Why You Should Put Lemon Juice in Your Coffee Maker

For coffee lovers, your first morning cup can be a godsend for getting through your day. But if you’ve ever gotten a metallic twang to the flavor or made the mistake of looking a little too far into the reservoir, you might realize it’s time to clean your coffeepot.

As it turns outs, putting lemon juice in your coffee maker is the way to go.

While you’ve likely seen recommendations to use vinegar to descale your coffee maker, some don’t love the idea of running such an odorous liquid through their precious appliance. That’s totally understandable. Lemons might be just the alternative you need.

While vinegar uses acetic acid to break through the mineral build-up and other grime in your coffee maker, lemons use citric acid. It’s able to cut through things as effectively, and if the smell of vinegar freak you out, lemon juice is where it’s at.

So, how do you use lemon juice to clean your coffee maker? First, you’ll run a brew cycle using cold water to rinse out any leftover grounds. Then, fill your reservoir with a blend of two tablespoons of lemon juice and room temperature water. Allow the mixture to sit for 20 minutes so the citric acid can break down the residue.

Finally, run your brew cycle with an empty paper filter. The lemon juice will run through the lines clearing out any gunk. If you look into the reservoir and still see some residue, tough, simply repeat the process. Once sufficiently clean, run two plain water cycles to flush out the scent and flavor of the lemon juice.

Now, you’re done. It’s as simple as that, and you’ve got a tasty (and clean) cup of coffee.