How to Clean a Hamilton Beach Coffee Maker: Vinegar or a Tablet

Shop BLITZ Coffee Maker Cleaner, $24.95

Everyday cleaning for a Hamilton Beach coffee maker

• After each pot: discard the grounds and filter, rinse the basket and carafe.
• Weekly: wash the carafe, lid and brew basket in warm soapy water; wipe the warming plate when cool and the showerhead under the lid.
• The reservoir: rinse it and use fresh water each time.
• Single-serve FlexBrew models: rinse the pod holder and the scoop basket after use.

Hamilton Beach cleaning, step by step

1. Fill with one pint of plain white vinegar or a coffee maker cleaner and descaler, as Hamilton Beach Canada's FAQ says. With BLITZ, one tablet and a full tank of fresh water.
2. Empty basket, paper filter optional, carafe in place.
3. Brew 30 seconds, turn the coffee maker off and wait 30 minutes so the solution sits in the heater.
4. Turn it back on and let the brew finish; pour it out.
5. Rinse with two full carafes of cold water (Hamilton Beach's how-to page suggests 2 to 3 cycles, letting it cool between them).

Hamilton Beach CLEAN setting and how often

Models with a CLEAN setting, like the 46391, show CLEAN after 30 brews. Select CLEAN with BREW OPTION (it runs about 35 minutes), then brew clean water 2 or 3 times. On other models, a star on the clock display means it's time to clean.

Hamilton Beach suggests cleaning monthly for a coffee maker used every day; hard water calls for more often.

Cleaning a Hamilton Beach coffee maker with a BLITZ tablet

In a Hamilton Beach coffee maker, the BLITZ tablet goes in the water tank, as in every drip and espresso machine, and runs through the same cleaning or descale cycle. BLITZ Coffee Maker Cleaner breaks down mineral scale and coffee oil residue in one cycle, without vinegar.

A box of 24 is $24.95, about $1.04 a clean, and the same tablets work in Keurig, Nespresso and other machines. Rinse until the water tastes of nothing.

24 tablets for $24.95

More help: how to clean a drip coffee maker, descaling, brand by brand, descaler vs vinegar, bitter coffee after cleaning, and our coffee maker care page.

Frequently asked questions

How do I clean my Hamilton Beach coffee maker?

A pint of white vinegar or a cleaner and descaler (or a BLITZ tablet and water), brew 30 seconds, wait 30 minutes, finish the brew, then rinse with two carafes of cold water.

What does CLEAN mean on my Hamilton Beach?

It's been 30 brews: run the CLEAN setting, about 35 minutes, then brew clean water 2 or 3 times.

How often should I clean a Hamilton Beach coffee maker?

Monthly for daily use, Hamilton Beach says. Sooner with hard water.

How do I get the vinegar taste out?

Keep brewing fresh water, letting it cool between cycles, until it tastes of nothing. A BLITZ tablet avoids the vinegar smell in the first place.

Sources

Hamilton Beach Canada coffee maker cleaning FAQ (one pint of vinegar or cleaner and descaler, 30 minutes, two carafes); Hamilton Beach how-to page (2 to 3 rinse cycles, monthly); Hamilton Beach 46391 instruction guide (CLEAN after 30 brews, about 35 minutes); BLITZ Coffee Maker Cleaner product page and directions. Checked October 2026.

Hamilton Beach and its model names are trademarks of their owner. BLITZ is not affiliated with Hamilton Beach.