, sudsy water. A coffee maker that’s used daily should be decalcified about once per month in hard water areas and every two to three months in soft water areas.
Similar rules apply for capsule coffee machines; debris can clog their many nooks and crannies, so they also benefit from a vinegar run-through every few months.
It really depends on how often you use your coffee machine and for how long it lies dormant – because mould spores love to grow in nice, moist, quiet environments – i.e. a coffee maker you’ve left unwashed on your counter over the weekend.
No matter how often you use them, these decalcifying steps (outlined here for classic coffee machines) are the key to better-tasting coffee. And we could all go for some of that!
- Fill the coffee machines water reservoir with equal parts white vinegar and water. Using a paper filter, allow to brew until half the chamber is empty.
- Turn the coffee maker off and let it sit for 30 minutes, then finish brewing.
- Rinse the machine by using a new paper filter to brew a pot of clear water. Do this twice.
- Fill the carafe with warm, sudsy water and some rice as a gentle abrasive. Swirl the mixture in the pot, and then use a scrubber sponge to remove any gunk. Rinse and dry.
- Wipe the outside of the machine with a damp cloth (but remember this and the previous step should really happen every day).
Voila! Delicious, germ-free coffee!