Someone once recommended using Efferdent denture cleaner tablets to clean all of my coffee and tea pots. For the pot, you simply pour in warm water, drop the dissolving tablet in and let sit for 15 minutes. For the coffee pot tops, pour water into a small bowl, drop tablet in and then place top in the bowl. It really does work to help get rid of the brown coffee stains and doesn't hurt the surface and there are no harmful chemicals. We even do it with our commercial coffee pots at the office once every other month - makes the coffee tastes fresher too.