anyone know how to remove coffee stains from white plastic (carafe lid)?

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passatdoc

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I have a sturdy white Cuisinart DCC-900 coffeemaker that keeps on going thanks to regular descaling with citric acid. There is only one thing that seems to defy maintenance: the lid of the carafe (though which the newly brewed coffee passes en route to the carafe) is badly stained brown from coffee. I've tried Soft Scrub and Bar Keeper's Friend, neither works. Cuisinart no longer sells the separate lid part (you can buy a new carafe for $20+shipping).

Would bleach work on this problem? The rest of the carafe is in good shape and not discolored, so buying a whole new carafe would be a waste of money. Apparently they still sell $5 lids for the black model but not for the white model (I would imagine owners of the white model are the ones who have the visible coffee stains...).
 
Not sure but how about making a paste of comet cleanser and letting it sit for a while?  I's scratch free, but I really would not rub it too much.  Comet gets the coffee stains out of my Formica counter-tops where the pot sits.
 
post script

Called Cuisinart customer service. They do sell the lid in white, but don't list it on their website because my model has been discontinued and there is low demand for it (most people don't keep their machines descaled and have to buy a new one every few years). She said they had 650 pieces in stock ($5 each) and when those are gone, that's it. I ordered two lids, since the machine otherwise works well and may last a long time. My sister has a Cuisinart Brew Central machine that is well over 10 years old and she doesn't even maintain it very well.

The service rep said:

1. One could "try" a paste of baking soda applied for 15 minutes and then rinsed off.

2. However, coffee is just something that causes stains after awhile that often just can't be cleaned.

The rest of the machine cleans up well and looks like new, so am happy to give it a second life (and like new appearance) for $5.
 
Jim, glad to hear you solved your problem.  May I ask what you clean your pot with, you mentioned citric acid, any particular product?  I too use a Cuisinart coffee maker, the Dcc-1200, it's been a couple of years and I have not cleaned it.  I have used vinigar from time to time on other pots, don't know if it's the best option.
 
Vinegar once a month works fine. Messy and smelly, though. You should fill the carafe with vinegar and pour it into the reservoir, then run the machine but <span style="text-decoration: underline;">turn it off when the carafe is half filled.</span>  Let the machine sit for twenty minutes, then turn it back on and let it complete its cycle. Then run 2-3 more cycles with a carafe full of fresh water to wash out the vinegar.

 

I bought a five pound container from Amazon, see link below. Shipping can add a lot to cost, so if Amazon lists several partner merchants with varying prices, be sure to add the shipping when you compare costs. With citric acid, you only need 1-2 tbsp to one carafe water. There is a commercial preparation called "Better Brew" sold at hardware stores, three packets for $5. Each packet contains one tsbp citric acid. Um, can we spell rip off pricing? Some health food or organic food stores also sell citric acid, but I prefer to go through Amazon so I don't drive all over town looking for it.

 

I also use 1/4-1/3 cup citric acid to descale the DW and FL washer once a quarter. I remember by descaling the DW and FL at the change of each season. A coffee maker used daily should be descaled once a month.

 
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We had a Braun Aromat auto-drip machine for many years.  It made a great pot of coffee but it was white and the housing developed coffee stains above the filter basket. 

 

I upgraded to a newer model Braun Flavor Select and made the decision to buy it in black.  Problem solved.  The two grind & brew style machines I bought after the Flavor Select have also been black, and the stain issue is ancient history.

 

I know black may not match everyone's decor, but if it makes no difference it's the best way to avoid unsightly stains.
 
ps@ MattL

The purpose of stopping the brew cycle half way is to allow the heated cleaning solution (vinegar or citric acid) to have more contact time with the "plumbing" of the coffee maker.

Another suggestion, since you mentioned you have a DCC-1200 (Brew Central?). There is a "1-4 cups" switch, which is slower and heats the water to a higher temp before being squirted up into the shower head above the brew basket. The idea is to provide hotter/slower brewing when you have a small amount of grounds. For cleaning, the 1-4 cups setting should be turned on, since it heats the cleaning solution hotter and prolongs contact time with the internal parts. For the subsequent water flushes, you can turn 1-4 off to speed the cycle.
 

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