Your Single-Serve Coffee Machine May Be Home To Several Kinds Of Bacteria
July 17, 2019
source: Snopes
I don’t know about you, but I have an extremely hard time functioning until I’ve had my morning cup of coffee. Everyone has different methods of making coffee, but it seems like nowadays, the majority of people rely on single-serve coffee machines. Although these gadgets are super convenient, there’s something pretty gross about them that you should be aware of.
According to a recent swab test performed on 28 different single-serve coffee machines, over 4 million colonies of harmful bacteria and mold was found in the water tanks, pod compartments, spouts, and trays in over half of the machines tested. Another alarming thing found in these machines? Strains of bacteria like E. coli, staphylococcus, streptococcus and pseudomonas aeruginosa. You don’t need me to tell you that these are not things you want to be ingesting.
Public health and safety organization NSF International also conducted a study to determine what the most germ-filled room of the home is. Alarmingly, it wasn’t the bathroom. It was the kitchen, with coffee maker reservoirs containing more germs than the bathroom sink and a dog’s chew toy. Ummm, yuck!
Coffee makers are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and mold because they are constantly warm and moist. Although we likely wipe down our kitchen counters each day, how often do you actually clean your single-serve coffee machine? Although you can clean your machines regularly, there’s a generally safer option when it comes to coffee.
The safest way to make coffee is actually in something like a French press. These little devices contain nothing electrical about them, and you can throughly wash each part of them after every use. French presses then dry out completely, making them safe from germs and other bacteria. Plus, coffee made in a French press tastes so fresh and delicious.
Now that you know a little more about single-serve coffee machines and their alternative, you can safely brew coffee and rest assured you’re not consuming harmful germs or mold with every sip!