How To Clean Stainless Steel Coffee Pot: Very Little Elbow Grease Involved!

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We all have those days. Instead of washing the coffee pot, we shove it back onto the counter, leaving it for the next day.

But one day becomes a whole week and your stainless-steel pot is unrecognizable. Sure, it looks all shiny and fancy on the outside, but the insides tell a whole different story. Maybe you have a matching steel carafe marinating in your car too!

If you want to clean the mess in your coffee pot, but are scared of the horrors that lurk within, we’re here to help you out. This article will tell you how to clean stainless steel coffee pots quickly and easily.

A clean stainless steel coffee pot will lengthen the lifespan of your coffee pot and make your brew taste so much better. If you want to learn the best way to clean a coffee pot, keep reading and we’ll get you there!

How To Clean Stainless Steel Coffee Pot: Every Method You Will Ever Need

How To Clean Stainless Steel Coffee Pot

We are going to talk about the different ways you can clean your stainless-steel coffee pot. Some of them require a bit of labor, while others take a more hands-free approach. The state of your coffee pot will determine which method will be best for you.

These methods will also work when cleaning coffee carafe and other coffee vessels. Without further ado, let’s get started:

Cleaning Coffee Residue without Any Scrubbing:

What you will need:

  • Boiling water
  • Cleaning products like dishwasher tabs or washing powder
  • Cheap coffee

What You Need to Do:

1.     Boil enough water to fill the coffee pot (or carafe) completely.

2.     Add the washing powder or cleaning tab to the coffee pot. If you choose to use powder, add a quarter cup of washing powder to the pot.

3.     After the water has boiled, pour it into the pot, right up to the brim.

4.     Wait 30 minutes to an hour with the lid off. At this point, the cleaning agent will start breaking down the buildup in the pot and you need to sit back and let it work its magic.

5.     Next, swirl the water in the coffee pot carefully, making sure you don’t burn yourself. The water is still very hot, so make sure you use gloves. Swirling the water will loosen the gunk from the walls of the pot.

6.     After swirling the water a couple of times, empty the coffee pot into your sink. Rinse the pot thoroughly and you will see that the pot is now clean.

7.     Brew some cheap coffee and pour it into your newly washed coffee pot. Let it settle in the pot for half an hour.  This will remove any soapy smells or compounds that might linger in the pot.

8.     Empty out the coffee and rinse it with clean water properly. This will remove the remnants of coffee and any of the cleaning agents.

This method works for both coffee pots and carafes. You can even use it to remove coffee stains from stainless steel thermos without any scrubbing.

Cleaning Coffee Stains with a Brush:

Have stubborn stains that soaking won’t fix? Here’s what you can do instead.

What You Need to Do:

1.     After letting the hot water and cleaning agent soak the residue in the cup, tip out most of the water. Leave a little liquid in the pot and add something abrasive like salt and baking powder to the pot.

2.     Use a coffee pot brush to gently buff off the stains. This can take a bit of time, but be patient. The brush and the salt/soda will remove the stains and stubborn buildup.

3.     Empty out the contents of the coffee pot.

4.     Rinse the pot or carafe until it is sparkling clean and there is no residue from your cleaning agents.

5.     Repeat the step of filling it with inexpensive coffee and then empty it out again.

This step also works well for thermos or carafes that have been used frequently. It is a good way to remove coffee stains from stainless steel travel mug and remove coffee stains from cups.

How to Clean a Glass Coffee Pot

Cleaning a glass coffee pot is a little more complicated, since you have to be careful not to scratch the glass. Because of this, you can’t use abrasive materials when washing a glass coffee pot or carafe.

These steps can be used to clean Bunn coffee pot and/or the coffee maker itself.

What you will need:

  • Mild dish detergent
  • Warm water
  • A soft cloth

What You Need to Do:

  1. Use warm water to rinse the coffee pot.
  2. Pour in some dish detergent into the pot.
  3. Use a soft cloth to rub all the parts of the glass pot and create lather. Gently buff away any residue and stubborn coffee stains.
  4. Rinse well and allow to dry.
  5. Alternatively, you can also clean glass coffee pots upside down in a dishwasher.

Pro-Tip: Once in a while, use something like Bonavita descaling powder, to deep clean your coffee maker, brewer, and carafe to remove buildup and strange tastes or smells.

Home Remedies for Cleaning Coffee Pots

Don’t like the idea of harsh cleansers, detergents, and surfactants in your brewing tools? We understand. Here are tips for a home remedy for cleaning stainless steel. The best parts? You most probably have all the things required in your pantry!

Natural stainless steel pot cleaners include things like lemon juice, white vinegar and natural abrasives that will remove buildup, residue, and stains without the worry of toxic chemicals.

What you will need:

  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Warm water
  • White vinegar
  • Lemons or lemon juice
  • Essential oils (Optional)

What You Need to Do:

  1. Cleaning a coffee pot with vinegar is the easiest way to go. Combine equal parts white vinegar and water. You can also use lemon juice. Pour this into the coffee pot and let it sit in there for several hours or overnight.
  2. If there is lots of buildup, you can try to get a clean coffee pot with baking soda.  Pour a cup of baking soda into your pot and scrub to remove stains. Rinse out well and repeat if needed.
  3. Cut your lemons in half and squeeze the juice into your coffee pot. Add some salt to give yourself the abrasive properties.
  4. Leave this mixture of lemon juice and salt inside the pot for a few hours to soak and break down the gunk inside. You can add a drop or two of essential oil at this point if you wish.
  5. Then, scrub out the inside of the pot.
  6. Finally rinse everything out with clean warm water and let it dry properly.

Coffee Pot Maintenance Tips

How To Clean Stainless Steel Coffee Pot: Very Little Elbow Grease Involved! 1
Coffee Pot Maintenance

Here’s how you can keep your coffee pot, coffee maker and carafe working properly for much longer. With these tips, your coffee maker will work better, last longer, and your brew will taste great every single time.

  • Wash, or at least rinse out your coffee pot after every use.
  • Once a month, deep clean with a vinegar or detergent soak.
  • Dump out leftover coffee grounds instead of leaving them in the coffee maker.
  • Regularly descale your coffee maker and pot to prevent buildup.
  • Lemon juice and saltwater rinses get rid of stale or funky odors.
  • Use something like Dip-It coffee pot cleaners on your automatic drip coffee maker to flush out the whole system and get rid of buildup.

Any More Questions?

We’ll answer any other questions you might have about cleaning your stainless-steel coffee pot.

01. What is the Best Coffee Pot Cleaner?

Any solid dish detergent is good enough to clean your coffee pot. On the other hand, white vinegar works just as well, if not better to keep your stainless-steel pot clean when mixed with an equal amount of water.

02. What Gets Out Coffee Stains from Fabric?

Blot or soak up excess coffee with another clean, dry cloth. Soak the stain in a solution of 1-quart of warm water, ½ teaspoon dishwashing liquid or powder and a tablespoon of white vinegar for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water. You can also use rubbing alcohol to spot-treat stains.

03. What Removes Coffee Stains from the Coffee Pot or Carafe?

All you need is some baking soda or a small brush. Sprinkle a little baking soda into the pot or carafe, add enough water to form a paste, and scrub. The mild abrasion of the baking soda will remove stains in minutes.

Then, simply rinse and wash the pot the way you usually would. You can also use a brush to scrub off the stains.

In a Nutshell

Procrastinating over cleaning out your coffee pot can result in a congealed mess that makes you want to throw out your pot altogether. Knowing how to clean stainless steel coffee pots will make it much easier for you to keep using your pot without any difficulty.

If you’ve been hiding from your coffee pot, you don’t have to be scared anymore. Bust out your cleaning things and get scrubbing–your coffee pot will be spiffy in no time at all!

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