Step 1

Remove the charcoal filter. Before you do anything else to clean your coffee maker, you should remove the charcoal water filter. The water filter gets filled up with gunk and mineral deposits the same way that your reservoir does.

Step 2

Mix enough of a vinegar solution to fill your reservoir. It’s best to go with 1/3 parts white vinegar and 2/3 parts water for the best results.

Step 3

Once you’ve mixed the vinegar mixture properly, pour the entire thing into the reservoir.

Step 4

Locate the self-clean button on your coffee maker, press it, and wait on the button to illuminate. Once it does, you can press the on button on your coffee maker, and the cleaning cycle will begin. You’ll know that the cleaning cycle has begun because the self-clean button will stop blinking and just be a steady color. Once the cleaning cycle is complete, the Cuisinart will beep five times to indicate the completion of the process.

Step 5

Once you’ve run your cleaning cycle, fill your reservoir with cold water and run a cold-water cycle to get rid of the vinegar and water solution. You may also want to wipe down all the components of your coffee machine to make sure you don’t get the faint taste of vinegar in your next carafe of coffee.