Keurig Coffee Maker Problems

So, your Keurig Single-Serve is not working and you are wondering what to do now? You might be searching for some common solutions to keep your brewer going on. No worries, we are here to guide you about common Keurig Troubleshooting ideas.

The Keurig brand of coffee makers is renowned for their single-serve coffee brewers that exclusively use their K-cup coffee pods. This brand is known for its ease of use, convenience, and wide variety of K-cups that deliver an excellent cup of coffee as well as tea. But still, it’s a machine, and it can fall ill.

Here are a few common issues because of which your single-cup Keurig is not working along with the suggestions about how to fix them before even calling an outsider to fix it for you. Yes, you are one step away from becoming a Junior Keurig Engineer!

Common Keurig Troubleshooting

Grounds in Your Cup

We have personally experienced this issue, and this often happens when the needle that pierces the k-cups becomes clogged with the grounds and the transfer of the trapped ground to your cup on the next brew.

This results in an unpleasant grainy texture in your coffee, but do not despair, this problem can be easily fixed simply by cleaning the needle with a fine pointy item such as a toothpick. Once the needle is clean, you should be back to enjoying tasty Keurig K-cup coffee, without the grainy grounds in your cup!

Plastic Tasting Coffee

Often with a new coffee machine, the coffee brew has a distinct plastic taste that is quite unpleasant. This occurs when the residue of the new brewing parts is transferred to the water during the brewing process.

Thankfully, this can be easily resolved by rinsing the brewing line with white vinegar. Simply fill the water reservoir with a cup of white vinegar, and run the brew cycle repeatedly, until the entire reservoir is empty. This will clean the brewing line and remove any plastic taste. Now you must rinse the line with water, to prevent any possible vinegar taste. So fill the reservoir with filtered water, and run the brew cycle until the reservoir is empty.

Now you can go ahead and use your K-cups to make your tasty coffee and we promise the flavor will be plastic-free! We highly suggest storing your capsules in separate spaces to avoid taste mix-up and confusion. Loads of designs of K-Cup holders are available in the market.

Water Line is Clogged

The water lines in Keurig brewers are usually very thin and as a result, can become clogged quite easily with grounds and other debris. This is a common problem that can be identified when you notice a smaller quantity of coffee in your cup than the amount you selected.

Sometimes, the clog is so bad, you get NO coffee after running a brew cycle! To fix the clogged Keurig, flush the waterline by running the brew cycle with just water only, no K-cup. You should also clean the needle to remove any grounds that may be stuck inside. After doing this, your water line should be open and ready to deliver a full cup of great-tasting coffee.

If that procedure does not clear up the waterline, then try descaling the machine. After descaling, your Keurig single-serve coffee brewer should be back to delivering great-tasting coffee at the push of a button.

Machine Shuts off between Brew Cycles

If your Keurig single-serve brewer shuts off between brew cycles when you have not manually switched the machine off, then you are not alone. Many owners of these machines experience this problem too.

This may be because the vibrations of the machine have dislodged the magnet in the water reservoir. Simply remove the reservoir, and return it to its place and that should set the magnet in the correct position, and you may resume brewing.

The Keurig Brewer is Leaking Water

If you are experiencing leakage from your Keurig brewer, that is likely an indication that the upper rubber gasket is either missing, faulty, or improperly installed. This part fits around the upper puncture needle, so first check that it is there in place.

If not, you can purchase one online, or contact Keurig if your warranty is still in effect. If it is present and you are still experiencing leakage, that means it is incorrectly adjusted, as it is not making a seal with the K-cup and incoming water. This will cause the water and grounds to leak out and create a mess. To fix this, simply move down the gasket by about ¼ inch to close the gap between the needle and the K-cup.

Keurig Single Serve Not Working – Mineral Build-up

This is less of a design problem and more of a regular maintenance issue. The mineral build-up problem is one of the most frequently asked questions by people using Keurig, and most of these people are beginners. You won’t ask this again after doing a simple remedy.

All coffee machines tend to require descaling at some point, and the Keurig models are no different. Over time, mineral deposits from the water passing through the brew line will build up and affect the efficiency of your Keurig single-serve brewer. This will also affect the taste of the coffee as the mineral build-up may result in an unpleasant flavor in your cup.

To descale your machine, you will need to purchase Keurig’s “Brew Rite Cleaner” which is specially designed to clear out mineral deposits. Simply combine the Brew Rite Cleaner with water and run the brew cycle to flush the waterline. You can also clear the line by flushing with white vinegar, then flushing with water to remove the vinegar. Either way, your brewer should be descaled at least once every 6 months to keep it operating optimally.

Have you experienced any other problems with your Keurig Single Serve Coffee Brewer? Share your experience in the comments, and we will do our best to identify a solution to your problem so you can get back to enjoying fantastic coffee. One of the best recommendations while buying a Keurig is the Keurig K60 Special Edition, it is a great piece to owe with many positive consumer reviews.