Tested on families
For their investigation, the American broadcaster CBS Chicago asked if they could examine the coffee makers of ten families in the neighborhood. These were individual cup devices. Their reporter took the devices to a lab, where researchers checked them extensively for bacteria. Samples were taken from the ground coffee tray, the part where the water flows through, and the water tank. They found shocking results. It turned out that there were pathogens such as staphylococci, streptococci, and ‘bacillus cereus’ on the devices. But even more worrying: traces of E. coli were also found on one of the machines. Ew… Of course you don’t want that in your cup of coffee!
Cause for concern?
The study showed large differences in the amount and types of bacteria per device. For example, the researchers did not find any worrying bacteria in two of the tested machines. The E. coli bacterium was found in only one machine. That was also the machine where with the most bacteria found in the water tank. If you regularly clean your coffee machine, there is probably nothing wrong. In addition, many coffee makers heat the water to a temperature above 75°C, which kills most bacteria. In short: give your favorite kitchen appliance a good cleaning. In any case, that can’t hurt.
Source: KookFans | Images: Pexels