Cleaning Guide

Thanks to the nonstick ceramic coating, cleaning your Chai Maker is usually pretty straightforward. That said, some brews can be a little harder to clean depending on your milk, your heat, and how quickly you act after brewing. A little know-how goes a long way.

In this guide we'll cover:

• What causes residue
• Your everyday post-brew routine
• Deeper cleans for long-term love
• Storing your Chai Maker

Before we get into the details, here's Andy, our Head Product Engineer (and apprentice Chaiwala), showing you how it's done.

Firstly, what makes some brews harder to clean?

1. Milk choice: whole dairy milk contains casein, a protein that forms a sticky skin on the strainer as the chai heats up and water evaporates. (This is the same skin you see on top of hot milk.) It cleans up easily if you act quickly, but when left to dry it becomes much harder to remove. Plant-based milks generally leave less residue.
   
   → See Milk Guide
   
   
2. Heat setting: a lower heat or weaker stove produces a gentler flow, which gives residue more time to stick. A stronger, fuller fountain keeps the chai circulating, so upping your heat can mean less to scrub off afterwards.
   
   → See Stovetop Guide
   

The following tips work with whatever you've got, so you can use the milk you love and the stovetop you have.

Quick reference: dishwasher vs hand wash

⚠️ Don’t put the Base Pot or Fountain Lip in the dishwasher.

The high heat and harsh detergents will degrade the ceramic nonstick coating over time. Once the coating is damaged, it's damaged, so it's worth protecting from day one.

Your everyday post-brew routine

Before you dive into your chai, do this:

• Remove the strainer and empty the used blend into your compost or trash.

  • If it's too hot to handle, you can invert the whole Chai Maker with the strainer still in. There's a good demonstration of this in Andy's video.

• Rinse your Chai Maker straight away.

  • Leaving it can mean more scrubbing later.

• If your chosen milk leaves a stubborn sticky residue, soak it.

  • Fill the Base Pot with warm water and a drop of dish soap and leave it for 10–15 minutes.
    
    

Once you've enjoyed your chai, come back and clean each part. Here’s how:

1. Base Pot and Fountain Lip

• Hand wash with a gentle dish soap and a soft sponge.
• Don't use abrasive pads, which will damage the ceramic coating.
• A long-handled dish brush or bottle brush makes it easier to reach the bottom of the Base Pot and keeps your fingers away from the strainer edges.
• Leave to air dry, or wipe down with a soft towel.

These are great:

Don’t use these:

2. Strainers (Silicone and Stainless Steel)

• Both strainers can be hand washed or put in the dishwasher.

  • If using the dishwasher, keep them away from the corners so the jets can reach them properly. If handwashing, the strainers don't have a ceramic coating, so they can handle a good scrub with any type of sponge.

• For best results, clean while still warm.
  • The sooner you rinse after brewing, the easier it is to clean. Don't leave the Chai Maker sitting with the used blend in.

• The silicone strainer comes in two parts.
  • Squeeze the sides gently to separate them, which makes it a little easier to clean.

• Some light staining over time is completely normal and won't affect your chai. For deeper cleaning of either strainer, see below.

3. Inner Seal

• Hand wash or pop in the dishwasher. Make sure it's completely dry before refitting as trapped moisture can lead to bacteria forming over time. 

⚠️ Most importantly make sure your seal is fitted correctly.

Installing it wrong can cause leaks, make the Base Pot hard to attach, or in some rare cases, come loose when brewing. Here's how to fit it correctly.

Deeper cleaning for long term love

If regular washing isn't shifting darker stains, Bar Keeper's Friend (or similar gentle abrasive cleaner) works brilliantly on the stainless steel strainer and on the outside of the Base Pot.

Use it for tea staining, tannin build-up, and any heat marks or discoloration that build up on the outside over time.

The powdered version works better than the liquid; it's more concentrated and more effective.

Here's our go-to method:

1. Wet the surface
2. Sprinkle a small amount of powder onto a damp sponge
3. Rub gently
4. Rinse thoroughly

Think of this as an occasional reset when things start looking dull, rather than a weekly thing.

For tannin build-up specifically on the stainless steel strainer, you can also soak it in boiled water with a spoonful of baking soda for 30 minutes. This lifts most staining without any scrubbing.

Deep cleaning silicone

With enough brews, silicone can start to hold onto oils, smells, and color from the spices. It can also pick up detergent fragrances too, so we recommend a fragrance-free detergent.

A regular wash in the dishwasher usually keeps on top of it, but if it doesn't, here's what to try:

• Baking soda paste:

  • Mix baking soda with just enough water to make a thick paste, rub it into the silicone, leave for 30 minutes, then rinse well with hot water. Good for stickiness and lingering smells.

• Oven method:

  • Rinse the strainer, place it in an oven at 150°C for 20 to 30 minutes, let it cool, then wash again with soap and hot water. Works well for both stickiness and smells.

• Sunlight:

  • After washing, leave the strainer out in direct sunlight for a few hours. Simple, but it does the job on smells.

Storing your Chai Maker

Make sure every part is completely dry before putting it away. Damp silicone in a closed space without air circulation can develop mold over time. If you're in a rush, leave the parts out to air dry or wipe them down with a soft towel first.

Or better yet, skip the cupboard altogether and put it on display. Our Chai Maker has won three design awards, after all ;)