Why Did My Keurig Coffee Suddenly Start Tasting Bad? (How To Fix This NOW!)
You’ve had your Keurig for a long time. You’ve made really amazing coffee from it, and you love how easy it is to brew a nice cup of Joe in even the most basic of kitchens.
But then…things changed. One day, as you’re making your morning brew, you notice something strange: the flavor has gotten worst. It doesn’t taste good anymore.
It’s bitter and acidic and just plain gross. You’re left frustrated every morning as your mind races to figure out what happened and how to fix it.
Luckily for you, we’re here to help. This article will answer all of your questions about why your Keurig isn’t brewing coffee like it used to and how you can get back to enjoying your morning cup of joe again!
Why Keurig coffee might start tasting bad
You are using old coffee beans
If your Keurig coffee has started tasting bad, it might be a sign that your coffee beans are old.
Freshly roasted coffee loses its taste quickly because it starts losing its aroma when it comes into contact with air. It may be best to always buy freshly roasted coffee rather than using stale ones.
Leaving coffee beans exposed to air at room temperature will decrease their shelf life. It’s best to keep them in an airtight container or vacuum-sealed bag if you don’t plan on using them right away.
When you buy freshly roasted coffee, you want it to stay fresh for as long as possible so make sure you only buy what you need for the next week or two. This way, you’ll always have access to delicious coffee!
You are buying generic K-Cup brands
You might be surprised to learn that one of the things that can cause your Keurig coffee to taste bad is using instead some off-brand generic form of your coffee pod. But it’s true!
You might be buying generic K-Cup brands but this might be sacrificing consistently high standards. Keurig manufactures its K-Cup coffee from a specialty roaster with a solid reputation in the coffee world. This is what they use to produce K-Cup capsules that should help ensure your coffee tastes beautiful.
It all comes down to avoiding generic brand coffee pods made to “fit” the Keurig that might not always pull the same standards In quality and flavor as the company itself does.
You are not using fresh water
Believe it or not, water does get old over time, so much so that it can actually affect the taste of your brews.
You’ll need to replace your water at least every 2 to 3 days if it’s still sitting in the tank (or every week if you’re using a pitcher).
This will guarantee the freshness of the water when it brews with your coffee.
So what happens when you don’t replace your water?
It starts tasting kind of… stale and gross. And no one wants to drink stale, gross coffee!
Your Keurig needs cleaning
It might not surprise you, but the flavor of your brew is one factor that’s influenced by how clean your coffee maker is.
If you don’t clean your Keurig it can even build up mold and bacteria which could develop a rancid taste to your coffee let alone the possibility of any health issues that it might cause you.
Once you’re done with cleaning and descaling a Keurig, you should then run a few cycles of brewing without a K-Cup until you run out of water in your reservoir tank.
Your Keurig is building up limescale
Your Keurig is building up limescale, and if you’re not careful, it could start affecting the taste of your coffee. If changing the water and coffee bean does not work, your Keurig is probably to blame.
The accumulation of limescale can affect the performance of your coffee machine, as well as introduce chemical flavors to your coffee.
Limescale can accumulate on your Keurig and cause it to start tasting bad. There are a few remedies that you can apply to eliminate the metallic taste.
To descale your Keurig, run a vinegar-based solution through the machine at least once every 3 months.
You used vinegar to descale your Keurig
After descaling your Keurig with vinegar, you might taste a hint of vinegar in your coffee.
Here’s how you can get rid of it quickly.
First, add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and add it to a full tank of water in the reservoir and brew until empty. This will help neutralize any remaining acidity.
Next, brew water only until the water reservoir is empty.
If you still can’t remove the vinegar taste try adding another ½ of a teaspoon of baking soda to the water reservoir and brewing until empty again.
You reused your K-Cup
The regular, disposable K-Cups are plastic. If you opt for Keurig My K-Cup Universal Reusable Filter or a stainless steel reusable K-Cup from third parties, the water will have less low-quality plastic to contact. In the end, you’ll have fewer chances of getting that dreaded synthetic chemical taste in your cup of coffee.
K-Cups consist of a plastic cup, an aluminum lid, and a filter. If you look inside your K-Cup pod, you’ll see that it’s not an ordinary filter like the ones in coffee makers.
It’s made up of paper and cellulose fibers—the same material used in candy wrappers! however, the good thing is that you can use these over and over again by replacing the coffee grounds inside.
You actually can’t do that with disposable K-Cups. If you plan to use them again a second or third time, you’ll likely receive watered-down coffee.
So if you’re using one of those pods over again more than once or twice, it starts getting pretty gross pretty quickly.
Your Keurig is not getting your water hot enough or too hot
If your Keurig is not getting your water hot enough, or if it’s too hot, this can cause issues with the taste of your coffee. Here’s how to make sure you’re brewing at the right temperature.
Make sure you are using water that is near boiling.
If you have recently switched to a different method of heating up water, check to make sure you are using water that is near boiling as well.
If you use water at the wrong temperature when making coffee, it can cause a bitter taste in your coffee.
Boiling is definitely too hot and your coffee can taste more bitter than before.
The Keurig machines are pre-set to brew at 192degrees Fahrenheit but optimal brewing temperatures are between 187 and 192 degrees Fahrenheit according to the NCA (National Coffee Association).
How to fix Keurig coffee that tastes bad
Use 100% arabica coffee K-Cups
One problem that might be possible is that your coffee is not of great quality.
The quality of the coffee can change the way that it tastes and using 100% arabica coffee can help you get a better flavor overall.
If you are using better coffee, you can be sure that the overall flavor is going to be better altogether.
Use each K-Cup only once
Another problem you might be dealing with is using a K-Cup too many times. Though you might be tempted to use a K-Cup more than once, the first brew is going to taste the best.
If you do use a K-Cup more than once, it might not taste as good the second time. If you want to ensure that each cup of coffee tastes great, use each K-cup only once.
Descale your Keurig every 6 months
Another problem that you might deal with is that your Keurig has limescale in it.
Limescale builds up when hard water or mineral-rich water is used in the Keurig instead of filtered or distilled water. If you are using tap water to brew your coffee in the Keurig, you are going to want to help descale and clean up the machine every 6 months or so.
You should run vinegar and water through your machine to help descale the interior of the machine, to help make sure that the tank is not covered in limescale as well.
Descaling is going to remove that build-up and help your machine not only work better but will also help the coffee taste better as well.
Clean your water tank Reservoir regularly
Your water tank may also be dirty and could be affecting your coffee taste. A water tank that is dirty is going to deposit dirty water into your coffee, this dirty water is going to affect the taste of your coffee.
You need to wash your tank in warm soapy water at least once a week so that you can keep it clean and ensure that the water that is going into your coffee.
Replace your water in your reservoir tank every 2 to 3 days
If you are using your Keurig regularly but you are not going through your water tank fully each week, you should replace the water every two or three days to help ensure that the water being used for your coffee is clean and that it tastes good as well.
Swap the water out in your tank at least every three days to ensure that it is clean and that the water being used to brew your coffee is fresh and tastes good.
Change out your water filter every two months
Another issue that might be making the coffee taste different is the water filter.
The filter is going to collect any impurities in the water. You should clean the filter every two months or replace it fully so that you can be certain that the water is clean and that it is going to taste great when you brew your coffee.
Run a few brew cycles with only water before brewing coffee
If you are still dealing with coffee that does not taste good, you may need to run a few brew cycles with no coffee in the machine to help clean out the inside of the machine and help to ensure that it is fully cleaned out.
Keep your K-Cups in a cool and dry environment
Your coffee may also be bad. You need to make sure your coffee is kept in a cool and dry place to help ensure that it stays fresh and that it tastes great when you brew it.
Pick and choose a different K-Cup variety with different grain size, texture, flavor, and roast
Keeping with the coffee theory, it may also be that you just do not like the coffee that you are using.
If that is the case, you can always try a few different types of coffee and see if you can find one that you like the taste of.
There are thousands of different types of K-Cup; different roasts, different grain sizes, and different textures. You should take the time to find one that you really like.
Change the brewing temperature of your Keurig
Your Keurig may not be brewing at the right temperature as well. If you are dealing with a Keurig that is too hot for instance it may scald the grounds and can burn the coffee and give it a bitter taste.
Change the cup size that your Keurig dispenses
You may need a smaller cup size as well. It could be that the coffee may not be strong enough and if that is the case, you may need to make a smaller cup of coffee so that the coffee will be stronger.
Only use fresh water
Fresh water with every single brewing is another way to ensure that the coffee is going to be fresh and is going to taste great as well.
Add some flavor ingredients
If you are still having issues, you may need to add some flavoring to the coffee to change the way that it tastes.
You can add some different flavorings and different creamers to help change up the flavor and to help make it taste better.
How to prevent Keurig coffee from tasting bad
If you want to keep your Keurig from tasting bad, these are just a few steps.
Taking the time to really test things and try out different methods to see what type of flavors you like is really the best way to keep your machine making great coffee.
Also, keeping your machine clean is going to help.
Other interesting articles:
