What’s the most important kitchen appliance in your house?
That’s right. Your coffee maker.
Every morning is like clockwork. I get up, and the first thing I do is head into the kitchen and start a cup of coffee. And my Keurig is super easy to work; just pour in a mug of water, add the coffee, and hit Brew.
It’s also important to take care of your Keurig by cleaning it often! If it seems like a lot of effort, it’s really not. I’ll show you step-by-step how to clean a Keurig and keep it brewing fresh coffee for you. This is the way I’ve been doing it for awhile now, and it works quite well!
What you need:
- Keurig coffee maker (I have the one-use version with no large water reservoir)
- White distilled vinegar
- Clean toothbrush
- Washcloth
1.) Make sure there is no K-Cup inside your Keurig before you start. If you use the adapter that uses ground coffee, empty the coffee grounds and put the adapter back in. Pour one cup of vinegar into the water reservoir and press the Brew button like you’re making a cup of coffee. I’ve found that putting vinegar in there makes the Keurig take longer to brew, so just be patient. You can also take out the insert on the left, which shows the amount of water per cup, and wash that with warm soapy water.
2.) When the vinegar is fully brewed out, dump it into the sink. Pour a small amount of new vinegar into the same cup and dip your toothbrush in. Remove the K-Cup holder or adapter, and gently start scrubbing the inside of the Keurig with the toothbrush. You’ll have to work hard to get into all the corners; you can also stick the toothbrush up underneath the hole where the coffee comes out, and scrub a little better that way.
See all the coffee stains on the black insert on top? You can also remove that and wash with warm soapy water.
3.) Remove the drip tray and wash that, along with the K-Cup holder or adapter, with warm soapy water. Set them aside to let them dry.
4.) With a damp washcloth, wipe down the outside of your Keurig, especially the bottom part where the coffee comes out. I don’t know why I always forget that part, but it gets so gross if you don’t clean it.
5.) When everything is dry, put all of the pieces back in its place and run a few Brew cycles with fresh water each time. This will help get rid of the vinegar taste; there’s nothing worse than having everything taste like vinegar.
And that’s it! You’ve got yourself a nice, clean Keurig. I try to clean mine once a week, although it usually ends up being every two weeks because I forget. It only takes about 15 minutes, but it’s worth having a freshly clean Keurig to brew your live-giving coffee every morning!
Any other tips to share for cleaning your Keurig? Share in the comments below!
Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.
Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.