CoffeeFilter: How to clean water chamber of Krups Dual Drip Machine?

January 16, 2007 11:50 AM

Folger loving Father spilled coffee grounds into main water chamber of Krups Dual Drip Machine (867), then proceeded to brew coffee anyway. The result was to bake all those coffee grounds onto the sides of the water chamber. How can I safely clean the water chamber?

I've tried to use a pipe cleaner to scrub the sides, but the grounds are pretty well baked on. I've tried running a vinegar mixture through it, but that didn't do the trick. Anyone have any better ideas?

posted by IndigoSkye to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

When I worked at McDonalds, we would put hot water into the coffee things we wanted to clean, and then proceed to scrub.
posted by drezdn at 11:55 AM on January 16, 2007

Try boiling some water, pouring it in and letting it sit until it's just warm, then scrubbing.
posted by carmen at 12:43 PM on January 16, 2007

I use diluted white distilled vinegar to clean a lot of my coffee making devices, there's also commercial stuff like Puro Caff and Urnex.
posted by Matt Oneiros at 12:46 PM on January 16, 2007

Best answer: Chemicals alone won't do the trick. You need a good bottle brush, and plenty of elbow grease and hot water.
posted by paulsc at 2:53 PM on January 16, 2007

If it is NOT aluminum you may try Sodium Hydroxide (lye)
followed by a vinegar rinse, then water. Lye neutralizes to water.
posted by hortense at 6:11 PM on January 16, 2007

Best answer: I had a space cadet friend who did much the same thing to mine. I scraped free everything I could, then ran a 50/50 white vinegar and water solution through it, followed by lots of pure water. It brewed well for a further four years.
posted by Jilder at 3:48 AM on January 17, 2007

I used to work in coffee. Here's what you need to do:

1. Buy a packet of coffee detergent, like Urnex.
2. Dump it into your coffee-maker.
3. Fill your coffee-maker with scalding hot water. Cover it, and let it sit overnight.
4. In the morning, scrub it like hell with a bottle brush and a green scouring pad (like Scotch-Brite)
5. Rinse it well, and repeatedly, until the soapy Urnex is gone. You may need to discard your first brew of coffee, since even a small amount of Urnex residue tastes gross.

The overnight soaking in coffee detergent is key, since it loosens the grounds enough to scrub 'em off. Good luck --
posted by ourobouros at 7:08 AM on January 17, 2007