Is this coffee maker safe to use?

Is this coffee maker safe to use? - Crop anonymous female barista in apron preparing coffee using pour over coffee maker and drip kettle in light cafe

I pulled down my bialetti Moka to make some coffee and found it like this:

Tarnished coffee maker

Is the coffee maker safe to use? Does it need cleaning? How should I clean it?



Best Answer

Moka pots are traditionally rinsed (at most) but they're also traditionally used frequently. They develop a coating over time. If I'm putting mine away fro a long period I do clean it, after which it looks like yours, but mine is around 60 years old

If it was put away dry (not so much the top part as round the seals and up the pipe) and stored somewhere clean, I'd use it like that. If it might have got dusty, a rinse and wipe with a clean cloth might be in order. After prolonged storage you might even want to run it empty to rinse the pipe through and avoid stale coffee flavour. There's no need to use detergent unless you're resurrecting an old one or suspect it's been stored damp. Even then the inside of the pipe is the bit to worry about, and that's not easy to clean. A cloth wrapped round a chopstick is good for that, after removing the filter and seal (or you can buy culinary "test tube" brushes).

Just for fun, here's what mine looks like. It's normally used at least 3 times per week, and it's still wet from rinsing in the photo. I actually rinsed it a bit vigorously this time so loosened some bits of the layer of coffee that had built up

Well-seasoned Bialetti




Pictures about "Is this coffee maker safe to use?"

Is this coffee maker safe to use? - Crop anonymous slim male in wristwatch and golden ring using stainless steel manual drip coffee machine with ceramic cup while preparing hot drink at home
Is this coffee maker safe to use? - Crop faceless young female barista in apron steaming milk in steel pot using modern cappuccino machine
Is this coffee maker safe to use? - Crop person pouring milk into cup in kitchen



Is it safe to use coffee maker?

Not all plastic coffee makers are toxic! So a brewer can have plastics and still be safe to use. That said, many coffee makers are 100% BPA free. These alternative coffee makers are made using materials such as stainless steel, glass, other metals, and porcelain.

Why does my coffee maker have a p65 warning?

The lawsuit against coffee makers that led to this ruling was filed under California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, better known as Proposition 65. Since 1986, this law has required warning labels for chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects.

Which single serve coffee makers are BPA free?

bpa free coffee maker
  • Cuisinart 14-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker - Stainless Steel - DCC-3200TGP1. ...
  • Capresso 5 Cup Compact Programmable Coffee Maker Mini Drip - Stainless Steel 426.05. ...
  • Mr. ...
  • Cuisinart 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker - Stainless Steel - DCC-3850TG. ...
  • Hamilton Beach 12 Cup Programmable Coffee Maker - Black 46290.


Can coffee makers make you sick?

Just like everything else in the kitchen, coffee makers can be full of bacteria, yeast and mold if they aren't properly cleaned. Since the hot water isn't enough to decontaminate the machine, harmful germs can build up to a point that it can actually make you sick.



Why Cheap Coffee Makers Suck (And How To Fix Them)




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Tim Douglas, John Zook, Ketut Subiyanto, Ketut Subiyanto