# Okay to rinse coffee pot with water?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [May 13, 2018, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087 "2018-05-13T14:12:48Z")
**Posts on this page:** 19
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2018, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/1 "2018-05-13T14:12:48Z")
Sometimes I’ll make coffee on a Sunday and then not again until the following weekend. I make exactly enough for myself, so there is never any coffee left in the pot. However, I sometimes don’t get a chance to wash the pot. Being paranoid, I end up having to wash the pot with dish soap and then dry. If I just rinsed it with water instead, it would save me the hassle. Is there any threat of dangerous or illness- causing germs by just rinsing with water?
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### Author:  [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2018, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/2 "2018-05-13T14:20:03Z")
When you make a new pot of coffee, you douse the germs with boiling-hot liquid. If they can survive that, a little soap is not going to faze them a bit.
I am not a coffee drinker, but as I understand it, Navy veterans consider it treason to wash either the pot or the cup.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2018, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/3 "2018-05-13T14:21:46Z")
Pretty much zero chance, especially if it’s glass. If you ever saw the inside of a large coffee urn, you’d never drink coffee out of one again, but I did so during my entire Navy career without ill effects. As far as I know, they were never washed with soap. At home, I just rinse the coffee carafe. When it gets discolored, I clean it with vinegar and baking soda.
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### Author:  [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2018, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/4 "2018-05-13T14:55:37Z")
It’s glass, thanks. I probably would never go more than 2 weeks without cleaning, so I think I’ll live.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2018, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/5 "2018-05-13T14:59:55Z")
It’d probably be OK even if you didn’t even rinse it. Coffee itself (without cream, sugar, etc.) has almost no nutritional value, for you or for bacteria. Though not rinsing at all might do unpleasant things to the flavor.
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### Author:  [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2018, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/6 "2018-05-13T15:06:06Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> It’d probably be OK even if you didn’t even rinse it. Coffee itself (without cream, sugar, etc.) has almost no nutritional value, for you or for bacteria. Though not rinsing at all might do unpleasant things to the flavor.
Old coffee will develop mould. (no it wasn’t my coffee pot) :eek:
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### Author:  [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2018, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/7 "2018-05-13T15:14:11Z")
I (almost) never wash mine with soap, I just rinse it each evening.
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### Author:  [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2018, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/8 "2018-05-13T15:16:17Z")
> [@Mallard](#):
>
> Old coffee will develop mould. (no it wasn’t my coffee pot) :eek:
I thought it was a pattern.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/9 "2018-05-13T16:23:15Z")
My coffee cup, mugs, pot, filter basket, etc get rinsed with water only. My cups and mugs develop a patina that I’m cool with.
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### Author:  [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/10 "2018-05-13T16:23:24Z")
I only rinse mine with water. Never had any problems.
Once the GF took it upon herself to wash it with soap. She didn’t rinse very well. My next pot of coffee had a head on it. Yuck.
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### Author:  [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2018, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/11 "2018-05-13T20:41:32Z")
If you’ve ever drank coffee from a fast food joint and survived, you’ll be A-Okay at home. No worries.
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### Author:  [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2018, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/12 "2018-05-13T21:13:10Z")
\*\*Assuming that you don’t let stale coffee or grounds sit in there and develop mold, \*\* and that you take what you consider to be a semi-reasonable effort to keep it rinsed, you’re fine.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2018, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/13 "2018-05-13T21:23:27Z")
Do not use soap. Use just water or water and baking soda.
But your glass pot is safer than most.
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### Author:  [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/14 "2018-05-13T22:36:42Z")
Over the last 9 months, I had at least a pot of coffee a day. I probably rinsed the pot out 2-3 times total, and never rinsed the cup. You certainly don’t need to _wash_ it.
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### Author:  [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/15 "2018-05-14T00:36:49Z")
It’s the filter basket that can get really germy. Make sure you dump the grounds immediately and leave the water reservoir open so it can dry out between uses.
Or just drop all the pieces into the top shelf of the dishwasher. What is so difficult?
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2018, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/16 "2018-05-14T00:42:38Z")
A good rinse with hot water and you’re golden.
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### Author:  [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2018, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/17 "2018-05-14T03:28:13Z")
I had a white drip coffeemaker and it was a pain to try to keep clean. The reservoir and the basket always looked grubby, even though I tried my best with a paper towel on a skewer trying to get into the small spaces. It was really disgusting. So my next drip machine was black - problem solved! I wash out the carafe every day with the kitchen sponge and water, which is probably full of germs. But we’re still alive.
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### Author:  [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2018, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/18 "2018-05-14T04:04:06Z")
> [@CurtC](#):
>
> I (almost) never wash mine with soap, I just rinse it each evening.
I rinse before making a fresh pot but basically this. Same goes when I use it to brew tea.
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### Author:  [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2018, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-to-rinse-coffee-pot-with-water/814087/19 "2018-05-14T05:49:02Z")
I scrub out the filter basket with dish soap (or run it through the dishwasher) every day. If I don’t, greasy residue builds up.
Then, since I’ve already got the hot water running and the soapy brush, I go ahead and clean out the carafe and the lid. Simply rinsing out the carafe would be sufficient, but it feels weird to scrub out one part but not another.