Wholesale manager and coffee educator for Coava Coffee Roasters, Drew Frohn, once told HuffPost that a good cup of coffee starts with water quality. Considering that coffee is 98% water, that’s important to know. However, it doesn’t matter how hard, soft or filtered your water is: Over time, your coffee maker will get a layer of limescale (or calcium carbonate build-up)on its insides and parts — ultimately impacting your water quality, the taste of your coffee and your machine’s overall brew efficiency. (And yes, this happens whether with a brew basket, Keurig, coffee pot, Nespresso machine, Chemex or even your favorite mug.)
Before you toss the machine, though, here’s an easy fix: When soap and water won’t work (or reach!), you can take care of it with a descaler and we found a year’s supply of drop-and-dissolve cleaning tablets for 20% off, as well as a liquid solution, that one reviewer says can easily “get all the gunk out.”
If you’ve been dissatisfied with the quality of your coffee lately, consider the fact that it may not be you, the beans, your measurements or your water. It could just be your machine’s cleanliness.
Take it from one reviewer who swears these Active coffee maker cleaning tablets made for a better brew.“Lately, I’ve noticed it had a much more staler taste to my coffee and wasn’t sure why it wasn’t tasting as good,” they say. “After I filled the reservoir with water, I dropped in a tablet and let it sizzle away. […] The water came out light brown and you could see the amount of build up that was inside the reservoir disappear. After brewing my first new pot of coffee, it was like a brand new machine. […] After the cleaning, these coffees tasted so much better!”
Whether you grab the cleaning tablets or liquid solution, this stuff is super simple to use.
Running these tablets are simple: Just drop one into your coffee maker″s reservoir, fill water to its max line and brew as normal. Once your brew cycle is complete, pour out the gunk water and run another brew cycle with just water to rinse the machine clean. The solution is just as easy, only requiring pouring out 4 ounces of liquid into your coffee maker’s reservoir.
Folks say they’ve had luck using this stuff to clean coffee mugs, electric kettles, stainless steel tumblers and or kitchen items that have been stained with water and tea and coffee oils.
Whether you grab the coffee cleaning tablets or liquid solution, you can save 20% right now. Not bad for a year’s supply of clean coffee making! And keep reading to see testimonials from other happy coffee drinkers.
“I’ve normally just used vinegar and water to clean my coffee maker but lately the machine was running very slow. I woke up to the coffee not fully brewed a couple times this week, and once it seemed done but was only half filled. I thought my coffee maker was dead, so started looking for a replacement but the one I got that lasted 10 years is no longer for sale, so I decided to buy a cleaner just to see if it would help and give me time to shop for something new.
After using one tablet, it brewed fast like it was brand new. I used the “clean” setting and the water came out mucky and gross, and the inside of the machine seemed clear. Just for good measure, I ran a second tablet through because if it was dirty enough to clog the machine before, it might need a double clean.
Coffee maker shopping has been indefinitely suspended! So glad this worked. Now, I’m going to buy the laundry machine cleaner and give my front loader a good cleaning! Can’t wait. 40 years ago, if you’d have told me that I’d be excited to buy a cleaning product, I’d have never believed it and beat you up for saying it. Now… I can’t wait.” — versak“Purchased this because we make about 4 cups of coffee a day at home, and have noticed both my Nespresso Pixie espresso maker and Keurig pod maker machines were making coffee that was a little less flavorful than I remembered. Neither machine prompts me to descale. I have only used these pods once but here are my first impressions. 1. Package comes nicely packaged with a personal note from the owner. 2. Instructions are very clear. 3. It’s easy to do which is key. I read that using vinegar while low in cost can damage the internal workings and having tried it once it was not something I wanted to continue and this product supposedly removes more types of build-up.
So, was it effective? I kind of expected to see big chunks of brown sludge coming out. That is not what happened. Basically the liquid coming out while descaling was brown tinged. Although on the espresso single shot instructions it said to 2 pours with the descaling and 2 with clean water, I did a full water container of both descaling solution, so more like 4 or 5 pours worth of cleaning solution, and then same amount of the containiner containing just water to rinse. The result was our nespresso shots and also Keurig coffee afterwards tastes just a bit more substantial and I’m noticing more notes of the flavor. Some reviewers said they noticed a chemical after cleaning, I think thoroughly rinsing the water reservoir and then the additional clean water rinses eliminated any residual chemical taste for me.
Conclusion – it definitely had a positive impact. Will continue to use and update if I notice more. But to me it was worth the price of the product.” — Dave“I decided to try this product out to clean my Ninja Dualbrew XL coffee machine. After following proper procedure of the coffee machine’s cleaning cycle from its manual and clean the machine’s pod adapters, my next brews tasted so rich and clean to the point where it was as if my coffee was brewed from a new coffee machine! After a week of continuous use and rinsing pod’s adapters after each use, every brew tasted so deliciously rich! One tablet is needed to keep your machine clean and have enjoyable brews! The product comes with a 30 tablet supply which will last you for a year! Its results were astonishing and it will definitely have me continuing purchasing this product in the future!” — Pedro Gonzalez Jr
A useful and sleek coffee canister
Speaking of coffee storage, Eckroth also recommends this canister by Airscape, a Planetary Design brand. The canister has a plunger lid and two-way valve to keep out air, which can extend the coffee’s shelf life and preserve its flavor. You can get medium (64 ounces) and small (34 ounces) sizes at Amazon, or medium sizes at Williams-Sonoma or Crate & Barrel.
Third Wave Water mineral packets
Both Eckroth and Laila Ghambari, a coffee business consultant and 2014 U.S. Barista Champion, recommended these Third Wave Water mineral packets, which can make for great stocking stuffers.
“These mineral packets are mixed with distilled water and are crafted specifically for coffee,” Eckroth shared. “They’re fantastic if you live in an area that has particularly soft or hard tap water. Of note, there are several different packet types for different roast levels and brewing methods.” We’ve linked the medium and light roast profiles below, but Third Wave Water makes options for dark roast, espresso, cold brew and more.
“With coffee being 99% water, it’s a simple way to make a significant improvement to your brew,” says Ghambari.
A fun, simple ceramic mug that’ll double as great kitchen decor
This chic mug has a 12-ounce capacity and comes in four simple but fun patterns, including this checkerboard. The handle is large and rounded to make the mug easy to hold, and the mug is also microwave- and dishwasher-safe.
Promising review: “Every year my friends do a mug exchange for Christmas. This year I got this mug for the exchange and this was the IT MUG! Everyone wanted it and that says everything” — WP
A set of two funky glasses for iced coffee with straws
How fun is Ghambari included on her list of gifts for coffee lovers? Complete with two straws and a cleaning brush,this set of two drinking glasses is perfect for any iced coffee (or matcha, or tea) drinker. In addition to their funky design, the glasses are made of lead-free, BPA-free, dishwasher-safe glass and have a capacity of 14 ounces.
Promising review: “These are on my favorites list for top purchases I’ve made this year. These cups are so cute and make every drink look so much better. I love how easy they are to rinse and the quality is definitely solid. Ive dropped my glass a few times and it did not affect the cup at all! So cute on a bar cart too!” — Presley nix
A milk frother with over 160,000 5-star ratings
This Zulay milk frother is reviewer-beloved and great for making lattes, cappuccino and other coffee drinks at home. It can froth milk in seconds, and can be cleaned just as quickly (just run the whisk part under hot water and turn it on). Included with the frother is a stand for easy storage. The frother comes in a bunch of colors and is made of stainless steel.
Promising review: “Frothing is at full force here, yet compact. Just the right amount of power for my home. Built to last, doesn’t compromise coffee taste, but it enhances it. Great product, would gift to someone else.” — Quincy Davies
A coffee grinder that’s a real crowd-pleaser
In previous HuffPost coverage, the Baratza Encore burr-style coffee grinder got a lot of love from baristas for its durability and ability to create even-sized grounds. This is a nice entry-level option for folks who don’t own a grinder yet, with a simple on-off switch and 40 grind settings — so whether you prefer French press coffee or espresso, this would still be useful.
Promising review: “Nothing else has changed, but this grinder, and my coffee tastes palpably better. I know nothing about coffee or grinds, but for whatever reason, with this grinder, my brew, whether drip or espresso, is a level up. It’s a nice little machine, with a small footprint, quiet, no skills required, except to shift the grind size with the brewing method. This was a gift which I’m enjoying every day.” — Diane A. Baker
The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)
The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)







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