How To Clean Ninja Coffee Bar – Your Coffee Bar As Good As New

By
Samanta Fryer
Samanta Fryer
Writer
Samanta Fryer is our senior editor and content writer, at CoffeeVibe. Apart from writing and reading, she’s fond of the coffee brewing process and enjoys tasting new coffe read more
reviewed
Reviewed By
Ryan Hendricks
Ryan Hendricks
Expert
Ryan Hendricks is our tester, who puts products through their paces. He used to be a barista and is now a full-time coffee enthusiast. He’s always testing out new gadgets, read more
Last updated: August 19, 2023
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If you are reading this article, it is probably because you own a Ninja coffee maker. This coffee maker can be found in the office, at home, or even in a restaurant – almost everywhere.

One way to appreciate this machine and indeed to make it last longer is by cleaning and maintaining it regularly. Cleaning a coffee machine is easy, yet many people do it wrong. Let’s see how to clean a ninja coffee bar without a lot of stress.

How do you know when the Ninja bar needs cleaning?

If you are not too concerned about cleaning, or you can’t seem to remember to clean your appliances, the Ninja coffee bar has a nifty feature to help you. It comes with an indicator on the bottom left. When the machine requires cleaning, this indicator comes on.

If you are a very neat person, and if you can make the time, you do not have to wait until the indicator comes on. You can schedule your time to clean the Ninja coffee machine every two months or thereabouts. If you tend to use the machine every day, you should opt to clean it once per month.

What is the difference between cleaning and descaling your coffee maker?

To understand the difference between cleaning and descaling, we have to consider the factors that contribute impurities to your coffee maker.

Coffee, in itself, is an oily substance. As you continually use your coffee, the coffee oils accumulate in the machine and form a rancid residue. Cleaning your coffee machine is the only way to get rid of this residue. It is essential to clean the machine often because you cannot brew delicious coffee using a dirty coffee maker with a significant accumulation of rancid residue.

Descaling, on the other hand is the process of removing mineral buildup in your coffee maker. Where does this mineral buildup come from? Well, your cup of coffee is almost entirely made of water; you cannot have a cup of coffee without water. Water contains minerals like calcium and magnesium. These chemicals pass through your coffee maker, and over time, they build on the heating system of the coffee maker as limescale. Thus, descaling is the removal of this buildup.

It is vital to descale your coffee maker because limescale can negatively affect your coffee machine’s heating system. It prevents the water from reaching the right brewing temperature, clogs the flow of water, and ultimately spoils your experience. Your coffee will taste tepid and slightly unpleasant.

What do you need to clean and descale your coffee maker?

How To Clean Ninja Coffee Bar - Your Coffee Bar As Good As NewTo clean your ninja coffee bar, you will need the following things:

  • Mild detergent
  • Water
  • A clean, dry cloth

For descaling, you’ll need:

  • Vinegar
  • Water
  • Paper filter

The Cleaning Process

How To Clean Ninja Coffee Bar - Your Coffee Bar As Good As NewNow that you understand the importance of cleaning your machine let’s see how to clean the Ninja coffee bar system.

There are two ways to clean your coffee maker. We will consider the two processes now.

Cleaning outside the coffee maker

  1. The first step is to clean the parts that you can easily remove then clean your way up to more complicated stuff. Remove the brew basket and the coffee measuring spoon.
  2. Then, with the clean, moist cloth wipe down the outside of the machine to remove any milk or coffee stains. Ensure that as you do this, you add some small soap to the mixture. After cleaning, you might have some soap stains on the body. Use water to remove these soap remains.
  3. To clean the temperature warming plate, use a sponge and some soap. As this part is one of the most fragile parts of the machine, you should clean with caution.

Following these instructions will help you to achieve a clean, sparkling coffee maker. While cleaning the outside of your machine is essential, descaling and cleaning the inside is arguably more important.

To achieve a clean interior, free of limescale and residue, it is recommended that you use vinegar and some water.

How to clean the Ninja coffee bar with vinegar

How To Clean Ninja Coffee Bar - Your Coffee Bar As Good As New

  1. Use the Rinse cycle. To do this, run the brewer with some lukewarm water. The purpose of this is to remove any residue or coffee ground left in the machine. Ensure the water reservoir is full, then press the “Full Carafe” button.
  2. Next, mix the vinegar with equal parts water after diluting the vinegar, you are ready to run it through the coffee maker.
  3. Run the brewer with the vinegar and water solution. Just as in the first step, after filling the reservoir, press the “Full Carafe” button. Next, press the “Clean” button and relax as the machine does the rest.

The entire cleaning process varies from model to model, but in most cases (for example, for a drip coffee maker), it takes an average of an hour to clean the machine.

After cleaning with vinegar, ensure you rinse it with water. Fill the water reservoir and press the “Clean” button. Why should you do this? It is essential because it reduces the strong odor of vinegar. It also gets rid of any other elements that can affect the purity of your brewed coffee.

How to clean Ninja coffee bar without vinegar

Some folks prefer to descale or clean their coffee maker without vinegar. It can be due to a variety of reasons, but the most common is to eliminate the taste of vinegar on the coffee.

Several alternatives can effectively clean your ninja coffee maker without leaving a residual taste. One of such alternatives is lemon juice. The citric acid found in the juice acts to kill bacteria, mold, and importantly, breaks down the calcium deposits.

To use lemon juice, mix with equal parts of water and follow the same procedure for cleaning with vinegar above.

Another excellent alternative is baking soda. Baking soda is used for so many things in the home, thus, it is no surprise that this multi-purpose substance can also clean your coffee maker.

Cleaning the Milk Frother

The milk frother should be cleaned every time you make a latte or cappuccino. Unlike other parts that can be left for up to two months before cleaning, you should clean the frother after every use.

How to clean the Milk Frother

You will need hot water to clean the frother.

Stick the milk frother into a glass half-filled with hot water. Turn it on and hold for around a minute or less to remove any milk residue.

Final words

How To Clean Ninja Coffee Bar - Your Coffee Bar As Good As NewAlthough some view it as a hassle, cleaning the Ninja coffee bar is very easy and straightforward. With water, soap, and some vinegar, you can make your coffee maker clean and as good as new. If you do this often, that annoying “Clean” light will not come on, and your coffee will always taste great. If you wish, you can also substitute baking soda and lemon juice for the vinegar. Whichever substance you use will keep your machine clean and your coffee tasting fresh.

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