How to Clean a Cuisinart Coffee Maker the Right Way

Mary Marlowe Leverette 2018

Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry's most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40+ years of experience and 20+ years of writing experience. Mary is also a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

Updated on 12/08/23 Reviewed by

Brandon Pleshek headshot.

Brandon Pleshek of Clean That Up! is a seasoned veteran of the cleaning industry with over 20 years of experience in commercial and residential cleaning. He is a member of The Spruce's Cleaning and Organizing Review Board.

How to clean a Cuisinart coffee maker

In This Article Back to Top Project Overview

If coffee made in your Cuisinart coffee maker isn't tasting as good as it once did, it's probably time to clean your machine.

Coffee grounds leave behind oils that cling to the brewing basket, and once these turn rancid, it can affect the flavor. Another culprit of grime could be from mineral scale, which is water that builds up inside the machine.

Descaling, or removing calcium and other water minerals, will keep your coffee maker working smoothly—and your coffee will taste better. The following instructions on how to clean a Cuisinart coffee maker work for all Cuisinart machines.

Tip

This set of instructions works for all Cuisinart coffee machines.

How Often to Clean a Cuisinart Coffee Maker

Your Cuisinart coffee maker should be cleaned lightly after each use and deep cleaned once a month. You can also clean and descale the coffee maker (and your coffee grinder) on a regular schedule to remove the minerals from the water and the coffee oils that cling to the components and turn rancid.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

Materials

Instructions

How to Clean a Cuisinart Coffee Maker After Every Use

Materials needed to clean a cuisinart coffee maker

Discard Coffee Grounds

Discarding used coffee grounds

Open the lid and remove and discard the grounds and filter.

Clean the Carafe

Cleaning the coffee maker carafe

Wash the glass carafe and lid in a sink of warm, soapy water or place them on the upper rack of a dishwasher. Rinse well and dry with a lint-free microfiber cloth.

Tip

To reduce wear and tear on your machine, use bottled distilled water to fill the coffee maker.

How to Self-Clean a Cuisinart Coffee Maker

When the LED ring around the clean button lights up, it is time to descale your coffee maker. Here's what to do.

Tip

While there are commercial coffee maker descaling solutions, you can safely use products you have in your pantry to clean your Cuisinart coffee maker. Dishwashing liquid, distilled white vinegar, and distilled water are all you need.

How to Deep Clean a Cuisinart Coffee Maker

After you run a self-cleaning cycle, the flavor of your coffee will improve even more if you deep clean the coffee maker. Take these steps:

Tips to Keep a Cuisinart Coffee Maker Clean Longer

Removing Coffee Stains From a Cuisinart Coffee Maker

If you have stains remaining in your carafe, fill the carafe half-full with very hot water and half-full with distilled white vinegar. Allow the solution to soak in the carafe for at least 30 minutes (overnight is fine) and then wash in warm, soapy water. Use a bottle brush to help reach all of the interior surfaces.

You can also fill the carafe with hot water and add a denture-cleaning tablet. Soak for at least 30 minutes and then wash well in warm, soapy water.

How much vinegar should I use to clean my Cuisinart coffee maker?

When using vinegar to descale, fill the water reservoir with a mixture of one-third distilled white vinegar and two-thirds water.

Why is my Cuisinart coffee maker's clean light always on?

If you have not always cleaned your coffee maker, you live in a hard water area, or your unit is heavily coated with mineral deposits, the clean indicator may not go off after running one cycle or it will go off and then quickly illuminate again. If it does, repeat the cleaning cycle with a fresh vinegar and water solution a couple of times until it clears.

How should I change the filter in my Cuisinart coffee maker?

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