Tip number one: As thoroughly as possible rinse vegetables before freezing. And it’s better to do it 2-3 times. Then give them a good drying.

Tip number two: Before freezing the vegetables should be chopped: zucchini – cut into cubes, cauliflower and broccoli break into florets, carrots – grate on the grater.

Tip three: For freezing vegetables is better to take small bags with a clasp. And in each put a small portion of vegetables – 1-2 tablespoons. That is, the amount that you will need to prepare one meal. You can also put the vegetables in baking molds or cups.

Tip four: If you don’t have small bags and plan to freeze vegetables in a crockpot or large disposable bag, use the following trick. Place the prepared – washed, dried and chopped – vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. When the vegetables are frozen, pour them into the prepared bag. This method allows you to get the right amount of food in the winter without much hassle, and not trying to break up a huge clump of sticky vegetables.

And finally, the most important tip: Do not defrost the vegetables before cooking. This will preserve the maximum nutrients in the dishes that you plan to cook for your baby.

For a simple and affordable recipe you will need lean minced meat, preferably a combination, and half an hour of effort. Formed portions of meatballs are frozen by the piece and stored in a bag or plastic container in the freezer for up to one month without loss in taste and quality. Airtight packaging prevents the airiness (semi-cooked minced meat).

Agree, it’s very convenient when you have the meat semi-finished products own preparation with proven composition and high quality ingredients. For baking or cooking, frozen meatballs are used immediately from the freezer. It is better to fry them thawed, rolled in ground crumbs or flour. Enjoy cooking and enjoying homemade meals, favorite recipes and delicious chopped meat dishes.

How to freeze minced meatballs

1. Pour stale white bread with warm milk. Cut the meat into medium cubes and pass through a meat grinder along with the soaked bread. Chop peeled onions. It is better to cut it very finely. Similarly chop the greens.
2. Add salt, onion, herbs and spices to the mince. Whisk the egg and also fill the cutlet dough with it. Stir the ingredients well and form a lump. Take it in your hands and forcefully throw it into a deep bowl 10 times. This way you will get a dense and quality minced meat mince.
3. Lubricate your hands and cutting board with vegetable oil. Shape the minced meat into round meatballs 3 to 4 cm in diameter. Place the meatballs 3 to 4 cm in diameter on a board, spacing them apart from each other. To prevent the portions from sticking together when frozen.
4. Place the meatballs in the freezer for several hours. Place the frozen meatballs in a double bag or plastic container. Store at -10 degrees for no more than one month from the date of freezing.

Dairy products

Freezing milk in the freezer is fraught with loss of flavor and turning the product into a strange substance with ice. It is definitely not suitable for adding to coffee. For the same reason, you should not store sour cream, mayonnaise, yogurt and yogurt. After defrosting, they stratify, look unappetizing and taste rather strange.

Our advice: use frozen milk to make omelets, porridge, pancakes or sauces. In these dishes, the consistency is not so important, the taste of the product will remain fresh. This advice is especially relevant for young mothers and families where porridges are cooked every day.

Boiled rice and pasta

Try putting sushi or rolls in the freezer one day and then taking them out and trying to eat them. You will see that instead of the usual, you get a completely inedible dish – unpalatable, lumpy and sticky in consistency. The same unpleasant transformation happens with pasta: its taste after the freezer deteriorates, as well as its appearance.

Our tip: but perfectly stored frozen stuffed peppers and other semi-finished products, which include rice. Some housewives freeze meatballs, and then reheat in a saucepan, stewing with sauce. And remember: semi-finished products should be stored in the freezer for no longer than 2-3 weeks.

Canned foods and eggs

Both products are absolutely not suitable for freezing. The former are bound to bloat, while the latter will completely change their structure and become inedible. Especially not recommended to freeze boiled eggs – after storage in the freezer they acquire an unpleasant smell, it becomes impossible to eat them. The same applies to salads, such as herring under a fur coat or Olivier. If you do not finish New Year’s Eve, it is better to throw out the leftovers, and if necessary prepare a fresh snack.

Our advice: The only exception to the rule is stew. After sitting in the cold it is suitable for cooking second courses, such as stewed potatoes with meat or pearl porridge. But it is prohibited to freeze it again: such meat can be a source of pathogenic bacteria.

Cheese and melted ice cream

Young brine cheeses or soft curd cheeses after freezing lose not only their delicate taste. In thawed cheese, bacteria multiply quickly and the dish can cause harm to the body. Secondary freezing won’t save thawed ice cream either – its taste and consistency will change. From the freezer you run the risk of getting a mass, inside which will be crispy icicles.

Our tip: but hard cheeses after defrosting are quite fit to eat, especially if you use them for baking. It is customary to grate leftover cheese, freeze it, and then sprinkle the frozen cheese crumb on pizza or add it to khachapuri.

Chocolates and candies

Chocolate treats don’t like the cold. They take on a white patina in the cold, and the flavor of the cocoa bean is muted. Similarly in the freezer behave candy with any fillings: pralines, jam, caramel or nuts. Eat sweets fresh.

Our advice: nutritionists believe that you can freeze a bar of dark chocolate, breaking it into small pieces. Then take it out and suck it in your mouth, like candy. Thus, nutritionists assure, the craving for sweets decreases, and the body gets noticeably fewer calories.

Garlic and onions

These vegetables naturally have a pungent smell, which becomes even more unpleasant after freezing. Foods containing a lot of onions and garlic, such as minced meat, should not be frozen, so as not to reduce the value of the product. After freezing the vitamins and phytoncides that save from colds are lost.

Our advice: freeze minced meat without onions and garlic. It is better to pack the meat in vacuum packs, rolling out in thin layers. This way it stays fresh longer and defrosting is more convenient.

Remember that it is better to freeze food in special containers, vacuum bags or with zip-lock. This way foreign odors do not penetrate the bag, and the taste is preserved bright. And do not forget about the timing: long storage always affects the quality and usefulness of the product not the best way.

Peculiarities of canned food for the winter for diabetics

Making canned preserves for the winter on their own, a person will be confident in the amount of sugar contained, especially since there are a lot of sugar substitutes that can be used. People with type 1 and 2 diabetes can use canned fruits and vegetables, but the best solution is freezing or drying.

Methods of preserving fruits and vegetables

The most advantageous and fastest way to make preparations for diabetics for the winter is freezing. To keep products properly and for a long time in a frozen form, they need to be thoroughly washed, dried slightly, then placed in containers or special bags and put in the freezer. With this kind of preservation vegetables and fruits retain their natural taste and useful properties.
The second option for saving seasonal products for the winter is drying. But the problem is that not all fruits and vegetables are suitable for this purpose. Drying would be ideal for greens and fruits, as well as for mushrooms. For this kind of preservation it is not necessary to have special devices, you can dry the products in the sun or in the oven.

Very tasty and useful is canning in its own juice. This method is ideal for berries, but can also be applied to tomatoes. To make such a preparation: berries are put into a pre-sterilized jar, and cooked directly in it in a water bath.

When cooking berries secrete juice and settle, you need to gradually pour them into the container, until it is filled, then screw a sterilized lid with a wrench. A little inconvenient is that such preparations need to be stored in a cool place, because not everyone has a cellar or enough space in the fridge.

Sweet preservation for diabetics

A great solution would be jams and jams without sugar or with sugar substitutes. Recipes are quite simple, and there is little difference from the same only sweet. You will need fruit or berries of different ripeness, some of which should be well ripened and some slightly underripe. You can combine different kinds of berries and fruits, it can be a mix of gooseberries, currants, apples, rowanberries, quinces, cherries and strawberries. The selected ingredients should be well washed, peeled, if necessary, soften (in the microwave or boil on low heat). If you want a homogeneous jam, it is rubbed through a sieve or whipped with a blender, and then the berry-fruit porridge is boiled and placed in jars.

Another delicious thing for diabetes will be compote. They can be cooked on sweeteners, observing the proportion per 1 liter of water not more than 400 grams of sugar substitute, which can be fructose. When canning cucumbers and tomatoes from the usual recipes, the recommendations for cooking for diabetics will also include sugar substitutes or simply be absent, which will not affect the quality of the final dishes.

What to replace sugar with?

A popular sweetener is stevia, it is used not only by people with diabetes, but also by those who are prone to high blood glucose levels or sit on all possible diets for weight loss. Stevia has sweetening properties and is sold as a powder, syrup or tablets. The disadvantage of using it for homemade jams is that the jams will not turn out thick. Cucumbers and tomatoes are canned with stevia leaves. For this purpose, 5 leaves per jar will be enough, for compotes take a little more – up to 10 pieces.

It is worth noting that the use of sweeteners for diabetes is limited. A day can be up to 40 grams of products that replace sugar. Overdose is fraught with intestinal disorders, nausea.

Another sweet helper in the preparation of jams and compotes will be maltose molasses. This is a sweet, viscous syrup with a caramel color. The syrup contains a low percentage of glucose, so it will be another faithful companion in the preparation of fruit preparations for diabetic patients. One kilogram of molasses replaces about 700 grams of white sugar.

Which watermelon to choose

For watermelon to last as long as possible, it is important to choose the “right” fruit. Berries weighing about 5 – 6 kilograms are stored better: they do not have a lot of water, and inside there are no cavities with air – in such conditions bacteria will not multiply.

It is better to choose thick-skinned varieties: the thicker the shell, the better the natural protection of the fruit. Another important criterion is that the watermelon should not have any dents, cracks or punctures.

Where and how to store

Even the best watermelon will be lost if the necessary storage conditions are not observed. First, the berry should not be in contact with light and heat. It can be put away in the bathroom. The only thing is that while taking a bath, it is better to take the fruit out, so that it is not heated from the steam. The second option is a balcony. In this case, you need to make sure that the temperature in the room does not drop below five degrees. When it starts to get colder, the berry can be covered with a blanket.

Secondly, the watermelon should not get damaged. It often happens that the side of the fruit is squeezed under its own weight. To prevent this from happening, you should put something soft under it. This can be a straw, a cloth, a bag or a blanket.

The third criterion is humidity. Watermelon should be periodically sprayed with a sprayer. To prevent it from rotting and getting sick, the remaining moisture should be wiped off with a towel after an hour. These are the basic rules of storage, but there are more radical methods.

Method 1: preservation with paraffin

In order to preserve the watermelon for several months, you can pour it in paraffin – this will strengthen and disinfect the surface of the fruit. It is best to use natural wax or a mixture of wax and paraffin. Before the procedure, the watermelon should be washed and dried, and the wax should be melted in a water bath. It should be applied to the fruit a little cooled, so as not to damage the crust with high temperature. Then it is necessary to let the composition dry and apply in this way two more layers.

Method 2: treatment with clay

Here the algorithm of actions is almost the same as in the previous method. You can take any clay: red, white, blue. It should be diluted to a paste-like state, and then apply it to the watermelon. It is better to do it in two passes – first treat one half, and after drying – the second half. For reliability, you can do two layers. It is best to store such watermelon on a crumpled paper or in a straw, periodically turning the fruit.

Method 3: in the straw

On the network, you can find many tips for storing watermelons. Someone suggests putting them in boxes with hay. The important point is exactly how the berry lies. The watermelon has the thickest rind in the areas of the tail and spout – put the fruit on these places, not on the side. To be safe, every few days you should turn the watermelon from spout to tail and vice versa. Also, the berries should be evenly covered with straw not only at the bottom, but also at the top, so that the temperature and humidity were the same over the entire area.

Method 4: In sand or grain

Sand and grains conduct air well and maintain an even temperature and moisture level. The watermelon should be in a bucket and be completely covered with them. Once a week it should be turned over. Those who have a floor at home is covered with carpets, this method is not suitable, since during the transfer of the fruit the contents of the container usually spills out.

Method 5: in water

Many people advise storing watermelon in water. It should be cool and completely cover the fruit. The liquid should be changed once a month or more often. You do not need to make any more effort.

Method 6: hanging

Hanging is the most common storage option. For this, the watermelon should be put in a carrier and suspended in such a way that it does not touch anything by the sides. Periodically, the berry should be turned over.

How to keep frozen food as fresh as possible.

The cold sleep in the freezer slows down the process that causes food to spoil. But how successfully this brake works and how fresh the food still tastes after thawing depends on various factors. With the following measures, you can create suitable conditions.

Tip 1: Buy fresh

Buy food as fresh as possible and freeze it as soon as possible, preferably immediately after purchase. Because the loss of quality before freezing cannot be compensated.

Tip 2: Avoid air in the packaging

Whether in the freezer bag or in the plastic box: Leave as little air as possible in the packaging, otherwise there is a risk of freezer burn. Avoid this by filling a can generously or wrapping a bag more tightly around the frozen food. Also, neither air nor moisture should be able to penetrate the packaging from the outside. Meat and fish are best vacuum-packed by the retailer.

But be careful: do not fill a package completely to below the rim. Food containing water can expand, causing bags to burst open or the lids of plastic cans to open.

Tip 3: Freeze in portions

Food that has been thawed once should not be frozen a second time if it has been exposed to room temperature for a long time. Therefore, pre-portion the frozen food so that you only ever defrost the amount that you actually use. Another advantage is that smaller portions freeze faster.

You can pre-portion liquids in ice cube molds. This is suitable for everything you need smaller quantities of when cooking, for example coconut milk or broth.

Tip 4: Prepare the food to be frozen

Any food can be prepared for cold storage before freezing to best preserve freshness.

• Vegetables should always be blanched.
• Unless it was vacuum-packed at the time of purchase, remove meat from packaging as soon as possible and pat dry before freezing.
• Small pieces of fruit should be placed side by side on a plate in the freezer for about two hours and then placed in the final packaging to prevent them from sticking together.
• Freshly prepared sauces or leftovers should be placed in the packaging so that the heat of the food consumes oxygen and creates a vacuum effect. After cooling, it then goes into the freezer.

Tip 5: Let the food freeze through quickly.

The faster the food freezes completely through, the less loss of quality there will be. For frozen food weighing more than one kilo, use the “shock freeze” function of your freezer if possible. It also makes sense to place new frozen food as freely as possible in the freezer first, instead of placing it on top of other items. This way it freezes more evenly.

How to keep your freezer tidy

The freezer is almost overflowing and you have lost track of what you have frozen and when, and where it is? The following measures will help you.

Tip 6: Stack the frozen food optimally

The more box-shaped the packaging, the easier it is to stack the frozen food on top of each other – in drawer compartments also next to each other. The following trick helps so that you don’t need too many cans for this and can freeze according to portion size:

• Put the frozen food in a freezer bag and place it in a rectangular box, such as a freezer can or a square bowl.
• Ideally, the freezer bag has a straight zip closure on the top or is welded shut. If it is knotted, place the knot as far to the side as possible.
• Place the box in the freezer for about two hours.
• Remove the bag from the box and check to see if it retains its rectangular shape. If it does, put the bag solo in the freezer, otherwise let everything pre-freeze a little longer.
• If you always use the same rectangular box, you will always have flat-bottomed freezer bags of the same length and width, which will stack perfectly.

Tip 7: Label the frozen food

If you freeze a lot of different foods, careful labeling will help you keep track of them.

• It’s best to use stickers or remember to use wipeable pens on cans. Some freezer bags have white squares that you can label directly without the writing being hard to read against the frozen food in the background.
• Write with a thick pen whose writing you can read at first glance in the freezer without having to remove the frozen food.
• Write on the sticker: the contents, the freezing date, the approximate expiration date (see box).
• Place the sticker on the side facing you when you look into the freezer.

Saving energy when freezing

With the right measures, freezing is not only a particularly effective, but also inexpensive method of preserving food.

Tip 8: Set up the freezer correctly

Place the freezer in a location that is as cool as possible. After all, the cooler the ambient air, the less energy your freezer will need to maintain the freezing temperature.

Tip 9: Defrost the freezer regularly

Defrost the freezer regularly before a layer of ice forms on the walls. Up to one-third more energy is required by an appliance with only a few millimeters of ice buildup.

Tip 10: Choose a freezer that is as small as possible

Use the interior of your freezer as fully as possible. The greater the freezing effect and the less energy you use to cool a room you don’t even need. If you want to buy a new freezer, think about the maximum amount you will freeze in order to choose the smallest possible size for the freezer.

How to defrost food properly again

Even after cold storage, you can still harm the quality of food by doing it wrong when defrosting. The following tips will keep you on the safe side.

Tip 11: Use some foods immediately

Some foods don’t need to be defrosted at all. This doesn’t just apply to frozen pizza, which can go straight into the oven. You can also use vegetables immediately after reaching into the freezer, so fewer ingredients are lost. Put the vegetables – or the still-closed freezer bag – in a pot of hot water and cook for a short time. You can also process frozen fruit directly, for example for desserts or on the pastry case for cakes.

Tip 12: Meat and fish: Slow is better

Meat and fish should be defrosted as slowly and gently as possible. Keep the following in mind:

• Ideally, thaw fish and meat the day before you want to use them.
• Put both in the refrigerator to defrost. Room temperature and especially heating are taboo, as germs and bacteria multiply more quickly in the heat. Meat should not be removed from the refrigerator until about an hour before roasting.
• Leave meat and fish in their packaging when defrosting or ensure that the defrost water can drain off, for example by placing the food in a container with a sieve.
• Do not use the defrost water! This applies in particular to the defrost water of poultry, as salmonella may be present in it.
• To speed up the defrosting process, place the still frozen package in a cold water bath. Do not use hot water to avoid triggering the cooking process.
• Food that you have stored at room temperature for a long time after defrosting should not be refrozen for safety reasons. This is especially true for red meat.

Freeze better – enjoy fresher

Freezing has enormous advantages for consumers. With winter vegetables in summer or fresh herbs in the cold season, there are virtually no more seasons in culinary terms. In addition, it saves a lot of work to pre-cook large quantities and always have ready meals in the house if there is not enough time for fresh preparation. And on top of that, the vitamins and other valuable ingredients of vegetables or fruits, for example, are not only preserved longer, but also better. If you then also freeze and defrost everything appropriately and keep track of everything in the freezer with just a few tricks, you can enjoy all these advantages to the full – in the truest sense of the word.

What lasts how long?

There is no general minimum shelf life for frozen foods. For meat: the fatter, the shorter; for cheese: the harder and drier, the longer. For the most common foods, the following guideline times apply:

• Beef: 10-12 months
• Pork: 4-8 months
• Poultry: 8-10 months
• Veal: 9-12 months
• Minced meat: 1-3 months
• Fish: 4 months
• Vegetables: 3-12 months
• Fruit: 9-12 months
• Cheese: 2-6 months
• White bread: 1-3 months
• Wholemeal bread: 4-6 months

But do you have to resort directly to chemical and sometimes aggressive cleaners to remove grease splatters and food residues? Not if you try our cleaning tips! Because these are all based on home remedies that you usually already have at home. This protects the environment, is easy on the wallet and your health and saves you a trip to the nearest drugstore or supermarket.

How to clean the oven with baking soda

Baking soda has long been a popular miracle cure, especially when it comes to cleaning. Baking soda is the name for sodium hydrogen carbonate and is found in many everyday items, such as baking powder and even laundry detergent.

Sodium bicarbonate reacts with acids when it comes into contact with moisture and then starts to foam – and this even loosens strongly stuck dirt.

1. mix bicarbonate of soda with water in the ratio 1:1
2. apply the mixture to the incrustations
3. leave to act for about 30 minutes, depending on the degree of soiling
4. after the mixture has dried, sweep out the powder
5. remove the rest with a damp cloth

Tip: Use baking soda to make your cooktop shine!

To make your ceramic hob shine again, put a few squirts of baking soda and some water on it, then wipe it with a soft cloth. If you have steel burners that need cleaning, put them in a zip bag overnight with a drop of bleach as well as some water. The next morning, just wash them off with soapy water and they will look like new again!

How to clean the oven with baking powder

Not only suitable for baking cakes, but also ideal for cleaning the oven afterwards: baking powder! It’s as simple as this:

1. mix one sachet of baking powder with three tablespoons of water.
2. apply the mixture to the incrustations and let it work for about 30 minutes, depending on how dirty it is
3. after the mixture has dried, sweep out the powder and remove the rest with a damp cloth.

Cleaning the oven with vinegar

Finally an end to scrubbing is promised by vinegar, which is ideal for removing grease splatters, apart from salad dressing:

1. mix vinegar and washing-up liquid
2. give mixture on the dirty places
3. rub with a damp sponge until foam is formed
4. leave to act
5. wipe out the remains with a cloth

If the stains are particularly heavy, you can repeat the process or use the even more intensive vinegar essence. Here you can read how to do it:

1. fill a heat-resistant bowl or casserole dish with vinegar essence and water.
2. place in the oven at about 150 degrees for 45 minutes
3. take out the bowl and remove the loosened dirt with a rag or cloth

Cleaning the oven with lemon

It is already known that the citrus fruit can do a lot more than just taste good. But the fact that you can also get the oven sparkling clean with the fragrant fruit makes the lemon the ideal helper for dirt and bad odors.

To do this, place a heat-resistant bowl or baking dish with some water and lemon juice in the oven and set it to about 120 degrees for about an hour. The steam and acid from the lemon will then loosen stubborn stains, which can then be wiped out with a damp cloth.

Cleaning burnt-in and heavy soiling in the oven

To get to the bottom of even the toughest grime – and save time and money, too – you can easily make your own cleaner:

1. mix white wine vinegar with baking soda and essential oil or lemon juice.
2. apply the paste and leave it on for about half an hour.
3. then simply wipe it out!

Cleaning the oven with salt

Something has dripped onto the floor while baking? Then salt helps!

1. moisten the oven floor
2. sprinkle the affected areas with salt
3. heat the oven (50 degrees is enough) until the salt is brown
4. let it cool down
5. sweep out the salt and wipe the remains with a cloth

Cleaning the oven with shaving foam

It’s Sunday and you have spontaneously arranged to cook. The oven is dirty and then you realize that you don’t have any cleaning agent left in the house. In such emergencies helps: shaving foam! May sound a little strange, but helps optimally to quickly ensure cleanliness:

1. spray on shaving foam generously
2. let it work for about 30 minutes
3. wipe out and ready!

When should you clean the tap?

In professional catering, every host is responsible for the health of his guests. Therefore, daily hygiene and cleaning is especially important there. But also tapping plants for the domestic use want to be maintained. In order to prevent the tapped beverages from being contaminated, you should clean your equipment regularly and on certain occasions:

• Before first use: Before you use your dispenser for the first time, you should rinse it once to remove residues and dirt that have arisen during production. You can read about what you should do in the operating instructions for the system. For home dispensers, it is often sufficient to tap the first glass and pour away the contents.
• After changing the keg: Before you connect a new keg, you should thoroughly clean the entire dispensing unit (hoses and tap).
• If the system has not been used for a long time: The same applies here as when changing the keg.
• Perform a basic cleaning of the dispensing unit before you put the system back into operation. If you are using hoses supplied with the keg, you only need to rinse the tap thoroughly.
• After each use: Each time you have used your dispensing unit, you should clean the drip tray, the drip grid, the tap and, if necessary, the hoses once with hot water.

What are the different types of cleaning?

Depending on how dirty a tap unit is, there are different methods to clean it. Also, it depends on the device how you should do the cleaning.

Simple cleaning with water

To take care of a hobby tap, you don’t need to put a lot of effort. The most important thing is to rinse the individual components once after each use to remove liquids and foam. Hot water is usually sufficient for this. If dirt has accumulated, you can also use a little washing-up liquid.

To flush the hoses of the system, a so-called cleaning balloon is suitable. It helps you to pump water through the hose.

Cleaning in the dishwasher

Some Hobby dispensing units can also be cleaned in the dishwasher. You can find out whether the components of your dispenser are dishwasher-safe in the operating instructions. But: Even if the dispensing unit is suitable for cleaning in the dishwasher, you should not do without a pre-wash. The hoses in particular should be rinsed separately beforehand, as this is where residues form most quickly.

Cleaning the hoses with a sponge

Special cleaning sets are available for cleaning the hoses of professional dispensers. They contain sponges that are pressed through the hose with the help of water pressure and thus remove even stubborn dirt. However, this method cannot be used with every dispenser. You can also find out whether it is suitable for your model in the operating instructions or directly from the manufacturer.

Cleaning with chemical cleaning agents

Professional dispensers are treated from time to time with special cleaning agents to prevent the formation of bacteria. They are usually used when a dispenser has not been used for a very long time. The cleaning agent is pumped into the system and through all the pipes via a fresh water tank. There it takes effect for some time. Fresh water is then pumped through the system until all remnants of the cleaning agent have been removed.

Again, home dispensing equipment does not usually need to be cleaned with special cleaners. If in doubt, ask the manufacturer whether this method is suitable and necessary for your device.

What do you need for cleaning

How a dispenser should be cleaned always depends on the corresponding model. Many devices for home use come with a suitable cleaning kit. Some also have an integrated cleaning program that does most of the work for you. If you do it yourself, you only need a few things:

• warm to hot water
• a clean cloth
• if necessary some washing-up liquid
• if necessary a cleaning balloon (already included in some systems)

Note: If you are thinking about cleaning the lines of your dispenser with sponges, you will need some more equipment. In addition to the sponges, you will need either a special barrel or a fresh water connection. The system is connected to this to generate the water pressure that forces the sponges through the hoses. However, as described above, this method is not suitable for every tap.

In the following, we describe the common cleaning method for hobby dispensers without sponges and special cleaning agents.

Cleaning the Hobby dispenser: step by step

Once you have everything ready for the cleaning action, you are ready to go:

1. Unscrew the tap and rinse it in hot water. If it is stuck, you can use some dishwashing detergent.
2. Detach the hoses from the keg and the system and rinse them in water as well. The water should not be too hot, otherwise the material can be damaged. If possible, use a cleaning balloon to rinse the hoses thoroughly. Make sure that no foam remains.
3. Remove the drip tray and the drip grid and clean them with water and some dishwashing detergent. Use the rag to remove all dirt residue.
4. Let all the cleaned parts dry and then reattach them to the tap.

Always freshly tapped with little effort

With a tap system for your home, you are fulfilling a small dream. However, to ensure that it works for a long time and that the beer remains germ-free, it also needs a little care. Fortunately, hot water is usually sufficient for cleaning. Hobby dispensers in particular are usually designed so that you can keep them clean with little effort. For professional systems, chemical cleaning may be necessary from time to time. If you are not quite sure which method is the right one, a look at the operating instructions or a call to the manufacturer will help.

In many cases, a cloth is sufficient to remove the dirt. However, if the residue is stuck and has long since dried up, even the best rag won’t help. And so that you don’t have to resort to chemicals right away, you can read here how to get your microwave sparkling clean again with very simple and natural home remedies.

Cleaning the microwave with vinegar

And there it is again – our friend and helper when it comes to dirt removal in a natural way: vinegar! When it is heated in the microwave with water, steam is created that dissolves even dried-on food residues and splashes, which can then be conveniently wiped out. Our tip: If the smell of vinegar is a bit too pungent for you, a slice of lemon can help, which you can simply add.

How it works:

• Pour water into a deep plate or cup and add 2 tablespoons of vinegar or vinegar essence (and optionally the slice of lemon).
• Put the plate or cup in the microwave and run it on high for 5-10 minutes
• Let everything cool down and wipe away the softened food residues with a damp cloth

Clean microwave with lemon

If you can’t stand the smell of vinegar at all, simply replace the vinegar completely with lemons.

It goes like this:

• Cut a fresh lemon into slices
• Put the slices on a deep plate and fill it with water.
• Put the plate into the appliance and turn on the highest setting for about 5 minutes.
• Let it cool down and wipe out the interior with a soft cloth and optionally some dishwashing liquid.

By the way, you can also use this trick on a clean microwave to simply provide a lovely scent.

Cleaning the microwave with dishwashing detergent

Dishwashing detergent has proven to be just as effective as vinegar or lemon against heavy soiling – and you really do always have it on hand. And even better:

The dishwashing method is the quickest among our tips and also works by steam.

• Fill a deep dish or cup with water and add a dash of dishwashing liquid.
• Heat the whole thing on the highest setting in the microwave – 1 minute is quite enough here
• Let everything cool down with the microwave door closed. Then the steam will soak in nicely.
• Remove the remains with a damp cloth or microfiber cloth

Cleaning the outside of the microwave

To ensure that the beautiful inner values of the appliance are also visible from the outside, you should also keep the microwave clean from the outside. Depending on where you have placed your microwave, a damp cloth is sufficient to wipe away dust deposits. If the appliance is close to the hob, you may also see a splash or two of grease. In this case – just like for the interior – a mixture of water and vinegar is a good solution: Dampen a cloth with the resulting liquid and wipe it over the surfaces.

Tips for long-lasting cleanliness

• The best way to avoid cleaning is to have nothing to clean in the first place! Cover your dishes with foil or a special microwave lid before heating them.
• To prevent small splashes from turning into stubborn encrustations, remove all debris quickly.
• Clean your microwave at regular intervals – as needed, but at least once a month.
• After each cleaning, leave the microwave door open so that the interior can dry properly.

The most important cleaning: Descaling

Limescale leaves traces everywhere: it coats water tanks and heating coils with a white layer. This can have a negative effect not only on the taste. The coffee machine also takes much longer to brew and consumes more electricity in the process. Therefore, you should descale your machine about every three months. Cleaning may also be necessary more often if the tap water in your residential area is rather hard, i.e. contains a lot of lime, or if you use the machine very often. You can find out the hardness of your drinking water with test strips, which you can buy at most pharmacies.

Instruction 1: For decalcifiers from drugstores and supermarkets

In drugstores and supermarkets you can find a wide range of descalers for household appliances: such as tabs, powders or liquid descalers. When buying, make sure that the product of your choice is suitable for filter coffee machines. Each package contains instructions for descaling. As a rule, you proceed as follows:

• Depending on the package instructions, add a certain amount of the descaler to the coffee maker’s water tank along with the specified amount of water.
• Then switch on the machine as for normal coffee making.
• When the liquid mixture has completely run through, the coffee machine is descaled.
• Now rinse with clear water to remove the remains of the descaler – in some cases, this may require several passes.

Remove calcification with common home remedies

Alternatively, there are various home remedies for descaling your coffee machine, some of which are less expensive. The advantage is that most of these products are already available in your household. In addition, such home remedies are often more environmentally friendly than ready-made limescale removers. For example, you can use vinegar essence, normal vinegar, baking soda or baking powder, which consists mainly of baking soda. Below you will find clear descaling instructions for the individual home remedies.

Instruction 2: Descale filter coffee machine with vinegar essence

• Mix one cup of vinegar essence with two cups of water and pour the liquid into the water tank of your coffee maker.
• Turn the machine on and let it run about halfway through.
• Now turn off the coffee maker and let the vinegar essence soak for 20 minutes.
• Then restart the machine and run the rest of the mixture through.
• Afterwards, rinse twice with water before the machine can be used again for the next pot of coffee.
• If the machine was very heavily calcified, further passes may be necessary.Ordinary vinegar is also suitable for descaling. However, since this contains a lower concentration of the lime-dissolving acetic acid, it must be dosed higher: Add about one cup of vinegar to one cup of water. Normal household vinegar does not contain any chemical additives. It is completely degradable and thus protects the environment.

Instruction 3: Decalcify filter coffee machine with baking soda or baking powder

• Add a bag of baking soda or baking powder to a liter of hot water.
• When it has dissolved, pour the mixture into the coffee maker and run it through once.
• As soon as baking soda comes into contact with lime, a chemical reaction takes place: The mixture foams up. If there is a lot of limescale, several rinses are necessary. When hardly any foam bubbles form, decalcification is complete.

Cleaning the exterior of the filter coffee maker

The coffee pot can be cleaned with normal washing-up liquid. If it is heavily calcified, rub it with citric acid or vinegar essence and then rinse it thoroughly. A tip: gloves will protect your hands from the acid.

You should always clean the hotplate immediately of small bits of dirt, such as coffee residue. If thorough cleaning is necessary, proceed as follows:

• Unplug the coffee maker and let it cool down completely.
• Now you can use normal cleaning agents such as washing-up liquid and a dishcloth. Be careful with corrosive or abrasive agents: Oven cleaner, grill spray, scouring cream or pot sponges would damage the surface.

Soft water for better coffee

Limescale deposits cannot be completely avoided. However, to ensure that you can continue to enjoy your morning lifesaver unimpaired, always fill your machine with water that is as low in lime as possible. If the tap water is hard and contains lime, it is a good idea to use a water filter. This sieves the lime out of the water and makes it softer, which should both benefit the taste and prevent new deposits.

Instead of water filters, you can also use baking soda to counteract calcification. To do this, add a pinch of the powder to the water tank every time you make coffee. This in turn softens the water and reduces the formation of limescale.

Another advantage is that sodium bicarbonate reduces the acidity of the coffee, making it easier to digest for people who are sensitive to acidity – and it even tastes better.

Does lime spoil the taste?

Coffee gourmets swear by it: Only the right water ensures perfect enjoyment. That makes sense. After all, coffee is 99 percent water. If it’s too hard, the beans can’t develop their aroma properly. If you think you’ve found the holy grail of coffee art with a water filter, you’re in for a disappointment. If too many minerals are removed from the water, its pH value becomes acidic and the coffee tastes the same. In extreme cases, even the coffee cream will curdle.

A neutral pH value of 7.0 and a water hardness level of “soft” are considered ideal. Complicated? Yes, but making coffee is a science in itself. And in the end, it’s mainly a matter of taste. Speaking of taste: In tests, most people couldn’t even taste whether the coffee was brewed with hard or soft water. Just try it out.