For a very long time I have known that the best way to clean my coffee Thermos is to fill it with warm water, drop in 2-3 denture cleaner tabs and let it set overnight. The next day all the stain is loose from the bottle and after shaking with the bottle half filled it is ready to go. I did the same for the chaff filter and used a tooth brush to gently scrub the filtering sides without the shaking and it did amazing too. Looked good as new.
That is because of sodium bicarbonate. You could use just that without the other ingredients, which might, in the long run, be detrimental. Maybe not, but I can guarantee that you’ll get the same results soaking it in water, just off the boil, with baking soda. Here’s a picture…
I would like to add that soda carbonates (plural) do this. In Carfiza, for instance, the active compounds are sodium carbonate and sodium percarbonate which is exactly what our grand parents knew as crystal soda. It is a strong skin irritant, so gloves are in order.
Sodium bicarbonate is often called baking soda but for those in Denmark, that is often confused for “bagepulver” which is not the same thing (although sometimes containing sodium bicarbonate). In Danish it is called tvekulsurt natron.
There is a point I want to make: Don’t use chemical compounds without checking that it is food safe and that it is harmless to your machine (whichever way you prefer to prioritise that). Always know what the chemical composition is of a cleaning agent, especially in a global world where translations are not always one-to-one accurate. Particularly aluminium is susceptible to chemical corrosion.
p.s. I think it is safe to assume that denture cleaning is food safe
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p.p.s. Buying sodium carbonates from the baking section is probably 10 times the price of Carfiza or Urnex, whereas getting it from the cleaning section is 10 times cheaper.
I just run the mesh basket through the dish washer with a load of dishes, looks great after. I have 2 so I can swap frequently and try to not let the grime build up. Works very well.
I usually use Cascade dish washing powder. Works fast and cheap. Use warm water and a toothbrush.
I use PBW I was referred to obtained from Amazon. 60 seconds and it’s as brand new.
Another method that has worked very well for me is cleaning the stainless-steel chaff filter in an ultrasonic cleaner with Simple Green concentrate diluted 1:4 with water. It removes the buildup very effectively, and the filter comes out sparkling—almost like new.
This photo is after 260+ roasts. I haven’t seen any visible corrosion or damage, but 1:4 is a fairly strong mixture, so I keep the cleaning cycle brief, avoid prolonged soaking or excessive heat, rinse the filter very thoroughly with clean water, and let it dry completely before reinstalling it. For routine cleaning, a weaker dilution such as 1:10 may be the more conservative choice, with 1:4 reserved for stubborn buildup.
This is simply what has worked for me; Aillio’s documented cleaning methods do not specifically endorse Simple Green.
I use cascade in warm water. Wipe with a sponge and done.

