Can Your Coffee Maker Brew More Than Just Coffee?

You’re standing in your kitchen, eyeing your trusty coffee maker and wondering, “Could this thing brew me a cup of tea?” Maybe you’re craving a soothing chamomile or want to try a fancy loose-leaf blend, but your kettle is buried in the back of a cabinet. The short, friendly answer is yes, you absolutely can use your coffee maker to brew tea and some other hot drinks. It’s a handy kitchen hack that many people use in a pinch. However, before you start, there are a few important things to consider to make sure your tea tastes great and your machine stays in good shape for its morning coffee duty.

Think of your coffee maker as a simple hot water delivery system with a filter basket. At its core, it just heats water and passes it through a container holding your chosen substance. For tea, this means you can place your tea bags or even loose-leaf tea in a filter in the basket, add water to the reservoir, and let the machine do its thing. The hot water will flow through the tea, steeping it on the way down into the carafe. It’s a perfectly functional method, especially for black or herbal teas that benefit from very hot water. You might find it’s a fantastic way to make several cups of tea for a group all at once.

But here’s the catch: flavor cross-contamination. Coffee makers, especially their plastic parts and permanent filters, are notorious for holding onto the oils and flavors of coffee. If you brew a delicate green or white tea in a machine that’s been used daily for dark roast coffee, you might end up with a cup that tastes vaguely like both. It’s a unique blend, but probably not what you were hoping for. To combat this, it’s a great idea to run a cleaning cycle with just water and vinegar or a dedicated coffee maker cleaner before and after using it for tea. This helps clear out any residual coffee oils. Some homeowners even keep a separate, inexpensive coffee maker or a dedicated pour-over cone for non-coffee drinks to avoid this issue entirely.

Your coffee maker can also venture beyond tea. It’s excellent for brewing other hot drinks that simply need steeping in hot water. You can use it to make hot cider by running water through mulling spices in the filter. It can prepare the base for hot toddies or even brew herbal tisanes. Some people use it to quickly heat water for instant soups, oatmeal, or hot cocoa by just running plain water through without anything in the basket. Just remember to clean the carafe thoroughly afterward if you’re making anything other than plain water.

A word of caution, though. Avoid using your coffee maker for anything that contains milk, cream, or anything starchy or sugary directly in the reservoir or basket. These substances can clog the internal tubes, spoil, and create a nightmare to clean, potentially ruining your appliance. Always add those ingredients to your cup after the brewing process is complete. Also, be mindful of very fine particles. If you’re using a powdery herbal tea or finely ground spices, use a fine paper filter to prevent sediment from ending up in your carafe and eventually in your cup.

So, can your coffee maker become a multi-beverage machine? Absolutely. It’s a versatile tool that’s happy to help with your tea and other hot drink cravings. With a little forethought about cleaning and what you put into it, you can expand your kitchen capabilities without buying a single new gadget. Just give it a good clean, be smart about what you brew, and enjoy that convenient cup of tea. Your coffee maker is more than a one-trick pony—it’s a DIY beverage champion waiting in your kitchen cabinet.