Leaving a coffee maker on can be a tempting mistake for many of us. Leaving a coffee maker on is a silly mistake that people do when they are in a hurry to leave for work, or they are on a phone call and forget to switch it off.
What happens if you leave a coffee maker on? Would it cause any issues in the kitchen? It may seem harmless to many people but leaving a coffee maker on can be a serious issue. It may cause a fire in the kitchen in some conditions. It also increases the electricity bill and may damage nearby appliances. Keep reading the guide to know what you should do when you leave a coffee maker on.
What Happens If You Leave a Coffee Maker On?
Fire Risk
When you leave a coffee maker on, it may cause a fire in the house. As we know coffee maker is an electrical kitchen appliance that works on a wire. So, if a short circuit may occur inside it due to keeping it on for a long, it may cause a fire in the house.
In some situations, if you leave a coffee maker on all day with the water inside it, water will boil and will create a buildup of steam inside the machine. If steam won’t find a way to go outside, it will start collecting inside the coffee maker and it will create a short circuit inside the electrical wiring of the coffee maker, which will initiate the fire.
Nowadays, the coffee maker comes with a thermostat that turns off the coffee maker after brewing the coffee. If your coffee maker has an auto-shut feature, you don’t need to worry if you leave the coffee maker on. But if your coffee maker doesn’t have any auto shut feature and it keeps running after the thermostat, you should turn it off after using it.
Increases Your Electric Bill
A coffee maker works on electricity. When you leave it on for a long period, it will consume more electricity which results in an increase in your electricity bill.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, the average energy consumption of a US residential is 10632 kWh. So, if you leave a coffee maker on for the whole day, it increases energy consumption and costs you a higher energy bill.
So, how much extra you need to pay depends on how many times in a month you leave the coffee maker on. So, whenever you prepare coffee after finishing work, you should turn it off. If you have a habit of forgetting to turn the coffee maker off, you should buy a coffee maker with a timer. So, it will turn off the coffee maker at a specified time which helps you to avoid accidentally leaving it on.
Damage To The Inside Parts
The next consequence of leaving a coffee maker on is it may damage inside parts. Every coffee maker has a heating element inside it that heat up the water inside the machine. When a coffee maker runs for a long time period, its heating element will eventually burn out.
The more often you left a coffee maker on for a long time, the quicker its inside parts are likely to burn out. It may also damage coffee maker parts before their expiration date.
If the heating elements of the coffee maker burned out, it won’t get repaired and you need to replace it. It will decrease the life of the coffee maker and increase its repair bill.
Burnt Coffee
People drink coffee to refresh their mood. But when you leave a coffee maker on for a long and forget the coffee inside it, you will get burnt coffee in the cup. This coffee won’t taste good and you can’t drink it.
Brunt coffee is a waste of money and energy. When the coffee brews for a longer time, the coffee maker extracts full flavor from coffee beans and boils it for a long which results in bitter tasteless coffee.
How to Prevent Leaving a Coffee Maker On?
By following these few tricks, you can prevent leaving a coffee maker on.
- Always when you are done with a coffee maker, remember to turn it off. It may sound obvious but people forget it and leave the coffee maker on. It happens especially when you are in a hurry.
- You should look for a coffee maker that has an inbuilt timer. Its timer will turn off the coffee maker after a specified time.
- If you leave the coffee maker on more often, you should set a reminder on your phone. Set the timer so after using the coffee maker, a reminder will inform you to turn it off.
Do Coffee Makers Come With an Auto Shut-off Feature?
Coffee makers come in many designs and styles. Its features vary according to brand. In the market, you will get from basic manual drip coffee makers to advanced programable espresso machines.
Nowadays, most coffee makers come with an auto shut-off feature. This feature makes sure your coffee maker won’t overheat or cause a fire due to short circuits. However, not all coffee makers have this feature. So, you should read the features of a coffee maker carefully, before buying it.
If your coffee maker has an auto shut-off feature, it will turn off the machine after a certain amount of time. This time can range from anywhere between 15 minutes to 2 hours or more. It all depends on the manufacturer and what time it is giving for auto shut off.
This feature is good for those who are a coffee habitual and drink coffee many times a day. So, they leave coffee makers on to save time.
In the auto shut-off feature, you will hear a beep sound and see a light indicator that alerts you that your coffee maker is on for a long time and it is going to auto shut. It will save the coffee maker from any accidental burn or short circuit.
This feature turns off the coffee maker so it won’t run unnecessarily and saves a lot of energy.
Best coffee maker with auto shut feature:
How Long Can I Leave a Coffee Maker on?
Coffee lovers drink coffee many times a day. For this, they need to use coffee makers. But how long can you leave a coffee maker on?
There is no particular time period because there are many coffee makers in the market from single-serve coffee makers to espresso machines.
Most single-serve coffee makers are designed to turn off after two hours of use. You shouldn’t use them for continuously more than 2 hours. It will prevent them from becoming a fire hazard.
If you are using a French press coffee maker, you should turn it off after 20-30 minutes of brewing. You will get the bitter taste of coffee if you turn it on for a long. Coffee won’t taste good and you need to dump it into the sink.
So, basically, you shouldn’t leave the coffee maker on for more than 2 hours. To get a tasty coffee and increase the life of the coffee maker, you should turn it off as soon as you prepare a coffee from it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I Unplug My Coffee Maker When Not In Use?
We all know that unplugging a device when not in use, saves energy. But what about coffee makers, should you unplug them also? It may sound weird because it is used many times a day but it will contribute to saving energy consumption.
If your coffee maker is plugged in and not in use still it will consume energy. This is because the heating elements of the coffee maker consume power from the outlet. Even when the coffee maker is not brewing coffee, its heating elements remain on.
So, when you unplug the coffee maker, its heating element won’t consume any energy and it will reduce your electricity bill. Also, by unplugging the coffee maker, you can increase its life.
Can I Leave My Coffee Maker On?
If you have a modern coffee maker which has an auto shut-off feature, you can leave it on. But in expert advice, you shouldn’t do this. It may cause damage if its heating elements will get overheated. So, it would be better, if you turn it off after every use. If you are using a programable coffee maker that brews coffee in the morning automatically at a set time, you should set its time correctly.