How to Clean a Keurig
Everyone loves the ability to brew gourmet coffee at home, but that convenience comes at a cost of cleanup. Coffee makers are often left on all morning or all day depending on our need for caffeine, and the hours that pass can take a toll on the overall flavor and finish of your favorite beverage. Sanitation is essential for any kind of kitchen, but the equipment we use on a regular basis deserves a little extra love and care to maintain. Not all single-serve coffee makers are created equal, and Keurig® brewing systems are some of the most advanced machines on the market. With a machine that is so well-designed, it can be easy to overlook the need for regular maintenance.
At CoffeeCow, we are much more than just a coffee supplier. We hope to help customers lead happy and healthy lives while brewing better beverages every morning. Keep reading to learn how to clean a Keurig® coffee maker so you can enjoy years of trouble-free brewing and great-tasting coffee.
Discover the Difference by Descaling
What lurks beneath the surface is often best kept a secret, but not in the case of coffee equipment. Brewing systems are hot beds for various strains of bacteria and mold. Lime and calcium deposits can build up over time inside the water reservoir and negatively affect the taste of your coffee.
You can alternatively descale your brewing chamber and exit needle every week with the help of cleaning cups for Keurig® brewers. These biodegradable cleaning cups are odorless and phosphate-free. They easily clean your Keurig® machine’s brewing chamber within two brew cycles, but they are not compatible with Keurig® 2.0 brewers. Regardless of which cleaning product you choose, we recommend that you descale your system every six months. Many of Keurig’s brewers come equipped with warning lights that flash to let users know they are due for a cleaning.
How to Clean a Keurig® Brewer: Precautions
Before cleaning your coffee maker, there are a few safety measures to remember:
- Avoid overfilling your coffee machine with water or submerging your brewer in any liquid. Misuse could lead to electric shock, fire, or other degrees of damage.
- Although Keurig® coffee makers are designed for continuous use, you should shut your system off and unplug before cleaning or when not in use for more than a week at a time.
- Fill your reservoir with filtered water as opposed to tap water that contains excessive amounts of copper, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, or other minerals that can affect flavor.
- Before cleaning or descaling, your Keurig® brewing system should be cooled completely. Mishandling a hot coffee maker can lead to burns or other injuries.
K-Cup® pods have revolutionized the way we brew coffee at home or at work. Without grounds or any messes to clean up, we are free to revel in the complex aromas and flavors of fine coffee. Create a simple maintenance plan to ensure your coffee maker performs at optimum levels for years to come. Cleaning the exterior? Simply wipe the surface of your coffee maker with a damp, nonabrasive cloth. If you have any questions about how to clean a Keurig® brewer, please contact one of our specialists today for additional information.