Odds Are, You Aren't Cleaning Your Keurig As Often As You Should

The quest to find the best coffee maker for your morning routine often ends with Keurig. These countertop lifesavers allow users to brew one delicious cup of coffee at a time rather than making a full pot. However, when everyone at the office or in a household is using it to brew their coffee, the Keurig will eventually need some cleaning — and, by eventually, I mean the machine's removable parts should be cleaned once a week.

Many Keurig owners take the time to descale their machine a few times a year to prevent a buildup of calcium deposits, which can diminish the quality of your coffee. But, if you aren't cleaning your Keurig between descalings it's likely the inside of your machine looks less like a coffee maker and more like it's being reclaimed by nature. If cleaning once a week seems like a lot, note that it only takes a couple of days for mold to develop and multiply. If there's mold in your Keurig, there will be signs. Keep watch for black specs floating around in the water reservoir, a musty smell coming from your coffee, and changes to the taste and texture of your coffee. Lastly ... just clean your Keurig.

Make sure you unplug your Keurig before you start cleaning it, and wipe down the outside of the machine and drip tray first. To clean the coffee pod holder, wash it with soap and water and use a small brush to eliminate any buildup. The water reservoir and the Keurig needles should both be cleaned with soap and water. The water filter in a Keurig should typically be replaced every two months, but this depends on how frequently the machine is used and how high the mineral content in your water is.

As for descaling your Keurig, it's not as daunting as it sounds – the secret to a cleaner coffee maker is already in your pantry. Prepare to descale your machine by removing the water filter and filling the water reservoir with a mixture of distilled white vinegar and water. Yes, it's safe to clean your coffee maker with vinegar, but Keurig also sells kits like the Keurig 3-Month Brewer Maintenance Kit on Amazon if you'd prefer to stick with Keurig's cleaning solution. 

After filling the reservoir, place a mug on the drip tray and select the largest cup option. Brew the vinegar and water into the cup repeatedly until the machine gives the alert to add water, then let it sit for around half an hour. The next step is to make sure you won't be tasting vinegar or descaling solution in your coffee, so fill your water reservoir with fresh water and run through the same brewing process until the reservoir is empty. Be sure to clean your reservoir before you do this, as well.