13
Short story: They are probably aluminum oxide, but almost certainly some kind of metal oxide. You don't need to take any action unless they're affecting the taste of your coffee, and it shouldn't be. You probably can't (or shouldn't) really permanently remove them even if you wanted to.
Longer story...
This is a classic Bialetti model, and a classic ...
13
Baking soda. I use a standard dish sponge/scrubbie with baking soda and a little water and it comes completely out. I've actually tried it with just a damp paper towel and baking soda and it's almost as easy.
Baking soda has natural whitening properties and is a very gentle abrasive. I actually started using it elsewhere (sinks, counter tops, greasy pans) ...
12
There's a trade-off here. If you're working in a fast-paced coffee shop, you're likely to favour the faster option (knock out the coffee) over cleaning. Generally knocking out the coffee will get rid of >99% of the grounds from the previous pull, so the impact on the flavour of the next one will be so slight as to be unnoticeable. Usually the portafilter won'...
11
To Expand on @Tom Medley's Answer; the pivotal questions are:
How much time is lapsing between pulls of espresso?
Are you pulling the same espresso?
The portafilter should be rinsed with the espresso machines line water after every pull. This has the effect of removing the majority of remnant oils and grounds, pre-heating the portafilter, and removing ...
9
If what you're seeing is mold or algae you may want to add a few table spoons of salt to the drip pan.
I'm guessing that your slime is probably a fungus of some kind, rather than an algae. It has found a rather nice living arrangement for a fungi. Plenty of warm water and decomposing coffee, with very little light.
Salt should in most cases prevent fungal ...
8
I would feel confident drinking out of a ceramic mug after a good scrubbing with soap and water. Smooth (glazed) ceramic surfaces are more easily cleaned than rough ones, so perhaps the rough ones deserves extra effort.
If there is a concern about sanitizing the mug, putting water in the mug and leaving it in the microwave on high until the water boils ...
8
First of all, note that the smell of the machine itself is unlikely to come from the interior of the parts that heat and transport water -- after all, they are regularly cleaned with hot water and smoke has a hard time getting there.
So running vinegar through the machine won't change that. Rather, it is the other surfaces that cause problems. Thoroughly ...
7
This problem seems quite normal. Over time, the little holes are filled up with small coffee grounds and stuck there by the help of gluing force of grease. This grease is extracted during brewing process.
So, how could we get rid of these remains?
Pretty easy. As they are organic compounds, you should dissolve them. As they include grease, dissolve the oil ...
6
The roasting chamber of your Gene Cafe is made of Pyrex (heat-resistant tempered glass), and leaving the old oils to accumulate and burn will cause the the inside of the drum to turn black. The darker material will likely change your roasting time, and the fouled glass will not allow you to monitor your roasts. Glass does not need "seasoning", so it should ...
6
I'll answer as a chemist and not as a coffee expert, but occasional exposure to vinegar won't substantially damage a piece of aluminum. Also ingesting traces of aluminum isn't toxic.
6
As you suggest and note in your question, and it deserves repeating:
Aluminum of any kind is generally not recommended for the dishwasher: it is likely to corrode / oxidize like your pot did.
Keeping your moka pot clean and dry will also help reduce the formation of pocking and oxidation.
That said, while unsightly, it should not be harmful to use after ...
5
Ordinary white vinegar works just fine, but the smell bothers some people. If so, use citric acid. You can either pick some up at your local grocer, or order it by the pound. I use about a tablespoon to a quart for descaling. It's gentle, has little or no odor (you may smell gasses released by the dissolved scale however), and safe unless you get it in your ...
5
You really just need to empty the drip tray more often. The slime is algae or bacteria living and breeding in the nutrient-rich and warm tray water.
It sounds like you're interpreting the large drip tray as rationale to only clean it when it gets full — it’s not. Your tray is huge, and it’s probably intended for more industrial applications (like a coffee ...
5
Due to the age and usage of your Keurig machine, I would say that you are experiencing two possible problems - one at a time or perhaps both.
The Problems:
The motor in the pump in your Keurig machine may simply just be getting worn out. If this is the problem, you should be able to hear it struggling to pump water out through the K-Cup. If you need a ...
5
Tannin is a chemical contained in coffee and this is what normally stains your coffee making / drinking equipment.
When using an espresso machine it is advised to 'backflush' your machine with cleaning powder which cleans away a build up of 'tannin' from inside the machine. I expect a similar thing has happened to your carafe. With an espresso machine you'...
5
Another possibility for residual stains: Try soaking in powdered dishwasher detergent (i.e., stuff for automatic dish machines, not dish soap) and boiling water.
The process: put a small amount (~ 1 tsp / 5 mL) of powdered dishwasher detergent in the cup. Fill cup with boiling water (very hot tap water might also be okay). Stir to dissolve detergent. Let ...
5
In case you're still searching for alternative cleaning materials, I would recommend citric acid. You can easily find it pretty cheap on Amazon. Its the same concept as vinegar, but without the smell - vinegar will stink up your house and the machine, so I would recommend against it.
5
You've got colonies (of bacteria, and perhaps algae.)
I'd be looking for something a bit stronger than vinegar or citric acid in the sanitizing line, though either of those might be a good place to start, just to clear out any calcium deposits that other things might be using as a growth substrate (attaching to.)
Depending on your preferences, and/or any ...
5
I'm not a chemist, but I'm confident that you won't be able to dissolve coffee dust using conventional cleaning methods. I think the chemical solutions you describe are primarily aimed at dissolving oily residue.
If fine grounds are stuck in the filter, I'd try to remove them mechanically. In this case, I think air pressure from a compressor could push them ...
4
There are two options.
Get yourself some grinder cleaner (Grindz, Urnex and probably other brands), that you just grind through. You can buy it online. It cleans the burrs, removes oils and other residues. Afterwards you need to grind some beans so that you don't have the cleaner in your cup of joe. This is a rather convenient way to clean your grinder, ...
4
There are products on the market that are made for just this purpose, two examples are:
Grindz Coffee Grinder Cleaning Tablets White
Capresso "Clean Grind" Grinder Cleaner
But neither seem to have any better effect on cleaning my grinder than when I compare it to running parboiled rice*(not regular rice!) through it.
*A word of caution, only use ...
4
Hand grinders are usually very simple to disassemble. Read the instructions on this but most are fairly straightforward.
Rice can be good but the starchy powder can get into places you can't clean.
Here is a good link..
https://prima-coffee.com/learn/video/maintenance/how-clean-your-burr-grinder
Here is another link...
Look at the bottom of "detailed ...
4
I have had multiple Breville products, and according to their recommendations, a good substitute is half white vinegar and half water. I've been using my current espresso machine for 2+ years, and this have only been following their recommendation. I find it works really well.
4
I would advise against using soap to clean anything coffee related. As a simple measure, just use boiling water to loosen the oils. You can also use citric acid (the recommended cleaner for coffee machines), you can find it online pretty cheap. Another option would be to soak it in baking soda to dissolve the oils. Whatever you use, just make sure you rinse ...
4
Just think that your drink, coffee, is around 97-98% water so you need quality water to make a quality cup of coffee due the following:
Tap water, beside the calcium, will have additional components and too much calcium will give a taste of acidity to the coffee, calcium makes the water harder.
In order to get a fruity taste from your cup of coffee you need ...
3
All the tips above are good and might help, but in my opinion a good coffee cup shouldn't get any stains what so ever, in case it does I suggest you to throw it away and buy a new one.
Why not using a regular espresso glass cup similar to:
These cups will never get stains :)
3
Puro Caff
This stuff cleans stains from all my presses, thermoses, and cups...makes all like new again.
3
I used white vinegar also, but ran two cups of vinegar solution (about half water and half vinegar) through to a large cup, then left the solution in the machine overnight. In the morning I ran a full reservoir of water through the machine to get the vinegar out and it worked like a charm. Keurig states not to use vinegar, but I found no problems after ...
3
I have a Bunn coffee brewer with a stainless steel thermal carafe. I have cleaned it, following the instructions in the owner’s manual and the results were surprisingly good.
Place a paper filter in the brew funnel and pour 2 teaspoons of Cascade powder dishwashing detergent into the paper filter. Pour one carafe of cold water into the brewer and brew. ...
3
I think the Gaggia Descaler would work fine in any espresso machine. Just use the same procedure and amount that worked for the Gaggia machine (or use the directions for The Oracle).
I have never bothered to buy any commercial descaler, since they seem overpriced to me. I buy pure citric acid powder over the internet, and use that for both a Gaggia Classic ...
Only top voted, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible
