Have you noticed your coffee machine is taking longer to brew your morning coffee than before? Maybe your coffee just doesn’t taste the same. Coffee maker need to be cleaned thoroughly and descaled on a regular basis to maintain its capacity of producity great tasting cups of coffee.
If you don’t clean your coffee maker regularly, mold and bacteria start appearing inside your machine and give your coffee an off flavor. Minerals form the water you use on your machine will add scaling which can make your coffee taste bitter. In this article we will show you how to clean a Hamilton Beach coffee maker and how often so you can enjoy great tasting coffee every day.
Step by Step on How to Clean a Hamilton Beach Coffee Maker
Tools Needed
- White Vinegar
- Clearly Coffee Cleaner
- Microfiber cloth
Step 1
We are going to use Clearly Coffee solution to clean the glass coffee carafe.
If your carafe has brown coffee stains like the picture below it is a good idea to clean it with Clearly Coffee cleaning solution.
You can also clean your carafe’s lid with the same cleaning solution if has coffee stains like in the picture below. For a complete guide on how to clean a carafe please visit our How to Clean a Glass Coffee Pot guide.
Step 2
Remove all detachable parts from the Hamilton Beach coffee machine, such as the carafe, filter basket, and lid.
Step 3
Fill the water reservoir with 6 cups of white vinegar.
Confirm you get the whole 6 cups of white vinegar in the water reservoir by seeing at the side gauge like in the following picture.
Step 4
Place the switch to the carafe option.
Place a filter into the filter basket and put the basket back into place.
Step 5
Press the brew button to let it run until half of the vinegar solution has been used up. Turn off the coffee machine and let it sit for 30 minutes. While you wait you can clean the exterior of your Hamilton Beach coffee maker with a dry microfiber cloth.
After 30 minutes have passed, turn on the coffee machine again and finish running the vinegar solution through it.
Step 6
Once all of the vinegar solution has been used up, remove the filter from the filter basket and discard it. Rinse out all of the detachable parts of your coffee machine with fresh water.
Step 7
Fill the water reservoir with fresh water and run a couple of brewing cycles. Discard the first batch of coffee.
Single Serve Side
As the Hamilton Beach model we are using has two options, a full carafe or single serve, now we are going to descale the single serve side.
Step 1
Open the single serve lid.
Step 2
In a recipient add 10 ounces of white vinegar.
Step 3
Fill the water reservoir on the single serve side with the 10 ounces of white vinegar.
Step 4
Change the switch to the single serve option (pictured below).
Step 5
Press the brew button and let it run.
Place the same recipient you used to add the white vinegar to recevie the brewed vinegar (pictured below)
Wait for the whole 10 ounces of vinegar to be brewed.
Step 6
Remove the filter from the single serve side to rinse it. Run a couple of brews with fresh water to remove any vinegar residue.
Tips To Maintain A Hamilton Beach Coffee Maker
By cleaning and properly maintaining your coffee maker will allow it to last for years, and you’ll also enjoy a great tasting cup of coffee every morning.
Clean Once a Month
Clean and descale your Hamilton Beach Coffee Maker at least once a month to remove any mineral build-up, coffee stains, and any mold or bacteria that could be growing in your machine.
Clean Removable Parts Once a Week
If you use your Hamilton Beach coffee maker every day, take the removable parts out at least once a week to wash them. You will need to soak the parts in hot soapy water for 1-2 hours before rinsing the parts. Leave them on a counter to air dry.
This will remove any coffee oil residue, mold and bacteria that may be building up in your machine.
Clean Carafe with Clearly Coffee cleaning solution
If you have a dirty carafe with burnt coffee and/or coffee stains that you’re not able to clean by washing in hot soapy water, try using Clearly Coffee solution to clean it.
Please follow our full guide on cleaning a dirty carafe here.
FAQs on How to Clean a Hamilton Beach Coffee Maker
Does a Descaler work better than white vinegar?
In short, yes. A descaler is designed and formulated to descale coffee makers when there has been mineral deposits from water in the system. Both descaler and white vinegar work equally well to remove mineral scale from a coffee machine.
How often should you clean your Hamilton Beach coffee maker?
Hamilton Beach recommends a thorough cleaning of its coffee machine at least once a month for optimal performance. A deep cleaning entails washing the carafe, filter, removable parts, and descaling the inside of the machine. Regular descaling eliminates calcium and mineral buildup that comes from the water used which could compromise flavor and machine performance.
Is cleaning vinegar the same as white vinegar?
In short, No. The reason cleaning vinegar is more effective than white vinegar for cleaning purposes comes down to its acidity level. The acid in vinegar is what does the work to cut through grease and grime, eliminates sticky residue and fights soap scum. The difference between both kinds is that white vinegar has 5 percent acidity; while cleaning vinegar, on the other hand, has 6 percent.
Although it’s only a one percent difference in acidity, it actually results in cleaning vinegar being 20 percent stronger than white vinegar. Also, cleaning vinegar is not safe to ingest as it’s not regulated for impurities. So that is why it is recommend to use white vinegar that’s safe for cooking when you’re cleaning your coffee maker.
Final Thoughts
Cleaning and descaling your Hamilton Beach coffee maker regularly is important to maintain its optimal performance and enjoy a long time of great-tasting coffee. You can easily clean and descale your machine at home with just a few supplies and following our simple step by step guide!
Maybe you or a friend/family member own another coffee maker from another brand and want to know how to clean and/or maintain it, please follow our specific guide for each brand:
Hello, I am Cristy. I love cooking but what I love most is keeping my kitchen tools and appliances top notch. I enjoy writing about everything I have learned around the kitchen. I believe that keeping your kitchen tools well cleaned and maintained produces the best dishes and drinks. Besides writing and cooking I enjoy traveling, camping, hiking and music.