How to Use A Mr. Coffee Maker? How to Clean and Program It?

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By: Tom Valenti

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If there’s anything new coffee enthusiasts wonder about, it’s how to make the perfect cup of coffee. With one of the best coffee makers, the Mr. Coffee Simple Brew Coffee Maker, it’s natural to wonder how to use a Mr. Coffee Maker to brew hotter and bolder coffee every time. 

The way to get started with a Mr. Coffee Maker is simple and user-friendly. It features convenient parts like the easy front access lid to the front loading brew basket that simplify the brewing process.

Read more if you want to know how a Mr. Coffee Maker works, its unique features, and brewing secrets.

What Is A Mr. Coffee Machine?

The Mr. Coffee Maker is a handy 12-cup programmable coffee maker with a digital display and a large durable carafe that fills up to 12 cups of freshly brewed coffee in minutes.

The art of coffee brewing with a Mr. Coffee Maker emphasizes extracting maximum flavor from every brew.

Plus, Mr. Coffee measures the water and coffee grounds automatically. So all you have to do is fill the water up to the required level and the same goes for the coffee grounds.

The machine has a straightforward on/off power switch, a spacious water reservoir, a lift and clean filter basket, a handy automatic pause feature, and a hot plate.

How to Use A Mr. Coffee Maker?

How to Use A Mr. Coffee Maker?

Let’s start with the basics, shall we? Here is what you need to know about making your first batch of bolder and hotter coffee with a Mr. Coffee Maker:

  1. Start by adding fresh water to the water reservoir through the easy-access front lid. The water tank has a transparent window which allows you to see the level markings easily without overfilling the tank.
  2. Next, add the coffee grounds to the front-loading brewing basket. Keep in mind that Mr. Coffee Maker doesn’t use a reusable coffee filter, so you have to add a new paper filter before every brew.
  3. Just use the included coffee scoop to add the exact desired amount of coffee grounds. No guesswork or manual measuring is necessary!
  4. Depending on whether you’ve purchased the water filtration disk or not, place it on top of the brew basket before closing the lid.
  5. Press the brewing button to immediately start the brewing process.
  6. As soon as you see freshly brewed coffee filling up the 12-cup carafe, the hot plate automatically turns on to keep the coffee hot and ready to serve.

How to Clean and Maintain A Mr. Coffee Maker?

There are two ways to go about cleaning a Mr. Coffee Maker: with vinegar or a descaling solution and with detergent or soap water.

And how often do you have to clean a Mr. Coffee Maker?

After every 40 to 80 brewing cycles of 12 cups of coffee. But if you use hard water in the water reservoir, consider deep cleaning the machine more often.

Now, I’m going to walk you through each method in detail.

Cleaning with Vinegar or Descaling Solution

Start by adding at least 3 cups of vinegar into the water tank and turn on the brewing like you would normally. This thoroughly cleans the internal parts of the coffee machine. Wait until all the vinegar collects in the carafe, empty the carafe, and repeat the process one more time.

Alternatively, instead of vinegar, you can use a descaling solution and follow the same steps as mentioned above.

To get rid of the vinegar odor and taste from the machine, add fresh water to the water reservoir and run the brewing process several times. You can also add soap and water to better flush out the system.

Cleaning without Vinegar

If you plan on using natural remedies like soap water, lemon juice, or baking soda, the cleaning process is simple and straightforward to understand.

I personally recommended using lukewarm water with lemon juice because it comes closest to the cleaning properties of vinegar to remove calcium deposits, grime, and grease from the internal parts of the machine.

Cleaning a Mr. Coffee Maker without vinegar is not a bad idea at all. In fact, a lot of coffee drinkers dislike the strong vinegar odor that seems to linger for a while after the cleaning process. 

Can You Program A Mr. Coffee Maker?

A Mr. Coffee Maker holds up to 96 ounces of water which amounts to 12 cups in total. And you can brew anywhere between 2 and 12 cups of coffee in a single brewing cycle.

The correct measurement for brewing is 1–2 tablespoons of coffee grounds for every 6 ounces of water. Depending on how strong you want your coffee, for 12 cups you have to add anywhere between 16 and 32 tablespoons of ground coffee.

This is as far as the Mr. Coffee Maker goes when you talk about programmability. But it does offer special features like a hot plate, auto pause, and easy cord storage.

The auto pause feature lets you pause the brewing to quickly pour yourself a cup and place the carafe back on the hot plate for the brewing to resume.

Can You Make Iced Coffee In A Mr. Coffee Maker?

Once you’ve mastered the art of brewing hot and cold coffee, take things further by making iced coffee in your 12-cup Mr. Coffee Maker.

Take a tall glass and fill it with ice cubes or fill the 12-cup carafe with ice cubes and brew coffee like you would a normal pot.

For a batch of iced coffee, my take on this is to fill the carafe with 2–4 cups of ice cubes and brew at least 3 cups of coffee in a single brewing cycle.

How Many Types of Mr. Coffee Makers Are There?

Mr. Coffee is a drip coffee machine that comes in a variety of models starting with their 4, 8, 12, and 20-cup drip coffeemakers. They even feature an exclusive single-serve coffee machine with programmable features like a digital interface, timer, and accurate temperature control.

Making espresso with a Mr. Coffee Machine is also possible. If you want to make espresso-like coffee, their single-serve coffeemakers produce the smoothest espresso-based drinks like latte, cappuccino, and macchiato.

Follow These Tips to Make Your Coffee Taste Even Better

  • The best type of coffee grounds to use with a drip coffee machine is a medium grind. The coffee tastes bolder but not bitter. Plus, it pairs well with some cream or milk.
  • Before transferring the freshly brewed coffee into a mug, preheat the mug to keep the coffee hot for longer. This trick will come in handy if you drink multiple cups of coffee in a day.
  • Do not use tap water to brew coffee, even with water filtration. To encourage a balanced and flavourful extraction of coffee, use fresh, filtered cold water every time.

Conclusion

The reasons to fall in love with a Mr. Coffee Maker are plenty. And Mr. Coffee Coffeemaker performs exceptionally well for daily home use and doesn’t burn a deep hole in your pocket. Homemakers value long-lasting quality and it’s comforting to know that a budget-friendly coffeemaker Mr. Coffee Coffee Maker guarantees just that.

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Tom Valenti

Chef/Owner of both Ouest and ‘Cesca, and the Executive Chef of Le Cirque, Alison on Dominick, and Butterfield 81.

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