how do i clean the inside of my mr coffee sc05? it's starting to taste weird.

Diagnosis

The odd taste in your Mr. Coffee SC05 is almost certainly caused by mineral scale (limescale) buildup inside the internal water pathways and heating element. This happens naturally with regular use, as minerals from your water are left behind when the water heats up. This scale can harbor old coffee oils and residues, which degrade and create unpleasant, bitter, or metallic flavors in your brew.

How to Fix It

To restore your coffee's taste, you need to descale (or decalcify) the machine using white vinegar, a natural acid that dissolves mineral deposits.

1. Fill the water reservoir with 4 cups (20 fl. oz.) of undiluted white vinegar.
2. Place an empty paper filter in the brew basket to catch any dislodged scale.
3. Place the empty glass carafe on the warming plate.
4. Start a full brew cycle. Once the cycle is complete, turn the brewer off and let the vinegar sit inside the machine for 30 minutes to continue dissolving scale.
5. Discard the vinegar from the carafe, rinse the carafe thoroughly, then run two complete brew cycles (using 5 cups of fresh water each time) with a clean filter to flush all vinegar residue from the system.

If That Didn't Work

If the weird taste persists after descaling, the issue may be residual coffee oils or mold/mildew in areas the vinegar rinse didn't reach. For oils, clean the brew basket, permanent filter (if used), and carafe with hot, soapy water. For a deeper clean, you can use a commercial coffee maker cleaning solution following its instructions, which are formulated to tackle both oils and minerals. Also, ensure you're using fresh, cold water each time you brew.

Heads Up

Never use dish soap inside the water reservoir or run it through the brewing system, as suds can damage the machine and are very difficult to rinse out. Always use a clean filter during the rinse cycles after descaling to catch any leftover particles.