How to: Clean a Stained Coffee Pot

For many people drinking coffee is simply a part of their daily routine. Without thinking, the reservoir is being filled with a half-gallon of water and the brew button is being punched. Coffee has become a way to meet with friends and co-workers, it gives people a reason to be social. Between entertaining friends and habitual morning cups, stained pots have become a common problem. Making coffee or any other hot drink in a stained coffee pot results in a bitter or muddy taste. Over time coffee oils, hard water scales and impurities accumulate, making it difficult to remove stains with traditional cleaning methods. Public Kitchen Supply has discovered several unique ways to remove these tricky stains.
The first method we suggest is the “Salt and Ice Method,” you will need ice and table salt. Before you start cleaning make sure your coffee pot is cool, after the pot has cooled, fill the base with plenty of salt. Next, add 3 to 4 ice cubes and swirl the ice into the salt until the combination begins to move around smoothly. Until the ice melts, continue to swirl the ice and salt gradually increasing in speed. When you are finished pour out the liquid and repeat if any stains remain. This is a gentle method meant for glass coffee pots like the Hamilton Beach® 12 Cup Replacement Carafe.
Another great technique is through the use of baking soda, warm water and a scrubber. Baking soda can easily remove coffee stains from polycarbonate and stainless steel pots, like Update International’s Plastic Coffee Decanter, because it acts as a gentle abrasive cleaner. The first step is to put one cup of baking soda in your stained pot then fill the remainder of the pot with warm water. Second, use a strong scrubber to clean the inside of the pot, Public Kitchen Supply suggests the 3M® Scotch Brite™ Power Scrub Sponge. If the stain is still visible after scrubbing, pour out the water from the coffee pot and add a 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide with two to three tablespoons of baking soda. Once again, swirl the pot around for about one minute and let the paste rest for 30 minutes. Finally, rinse thoroughly with hot water and dry with a soft cloth.
However, one of the simplest ways to clean a stained coffee pot is with products designed to remove stains and marks, like the SSDC® Coffee Pot Cleaner & Destainer. These stain removing tablets eliminate pesky stains quickly and easily. Simply drop one tablet into your coffee pot, fill with hot water and wait 20 minutes, when you return your pot will be clean. Stain removing products often work on a variety of coffee pots or decanters including glass, stainless steel, and plastic and are the most efficient way of cleaning.
The consequences of not cleaning coffee pots regularly surpasses simply a bitter taste. When residue is left behind in a coffee maker it provides a great place for bacteria to form. Bacteria forms a slick biofilm when grown in dark, moist place and so do molds. It is important to keep your coffee pot and coffeemaker clean because a dirty pot can jeopardize your health. Whether you’re brewing a cup of Joe for yourself or your customers, Public Kitchen Supply recommends using one of the methods above at least once a month.