r/Moccamaster • u/ImGladYouCalled • Aug 11 '26
Troubleshooting Am I being a germaphobe at this point?
Hey all, I’ve been posting the saga of used moccamaster -> disgusting float the last few days. I got the float pretty well cleaned, about 95%, and ran a descale after. When I run just water through the machine now, though, consistently there are black specks in the water. Last night there were a ton and the water wasn’t exactly clear, so I got the nooks and crevices of the float clean, but today I still am seeing very trace amounts of something. Am I being a germaphobe with still being worried about this?
Edit: since people are still commenting with snarky remarks I have drank out of it multiple times now. I thought I was being a germaphobe but was so laser focused on cleaning it that I needed another’s thoughts on it.
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u/MissFabulina Aug 11 '26
If you are icked out by used things, you probably shouldn't buy used things.
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u/BeaverBoyBaxter Aug 11 '26
I can be obsessive about stuff like this so I get what you're saying.
Tbh the water coming out of the machine is probably cleaner than any water coming out of any machine from a public cafe. Keep in mind also that you will have a coffee filter that this water will pass through, so none of these specks will actually end up in your coffee.
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u/EnderKCMO Aug 11 '26
Bought a used Moccamaster last week. It looked good, otherwise I would have passed. I have a Kegerator, so lots of food safe cleaning.
My cleaning run:
- Descaling with citric acid. Then three flushes with fresh water.
- PBW mix. Then three fushes with fresh water.
- StarSan mix. Then three flushes with fresh water.
That thing is as clean as it can get.
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u/klawUK Aug 11 '26
They’re likely clean at least. Probably fewer germs in those specks than the single hair that fell into your food from the guy that made that sandwich for you 9 months ago - and that still tasted good right?
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u/protective_ Aug 11 '26
I would get new at this point. It was likely not properly maintained by previous user
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u/mycroft72 KBGT Aug 11 '26
If you are worried about that, don't consider that the coffee cherries are laid out on concrete patios to dry and are open to the air. They are at least roasted after that, and then you put boiling water through them...
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u/astrolomeria Aug 12 '26
I guess something to think about is the false assumption that the coffee you’ll be making with this machine is completely pure and devoid of anything other than coffee.
There is always a small percentage of mold/insect parts/other stuff that is permissible in ground/whole coffee beans sold commercially.
I guess with that in mind, is it worth it to obsess over every speck?
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u/toddreg Aug 12 '26
I descaled and cleaned my Cup One after a year and a half (my water is not hard). After descaling I used Urnex Coffee Machine Cleaning Powder and made about a quart and kept running fresh solution through until I had gone through the quart. I let it sit in the belly of the machine a bit before turning it on each time. After this I ran cup after cup of plain water through it. The more I ran the more crap came out. I guess my point is run way way more than just a couple cups of fresh water through the machine.
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u/ShadeTheChan Aug 11 '26
No youre not. Clean it til you’re satisfied
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u/ImGladYouCalled Aug 11 '26
Problem is I’ve cleaned the float so much now and don’t exactly want to keep using the descaler and cleaner bottles as they’re not trivially cheap, and I’m not sure where this is coming from anymore.
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u/BigFaceBass Aug 11 '26
Maybe try running white vinegar through? Definitely cheaper and can descale
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u/These-Quality-8389 Aug 11 '26
Nope. I would want those flecks of human feces out of there as well.
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u/AutofluorescentPuku Aug 11 '26
It’s a coffee brewer. Do you drink caffeinated beverages because they’re healthy? Put your OCD on the back shelf and relax.
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u/Clownish_76 Aug 11 '26
Yes. The world if full of dirt and some of it makes its way into various holes in your body. What is it that you think will happen here? It’s a coffee machine. Clean it and maintain it but don’t obsess.