Like any other appliance, your Keurig coffee machine needs maintenance and cleaning in order to keep it working at its best. However, not many people know hot to properly clean it and its needles.
If you don’t regularly clean the needles in your Keurig machine, you can end up with gross and dirty coffee – if your machine works at all!
Luckily, we’re here to help. In this handy guide, we’ll teach you two simple ways to clean Keurig needles so you can get back to enjoying your coffee in no time!
What Are The Needles In Your Keurig?
First of all, you might be wondering what exactly the needles in your Keurig actually are.
Keurig machines have two needles, which work simultaneously.
These needles are used to puncture both sides of your K-cup pods, letting the water run through.
When you put a K-cup into your Keurig and close the lid, a needle in the top of your machine will pierce the top of the K-cup.
At the same time, the K-cup will be pushed down onto another needle below, which will create an exit hole.
This means that your Keurig machine will be able to filter water through the K-cup, letting it brew a delicious cup of coffee!
Why Is It Important To Clean Keurig Needles?
Over time, the needles in your Keurig brewer can become clogged with old coffee ground from piercing K-cups.
Over time, this can affect the performance of your Keurig and the taste of your quality.
Dirty Keurig needles can be very unhygienic if you leave it for too long, as they can start to go moldy – this isn’t exactly sanitary and can make you sick if you wait too long between cleans.
The old coffee grounds can also make their way into a fresh K-cup and make your coffee taste bitter and dirty.
It’s also important to clean your Keurig machine’s needle to make sure our brewer stays in the best shape possible.
A clogged–up needle can struggle to pierce a K-cup properly, keeping it from making your coffee properly.
It can even block the water flow entirely and damage your whole machine; to stop this from happening, you need to be cleaning your Keurig’s needles regularly.
How To Clean Your Keurig Needles?
So now you know what Keurig needles are and why it’s so important to maintain them properly, let’s take a look at how to actually clean them!
Step 1) Switch Off And Unplug Your Keurig
Before you can do anything else, switch off and unplug your Keurig machine.
You’ll be dealing with some of the internal parts of your machine, so it’s important to unplug it first to prevent the risk of electric shocks and burns.
Step 2) Fill And Insert The Maintenance Pod
Most Keurig brewers come with a maintenance pod included; this is a plastic pod around the same size as a K-cup, with a bright orange border.
Fill the maintenance pod with water and fit into the K-cup slot. The arrows on the border should be facing you, and the green power icon should be on the right.
Step 3) Open And Close Five Times
From here, you need to carefully close and open the brew head of your Keurig five times.
Next, remove the maintenance pod from the K-cup slot – if you look inside, you should see small coffee grounds floating in the water.
These are the old coffee grounds that had built up around the needle.
Step 4) Run Three Water Cycles
To finish, all you need to do is fill the water reservoir and run three brew cycles of plain water.
This will rinse out any remaining granules, and leave your Keurig needles as good as new!
How To Clean Keurig Needles Without A Maintenance Pod?
If you don’t have a Keurig maintenance pod or they don’t fit in your machine, don’t worry.
There’s a quick and easy way to clean the needles in your brewer without a maintenance pod.
This method is a bit trickier than using a pod, but it’s still simple enough that you’ll be back to drinking delicious coffee in no time!
Step 1) Open The Brewhead On Your Keurig Machine
Again, the first thing you need to do is switch off and unplug your Keurig machine to prevent the risk of shocks and burns.
Then, lift up the brew head of your Keurig to reveal the K-cup slot.
Step 2) Remove The Pod Holder
From here, you need to take the K-cup holder out of your machine. To do this, simply lift and slide it out of its slot.
The Keurig pod holder is actually two separate parts. It’s easier to clean the exit needle if you remove the funnel (the lower piece) from the rest of the pod holder.
Grab one end of the pod holder in each hand, and twist them to separate them.
This can be a bit tricky to do, and you might need to run the pod holder under hot running water to loosen them up.
You only need the funnel, so give the other piece a quick rinse and set it aside.
Step 3) Cleaning The Exit Needle
The exit needle is the needle that pierces the bottom of the K-cup, creating an exit for the coffee to pour through.
This needle is nestled in the funnel, making it hard to reach.
Luckily, this is a simple issue to fix. All you need is a safety pin or straightened paperclip.
Using your pin or paperclip, carefully scrape away the old coffee grounds built up on the filter.
Rinse the grounds out, wait for both pieces of the pod holder to dry, and put them back together.
Step 4) Cleaning The Entry Needle
Luckily, the top needle is much easier to access. This needle is on the bottom side of the brew head, and you can see it when you lift the lid up.
This exposes it enough for you to gently scrape away the old grounds with your paperclip or safety pin.
Be careful when you’re doing this, however; the needle is extremely sharp and can easily cut you.
Step 5) Run Two Water Cycles
Finally, simply run two cups of hot water through to flush out the rest of the coffee grounds.
Once these are finished, your Keurig needles are clean and ready to be used!
Final Thoughts
Looking after your Keurig machine will help you get the most out of your coffee.
Now you know two easy ways to clean your Keurig’s needles, you can keep your brewer in its best condition and enjoy delicious coffee!