Sunbeam vacuum coffeemaster / Cleaning question

[paulg]

Hello coffee lovers.
I, like many here, love my vacuum Sunbeam coffeemaster. It makes terrific coffee.
My mother hated hers, and didn't use it much at all.
I see quite a few of these at estate sales, many of which are little-used or unused. We know why....
They are messy to use.
To clean out the grounds, I first put the upper pot to cool in the sink. Then, with the pot cool and while still in my jammies (as not to dirty my work clothes) I plunge my hand into the thing and scoop the grounds out into the garbage pail. I HAVE to say "pail" as that is the appropriate vintage lingo...
Then I shake out the filter and rinse it. Then I wash my hands. You get the scene.
Anyway, does anyone have a cleaner way of getting the grounds out of the 1950's Sunbeam Vacuum Coffeemaster?
A few more years of this and I worry that my hands will be stained brown and look like I'm always wearing gloves! LOL.
All suggestions welcome!

 

[yogitunes]

yeah, unique units, makes a great cup of coffee.....but at the expense of cleaning

I usually add water to the container, swish it around, and dump it into a screened strainer over the sink, allowing the water to drain off.....shake, and then whack the strainer over the pail to clear out the grounds.....

adding more water the container and put the lid on top, shake the heck out of it a few times will clean most filters, you don't always have to pull it out every time...

a quick rinse under a faucet for all the parts and into the drainer it goes...

a few grounds going down the drain is no a big deal....but I know of people who dump all the grounds down there, that can't be good, willing to bet it will eventually clog the lines....

 

[jeff_adelphi]

Before I started composting, I would put the top bowl under the faucet, turn on the water, then pop the filter loose, and send all the coffee grounds down the drain. Unless you have plumbing problems already, this will not clog your drains. Coffee grounds are finer then what most garbage disposers produce.

 

[tomturbomatic]

The only problem with not washing the lower bowl thoroughly after each use is that the coffee oils cook on the next time you use it when the high temperatures cook the oily residue onto the pot creating the brown buildup which requires washing out with dishwasher detergent because the delicate nickle-chrome plating can never be scoured.

As for the grounds, we just washed them down the sink, but we were on city sewer service. We also ran the dishwasher each day so it tended to keep the lines clear.

 

[ea56]

I use a Nicro vac pot every day with a Cory glass rod filter. When coffee has finished brewing I place the upper bowl in the stand and let it cool. Latter on I just run water in it, remove the glass rod and flush the grounds down the drain. I use my dishwasher every 2-3 days and I have never had a problem with a clogged drain. I've been doing this for over 10 years at this house and never had a problem. I've been using vac pots for the most part during the past 10 yrs., either a Coffeemaster, Silex, Cory, Yama or my current Nicro, which BTW is my favorite. To clean the inside I occasionally run a pot of water with a dishwasher detergent pod, let it complete the cycle then let the pot sit with the solution in the lower bowl for about 30 mins., then rinse it out and run a cycle with fresh water. Like Tom said above do not ever scrub the inside of a Coffeemaster, it will remove the chrome plating, exposing the copper underneath, thereby ruining the pot for brewing coffee.

If you really like vac brewed coffee look for a Nicro. You can place it directly on high heat to boil the water and you never have to worry about breaking a glass pot. They're easy to clean and in my experience brew a better cup of coffee than a Coffeemaster because YOU have control of the brew time. It is also much quicker than a Coffeemaster or a glass vac pot. I brew a 6 cup pot every morning and it only takes 10 min. start to finish.
Eddie

 

[chachp]

Oxi Clean

 

<span style="font-family: 'courier new', courier; font-size: 12pt; color: #800080;">I use a little Oxi Clean and really hot water.  Literally in seconds the coffee stain is gone no scrubbing needed.  I use it on all my pots and the thermal container I store the coffee in.  Works really well but the water needs to be near boiling, don't use a lot of powder and do it over the sink as the hot water will foam up when it hits the powder.  It's that foam that cleans everything.  Pots look like new when you're finished.  Been doing this for years and don't see any negative effects.</span>

 

[paulg]

Thanks for the ideas

Originally I had been sending the grounds down the disposer (Insinkerator) with no adverse effects. When the original disposer died a natural death (cracked housing), the plumber advised not putting grounds down the drain. This struck me as odd. He said that he wouldn't put anything down the disposer that you wouldn't normally throw away. Hmmm. Ok, he's the expert but I never did have any ill effects with just rinsing right down the drain - and keeping the water running a bit.
Thanks for the cleaning tips. They are worth the try.
Much obliged!

 

[tomturbomatic]

The plumber is not an expert or even knowledgeable. He reminds me of those salesmen who told people that a range with a self-cleaning oven required a heavier amp circuit than a regular range.

 

[ea56]

I can't understand why people think putting coffee grounds down a garbage disposal would clog the drain. After all, aren't you putting food scraps and vegetable peels down the drain when you use a garbage disposal? To me some of the things put down garbage disposals have a far greater likelyhood of clooging the drain than coffee grounds. About 18 mo. ago I took our garbage disposal out of the kitchen sink, don't miss it at all and guess what the coffee grounds seem to flush down the drain quicker with the regular drain than with a garbage disposal, so go figure?
Eddie

 

[mattl]

I've been dumping the grounds out of my coffeemaster down the drain for years, never an issue.  I know whirlcool would not approve but I only wash out the bowl every 3rd or 4th use.  It's rare to see any build up in the pot section unless I leave it plugged in near empty.  After I make a pot I always pout the coffee out into a thermal carafe to keep warm.  For some reason every few months my pot would get a stuck contact and the pot would boil over on the keep warm setting, what a mess.  now I just  pour it out of the pot , no issue.

 

I've got 4 or 5 of these and really like them.  I picked up a late 30's unit a few months back at SA and it still had an unused cloth filter in it.  Tried it out and it worked perfectly.  Only reason not to use it, is that it's a bit smaller and I'm not fond of the screw in filter.  However I may cycle it into use from time to time.

 

 

 

 

[launderess]

Used glass Silex vac pots

For years, but got tired of replacing broken upper or lower parts, not to mention having a rapidly growing pile of mismatched bits and leftovers. So recently have been using a NIB Sunbeam C50 nabbed off fleaPay years ago. Seller didn't know what he had and the BIN price was just a few bucks, how could I resist?

Usually rinse out the lower pot and then let it cool in dish drainer. The upper unit remains in its stand until cooled, and am ready to do the washing up.

Upper unit is washed by hand (grounds go down drain), then placed in drainer. Carefully wash and rinse the lower pot (keeping it well away from running water and making sure none goes near the lower half), then it goes upside down into dish drainer.

Would like an Nicro unit, but am not paying the prices seen on eBay. If one comes along cheaply, then that is another matter.

In fact years ago before everyone and their mother discovered vac pot coffee brewing you could get NIB things for very little money. Now prices really are insane. Am not paying $100 for a glass Silex when know sooner or later (could be a few days, few weeks or several years...) something will break.

 

[launderess]

Used glass Silex vac pots

For years, but got tired of replacing broken upper or lower parts, not to mention having a rapidly growing pile of mismatched bits and leftovers. So recently have been using a NIB Sunbeam C50 nabbed off fleaPay years ago. Seller didn't know what he had and the BIN price was just a few bucks, how could I resist?

Usually rinse out the lower pot and then let it cool in dish drainer. The upper unit remains in its stand until cooled, and am ready to do the washing up.

Upper unit is washed by hand (grounds go down drain), then placed in drainer. Carefully wash and rinse the lower pot (keeping it well away from running water and making sure none goes near the lower half), then it goes upside down into dish drainer.

Would like an Nicro unit, but am not paying the prices seen on eBay. If one comes along cheaply, then that is another matter.

In fact years ago before everyone and their mother discovered vac pot coffee brewing you could get NIB things for very little money. Now prices really are insane. Am not paying $100 for a glass Silex when know sooner or later (could be a few days, few weeks or several years...) something will break.

 

[ea56]

Launderess

if you really want a Nicro, just keep an eye on Ebay. I waited for about 4 mo. before I lucked out. I got an almost new looking 10-12 cup Nicro for $45.00 on BIN. It didn't have the original metal Nicro filter, but that wasn't a problem and I like the Cory glass rod best anyway. The gasket was in perfect, like new condition.

I started my vac pot collection originally with a C-30 Coffeemaster, paid way too much for it in 2005. I have since owned two more C-30's. They do brew the very best coffee of any electric pot, but as Matt stated the thermostat's have a way of getting stuck and boiling over. Over the years I learned how to tweek the thermostat, but the adjustments don't hold long because I lack the proper tools to get the nuts tight enough after making adjustments.

What I really like about the Nicro is that I can control the time the brew is "north", on a Coffeemaster this is more difficult to do. Also, since the Nicro is all stainless steel its easy to clean and vitually impossible to break. Since I've been using the pot for the past 4 mo. I've come to realize why they were so popular with restaurants and airlines. They are virually fool proof and unbreakable and very fast. Keep looking, I hope you can snag one, I know you'll love it!
Eddie[this post was last edited: 8/18/2016-18:24]

 

[mattl]

Launderess...

 

Am I mistaken or was the C50 supposedly a sealed unit that was submersible? 

 

I have torn apart a few of these ( not a C50...) and the base is formed so that water -or coffee - that ran down the side would be directed into the bottom of the base and away from the mechanical parts of the thermostat.   I have tweaked the settings on most of my pots, the service manual indicates temp and timing, after 50 or 60 years most are out of spec.  Unfortunately the C50 is not serviceable from what I know.

 

I'm still on the hunt for a reasonable priced C50 but they are not to be readily found.  Glad you are enjoying yours,

 

[kb0nes]

The best cleaner I have found for coffee pots is near boiling water and a couple teaspoons of Cascade powder. The oils just slide right off in minutes.

I have generally washed vacuum pots grounds down the drain. Not running a coffee shop I can't ever imagine grounds posing a problem for any drain.

The C50 is indeed better sealed then the earlier models. The control knob shaft has an O-ring seal you can feel as you turn the knob. I wouldn't call it 'submersible' but you can get it a little wet. The dishwasher isn't likely a good place for a C50 base though

 

[tomturbomatic]

The base of Coffeemasters is not immersible. There are components that are not protected from the water. They do not, however, pose a shock hazard if water runs down the side to the plastic base, unlike the Knapp Monarch electric vacuum brewers which were rated not acceptable because of the shock hazard which ensued after a small amount of water entered the gap between the metal vessel and the plastic base.

Has anyone tested the lower bowl of a Nicro brewer to see if it is magnetic stainless steel? If it were, it would be a super fast brewer on an induction range.

 

[ea56]

Tom

I just tried a magnet on the base of my Nicro, no its not magnetic. But I get 6 cups of water up to boiling on my GE coil top on high in just under 6 mins. I believe in the old days when these were widely used restaurants and airlines they used to keep lower pots filled with water on low heat at a simmer so when a fresh pot was needed all they needed to do slap on a waiting upper bowl already filled with coffee grounds and they would have a fresh pot in about 3-4 mins. This would just about equal a pour over system in speed.
Eddie

 

[tomturbomatic]

Cool info, Eddie! Thanks.