How to Clean a Grind-and-Brew Coffee Maker
A grind-and-brew machine has two jobs, so it needs two kinds of cleaning: the grinder, which collects coffee dust and oils, and the brewer, which builds up mineral scale. Neither takes long if you keep up with it.
Always check your machine's manual first. Some parts are dishwasher safe and some aren't, and some machines have their own cleaning cycle.
Every day
- Empty and rinse the filter basket and throw out the grounds.
- Rinse the carafe. For a thermal carafe, use warm water and a bottle brush.
- Leave the lid open for a while so the inside can dry.
Every week
- Brush out the grind chute. This is where grounds travel from the grinder to the filter. Steam from brewing can make them stick and clump. Use the brush that came with the machine, or a small dry brush. Unplug the machine first.
- Wipe the hopper. Coffee oils build up inside and go rancid. Empty the beans, then wipe the hopper with a dry cloth.
- Wash the filter basket and any reusable filter in warm, soapy water, and rinse well.
Every month
- Clean the burrs if your machine lets you remove them. Brush off the coffee dust. Some machines have a removable upper burr for this.
- Descale the brewer. Mineral scale from water slows brewing and affects taste. Use a descaling solution or the method in your manual. Run a couple of plain water cycles afterwards.
- Replace the water filter if your machine has one, as the maker recommends.
Signs it needs cleaning now
- Coffee tastes bitter or stale even with fresh beans.
- The grinder sounds strained or grinds less than it used to.
- Brewing takes longer than it used to, which usually means scale.
- Grounds overflow the filter basket, often a clogged chute.
Bean tips
Very oily, dark roast beans leave more residue and can clog grinders faster. If you use them, clean the chute and hopper more often. Never put flavored or sugar-coated beans in the grinder unless the manual says it's fine.
For five grind-and-brew machines compared, including two that take single cups, see our coffee grinder and brewer combo comparison.