How To Clean A Stainless Steel Coffee Pot

Upgraded Home Team
by Upgraded Home Team

We’re all coffee drinkers in my household. We brew a huge pot each morning, the coffee often sits in the pot all day, which causes stains to build up. Rinsing the pot out is simply not enough. So, the one thing I really struggle with is how challenging it can be to keep my stainless-steel coffee pot clean and free of stains.

With some easy tips, cleaning your stainless-steel coffee pot is easier than you might think. There is a fairly effortless way to remove hard water stains and to make your stainless-steel coffee pot sparkle.

To effectively clean a stainless steel coffee pot, you’ll need to heat a kettle of water on the stove. Then, place a dishwashing pod or a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide in the coffee pot. Next, pour the hot water into the coffee pot until it is full. After letting it sit for 30 minutes, pour the water out. Finally, wipe the coffee pot with a sponge and dry with a towel or let air dry.

If you set aside 30 minutes, that should be enough time to get your stainless steel coffee pot clean. Hard water deposits and coffee stains can be difficult to remove. If you follow the steps outlined below, your coffee pot will be stain and streak-free and ready to go for your next morning brew.

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Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning a Stainless Steel Coffee Pot

If you follow this simple guide, your stainless-steel coffee pot will be sparkling clean in no time.

Material Needed

  • Kettle
  • Water
  • Dishwashing Pod
  • Baking Soda
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Sponge or Scrub Brush

Step One: Fill Kettle with Water and Heat Until Boiling

You should fill your kettle to the top to ensure that you have enough water to fill your coffee pot. If you do not have a kettle, you can also boil water in a pot on the stove. Heat the water until it boils.

Step Two: Place Dishwashing Pod into Stainless Steel Coffee Pot

To prevent accidental scalding, place your stainless steel coffee pot in your sink. Place a dishwashing pod in the coffee pot and then slowly pour the hot water from the kettle into the pot. Be sure that you have enough hot water to fill your entire pot.

A mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide can be used if you do not have a dishwashing pod available. In this case, you can use 1 cup of baking soda mixed with a 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide. This should be poured into the stainless-steel coffee pot after you pour the boiling water into the pot.

Step Three: Let Mixture Stand for 30 Minutes

After you pour the water into the stainless steel coffee pot and add the dishwasher pod or mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, it’s important to let the mixture stand for 30 minutes.

This is when the magic happens. Don’t touch the coffee pot for 30 minutes. Go drink a cup of coffee, meditate, or even read a book. You have 30 minutes! Relax!

Step Four: Swirl the Water and Pour the Water Out

After 30 minutes, you are ready to say goodbye to those stubborn watermarks and coffee stains. Carefully swirl the water around in the coffee pot and then pour the hot water down the drain.

Step Five: Scrub and Rinse the Coffee Pot to Remove Stains

Take a sponge or scrub brush and gently clean the inside of the coffee pot. The hot water and dishwashing soap should have loosened any gunk on the inside of the pot and the marks and stains should come off easily.

After you clean the inside of the coffee pot, rinse the pot thoroughly with cold water. You may have to rinse it a few times to ensure that it is completely clean. The water should be clear when the pot is thoroughly rinsed out.

Take a look inside your coffee pot. It should look good as new and the stainless-steel should be sparkling clean. No more coffee stains! You can now dry the pot with a kitchen towel or turn it upside down to air dry.

How to Clean the Outside of a Stainless Steel Coffee Pot

Now that the inside of your stainless steel coffee pot is sparkling clean, it’s time to turn your attention to the outside of the pot. Baking soda and vinegar are two powerful, natural cleaning agents. You can take a few tablespoons of each, mix together, and make a paste.

Use the paste and scrub the outside of your coffee pot with a wet sponge. The stains and watermarks should come off easily and your coffee pot will look good as new. Wiping the outside of your coffee pot daily will help keep stains and watermarks at bay.

How to Clean the Bottom of Burned Coffee Pot

Sometimes you forget to turn off your coffee, resulting in a scorched pot. There is an easy way to get the pot clean. First, rinse the pot thoroughly. Then, pour a 1/2 cup of salt into the pot. Add enough crushed ice to fill the pot, and then add a cup of water. Swirl the mixture around until you see the brown debris begin to loosen. Drain the dirty water. Repeat this process until clean.

Should I Clean My Coffee Maker Too?

Just as your stainless-steel coffee pot can get water and coffee stains, the machine itself also needs frequent cleaning to keep it running properly and to make sure you get a good-tasting cup of coffee every time.

One way to clean your 12-cup coffee maker is to run four cups of vinegar and eight cups of water through your machine. You might have to repeat this process several times. This will help to remove any buildup in the coffee machine itself. After doing this, you should notice that your coffee tastes better.

Tips and Tricks for Cleaning a Stainless Steel Coffee Pot

As you can see, this is a pretty simple process, but if the stains are stubborn, there are some other things that you can try to make sure your stainless-steel coffee pot is clean.

Try Lemon and Salt

Lemon can remove dried or hardened coffee that often lines the bottom of the pot. Simply cut up a whole lemon and squeeze the whole thing, seeds and all, into the pot. Pour in enough table salt to cover the bottom of the pot. Let this stand overnight.

Rinse with warm water and use a sponge to scour the bottom of the pot. The citric acid should loosen any remaining residue. Be sure to rinse thoroughly. This process can be repeated for extremely tough stains.

Use a Commercial Cleaner

Use a commercial cleaner that is made specifically for stainless steel. Otherwise, you risk scratching up your coffee pot. Follow the directions on the package, as cleaning methods may vary.

White Vinegar

Once you remove all of the stains and your stainless steel coffee pot is sparkling clean, you’ll want to keep it that way. One way to do that is to spray the coffee pot with white vinegar in between brewing cycles.

You can fill a spray bottle with undiluted vinegar and spray the inside of the coffee pot after your daily cleaning. Then, simply wipe with a clean paper towel and it’s ready to go for the next morning’s brew.

Rinse More Often

How often do you go about your day, leaving the rest of the morning’s coffee to sit in the pot? Well, being more diligent about rinsing the coffee pot as soon as you’re done with your coffee will help you to avoid stubborn stains caused by coffee sitting and sometimes burning in the pot all day.

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Related Questions

How Often Should I Clean My Coffee Maker?

Most coffee makers require daily cleaning as well as monthly descaling in order for them to continue functioning properly. If you don’t regularly clean your coffee maker, the result may be coffee that smells and tastes bad.If you use your coffee maker several times a day, you will need to clean the reservoir at least once a month to remove mineral deposits and stains caused by hard water. Some coffee machines even come with a clean button that you push and the appliance will automatically decalcify.


Is it Okay to Use Tap Water to Make My Coffee?

The type of water you use to make your coffee will have a large impact on taste. For this reason alone, it is best to use filtered water in your coffee maker. You will notice a huge difference in the flavor of your coffee when you make the switch from tap water to filtered water.Also, if your tap water is hard, it will likely contain a lot of minerals, like calcium and magnesium. These minerals can collect on the bottom of your coffee pot, which causes mineral deposit stains and can make the coffee taste bad. Using filtered water will improve the taste of your coffee and keep your coffee pot free of stains.

Upgraded Home Team
Upgraded Home Team

We are a team of passionate homeowners, home improvement pros, and DIY enthusiasts who enjoy sharing home improvement, housekeeping, decorating, and more with other homeowners! Whether you're looking for a step-by-step guide on fixing an appliance or the cost of installing a fence, we've here to help.

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