The coffee maker I have in my kitchen is one of the Hamilton Beach BrewStations. It doesn’t have a carafe. It’s an enclosed system that keeps coffee warm without ever burning it. We’ve had it for years and we’re quite happy with it. Cleaning it is not as easy as cleaning a carafe, though.

 

The inside of the coffee maker where the water gets poured needs to be cleaned frequently. In fact, because it doesn’t get cleaned daily like a carafe usually does, it can build up a slimy gunk at the bottom if let go too long. So I clean the portion of the coffee maker where the water gets poured with a mixture of vinegar and water once a month, and then I take a cloth and wipe the insides as best as I can to get any gunk that doesn’t get dislodged with the vinegar/water solution.

 

I mentioned a couple of months ago how much better our coffee has tasted since we switched to using water filtered through a Mavea pitcher. I’ve noticed during my monthly cleanouts since the switch that the yucky, slimy gunk that built up in the inside of the enclosed coffee maker has disappeared since using the filtered water.

 

I don’t know exactly what it is about the filtered water that has halted the gunk, but I love the fact that it has. The filtered water is the only change we’ve made. We always use the same coffee, Lacas Fair Trade, Organic Mexico Chiapas, Dark Roast. I still brew eight cups each day for my husband and me (don’t judge). In fact, over the holidays we brewed a lot more because of all the entertaining we did.

 

So here’s one more reason to chose a water filter for your home: a less gunky coffee maker.

 

For those of you who use an enclosed system coffee maker, have you ever experienced the slimy gunk buildup inside?