Give your percolator and espresso machine a long life

Whether you're new to preparing your coffee in one of these ways, or an old pro, here are some tips that will keep your percolator and espresso machine in working well, to keep your coffee flowing.

• Never plug in an empty percolator.
• Heating up a dry pot can burn out the heating element and cause other damage.

Keep each batch of your perked coffee tasting as fresh as the first by regularly cleaning your electric percolator.

• Wash the pot after each use with hot, soapy water, rinse thoroughly with cold water, and let dry.

• Periodically remove any mineral deposits by filling the pot with water plus 30 grams (two tablespoons) of cream of tartar. Run the pot through a complete percolating cycle, then follow the cleaning procedure described above.

• If your percolator is made of stainless steel or chrome (but not aluminum), you can also clean it by mixing 10 grams (two teaspoons) of baking soda and two litres (eight cups) of water and percolating it for one complete cycle.

• If you have hard water, skip the baking soda and use equal parts water and white vinegar instead. Clean the outside of the percolator with a damp cloth; never use steel wool or abrasive cleaners on it.

• Is your percolator leaking around its handle?
• Many manufacturers attach percolator handles with one or two bolts that are run through the body of the pot.
• You can usually stop those leaks by using a wrench to remove the nuts inside the pot and replacing the gaskets underneath each one.

• Rinse or wash the filter basket parts after each use. Wipe the other surfaces with a damp cloth or sponge. Never immerse the unit in water.

• Remove the milk film from the frother before the milk can harden. To clean the frother, allow steam to escape into a water-filled frothing pitcher for a few seconds, then wipe the tube and the frother itself with a damp cloth.

• To prolong the gasket's life, remove the filter basket and loosen the tank cap when the espresso maker is not in use.

• For the best taste, always use the proper espresso coffee grind — about the texture of table salt. If the grind is too coarse, the brew will be thin and weak. If it is too fine, it will taste bitter or burned.

• If you have hard water, remove mineral deposits from the inner channels using this technique: Remove the filter screen from the hot-water dispenser head. Then fill the tank with equal parts distilled water and white vinegar and brew, collecting the solution in the brew pot. Repeat two or three times with distilled water to flush the system out and remove the vinegar taste.