How to Clean a Bunn Coffee Maker

By Admin September 23, 2021

Bunn coffee makers are quite popular, and rightfully so. Their well-made design makes for a great addition to any home. However, while so many of us use a Bunn coffee maker, not nearly as many of us are experts at cleaning a Bunn coffee pot. That is where we come in. Today, we are going to talk about how to clean a Bunn coffee maker from what to use, the best technique, and how often to do a deep clean. 

So say goodbye to your crusty Bunn coffee maker and hello to your new and improved Bunn coffee that is freshly cleaned and ready to bring that fresh out of the box quality you deserve! Let’s not waste any more time and jump right in. 

What You’ll Need

First things first, you need the right tools. Here is our shortlist of what you will need to clean your Bunn coffee maker properly:

  1. Vinegar
  2. Lemon Juice
  3. Paper Towels
  4. Dish soap
  5. Toothpick
  6. Small Washcloth
  7. Warm water

Some of these will be used for daily cleaning and upkeep, while others are necessary for deep cleaning. It’s best to always have these on hand just in case. Try keeping a stock of each under your coffee cabinet or as close as possible to remind yourself. 

How to Clean your Bunn Coffee Machine

Now that we know what we need, we can start cleaning! As we said, there are two sections of cleaning: daily and deep clean. We’re going to cover both so that you get the full 411 by the end of this article.

Daily 

  1. Wipe down the outside of the machine and pot. This will prevent the shiny stainless steel from getting grimy over time. It’s also just a good practice to have when you use anything in your kitchen. Grab a wet paper towel, and it should do the job.
  2. Empty the coffee pot of any excess coffee. This is where most of the issue comes from—letting the coffee sit in the pot longer than necessary can form rings that are much more difficult to get out.
  3. Pour in warm water and a drop of dish soap. Let this soak for a little while before rinsing.
  4. If the residue is built up, opt for vinegar instead. Cleaning a Bunn coffee maker with vinegar is easier and more effective to remove the grime
  5. Clean any removable parts or run them through the dishwasher. This means water reservoirs, trays, or any other part of the machine that is meant to be removable. Give it a quick clean to prevent more difficult jobs in the deep clean phase.
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Deep Clean

Now to the heavy-duty job. Don’t worry. It’s not nearly as scary and difficult as you might think. Let’s talk about it:

  1. Grab your vinegar and some hot water. This is going to be our perfect solution. Vinegar is the best cleaning tool for coffee appliances. It is gentle enough to use while removing all the gunk and build up our coffee addiction brings.
  2. Pour the mixture into the water reservoir. Make sure you empty out the water that was leftover.
  3. Start the machine like you would for a typical coffee brew. This allows for the vinegar and water to work their way through the machine to remove any build-up your daily cleaning might not reach. The steam will also help lift the build-up coffee.
  4. When the cycle is completely finished, let it sit for at least 15 minutes. This will allow any stubborn grime to soften and fall into the pot.
  5. Empty the pot and set it back in the machine.
  6. Run the cycle two more times with cold water this time. This will help remove the vinegar from the machine. We do not want a giant swig of vinegar flavored coffee next time we decide to brew up our morning caffeine fix.
  7. Rinse the coffee pot, and you are finished! Simple enough?
  8. If you have water spots on the coffee pot, you can do this exact process with lemon juice instead of vinegar. This works like a charm. Just make sure to run two cold water cycles after since the lemon flavor is pretty strong and can creep its way into your coffee patch if you aren’t careful. 

We recommend doing a deep clean on your machine at least once every 1 to 3 months. Depending on the water you are using as well as your use of the machine can help determine if it should lean closer to 1 or 3 months. Give this cleaning routine a try, and we promise you won’t turn back!