How to Drain a Keurig? Easy to Follow Guide!

We've gathered all of the essential information from experts about draining the Keurig machine properly and making it work better as a result.
By
Samanta Fryer
Samanta Fryer
Writer
Samanta Fryer is our senior editor and content writer, at CoffeeVibe. Apart from writing and reading, she’s fond of the coffee brewing process and enjoys tasting new coffe read more
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Reviewed By
Ryan Hendricks
Ryan Hendricks
Expert
Ryan Hendricks is our tester, who puts products through their paces. He used to be a barista and is now a full-time coffee enthusiast. He’s always testing out new gadgets, read more
Last updated: August 08, 2023
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One of the biggest advantages to using a Keurig is its speed and largely automated operation. You get to make your coffee without buzzing around the kitchen or your machine doing all sorts of things to get your cup.

This automated service tends to extend to almost all areas except the maintenance of the machine. Maintenance, in this sense, would be to prime the coffee maker or clean it. Both would require the knowledge of how to drain a Keurig coffee machine to be carried out effectively and safely. They can also affect the water flow within the machine, and they have to be done with regularity to prevent unexpected delays when making your coffee.

If you find that you don’t know the easiest way to drain your Keurig, you’re at the right place. All you need to do now is internalize the process we are going to spell out and put it into practice.

Why do you need to drain a Keurig?

Now, many people would immediately assume that emptying the water reservoir of the coffee machine would equate to effectively draining it, and they would be wrong because the water within the tank represents only that which is visible.

There would be other smaller tanks and tubes within the machine that may contain water, and if this water is left in your machine while it is being stored, especially for long periods, it could facilitate the growth of mold and bacteria within your coffee maker, therefore, leaving it unhealthy for use.

Another possibility is that mineral deposition by the water left in the machine could cause problems Trusted Source Coffee makers — how to keep them clean and germ-free - Chicago Sun-Times Whether it’s the single-serve Keurig, espresso Nespresso machine or a traditional coffee maker, it’s important to keep these appliances clean to prevent the growth of bacteria, yeast or even mold. chicago.suntimes.com . This is the reason for the Keurig Descale Light possessed by many of the Keurig Coffee makers. Heed the light as it is a helpful reminder.

How often do you need to drain it?

The regularity with which you’d be required to drain your Keurig would depend on just how frequently you use it. If you use the machine twice a day or every day, you’d be required to drain it less than if you used it once a week. This is because provided the water within is constantly being used and replaced, the chances of anything growing in your machine is minuscule.

Having said that, you should try draining your Keurig once a week or right before you intend to keep it away for a long period. The best Keurig machines come with maintenance reminders, and if your machine gives one of these, you could use it as a prompt to drain the coffee maker as well.

Guide to draining your Keurig

Depending on the particular Keurig you possess, different methods could be applied to the draining of your machine. There are a variety of Keurig coffee makers available today, and some of the most sophisticated and popular models, such as this Keurig K-Café and this Keurig K155 model, are advertised as easily drainable.

Knowing how to drain your machine in the recommended way is important as using just any method shared online could be detrimental.

We have broken some of the brands into three classes, and the processes to utilize in draining them are touched upon below.

Draining a Keurig Mini, Mini Plus and K15

How to Drain a Keurig? Easy to Follow Guide!

To get started, turn off the machine but leave it plugged in. once this is done, you could follow the steps outlined below:

  1. Place a mug or cup under the brew head to catch all of the water that would be drained from the machine.
  2. Lift the brewer handle to drain the water in the outer reservoir into the interior hot water reservoir of the machine. This process should be repeated until all the water in the outer reservoir has been drained.
  3. Close the brew handle and hold the brew button. This should drain the water into the mug beneath the brew head, and you might need to empty the mug a couple of times before you’re done.

In addition, if you possess or are thinking of purchasing a Keurig K15, you could learn several things from this Keurig K15 review.

Draining a K-classic and Keurig 2.0

How to Drain a Keurig? Easy to Follow Guide!

These brand models are a little tricky because they can’t be fully drained but avoid using just any method shared online as some of them could void your warranty. As such, the best you can do with these models is to remove the water tank, empty it and leave it to dry before storing your machine. Also, ensure that you store your machine in the proper conditions.

Draining a K-slim and Keurig Rivo

How to Drain a Keurig? Easy to Follow Guide!

These models are the easiest to drain since they don’t possess any internal tanks whatsoever. All you have to do is empty the external reservoir and dry it before replacing it on the machine.

Final Thoughts

Within this piece, we have covered whatever method would be needed to drain your Keurig Trusted Source The inside story of Keurig's rise to a billion-dollar coffee empire - The Boston Globe During its 2010 fiscal year, Keurig sold more than $330 million worth of brewers, which go for anywhere from $79.95 to $249.95 each. The company’s real money, though, comes from its “K-Cup” coffee capsules – it sold well over $800 million worth of those last year. archive.boston.com coffee machine, and once you determine which one is for you, you’d be well on your way to having a truly empty machine.

Besides the knowledge of how to drain a Keurig, one area of maintenance that people tend to overlook is storage. If you stored your Keurig in wet conditions, you might see some of the growth you’re trying to prevent popping up, and if your store it in a cold place, it might freeze and damage the machine.

So, rather than just draining the machine and leaving it at that, take care of your Keurig (both the interior and exterior) and store it in a cool, dry place.

References

1.
Coffee makers — how to keep them clean and germ-free - Chicago Sun-Times
Whether it’s the single-serve Keurig, espresso Nespresso machine or a traditional coffee maker, it’s important to keep these appliances clean to prevent the growth of bacteria, yeast or even mold.
2.
The inside story of Keurig
During its 2010 fiscal year, Keurig sold more than $330 million worth of brewers, which go for anywhere from $79.95 to $249.95 each. The company’s real money, though, comes from its “K-Cup” coffee capsules – it sold well over $800 million worth of those last year.

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