In recent years, Ninja coffee makers and brewing systems have become more popular than ever.
Many of these coffee brewing systems are seemingly complicated machines with a variety of compartments and containers.
Where do you start to figure out how to clean Ninja coffee makers?
It’s understandable that the cleaning routine of a Ninja coffee maker can be intimidating at first.
After all, these machines can have a complicated system. However, you would be surprised that it is not that difficult to clean every part of the system.
Still, every Ninja coffee maker is different, so keep that in mind as we walk you through the cleaning methods you can use.
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How to clean Ninja coffee makers
Cleaning your Ninja coffee maker is not difficult; the system even has some built-in features to make it easier.
While some bits will need to be cleaned up by hand, others can be cleaned up automatically by the system.
Let’s break things down and make it easier than ever to know how to clean your favorite coffee maker.
Cleaning the coffee maker
When cleaning your Ninja coffee maker, you should pay attention to two things: the base and the removable parts.
Cleaning removable parts
Removable parts are usually the easiest to clean because they can often be washed in the dishwasher.
At the very least, they can be easily removed from the brew system and washed in the sink.
The best way to clean these parts is with warm, soapy water. You can let the pieces soak if there is any buildup on them, then use a cloth to scrub them down.
Once the soap has rinsed off, allow these parts to dry completely before reassembling your prep setup.
Cleaning the preparation base
Cleaning the prep base is a bit trickier because it cannot be submerged in water. Doing so will damage the electronic components inside.
For that reason, you’ll want to make sure you factor in how much water you use when cleaning your Ninja.
The best solutions for cleaning the exterior are warm soapy water or a mixture of ⅓ white vinegar and ⅔ water.
Both of these solutions will remove dirt, oils, and another buildup that may have accumulated on your machine.
To clean the exterior, dip a cloth into your chosen cleaning fluid. Wring out the cloth, and then gently wipe the exterior of the unit.
Use a towel to dry the unit or let it air dry completely. Once it’s dry, you can replace any removable parts that were removed during cleaning.
Descale the coffee maker
Many of the improved Ninja coffee makers have a programmable cleaning cycle that can be used to descale the appliance.
When considering how to clean a Ninja coffee maker, you’ll want to check to see if yours has this feature.
If so, this is an even easier way to clean your appliance. This is how you do it.
Step 1: Be aware of the light
When it is time to perform the Ninja Brewer’s cleaning or descaling routine, the red light under the Clean button will illuminate.
When this button lights up, you know it’s time to run a cleaning cycle as soon as possible.
You can continue to make coffee without running a clean cycle, but you should clean the system as soon as possible.
Step 2 – Fill the water tank
You will need to fill the water tank to the maximum fill line with a mixture of water and vinegar or Ninja’s official descaling solution.
The descaling solution is generally stronger and will tell you exactly how much to use, but using white vinegar is fine too.
When using white vinegar, it is best to use a mixture that is one part vinegar to two parts water.
Regardless of which solution you use, be sure to fill the water reservoir to the maximum fill line.
Step 3 – Set Your Prep Size
Once you have water in the reservoir, you’ll want to set the brew size.
Since you filled the reservoir to the max fill line, you’ll want to select the larger size.
The largest size on most Ninja coffee makers is the full carafe size.
You should select the largest size to ensure that the entire bin is emptied during the cleaning process.
Step 4: Start the cleaning cycle
To start the cleaning cycle, simply press the Clean button.
The screen should display the letters “CLN” and display a countdown timer for how long it will take.
On most Ninja systems, cleaning will take around an hour, but this can vary depending on the model you are cleaning.
Step 5: Empty and rinse
When the cleaning cycle is complete, pick up the carafe and empty out the liquid.
Fill the reservoir with tap water and then press the Clean button again. This will start the wash cycle and should take around eight minutes.
It is not necessary to add any descaling solution or vinegar in this step.
Step 6: Second download
Once the first download is complete, you’ll want to repeat Step 5 to run one more download.
After the second flush is complete, the clean light should no longer be red.
The buildup, as well as the vinegar, have now been flushed out of the system, so you can get back to enjoying your coffee brewing.
Now that you know how to clean a Ninja coffee maker, you can see how easy it is to do it thanks to the pre-programmed cleaning cycle.
Two Other Cleaning Methods
Knowing when to clean this machine is easy. It’s time to start. We will show you two methods to clean your Ninja coffee maker. Both work equally well, so choose the one that works best for you.
Method #1
Will need:
- Lemon juice
- White vinegar (1-2 bottles)
- Water
- Soap
- Filter paper
- soft brush
- Fabric
- an empty cup
There are numerous fancy cleaning solutions on the market, but our old but trusty white vinegar can do the job too!
Before you begin your cleaning session, prepare a 1:1 vinegar-to-water solution. If you don’t have vinegar, lemon juice is a great alternative too!
You can add more vinegar to your machine if you have been too lazy to clean it. Then follow these steps:
- Remove all coffee grounds from the machine.
- Please use clean water to run the machine. Then, pour the mixture into a tank of water.
- Press the CLEAN button.
- After about a minute of operation, turn off the machine and let the mixture sit for another 30 minutes.
- To complete the brew cycle, run your machine for an additional 5-8 minutes.
- Remove the mixture and brush all parts of the machine.
- Pour water into the water tank and rinse to remove the vinegar smell and taste.
- Run your machine one more time.
Method #2
These are the things you will need
- Hot water
- scaling solution
- soft brush
- Soap
If you don’t like the unpleasant smell of vinegar, you can choose to buy a descaling solution. You can easily access some of your local grocery stores. It also dissolves calcium and basic lime.
These are the steps to follow:
- Read and follow the instructions for the descaling solution you purchased.
- Put the solution in your coffee pot.
- Double-check your pitcher to make sure it’s at full volume. This will allow the descaling solution to flow back after you have finished your preparation.
- Run the machine. This can take between 5 and 60 minutes depending on the machine.
- Use the FLUSH option if your machine has it. This will take 15 minutes. If your machine does not have the FLUSH option, please rinse it and then clean it with clean water twice.
- Clean the machine and its parts with warm soapy water and a soft cloth to avoid scratching.
Now if the CLEAN button is still illuminated after a clean cycle, this is a telltale sign that there is still calcium buildup in the machine. Continue the process until the light turns off.
Can I clean without chemicals?
As mentioned above, you don’t need to use the descaling solution that Ninja has created for their coffee makers.
While this solution is optimized to ensure that your coffee makers are as clean as possible, they are by no means a requirement to clean your coffee maker.
Instead, you can use natural solutions, such as white vinegar.
White vinegar works well because it helps loosen any minerals attached to the coffee pot when it goes through the cleaning process.
Still, other coffee lovers are concerned about using vinegar because of its strong odor that could affect the flavor and aroma of their brew.
If there are particular ingredients in your descaling solution that you want to avoid, you can look into alternative mixes.
You will find that there are many natural descaling solutions for coffee machines on the market as well.
What is that white thing?
The white stuff you see building up around your coffee spout or even around your shower head is known as calcification.
This happens because the minerals found in the water are often left behind when it is heated.
As you may already know, the buildup of these minerals can cause problems with your coffee maker.
Those problems could even cause your coffee maker to fail in a much shorter period than it should.
This is why it is important to learn how to clean Ninja coffee makers to remove minerals through descaling, as explained above.
Cleaning Your Ninja Brewer Matters
Have you found the best way to clean your Ninja coffee maker? Does this method seem easier than what you were trying to do before?
Cleaning your coffee maker regularly is important for the long-term care of your device. It also ensures that there is no calcification.
If you neglect your Ninja for too long, it will be harder to clean than ever. That is why it is important to create a regular cleaning system for your coffee maker.
Have you discovered your cleaning system for your Ninja coffee maker?
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