Putting K-Cups In Your Machine Like This Is A Disaster Waiting To Happen

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Let's face it: Those of us who are used to starting our morning ritual with a Keurig brewer take the appliance for granted. We wait mere seconds for our java juice after lazily tossing a K-Cup into the machine while wiping the sleep out of our eyes, unable to imagine being forced to wait patiently for the blooming process to produce a smooth cup of coffee. But if you value the ease with which your morning perk-up is made available each day, you might want to pay a bit more attention to how your K-Cup is aligned in the chamber before starting your brew.

Coffee expert Shonali Paul of the Paul John Indian Caffeine Company warned us about the problems that can arise if K-Cups are frequently placed askew in a Keurig machine. "Not properly using any machine will impact its efficiency over time," Paul told The Takeout. Even regular, appropriate use will eventually cause a Keurig to malfunction given enough time. But being careless about the placement of the K-Cup will speed up the deterioration process, possibly requiring an impromptu trip to Starbucks for a handcrafted drink when the appliance breaks down one morning.

This isn't just good maintenance, though. "It will also affect your cup quality as the machine loses its preciseness and the way the water flows through the cup," Paul said. Taking the time to ensure the K-Cup is accurately aligned can save you from a subpar cup of coffee or, worse, a broken Keurig.

If you want to make a stronger cup of coffee, there is an easy K-Cup hack that'll do the trick — as long as the K-Cup isn't askew. Many of us aren't our most observant selves in the early hours of the day, but it really only takes a couple seconds to double-check the coffee pod to ensure your brew comes out the way you want it. "If it lays flat it means it is aligned," Shonali Paul said. "There isn't much room for issues as the space in the compartment is just enough for the cup, but being hasty may allow for some mistakes while placing the cup in the chamber."

A dysfunctional Keurig machine or a subpar cup of joe isn't the way anyone wants to start their day. Neither is tasting gritty grounds in your coffee. That isn't typically an issue with Keurigs, but can a misaligned K-Cup cause coffee grounds to end up in your mug? "Short answer, no," Paul said. "The machine pierces the top foil of the cup, and having that surface flat all allows for the water to flow and distribute evenly in the cup, giving you a cleaner, better-tasting cup. So if the cup is crooked it will impact the flavor the roaster intended you to have." That's a relief, at least. Even still, I'll be paying closer attention when I plug a K-Cup into the trusty Keurig every morning so I don't have to replace it before its time.