Descaling Your Keurig And Coffee Brewers

The motivation and intent behind an inviting and profitable coffee shop must also provide an atmosphere where everyone feels welcome to sit, sip, socialize, and work. Now that working and homeschooling is the new norm, coffee connoisseurs are encouraged to self-quarantine and honor state bans prohibiting co-mingle and dining indoors during the pandemic. More than ever, consumers are seeking ways to brew the perfect cup of morning Joe at home. Machines designed to brew one cup at a time saves time and also promotes diversity in flavor selections. A Keurig Coffee Machine offers convenience; however, they aren't cheap. The cleaning care for Keurig coffee maker is simple with a multipurpose detergent and cleaner like Powerizer Complete instead of Keurig Rinse Pods that cost between $8-$10 for 10 pods. Powerizer is all you need to clean and descale a Keurig coffee maker. Consumers can apply these same steps to cleaning a traditional coffee pot as well.

First, let us discuss one crucial topic regarding your machine that might encourage you to keep things simple with tap water and be a little pickier in your coffee selections. Have you ever reminisced back to a day when you thought, "This is the best cup of coffee I've ever had?" Was it consumed while traveling abroad or at a coffee shop down the street from home or work? You may have assumed the great flavor must have come from a perfectly roasted high-grade bean. However, did you know the hardness of your water can affect the flavor of your coffee? Compounds in hard water are sticky and grab onto the compounds of coffee. Magnesium makes coffee stronger and more caffeinated. Bicarbonate makes coffee more bitter, and depending on the Eugenol levels, hard water will bring out a woodsier aroma.

Many would have thought using distilled water to brew your Joe is better since it prevents limescale inside the machine. However, it's not the best option for brewing the best cup of coffee. A French Roast brewed in Seattle versus a Miami cup could be entirely different because of varying water hardness. Large amounts of rainfall in Seattle could also affect the water seasonally. 85% of the United States live in a hard water zone. Since most consumers fill the reservoir with tap water, it's easy to assume limescale will form, especially around the heating elements inside your machine. When it comes time to descale your machine, one scoop of Powerizer is all you need. Let's walk through these seven simple steps.

Step 1: Prepare a bucket to soak the upper brew station inner components first. Mix one scoop of Powerizer Complete dishwasher detergent for hard water, drop in one pod or a half scoop to one gallon of distilled water into a container large enough to hold all the detachable inner components. Baristas may use regular tap water instead of distilled water if it's not available. Nevertheless, hard water makes detergent less effective; therefore, add a ¼ scoop more to compensate.

Step 2: Remove the three upper components and the detachable spill tray and place them into the soak bucket. Wipe them clean with a microfiber cloth. Then place them back into the machine to begin the descaling process. You can perform a final wash and rinse of these components a second time after the descaling process is over. 

Step 3: Next, fill the reservoir to the fill line with hot water. Fully dissolve one scoop of detergent or one Powerizer Complete Pod in a coffee cup with HOT Water. Once the detergent has dissolved, pour it into the reservoir. 

Step 4: Place a large container under the brew spout. Next, select the size cup you used when applying the water. Then brew hot water repeatedly until all the reservoir passes through the machine.

 

Step 5: Once the reservoir water brews through the entire machine, rinse out the container under the faucet to remove any detergent residue.

Step 6: Refill the reservoir with plain water and brew it through the machine again by selecting the hot water feature. This process will ensure the detergent is pushed through the machine and rinsed clean.

 

 

Step 7: Mix one gallon of hot water into a bucket large enough to soak all the removable inner components a second time. Using less water, mix a more concentrated solution. Fill the container with hot water and drop in one cleaning pod or pour in one scoop of Powerizer Complete. Soak the components for as long as desired. Wipe all the components using a plush microfiber cloth, rinse them clean then set them aside to dry. After the components are dry, wipe and rinse all the inner and exterior surfaces of the Keurig. Finally, replace the inner components and refill the reservoir with tap water to make sure it's ready for the next use.  

Brewing a fresh cup at home isn't going to provide the skill needed to complete in the United States Brewers Cup (USBrC). However, it is rewarding to know the necessary steps to mix up a Keurig descaling solution and an effective coffee pot cleaner. One full scoop of Powerizer costs about 30 cents, all the justification needed to allocate those additional savings toward flavored creamers and fancy coffee cups instead.