Seven easy steps to descaling your Keurig
Keurig coffee makers have long been popular, but if you’ve ever experienced a slow drip, a murky flavor, and overall sluggish behavior from your machine, then you know descaling is an important part of keeping your coffee maker working efficiently. If you haven’t cleaned your Keurig in a while, it’s an easy process with just seven steps.
Why should you descale a Keurig?
When you use tap water to make coffee, trace amounts of minerals and other debris — called limescale — end up getting stuck in the machine, which eventually leads to a cup of coffee that takes a lot longer and doesn’t taste quite as great. If you’ve got hard water, you’re also dealing with naturally high amounts of calcium and magnesium, which will create buildup in your Keurig even faster.
If you use filtered water to make your coffee, you can extend the time between descaling, but if you use tap water, clearing out all the deposits needs to happen regularly.
What are the signs that it’s time to descale a Keurig?
There are a few indicators that it’s time to treat your coffee maker. If it takes longer to brew your caffeine hit, an “off” taste and even deposits visible in your cup after brewing are all signs you should treat your machine. If you don’t see these signs, it’s a good rule of thumb to descale your Keurig every three months to keep it working properly.
You’ll need a coffee mug, filtered water and a commercial descaling solution (or white vinegar) to get the job done right.
In this article: Keurig K-Classic Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker, Essential Values Store Keurig Compatible Descaling Solution and Keurig Cleaner
How to descale a Keurig
Step 1: Clean everything
Give your machine some serious TLC. Wipe down the exterior, clean out the tray and any accessories, including a reusable Keurig cup. Allow everything to dry before descaling.
Step 2: Add the descaler
If you’ve purchased official descaling liquid, read the instructions before use. If you’re going the white vinegar route, use one cup for one water reservoir. Add the liquid to the reservoir and fill it with water.
Step 3: Start descaling
Start a standard brew cycle, dump out the solution and continue filling the mug until the tank is empty. If the brewing process is still slow after the solution has run through your Keurig, repeat the process.
Step 4: Take a moment
Leave your Keurig to sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the vinegar or descaling solution time to dissolve any deposits that weren’t eliminated during the process.
Step 5: Clean the empty reservoir
While you’re waiting for the descaling liquid or vinegar to work its magic, wash and rinse your reservoir to remove any last traces of the solution.
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Step 6: Run more water to rinse the Keurig
Brew hot water to ensure that all the solution has been removed from the machine. You’ll probably end up running through more than four full reservoirs, but the results are worth the effort.
Step 7: Taste the last mug of water
If done properly, by this step, the water should have no traces of descaling solution or vinegar.
Equipment needed to descale a Keurig
You’ll need a commercial descaling solution like Essential Values Store Keurig Compatible Descaling Solution and Keurig Cleaner and a coffee mug. You can also consider purchasing a Brita Standard Everyday Water Filter Pitcher to prolong the time between descaling.
Keurig coffee makers worth a look
Keurig K-Duo Single-Serve K-Cup Pod & Carafe Coffee Maker
If you want the best of both worlds, this duo Keurig is perfect. There’s a single brew option on one side and the carafe on the other, making it ideal for both busy mornings and entertaining guests. This coffee maker brews multiple sizes, can be programmed up to 24 hours in advance and holds 60 ounces of water.
Keurig K-Classic Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker
There’s a reason this model has over 100,000 reviews on Amazon. It’s perfect for a home or office with multiple java junkies, as it brews six cups before needing to be refilled, and its compact size makes it ideal for countertops.
Keurig K-Mini Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker
According to the BestReviews testing lab, this model is perfect if you are the only coffee drinker at home or live in a small space (including a dorm!). It still brews a quick single cup, but the slim design makes it easy to keep out, even if you don’t have a lot of countertop space or kitchen storage.
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