How To Clean Capresso Coffee Maker With Vinegar

If your Capresso machine is dirty and your coffee is tasting a bit off, you need to know how to clean Capresso coffee maker with vinegar without leaving it tasting of vinegar.

Maybe you are just wondering why coffee lovers and experts suggest that you clean your coffee machine with white vinegar. I’ll let you in on that little secret straight away.

White vinegar kills mold.

Mold can build up anywhere inside your machine along the piping and tubing of your coffee machine and absolutely must be gotten rid of.

Let’s go through cleaning your Capresso coffee machine step by step.

Note: This technique can be applied regardless of the coffee machine or brand.

Step One: Clean The Exterior

The very first thing you should be looking to clean before getting down to the hard work of descaling, and, quite frankly, demolding your coffee maker.

You should clean the entire exterior of your machine. Clean the top, bottom, front, back and side of your machine.

Also, clean the drip tray properly, the funnel and the water tank. All these parts can be cleaned with hot water and regular detergent.

Clean all parts well and rinse them well. The removable parts and the holder or holders you can wash in a dishwasher or by hand.

Once washed, rinse them well and dry with a towel.

Read: Which coffee makers use cone filters

Step Two: Fill Your Capresso Coffee Maker With White Vinegar And Water

Give your coffee machine a real good clean by filling up the water reservoir with white vinegar. Use a good 50% vinegar and 50% water mixture. I advise filling your water tank completely to the maximum water level.

If your coffee maker has a big build up, use only white vinegar to clean your machine. No need to dilute it with water. The stronger concentration will give you a better and deeper cleaning and fully sanitize your machine and the carafe. It will also remove any mold and mineral deposits.

I advise that you clean your machine at least once per month depending on your usage. If you are a heavy user, clean it weekly or biweekly. This clean, clean it with at least a 50% vinegar solution.

At least once every 3 months, give your machine a deep clean with 100% white vinegar solution.

Read: Percolator Vs Drip Coffee

Step Three: Run The Vinegar Solution

Run the vinegar solution through your machine as if you were making coffee. Have your carafe or a large mug or jug in place to collect the solution.

Once the water reservoir tank is empty, repeat the process with warm water and run several cycles through your machine until the vinegar smell has gone. And keep rinsing and then rinse some more. This is to ensure there is absolutely no trace of the vinegar in your machine.

The end result is to get good clean water coming out of your machine and into your coffee pot at least 2 rinsing cycles after the vinegar scent has gone.

This is really all there is to it.

What Is The Best Way To Clean A Coffee Maker?

By following the above steps, you are already following the best way to clean a coffee maker. The best way is to keep it clean with regular cleaning. I use mine a lot and clean it weekly and once monthly with a deep clean, with 100% vinegar solution.

This is very good preventative maintenance. I am literally assured due to my cleaning schedule that mineral deposits will form or any mold.

How Many Times Should You Run Vinegar Through Your Coffee Maker?

You should run vinegar through your coffee maker as a 50% solution with water at least once per month if you are a light user of it, using it once per day or one coffee per day. I love coffee and use mine 3x daily and for use like this, I suggest cleaning weekly.

You should run a 100% vinegar through your machine once per month if you are a light user and 2x per month if you are a heavy user.

Keep your machine clean and serve up great coffee every single time.

What Can You Use Besides Vinegar To Clean A Coffee Maker?

Alternatives to vinegar include baking soda, and Capresso cleaning solution. Baking soda is a great alternative and one I use frequently. I have a big preference for using vinegar as it is proven to kill 82% of all mold types, including the type of mold associated with coffee.

You need to ensure that your machine is free from mold as well as mineral build up.

Is A Descaling Solution Better Than Vinegar?

In my opinion, vinegar is better as it gives every bit as good a clean as any descaling solution, including Capresso cleaning solution, which is a descaling product as well as a cleaning solution. Plus, it has a combative effect against mold that may be stuck and growing in your pipes and tubes.

As an added bonus, white vinegar is cheaper.

What Happens If You Don’t Clean Your Coffee Maker?

If you don’t clean and descale your coffee machine regularly the water that is being used to make your cup of coffee will not reach its ideal temperature and make you a less than perfect cup of coffee.

That is your best case scenario. At the worst case your machine will stop working altogether as the mineral deposits can block the flow of water.

What Is The Best Vinegar For Cleaning?

The best type of vinegar for cleaning your coffee machine is white distilled vinegar, as there is no coloring agent it will not cause any staining.

Due to being distilled, it is electrically neutral and won’t damage any of your coffee machines electrics.

Can I Run Bleach Through My Coffee Maker?

Technically, you can clean your coffee maker with bleach, but it is a very bad idea, a very, very bad idea. Even if you water it down, bleach is still a chemical that is very unsafe for consumption. Even if and when you clean and rinse well with water, it is highly unadvisable.

Can Old Coffee Maker Make You Sick?

Yes, old coffee, be it in a cup, container or old bits of coffee in your machine, can be full of mold, yeast and harmful bacteria. This is why cleaning is very important, and cleaning regularly with products that are proven to destroy bacteria and mold.

Frequently Asked Questions About How To Clean Capresso Coffee Maker With Vinegar

Can You Run Straight Vinegar Through A Coffee Maker?

It is not advised to run straight vinegar through your coffee maker or any type or brand. Undiluted vinegar at high temperature, close to the boiling point of water and well above the flash point of vinegar.

Using straight undiluted vinegar may be a fire hazard for your coffee maker. Always dilute your vinegar with water for safety reasons. A 75% distilled vinegar and 25% water is the strongest that I have used, and I do not advise any stronger for obvious reasons.

There is no need to be silly and break your drip coffee maker or single serve coffee machine or which ever machine you are cleaning.

When you have finished cleaning, run 3 to 5 flushing cycles with fresh water to remove the scent of vinegar.

What Is The Mixture Of Vinegar And Water To Clean A Coffee Maker?

In most cases, the mixture of vinegar and water that you need to use to clean your coffee maker is a 50% vinegar and 50% water mixture. Only in extreme cases will you need to use a higher concentration of 75% vinegar and 25% water.

How Much Vinegar Do You Put In A 12 Cup Coffee Maker To Clean It?

For a 12 cup coffee maker you will need to use a 50% vinegar and 50% water mixture. By volume, this depends on the cup size that the manufacturer uses. Some use a 4 ounce cup size while others use a 5 ounce or 6 ounce cup size.

Start by measuring the total volume of your coffee maker and fill water to the max fill line and measure it. If your water reservoir holds 48 ounces (1.44 Liters), use 24 ounces (770 ml) of white vinegar.

If your water reservoir can hold 60 ounces (1.8 liters), use 30 ounces (900 ml) of white vinegar. If it can hold 72 ounces (2.16 liters), use 36 ounces (1.08 liters) of white vinegar.

Which Is Better Vinegar Or Descaling Solution?

In my experience, distilled white vinegar will get you a better quality deep clean and descaling than using a descaling solution. You also have the frugal advantage of the distilled vinegar being cheaper.

Will My Coffee Taste Like Vinegar After Cleaning?

No. As long as you run an abundance of flushing cycles with fresh clean water. Typically, you will need to run 3 to 5 or more cycles of filling your water reservoir with water to flush out the scent and taste of vinegar from your machine.

Then clean and rinse the water reservoir and let it air dry.

What Do I Run Through My Coffee Maker To Clean It?

Coffee maker cleaning is best done with white cleaning vinegar or distilled white vinegar. White cleaning vinegar is better as it is stronger. Dilute your vinegar with water using an equal amount. a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and water.

How Do You Deep Clean A Coffee Maker?

Deep cleaning your coffee maker by adding white cleaning vinegar or distilled white vinegar to the water reservoir until it is half full and then adds fresh clean water to the max fill line. Run a brew cycle until it is empty, then rinse your coffee maker with an abundance of water.

Is It OK To Clean A Coffee Maker With Vinegar?

Cleaning your coffee maker with vinegar is perfectly okay as long as you dilute it with at least the same amount of water and then rinse your coffee maker with water until the scent of vinegar has disappeared.

Frappé-Ing It All Up – How To Clean Capresso Coffee Maker With Vinegar

Now that you know how to clean capresso coffee maker with vinegar, I suggest that you set a schedule and stick to it. You can do it once weekly, bi-weekly or monthly, but do not go outside that range. How often you should clean your coffee machine will depend on your coffee usage.

Clean it and clean it well.

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Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location