Coffee perculator

[Gandtee]

I have a Bluesky coffee percolator my son brought over from Switzerland. I haven't used it for some time. When I started it up today it just made a whirring, clacking sound and wouldn't deliver the coffee. Before I begin to probe around inside it, anyone out there with some advice as to the problem?

[CharlieH]

Put something in it ? starting an empty machine ?

[Gandtee]

Put something in it ? starting an empty machine ?

As they say. When all fails, read the instructions! I'm in the process of descaling it and quit a bit of junk has drained out. Thanks anyway. I may be a bit hung over but I think I would have noticed no water in it.

[slipperylobster]

Put something in it ? starting an empty machine ?

As they say. When all fails, read the instructions! I'm in the process of descaling it and quit a bit of junk has drained out. Thanks anyway. I may be a bit hung over but I think I would have noticed no water in it.

Yes. I bought a coffee maker and it only lasted 3 months. There was a plastic tube that had to be cleaned out (the hot water was not being delivered). I could see the tube, so I yanked it out. Problem was, however, it had a flexible bottom end that could not be reconnected unless you took the whole bottom off. The engineering wizards that built this used unrecognizeable screw heads in the casing. No screwdriver I owned could fit. I should have taken it to an authorized repair, but cracked the whole unit out of frustration. Threw it away.

My lesson.....make sure you can clean your internal plumbing on the next coffee maker. I don't want to bring it into a repair shop every single time.

(tried other methods first..such as vinegar)

[mogandave]

Red cup...

[Gary A]

Using filtered rain water eliminates the mineral build up in coffee makers. If your coffee maker is hopelessly clogged up, you can use a drastic method of cleaning it. Buy a bottle of Duck bathroom cleaner and pour a generous amount into the water tank. I would suggest that you do this outside because it will bubble and emit fumes while it is dissolving the minerals. Leave it sit for a couple of hours. Rinse it out as well as possible and then finish the cleaning by running fresh water through it a number of times.

[mogandave]

I would use vinegar, cheap and non toxic.

Let it cook for ten minutes, dump it in a bowl and quench the pot in ice water. Repeat if necessary.

[KittenKong]

Yes, vinegar is the best answer for lime-scale, be it in a water heating device or on bathroom tiles or drinking glasses etc. Effective, cheap and ecologically sound.

Anything stronger may damage something.

[nisakiman]

I always use vinegar for cleaning limescale out of kettles, coffee machines etc. As pointed out already, it's non-toxic and environmentally friendly , and also has the advantage of only taking a couple of rinses to get rid of the smell / taste.

[pieeyed]

Vinegar might be okay for kettles and coffee percolators. If you use vinegar in a full automatic coffee maker you are likely damaging sensors and any aluminum internal parts. I just descaled my DeLonghi Caffe Corso after 2 years of use as the light was flashing indicating it needed descaling. I purchased a 500 ml bottle of DeLonghi EcoDecalk liquid for 860 baht which is good for 5 descalings. If the machine goes another 2 years in between descalings I will get 10 years from the 500 ml bottle.

[Thian]

I wouldn't use vinegar or toiletcleaner in an aluminium percolator. It damages the aluminium.

I wouldn't even buy one from aluminium, they also have stainless steel models. You can get alzheimer from using aluminium pans.