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5 Top-Rated Coffee Makers That Are Actually Easy To Clean — & They're All Under $100
A good cup of coffee isn't just about the beans you use or even how high-tech your machine is. To get a perfectly smooth brew, you need a machine free of mineral deposits, chlorine aftertaste, or stale grinds trapped in the components. Your best bet for a perfect cup of caffeine is investing in one of the easy-to-clean coffee makers on Amazon.
Here are some of the things to look for in a coffee machine that will make cleaning it a breeze.
A Self-Cleaning Function
Some coffee makers have a setting or a button that initiates the machine on a "self-cleaning" cycle, which helps flush out oil and residue. This is a handy function that's thankfully not overly complicated — basically, you would fill up your water reservoir with a cleaning solution (vinegar and water works really well) that would then run through the internal parts as soon as the you hit start.
Removable And Dishwasher-Safe Parts
Coffee makers with removable parts— like a water tank, filter basket, and/or a carafe lid— are ideal because this means you can wash them all separately as needed. Washing these parts in the sink is much easier and thorough than hunching over the coffee machine with a dishcloth or a brush. Plus, many of the machines on our list have some dishwasher-safe parts for an even less involved cleaning process.
Additional Tips For A Clean Coffee Maker
To make your brewer even more efficient, consider purchasing a tool like a coffee brush to get debris out of the nooks and crannies, You can also do a monthly full clean with a descaling solution instead of a vinegar mixture. Finally, many machines use a charcoal water filter, which you'll want to replace per the manufacturer's instructions.
Cleaning your machine will help your coffee flavorful, keep bacteria and mold from forming, and keep your coffee maker’s system from getting clogged and ultimately stop working.
Luckily, the five easy-to-clean coffee makers below, help get the job done faster, while also making a great cup of java.
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1The Overall Best Easy-To-Clean Drip Coffee Maker
With a 4.5-star rating and more than 2,300 reviews, this Ninja coffee maker gets high marks for how easy it is to clean and the quality of its brew. It's the only drip machine on our list with a completely removable water reservoir, which means it's as easy to take to the sink to wipe down as it is to fill up again with fresh water. Its reusable mesh coffee filter has a smaller environmental impact than its paper counterparts and can also be taken out to be cleaned. Best of all, the reservoir, the 12-cup glass carafe, and the mesh filter are all dishwasher-safe. The Ninja machine also has a scheduling feature and lets you choose from one of two crew strengths.
Fans loved: “The Ninja coffee maker is the best I've ever owned. It not only looks great, it's super easy to clean. I especially like the detachable water tank. No more water spillage during pot to tank transfers & the tank is dishwasher safe, so it can be sterilized after every brewing. Best of all, the coffee tastes delicious!"
2This Drip Coffee Maker That Reminds You When It Needs To Be Cleaned
This clever coffee maker takes the guesswork out of knowing when your machine needs some TLC — the "clean" button on the machine turns red to let you know when your machine needs to be descaled. To get started, just add water and vinegar to the water reservoir and turn on the cleaning cycle program, which runs about 20 minutes all on its own. One of the other notable features is the thermal carafe, which will keep coffee warmer for longer periods of time than glass versions.
The machine has a replaceable charcoal water filter that will ensure your cup of joe has good flavor. You’ll just want to make sure to swap in a new filter about every 60 uses. This 12-cup Cuisinart machine is BPA-free and includes a 24-hour timer and a setting for a stronger brew.
Fans loved: “I have owned Cuisinart Thermal Carafe coffee makers for almost 20 years and I love them. They hold the coffee hot and it is never burnt! But this one is my favorite because of its features: 1-4 cup mode, pause and grab a cup before the pot is done, cleaning mode, & water filter. They are all a plus. Another feature I appreciate is a lower profile so it is easier to fill and fits on the counter better.”
3The Best Coffee Maker With Grinder
If you love aromatic, fresh-ground beans, then this coffee maker with a built-in grinder is for you. The separate grinder chamber, filter basket, and mesh filter are detachable, making them easy to rinse and air dry, or for those times when they need a deeper clean, they can be thrown into the dishwasher along with the glass carafe. The machine is equipped with a replaceable charcoal water filter and a scratch-resistant heating plate with nonstick coating that’s a breeze to wipe down. There’s also a small brush that comes with the machine to help get coffee grinds out of hard-to-reach corners. It can brew up to 12 cups of coffee and has a 24-hour program setting, which includes an option to set it to grind and then immediately brew as you're waking up in the morning.
Fans loved: “Love this coffee maker. It is easy to use and so far simple to clean just a quick rinse. The only down side it that the grinder can be loud but it is only for a minute so if you have kids you might want to brew only when they are awake or turn the grinder off and use pre-ground beans. Love the pot it really is a no spill. I also love that it will keep warm for 4 hours which is great when you are running around cleaning all day.”
4The Best Single Serve Coffee Maker
This single-serve machine is as no-fuss as it gets when it comes to making hot beverages at home. To use it, drop in a K-cup sized pod or fill your own grounds into the included mesh basket. Then simply toss your used capsule or leftover grinds, and it's good to go for the next cup. Because you’re putting fresh water in for each brew, there’s no water sitting in the machine all day. In addition, you can opt to run the auto-clean function by pressing the CAPSULE and GROUND buttons at the same time so that hot water in the water reservoir will flush through the spout and clean it for you.
To ensure it gets properly purified, though, the manufacturer suggests every two months — or after brewing more than 200 cups of coffee — you add water and vinegar and run the auto-clean program until the reservoir is empty.
Fans loved: "I love this little machine. Easy to use, easy to clean. I recommend it to anyone needing a simple coffee maker. Great if you're the only coffee drinker in the house. No more pouring out half a pot because there is nobody to drink it. I can make one delicious cup at a time."
5The Most Cost-Effective
This drip coffee maker has lots of fans on Amazon (5,500 reviewers and growing) and lots of solid features to make it one the most reliable and affordable options on this list. The 12-cup carafe is easy to wash with soap and water or you can put it in the dishwasher along with the removable filter basket. The heating plate has a nonstick coating that makes it coffee spills easy to wipe up.
Fans loved: “Have had this almost a year and it's still kicking strong. I run a full pot of plain water through it once a month and a pot of hot water with a little bit of white vinegar in it once in a blue moon, but otherwise I use it every day and just rinse it out. No mold problems or anything, seems easy to clean and care for. It's a little bit bulky but does the trick.”
6Also Consider: A Coffee Maker Descaling Solution
Treat your coffee machine to a thorough clean with this descaling solution which eliminates limescale and other hard water mineral deposits that build up inside. The liquid works with automatic and manual coffee machines, filter coffee makers, espresso machines, and even pod ones (that take K-cups or Nespresso capsules). Just pour a mixture of the solution and water into your reservoir tank, and run a brew cycle (without coffee). Beyond cleaning up gunk, it also prevents corrosion, keeping your coffee tasting bold and your machine working better, longer.
Fans loved: “You truly don't know how clogged up the internals of your machine are until you run this solution through. Very good to use immediately after buying a used machine which is what I did…. after many odd tasting espressos. I kept wondering why the espressos at the Nespresso store was so much better than mine at home. [...] Now I'm good to go.”
