How to Clean a Bunn Coffee Maker
Bunn Coffee Makers are one of the most trusted, well-known in the coffee industry. Thousands of businesses such as restaurants and hotels rely on their commercial machines to run their foodservice business smoothly.
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However, in order to keep the Bunn Coffee Maker in tip top shape, you need to clean and maintain it properly. This requires that you do more than wipe down the outside of the machine. You need to clean all of the parts on a regular basis and descale it regularly to keep it maintained and functioning properly.
If you are wondering how to clean a Bunn Coffee Maker, don’t worry this article has you covered. You will learn how to clean your machine using the included tool it comes with. As well as several other ways you can clean it.
I will also cover how to descale your machine so that it functions properly over the long term. If you follow this advice your Bunn Coffee Maker will continue to make hot, delicious coffee for many years to come. Ok, let’s dive in!
What is a Bunn Coffee Maker?
First, we need to discuss what a Bunn Coffee Maker is because it is not as well known as some of the other brands out there. However, this company has been around for more than 60 years. Bunn believes that great coffee takes more than just grinding high-quality coffee beans.
This is why their machines include features such as brew temperature control and optimal brew time. By using these tools, it allows you to ensure that your coffee is never over-brewed. Bunn Coffee Makers are found in many homes, as well as many commercial businesses around the world.
Supplies Needed:
- Bunn Deliming Tool
- Soft cloths
- Dishwashing Soap (not strongly fragranced)
How to Clean a Bunn Coffee Maker
There are several ways that you can keep your Bunn Coffee Maker cleaned and maintained. We are going to discuss each one in depth, so you can choose the right option for your machine.
Bunn Deliming Tool
The first way that you can clean your Bunn machine is by using the deliming tool that came with it when you purchased it. Here are the steps you need to take:
1. Unplug your machine and wait at least two hours before cleaning.
2. Remove the carafe and brew funnel from the machine
3. Unscrew the spray head (the dome-shaped plastic sitting directly above the brew funnel)
4. The spray head tube should now be exposed. Insert the deliming tool into the tube until you can only see about two inches of the tool.
5. Slide and rotate the deliming tool to break up any mineral or lime deposits that may be inside of the tube.
6. Use the deliming tool to remove any mineral deposits that may be on the spray head (you should see little white deposits on it, if there are any)
7. Rinse the spray head with warm water to remove the loosened debris
8. Flush the water tank to remove any loosened mineral deposits in the system
9. Screw the spray head back on the machine
10. Replace the brew funnel and carafe
Soap & Water
This is the most common way that people clean their Bunn machine because it is so quick and simple to do.
1. Turn off and unplug your machine, wait at least two hours before cleaning
2. Remove all the parts of your machine, such as the carafe and drip tray
3. Soak your machine in the soap and water for at least 30 minutes
4. Using a soft cloth, wet it with the soap and water and gently scrub the inside and outside of your Bunn Coffee Maker
5. Remove your machine from the water and rinse it off, remove all soap residue and any stains that may remain on it
6. With a dry, soft cloth wipe your machine down
7. Let it air dry for several hours
8. Once you are sure that your coffee maker is completely dry inside and out, replace it in its spot, put all the parts back on, and plug it back in
How to Descale & Maintain a Bunn Coffee Maker
While cleaning your coffee maker regularly is vital to keeping it running properly. It is also important that you descale your machine often, every month or two, in order to keep it in proper working order long-term.
There are several ways that you can descale your Bunn Coffee Maker. I will discuss each one below, so you can decide which way is right for you.
Supplies Needed:
- Soft Cloths
- Dishwashing Soap (not strongly fragranced)
- White Vinegar – Descaling
- Lemon Juice – Descaling (Alternative)
- Baking Soda – Decaling (Alternative)
- Distilled Water - Descaling
White Vinegar
This is the most common way that people descale their coffee machines. Vinegar is a great deep cleaner and will help to keep your machine running smooth. Here are the step-by-step directions you need to do it yourself.
1. Fill your coffee pot with a solution of half white vinegar and ½ hot distilled water.
2. Pour your vinegar-water solution into the water reservoir and start a brewing cycle. This will remove build-up and debris as it runs through the cycle.
3. Once your coffee pot or carafe is full, discard the solution down your sink.
4. Rinse the coffee pot out with soap and warm water
5. Let your machine sit for 15 minutes before moving on to next step
6. Fill the water reservoir again with just cold distilled water.
7. Run it through another cycle with the water to clean out any lingering debris or vinegar solution
8. Repeat the cycle with cold distilled water until the vinegar smell is no longer present (I recommend dong it at least twice, but more times may be necessary)
9. That’s it, you are done!
Lemon Juice
Lemon Juice is a good alternative to white vinegar. It will not only do a great job of removing any mineral buildup. It will also get rid of any hard water stains for you. Here are the simple directions for you to follow.
1. Mix one cup of lemon juice and one cup of warm distilled water
2. Pour the solution into your water reservoir
3. Let the solution sit in your water reservoir for a couple of minutes
4. Start the brew cycle and let the solution run through the cycle
5. Pour the solution back into the water reservoir
6. Let it sit for 15 minutes
7. Start a second brew cycle and let the solution run through again
8. Once the cycle is complete, discard of the solution down your sink drain
9. Fill your coffee pot with cold distilled water
10. Pour it into the water reservoir and start a brew cycle
11. Repeat the brew cycle with just cold distilled water at least two times, more if necessary
12. Rinse the coffee pot out with soap and warm water
13. That’s it, you are done!
Baking Soda
The third way that you can descale your Bunn Coffee Maker is with a baking soda solution. This solution will help to remove any stains and debris that is in your coffee machine. Just follow these simple directions to descale your coffee maker.
1. Mix one cup of baking soda with one cup of distilled warm distilled water
2. Make sure that the baking soda is completely dissolved, then pour the solution into the water reservoir
3. Start the brew cycle to run the solution through the machine
4. Discard the solution down the sink drain
5. Rinse out your coffee pot out
6. Fill the water reservoir with cold distilled water
7. Run the water through the brew cycle at least twice to rinse the machine out
8. Clean your coffee pot with soap and warm water
9. Congratulations, you are done!
Let’s Recap the Cleaning Process
Remember that prevention is always better than a cure. This means it is butter, and much easier, to clean and maintain your machine, then it is to try and fix it later.
If you want your machine to run smoothly, brew delicious pots of coffee, and last a long time then remember to clean and descale it regularly. Here’s a quick recap of how you do it.
1. Clean your coffee maker after each use
It is important that you rinse out the coffee pot, water reservoir, and filter after each use.
2. Clean the coffee parts every couple of days
By removing and cleaning the machine’s parts, such as the spray head, will keep them clean and prevent build up from forming. You can rinse them off or put them in the dishwasher.
3. Descale your machine every month or two
This is a way to deep clean your coffee maker. It will remove any mineral build up and hard water stains that have formed throughout the machine.
Do’s & Don’ts When Cleaning a Bunn Coffee Maker
Do’s
- Measure your coffee to help reduce waste and keep everything tidy and clean when brewing your coffee
- Turn off and unplug your machine before cleaning it
- Clean and descale your machine regularly to it last many years
- After cleaning, make sure your coffee maker is completely dry before plugging it in and using it again
Don’ts
- Don’t use abrasive cloths or tools
- Don’t use a dishwash that is strongly fragranced, it will be hard to rinse off and may affect the taste of your coffee (eew!)
- Don’t be lazy, clean and descale your machine regularly to prevent mineral build up
- Don’t troubleshoot and try to fix your Bunn Coffee Maker without reading the instruction manual
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I empty the water in the machine before cleaning or descaling it?
Yes, it is important that you remove all of the water in the coffee maker before you begin the cleaning or descaling process.
How do I empty a Bunn Coffee Maker?
It is important to empty your coffee maker before you clean or descale it. This is really easy to do. The first step is to flush the machine with cold water first. This will remove any hot water that is left inside of it.
Next, you can remove the brew funnel and spray head to dump out any cold water left inside of it. To dump the cold water, just tilt your coffee maker over the sink and let the water flow through the spray head tube into the sink.
It should only take a couple of minutes to do. If your machine has a push button that holds the water inside, make sure you push it until all of the water has drained into the sink. That’s it, you are done and now ready to clean or descale your machine.
How do you clean a Bunn Coffee Maker with a deliming tool?
This is a simple process to do. If you need step-by-step directions on how to do it, I went over everything in this article above.
How often do you clean a Bunn Coffee Maker?
You should rinse out the coffee maker after each use. You should clean all of the parts a couple of times a week. Also, you need to descale your coffee maker every month or two to keep it maintained. All of the directions you need are in this article above.
How do you stop the smell of plastic from the Bunn Coffee Maker?
If you start to notice a plastic smell coming from your Bunn machine, you can get rid of it with white vinegar. Just remove the filter and run a brew cycle using the white vinegar. Let the machine sit for at least 20 minutes and then run a brew cycle with cold water.
You may need to run a couple of brew cycles with water, until the smell of vinegar is no longer present. This should get rid of the plastic smell for you.
Final Thoughts
A Bunn Coffee Maker is a high-quality excellent machine that a lot of businesses use. If you use your coffee machine on a daily basis, it is important that you keep it cleaned and maintained. As you can see there are several easy ways to keep your coffee maker running efficiently.
Remember that prevention is always better than a cure! The process is simple to do, so there is no reason not to do it. By keeping your Bunn Coffee Maker cleaned and maintained, you will ensure that your coffee remains delicious for a long time.
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