Why and how to clean the inside of your coffee maker?

“How to clean the inside of the coffee maker” is one of the most common searches on the internet, as it is one of the appliances we use the most and to which we rarely pay attention, until suddenly that point arrives when limescale has accumulated and we urgently need to clean it to get it working properly again.Why should you clean the inside of the coffee maker?According to Consumer Reports, coffee makers should be cleaned from the inside every three to six months to prevent coffee residues and mineral buildup from clogging the machine and causing malfunctions, but it could also diminish the quality of your beverage and even alter the taste.If you start to notice that your coffee maker is producing excess steam or that the brewing time has increased, then it is likely that the minerals in the water you are using are clogging both the tank and the tubes of the coffee maker, indicating that it’s time to clean it to prevent it from stopping working.How to clean the inside of the coffee makerGenerally, coffee maker manuals indicate how to clean them from the inside, and often, this only involves running them with clean water, without coffee or any other additives. However, if you don’t have your manual and your coffee maker is already malfunctioning due to limescale buildup, there are other techniques you can use.One of the most common methods is to use vinegar to remove the limescale accumulated in the coffee maker's tubes, but it is important to know the right proportions to use this ingredient, as vinegar could damage the metals and plastics of your coffee maker if too much is used.How to use vinegar to remove limescale from the coffee maker?Using vinegar to remove limescale from the coffee maker is very simple, as you just need to mix water with vinegar. Fill the water tank of the coffee maker with half water and half white vinegar, and run the coffee maker as if you were going to brew coffee. This solution will help eliminate calcium deposits and oil residues from coffee beans inside the appliance, in addition to adding acidity to the hot water for disinfection.Once it’s done, remove the vinegar and water mixture, and now refill the tank with clean water. Turn the coffee maker back on in its normal cycle so that the clean water runs through the tubes and rinses the inside. Repeat this step once more to remove any vinegar residue so that its taste does not affect your coffee later.Done, now your coffee maker will be like new, and you can use it as you normally do. Remember to repeat this cleaning method every three to six months, depending on how often you use your coffee machine.