Mr. Coffee Maintenance Schedule (12-Cup, 4-Cup, Café Barista)

Four Jobs, on Mr. Coffee's Own Schedule

Mr. Coffee's manuals ask for very little maintenance: wash the removable parts after use, replace the water filtration disk once a month, and decalcify every 80 brews with soft water or every 40 with hard water. Keep the glass carafe free of mineral stains too, and that's the routine.

Everything else, the manuals say, is a job for an authorized service center, because there are no user-serviceable parts inside.

That's the whole list for the 12-cup programmable models (JPX37 and BVMC-SJX33GT) and the 4-cup AR4/AR5. The Café Barista espresso maker adds a milk-tube rinse after every milk drink. This page gives the schedule in one table, then each job step by step.

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The Schedule

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After Each Use: Wash the Removable Parts

The JPX37 and SJX33GT manuals give the same daily routine:

1. Unplug the coffeemaker and let it cool.
2. Remove the filter basket, permanent filter (if you have one), carafe and carafe lid.
3. Wash them in hot water with mild liquid soap. Never use abrasive cleansers or steel wool.
4. Or put them in the dishwasher, top rack only: the glass carafe and lid, the filter basket and the permanent filter.
5. Wipe the outside with a damp cloth. Never immerse the coffeemaker itself, and never put it in the dishwasher.

The water filtration disk isn't dishwasher safe. Rinse it under running water instead.

Time: 5 minutes

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Monthly: Replace the Water Filtration Disk

The carbon disk sits in the filter basket on models that have one. Mr. Coffee says it removes up to 97% of the chlorine from the water. Replace it once a month, or about every 30 brews.

1. Slide the used disk out of its frame and slide a new one in.
2. Turn the red indicator on the frame to the letter for the month you start using it. That's your reminder.
3. Rinse the new disk in fresh water before its first use.
4. Fit the basket so the side marked "this side up" faces you and the disk sits level.

Before decalcifying, take the disk out, as both programmable manuals say. If the machine has been unused for a long time, rinse the filter under running water and clean the coffeemaker before brewing.

Time: 2 minutes

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Every 40-80 Brews: Decalcify

Minerals in tap water leave deposits that, in the manual's words, "affect its performance". The first symptom Mr. Coffee lists is slow brewing. The interval depends on your water:

The short version: 4 cups (20 fl oz) of undiluted white vinegar, or Mr. Coffee Cleaner, run through partway, a 30-minute soak, then the rest, followed by two fresh-water brews. On a JPX37, the Clean button runs all of that automatically and turns off the red Clean light at the end. On an SJX33GT or a 4-cup, you brew three cups, switch off for 30 minutes, then finish.

Full steps for each model: how to descale a Mr. Coffee. If the light won't clear afterwards: Mr. Coffee clean light won't turn off.

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As Needed: Remove Carafe Stains

Hard water leaves a whitish film inside the glass carafe, and coffee then turns it brown. The manuals' fix:

1. Fill the carafe with equal parts water and vinegar.
2. Leave it for about 20 minutes.
3. Pour it out, then wash and rinse the carafe.

Don't scrub with harsh abrasive cleaners. The manuals warn that scratches can make the carafe break. That 50/50 mix is for the carafe only. Descaling the machine uses undiluted vinegar.

Time: 25 minutes

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Warming Plate and Carafe Care

The manuals' warnings here are about heat, not cleaning:

• Don't leave an empty carafe on the hot plate. The AR4 manual lists that, and coffee spilled on the plate, as the causes of a burning coffee smell.
• Don't set a hot carafe on a wet warming plate, or on a wet or cold surface. It might crack.
• Don't add cold water to a hot carafe. Let it cool first.
• Discard a carafe that has boiled dry, and don't use one that's cracked or has a loose handle.
• After a spill, turn the machine off, unplug it, let it cool, and wipe it up.

The warming plate turns itself off 2 hours after brewing on the JPX37 and SJX33GT.

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Café Barista: Its Own Routine

The Café Barista espresso maker has more to look after, all from its manual:

• After every milk drink: put a cup under the frothing tube, turn the Froth Control Knob to Clean, and hold Latte/Clean until the pump starts. It runs for 30 seconds. The milk reservoir can then go in the fridge, or be washed (top-rack dishwasher safe).
• Porta-filter and filters: wash by hand, since they're not dishwasher safe. Wipe the brew head. Don't store the porta-filter locked in the brew head, because the manual says that harms the seal.
• Water reservoir: empty it between uses. It's not dishwasher safe.
• Deliming: every 80 brews (soft water) or 40 (hard), or sooner if brewing slows, there's excessive steaming or white deposits appear on the brew head. The steps are in our Mr. Coffee descaling guide.

More help: Café Barista troubleshooting.

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What Not to Do

• Don't open the housing. "No user serviceable parts inside", and attempting repairs voids the 1-year warranty.
• Don't run it with an empty water tank, and keep it on a hard, flat, level surface so air can flow underneath (JPX37 manual).
• Don't fill past the MAX line for your carafe. The excess runs out of the overfill hole at the back.
• Don't splice or replace a damaged cord. Call Mr. Coffee.

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When Maintenance Isn't Enough

If the machine is still slow after decalcifying, won't switch on, or smells of burning with nothing on the plate, call 1-800-MR COFFEE (1-800-672-6333), or 1-800-667-8623 in Canada. Have the model number from the bottom of the machine ready. All repairs go through Sunbeam or an authorized service center, so don't take it back to the store.

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FAQ

How often should I clean my Mr. Coffee?

Wash the removable parts after use, and decalcify every 80 brews with soft water or every 40 with hard water. A JPX37 also flashes its red Clean light when cleaning is due. Replace the water filtration disk monthly.

Can I put Mr. Coffee parts in the dishwasher?

Some of them, on the top rack only: the glass carafe and lid, the filter basket and the permanent filter. The water filtration disk can't go in, and neither can the Café Barista's porta-filter, filters or water reservoir. Never put the coffeemaker itself in water.

Can I use cleaning tablets instead of vinegar?

The manuals name two options: Mr. Coffee Cleaner, mixed per its package, or 4 cups of undiluted white household vinegar. Other products aren't mentioned, so check that any tablet is approved for your model before using it.

How do I get the brown stain out of my Mr. Coffee carafe?

Fill it with equal parts water and vinegar, leave it about 20 minutes, then wash and rinse. Don't use abrasive cleaners. The manuals warn that scratches can lead to the glass breaking.

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Related Mr. Coffee Guides

• How to Descale a Mr. Coffee: the decalcifying steps for every model
• Mr. Coffee Brewing Slow?: what happens when decalcifying is overdue
• Mr. Coffee Error Codes & Blinking Lights: what the Clean light and the others mean
• Mr. Coffee Brewing Weak Coffee?: the chart, Strong Brew and filters

Sources: Mr. Coffee JPX37-R Series User Manual (P.N. 202723); Mr. Coffee BVMC-SJX33GT and BVMC-SJX36GT User Manual (12ESM2); Mr. Coffee Coffeemaker Models AR4 & AR5 User Manual; Mr. Coffee Café Barista BVMC-ECMP1000 User Manual.