How To Clean A Bunn Coffee Maker Properly With These 7 Easy Steps

Making a quality cup of coffee from a Bunn coffee maker is an excellent way to start a day, but the Bunn coffee maker must be cleaned well. Cleaning your Bunn coffee maker and maintaining high hygienic standards is a crucial step in removing hard water leftovers and coffee oils that later turn rancid. Washing the pot does not just mean all the dirt is cleared.

The Bunn coffee maker is usually dirtier than it appears with the internal components taking much of the dirt. Studies have shown that Bunn coffee makers harbor yeast and mold that grow on the reservoirs. One if every ten coffee makers had bacteria making coffee makers dirtier than bathroom doors or handles.

You may need to start up the unit and clean the top reservoir and the bottom. However, before you open it up, the following steps will help clean the inner components of your Bunn coffee maker.

How Often should I wash my Bunn Coffee makers?

Each time you use it

It is always advised that you wash your coffee maker every single time you use it. All the removable parts of your coffee maker need a thorough washing after every single use to prevent accumulation and buildup of germs. There is no special requirement when washing your coffee maker after every single serving.

You can easily hand wash it at the sink using some warm soapy water. However, it is always important to wash the pieces in a dishwasher. The brew funnel and decanter must be washed daily after use.

The outside and the warming plate also need to be wiped thoroughly as this is where coffee spills. Once the cleaning is done, the reservoir lids can be left open for some time to clear out all moisture that aids in the buildup of germs.

Once in a month

While the above daily cleaning can keep your coffee maker in perfect shape, minerals always do build up in the inner working requiring decalcification. The coffee maker needs to be cleaned and decalcified once a month.

This is where thorough cleaning is done to get rid of mineral buildup inside your coffee maker. Here are some important steps in cleaning your coffee makers once in a month.

Steps In Cleaning A Bunn Coffee Maker

Step 1: Make a mixture of Vinegar enough to fill the pot

Make a mixture of half vinegar and half water to create a strong solution capable of removing all the minerals that have accumulated in your coffee maker. If you don’t have vinegar, here are some good alternatives:

• Two denture tablets and a pot of Worth’s water
• 1oz of citric acid dissolved in four cups of hot water before adding four cups of cold water
• Coffee maker cleaners bought from the store
• Straight bleach although you have to take caution and avoid mixing it with vinegar

One other mixture you have to avoid is baking soda and warm water that clogs in your coffee maker ending up ruining it. However, if this ever happens, running white vinegar through the coffee maker can help remove the clog but with a success rate of 75%.

Step 2: Put a filter in Your Coffee Maker

A filter is needed to filter out any impurities in the mixture and prevent it from getting into your coffee makers.

Step 3: Pour the mixture into the coffee maker

The mixture needs to be poured into the machine in the very same position where you would normally add water.

Step 4: Turn the coffee maker on

You will need to turn the coffee maker on and let it normally run as if you’re making coffee. You have to let the mixture run completely through to reach every corner and component in the coffeemakers for a thorough cleaning.

Step 5: Discard the mixture and the filter

You will then be required to remove the filter and the mixture from the coffee maker. Next, let the coffee maker sit and cool for around 15 minutes. It must be off for 15 minutes.

Step 6: Rinse the pot

After cooling for around 15 minutes, you can rinse the coffee maker using cold water from your tap. Rinse several times to get all the vinegar out.

Step 7: Repeat the same process with cold water

To completely ensure all the vinegar and other remaining minerals are cleared from the pot, you will need to repeat the same procedure above but this time use cold plain water instead of the vinegar solution. Run the coffee maker and let the water heat as it clears any remaining vinegar from the pot.

This ensures the solution is completely gone and the coffee maker does not have any smell. If short on time, you can smell the coffee maker after the first procedure, and if you detect any smell, then you must proceed with the second procedure where you use plain water. However, if there is no smell, rinsing it thoroughly will do and there will be no need for the second procedure.

To clean the upper reservoir, you will need a screwdriver to remove the top reservoir. Once the top reservoir is removed, drain all the water and clean it thoroughly with warm soapy water. The chances are that it looks quite nasty if you’ve never cleaned it before.

You will also need to open the bottom of the unit but make sure to mark the wires correctly to be able to figure out the connections later.

Final Thought

For a better-tasting cup of coffee, the steps outlined above are necessary no matter how often you use your coffee maker. In most cases, cleaning depends on how often you use your coffee maker and how long it remains dormant. However, decalcification once a month or twice when not used often is crucial to achieving those good tastes.

The frequency of cleaning your Bunn coffee maker usually depends on the mineral content of your water. The thorough cleaning steps outlined above can be done once a month or after three months depending on how often you use it and the mineral content in your water. The steps will help clear any deposits that have accumulated in the coffee maker due to the impurities from the source of water used.