Don't Forget This Important Step When Your Keurig Coffee Finishes Brewing

There is so much you can do with a Keurig coffee maker, from making a steaming, hot cup of noodles or ramen to boiling a single serving of pasta quickly. But for many people, its main purpose, brewing a cup of coffee, is the best use of the machine. Now, most know that some parts should be cleaned weekly, by removing different elements and soaking in hot water, then allowing them to air-dry. However, there's an important step you'll want to perform in order to increase the lifespan of your Keurig, and you might not have considered it. Once your coffee is done brewing, it's essential that you remove the K-Cup in a timely manner.

Did you know that the longer your used K-Cup sits in the pod holder, the dirtier the needle (that piercing part that pokes a hole in the top of the pod) can get? And when K-Cups habitually sit in the pod holder after they've been run through with the hot water, the wet grounds can eventually work their way up into the crevices of the needle, clogging it. This can cause your Keurig to malfunction, which is a huge pain in the behind (we know about unclogging and cleaning Keurig needles, and it's a bit of a process). If you have a penchant for leaving the pods in the holder overnight, or longer, set a timer on your phone or smartwatch as soon as you grab your mug.

A clogged Keurig needle is something of a hassle, causing you to either stop what you're doing and give it a good cleaning or simply go without coffee (if you're in the midst of a busy morning and just need to get out the door). But it can also be detrimental to your health. Consider this: Once your coffee is done brewing, if you leave the K-cup in the pod holder, with the latch closed, it creates a dark, moist, and, for a few minutes at least, warm environment. What do we know of that thrives in such a place? Bacteria.

A dirty Keurig coffee maker can become a breeding ground for potentially harmful bacteria, like E. coli or Staphylococcus, both of which tend to be harmless, but in the right environment, and at their highest levels, could end up making you incredibly sick, to the point of death in extreme cases. If you just can't seem to remove the K-Cups in a timely manner, try to let this reason for doing so be the motivation you need, especially if you use a shared Keurig, like in a place of work.