Best coffee and how to clean my coffee maker

I LOVE coffee. I drink it in the morning and at night. Sure, the caffeine gives me a boost, but I drink coffee because I really like the way that it tastes.

When I shop, I tend to purchase different types and brands of coffee. There are so many out there, it's always nice to have a change in taste.

Now, what happens when that one brand that you really loved, just doesn't taste the same? While you were making the pot, did you put too much or too little in? What happened?

As I said, I like to purchase different types and brands of coffee. I purchase ground beans from various retail sources and bring them home to enjoy.

Some of my favorites include:

Wawa

Dunkin Donuts

Starbucks

Gevalia

Eight O'Clock Coffee

Chock Full O Nuts

Who is to say that the taste is different?

When making coffee, I ONLY use bottled water. Why? Because my township's public water contains too many additives, and my coffee never tastes right!

When I purchase coffee, I IMMEDIATELY put it into the fridge. Why? Coffee remains fresh when it is refrigerated. Taste tests show that an opened container of coffee will become almost "stale" if kept in a shelf over a period of time.

Okay, so should I clean my coffeemaker, and how often should I do it?

Well, I guess the answer depends upon actually how often you make coffee! If you are like me, I make a minimum of 2 pots a day. I clean my coffeemaker every week; every Sunday night.

Not all of us may need to perform this process; if you only make 1 pot a day - then cleaning your coffeemaker once every 2 weeks would probably do. If you make more; have friends and family over on a regular basis - then you should adjust your cleaning routine to fit your needs.

So, how do you clean your coffeemaker? Follow these simple steps:

1. Wash pot and basket with soap and water,

2. Prepare your coffeemaker and get it ready to work,

3. Mix 1 cup of vinegar, 1/4 cup of salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking soda together in a large mixing bowl. Slowly add 1 cup of hot water (still in your mixing bowl), and mix until items are dissolved.

4. Add enough COLD water to make your mix adequate to fill your coffeemaker pot.,

5. Pour your mix into your coffeemaker pot,

6. Transfer the mix into the "fill" portion of your coffeemaker (as if you were making coffee!),

7. Let "brew" until finished.

8. Now, "brew" 3 additional pots of WATER ONLY.

Now, go ahead. Make a fresh pot of coffee. Ummmm.... tastes good, right? That's what you were missing - simply cleaning that coffeemaker.

Coffee tastes better and fresher.

Once you get into the routine, it will seem like a no brainer. It's like magic. Fresh coffee, and better with every drop.