How To Clean A Coffee Maker Using This...Fruit?

If you're a daily coffee drinker, you know that going out for a cup of joe can add up to a pricey monthly expense. Thankfully, we can cut caffeine costs by using our home or office coffee makers. Unfortunately, after so many brews, mineral deposits and even mold can grow inside your machine and lead to sub-par tasting coffee, and possibly, the slow deterioration of your coffee maker. While you can't directly clean inside the machine, you can flush out the system.

First, run a cycle using only water to rinse out as much coffee residue as possible. Then, mix a half-cup of lemon juice and a half-cup of water together. With the coffee maker in the off position, pour the solution into the water reservoir and let it sit for 15 minutes to break down any oils. Add a clean, empty filter into the machine and turn the power on. Let the cycle run with the lemon solution to break down any deposits throughout the system. Then, run the cycle one or two more times with just water to rinse out the lemon solution. Finally, wash any removable parts, like the pot, with a mild dish soap and rinse with water.

Correction: A previous version of this article instructed pouring the lemon/water solution into the carafe. The mixture should be poured into the machine's water reservoir, so it can run through the machine.

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