Empty the carafe and filter basket, then run water through the machine
The fastest clean is a rinse: unplug the machine, remove the carafe and filter basket, dump any old grounds, and run cool water through the brew basket and carafe under the sink. Wipe them dry and reassemble. Do this after every pot.
If your coffee tastes stale or bitter, or if water drips slowly, the machine needs a deeper clean. Mineral buildup inside the heating element and tubes slows water flow and changes the taste. A descaling — running a vinegar solution through the brewer — clears these deposits and takes about 30 minutes.
Key Takeaways
- Rinse the carafe and filter basket after every use to prevent old grounds from sitting in the machine.
- Descale your Mr. Coffee every one to three months using white vinegar and water, depending on how hard your tap water is.
- A descaling cycle runs vinegar through the heating element and tubes, which removes mineral buildup that slows brewing and affects taste.
- The entire descaling process takes about 30 minutes and uses only vinegar, water, and items you already have.
Descaling with white vinegar and water
Fill the water reservoir with a 1:1 mixture of white vinegar and cool water — for example, 5 cups vinegar and 5 cups water in a standard 10-cup machine. Do not use apple cider vinegar or cleaning vinegar; white vinegar is the right strength.
Place an empty carafe on the warming plate. Turn on the machine and let it brew the vinegar solution into the carafe until the reservoir is empty. This takes 5 to 10 minutes. Turn off the machine and let it sit for 15 minutes so the vinegar can work on the mineral deposits inside the heating element.
Pour the vinegar solution from the carafe back into the reservoir. Turn the machine on again and run the rest of the solution through. When the reservoir is empty, turn off the machine and let it cool for 5 minutes.
Rinse the machine twice with fresh water
Fill the reservoir with cool tap water only — no vinegar. Place the empty carafe back on the warming plate and run the water through the machine. Discard the water in the carafe. Repeat this rinse cycle one more time to flush out any remaining vinegar smell or taste.
After the second rinse, your machine is clean. Brew a test pot of coffee to make sure the vinegar taste is gone. If you still smell vinegar, run one more water cycle through.
How often to descale based on water hardness
Hard water — water with high mineral content — builds up deposits faster than soft water. If you live in an area with hard water, descale every month. If your water is soft, descale every three months. A middle ground is every six weeks.
You can tell your water is hard if you see white or tan crusty buildup on faucet aerators or inside your kettle. If you are not sure, descale every two months as a safe middle ground. Descaling more often than needed does not hurt the machine.
Cleaning the carafe and filter basket by hand
The carafe and filter basket are dishwasher-safe on most Mr. Coffee models, but hand washing them lasts longer. Rinse them under warm running water right after use, before grounds dry on the glass or plastic.
For stubborn stains inside the carafe — brown rings that do not rinse away — fill it halfway with warm water and add one tablespoon of baking soda. Swirl the mixture around for 30 seconds, then scrub the inside with a soft bottle brush or cloth. Rinse well. If the stain remains, let the baking soda solution sit for 10 minutes before scrubbing again.
Replacing the water filter if your model has one
Some Mr. Coffee models come with a charcoal water filter that sits in the reservoir. Check your machine's manual to see if yours has one — the filter looks like a small white or black cartridge that clips into the top of the water tank.
Replace the filter every two months, or sooner if water flow slows. To replace it, unplug the machine, remove the reservoir, and unclip the old filter. Rinse the new filter under cool water for 10 seconds, then clip it into the same spot. Refill the reservoir and you are done.
When to call a repair person or replace the machine
If your Mr. Coffee leaks water from the bottom or sides, or if the heating element does not warm up (the carafe stays cold after 10 minutes), the machine likely has an internal crack or a failed heating element. These are not user-serviceable repairs.
Mr. Coffee machines are inexpensive and not designed to be repaired. If the machine is more than five years old and stops working, replacement is usually cheaper than repair. If it is newer and still under warranty, contact the manufacturer — most offer a one-year limited warranty from the date of purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use apple cider vinegar or cleaning vinegar instead of white vinegar?
No. Apple cider vinegar is too weak and leaves a smell. Cleaning vinegar is too strong and can damage the heating element. White vinegar at 5 percent acidity is the right strength for descaling a Mr. Coffee.
What if water comes out of the top of the reservoir during descaling?
The machine is overfilled. Empty the reservoir, refill it to the fill line marked on the side, and start the descaling cycle again. Overfilling causes water to back up and overflow.
How do I know if my machine needs descaling?
Brewing takes longer than usual, or the coffee tastes bitter or stale even with fresh grounds. These are signs of mineral buildup. Descale once and see if the taste and speed improve. If they do, descale on the schedule that matches your water hardness.
Is it safe to drink coffee that brewed with vinegar still in the machine?
No. Always run two full cycles of fresh water through the machine after descaling before brewing coffee. If you forget and brew coffee that tastes like vinegar, discard it and run another water cycle.
Do I need to descale if I use filtered water?
Filtered water has fewer minerals, so descaling is needed less often — every four to six months instead of every one to three months. But mineral deposits still build up over time, so descaling is still necessary.