I’ll share my food but not my coffee. 🙂 Chances are you feel the same way. So when our Keurig coffeemakers start making less than perfect cups of joe we get grumpy because we want the best cup every time.
Keurig Coffee maker is widely used across 20 million people of homes and offices in USA.
There are several blog articles out there on Keurigs but most of them fall short of actually providing comprehensive solutions. I put together this article to help you get your Keurig clean in under an hour so you can drink a clean cup of coffee without compromising taste. Your family and in-laws will also appreciate a clean coffeemaker.
Lets get to it…
1. Keep your Keurig clean & descaled to prevent the loud noise & rattling.
Your coffee maker may be a new one. But while you will open the box, you cannot expect the quiet machine. Keurigs are great coffee makers but, once scale builds up they become loud since they have to work harder to brew the coffee.
Solution:
Clean with a descaling cleaner or vinegar.
Take all the parts apart
Wash the container lid, drip tray guard, the drip tray, the water container and the pull out k-cup holder. These peices are easily removed and dishwasher safe.
Replace the pieces after they are washed in the dishwasher & descale it.
Fill the water container with vinegar.
Place a cup to catch the vinegar & run 4 hot brewed vinegar cups to completely clean out any scale or crud in the coffee maker. Use all the vinegar and empty out the water container.
Fill it completely up with distilled water & rinse out the vinegar.
Run 5 hot water brewed cups to clean out the vinegar smell.
Place a small pad (like a computer mousepad) down so it doesn’t shake as much. This will reduce the noise by over 75%.
Place it directly beneath the coffee maker so it rests on the pad.
Frequency: Clean your coffee maker once in a month at least. It will work much better if you follow these tips and clean it weekly. It will continue to function well and it gives you a perfect cup of fresh coffee whenever you need it.
Pro Tip #1: Some Keurig specifically says the reservoir is NOT dishwasher safe. Read the inside of your to verify if it is or not.
Tip #2: Check the reservoir to see if it has a filter inside which can be removed. If so, it can be cleaned with water and dish soap.
2. Use distilled water daily to prevent the scale build up
Regular water has minerals dissolved in it…remember from science class. Filtering the water won’t remove all of the minerals in the water. To completely remove the calcium (cause of the scale) is the use the distilled water. Get a few gallons at the grocery store and keep it by the coffee maker.
No distilled water…???
Try cold filtered water. It is not perfect but is better than regular warm water.
3. Keurigs require full containers & clean water lines in order to brew full cups
Dirty or clogged water lines result in the machine shacking and vibrating…which doesn’t result in a full cup. You are often left disappointed.
Solution:
The follow helplines will sort out this problem and you can get the perfect Keurig troubleshooting solution in this way. You will have to check all these:
Filler up! Keep the water container full of distilled, cold water. If you don’t then you will experience the same problems you did in #1.
Half-full or just a sliver of water in the container will present problems for you while the machine is brewing.
The blue light will go on and the machine will pause…while the flashing blue light lets you know to add more water. This is often the cause of half cups that taste bad. Either too watery or strong.
You will have to make sure that the vibration from the machine has not dislodged the magnet on the water reservoir.
Clean the tip. Wipe off the puncture needle in order to remove any debris and clogs.
You will have to run your Keurig machine through a few brewing cycles by using only water. It will flush the lines and coffee outlet as well.
If it will not help you, then you should follow the descaling method in order to solve this problem. You will have to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your model.
4. Keep the reservoir full and avoid the flashing blue light
Keurig water reservoir blue light keeps blinking. What does it mean? It is a simple meaning. Your coffee maker water reservoir needs some more water to fulfil it. You should know the fact that the coffee machine needs some certain level of water for activating the brewing cycle.
So, you need to understand the fact that whenever the water level is low there is no chance to activate the brewing cycle properly. The blue light indicates that only. So, you need to avoid this blue light by keeping full the water reservoir.
5. Reusable k-cups spill when brewing coffee
You should know that different K-cups offer different types coffee. Sometime K-cups deliver you weak coffee. So, it is not always Keurig’s fault. You will get solution here. Light roast K-cup can make weak coffee. But the caffeine lovers want bold coffee. You will have to go with the stronger or darker roast in order to get the best coffee.
K-cups are installed in large inserts. So, while they are stuck, you need to remove the large inserts. You will have to lift out it very carefully and gently using needle-nose pillars. After that, you will have to spot a tiny pin placed upward. This will do the job of piercing pods.
Solution:
Fill reusable k-cups about 85% full to get the best tasting coffee.
Don’t over fill. They will spill.
85% allows you to close the lids so it snaps and it fits inside the holder snugly.
7. Clean it at least twice a month. Weekly is best.
If you want some fresh coffee, then you will have to clean your coffee maker regularly. It will enhance the lifetime of your coffee maker and give you so many perfect cups of coffee.
8. Don’t forget to clean the tray
It is very important to clean the tray. You should not forget this. It can create some technical problem if you will not clean the tray properly.
So, if you want the best brewing coffee, then you should clean the tray frequently. It also keeps out the bacteria.
9. Unplug the needle if it is plugged
If you notice that plugged needle make some problem for your coffee maker, then you will have to unplug it immediately. It will solve your problem.
Run hot water in the needle to remove any clog that is there. This should quickly remove any clog.
10. Unplug it, clean it and repeat keeps it running perfectly
If you find some technical or electrical issues, then you need to shut off the coffee maker and unplug it from the board. you will have to clean it properly with water and run it again.
11. Coffee maker won’t reset
If you face this kind of problem, then follow these steps:
You need to turn the machine off and unplugged it for a couple of minutes.
After plugging the machine, you will have to start the brewing cycle.
You will have to plug the machine and replace the reservoir.
Bonus: Clean Your Water Pitcher if You Use Filtered Water
Many people use water pitchers to filter their water with carbon filters since it leaves behind clean water and tastes better than distilled water. These water pitchers also need to be cleaned every other day so they don’t develop mold.
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