The fail-safe way to clean your moka pot, making it seem like new

In order to consistently enjoy your fresh, tasty coffee, it is crucial that you periodically clean your Moka coffee maker.

If you are a daily coffee drinker, there is no doubt that you are at least rinsing your Moka pot each time your prepare your coffee. But at a certain point, it is recommended to perform a more in-depth cleaning. This is especially true if your Moka pot hasn’t been used in quite some time. While doing a deep cleaning, it is important to pay extra attention to two vital components: the gasket and the filter.

In order for this appliance to operate at its best, it is important that hot water is flowing smoothly through its interior, ensuring that flavor is not compromised. Additionally, a damaged gasket could lead to water leaking, resulting in an inferior serving of coffee.

What you will need

Once you have decided that the time has come to give your Moka pot a proper cleaning, rest assured that there a few easy-to-find products to help you get the job done. We are talking specifically about:

• Baking soda
• White wine vinegar
• Citric acid

Cleaning Process

Baking soda can be particularly effective if incrustations have formed inside the upper section of the coffee maker. In this case, sprinkle a little baking soda inside the pot and add some hot water. Let it sit for a few minutes, then drain. Next, fill the lower section with water and take this opportunity to add some baking soda also to the filter. Now screw the pot back together and turn on your stove as if you normally would when preparing your coffee. Leave the burner on until water starts spewing out in the top section. At this point, you can turn off the stove and let the Moka pot cool down. Once cool enough, rinse it inside and out under running water in the sink.

If your Moka pot is in fairly rough shape and you want to get it back to its original condition, then white wine vinegar might be your best option. Pour 4 tablespoons of vinegar into a big bowl of hot water. Disassemble the coffee maker and put all the individual parts in the mixture and wait 25 to 30 minutes. Now just rinse and reassemble. Remember, never use soap to clean your Moka pot.

Lastly, you can also use citric acid to clean your coffee maker. Add a spoonful of citric acid to some boiling water. Now take apart the Moka pot and add the various parts to the boiling water as well. Make sure you mix the parts around while immersed, then wait about 20 minutes. After you’ve waited long enough, drain the water and thoroughly rinse. Again, do not use any kind of soap in the cleaning process.