“I believe humans get a lot done not because we are smart because we have thumbs so we can make coffee.”
Whether you have a one cup a day habit or a three pot a day habit, one of the most convenient ways to feed that habit is with the Keurig style coffee maker. It allows you to brew your favourite hot drink one cup at a time. Whenever the mood strikes your steaming cup of deliciousness can be sitting on your desk in mere minutes. Specifically because they have such large reservoirs.
What is Keurig?
Keurig is a luxurious coffee brewer used in both homes and shops. It was manufactured by the American company Keurig Dr pepper in Burlington, Massachusetts.
The main products are K-cup pods, which are single serve coffee containers, other beverage pods, and other proprietary machines that brew the beverages in these pods.
Can you leave water in a Keurig?
Well with water reservoirs capable of holding anything between 40 ounces to 80 ounces, of course, you can! With this amount of water, you can make up to 10 cups of coffee.
Now obviously the perfect cup of Joe requires water for brewing!!
If you are using your Keurig daily the water you put in the reservoir will cycle through the machine quickly depending on the size of the machine you use and the amount of coffee you drink.
Sure it makes sense to fill the entire water reservoir so that you don’t have to re-pour and reheat water every time you want to make more than one cup.
But, if you are not using it regularly you should keep the reservoir as empty as possible.
Now, you can leave water in your Keurig for 3 to 4 days but it is recommended that you refresh the reservoir of water after that, or properly heat the water before use.
Letting water stagnate will result in the development of limescale which will affect the taste of your coffee and if untreated, it might even shorten the life of your machine.
Worst, you can start seeing the growth of bacteria which can be harmful to your health.
Should you leave water in the Keurig?
Keurig machines are designed in such a way as to recycle water in the machine reservoir. This design is based on the regular use of a brewer.
We know bacteria like the damp and the dark, and the Keurig water containers offer them exactly this kind of environment.
Studies done by the University of Valencia in Spain and CBS have found that Keurig machines are breeding grounds for several dangerous kinds of bacteria.
Limescale, for that matter, can be harmful in large quantities but in small quantities, quite harmless. Limescale, however, can become an enemy for those with sensitive taste buds.
Therefore, how long you can leave water in your Keurig is determined also by the time which it takes for the limescale to appear.
Having said that, it is probably safe to leave water in your Keurig overnight if you plan to drink the coffee less than 12 hours later. Additionally, many types of bacteria die at 167 degrees Fahrenheit so when your Keurig water tank heats up it probably decontaminates the water.
What should you do if you leave water in Keurig for long?
If water has been sitting in your Keurig for a long time you need to remove it and clean the machine. I know it can be a bit inconvenient to remove the tank from the machine to clean it but your safety is paramount.
FUN FACT: Even Keurig Agrees To This Part!!
The coffee machine makers advise on how to maintain your Keurig to keep it contaminant-free:
- Descale it every 3 to 6 months.
- The water reservoir should be cleaned once a week.
- Vinegar can also be used to clean the water tank.
- Running cleansing Brews to remove standing water.
- If the machine has not been in use for some time it should be descaled first.
How to clean and descale a Keurig?
Water can become stagnant and result in growing mold in a Keurig. That isn’t going to happen if you use your machine routinely, but just leaving water in for a few days might get the process started.
If you don’t use the Keurig often you will want to empty the reservoir and clean it thoroughly at least once a month. This will reduce the chances of slime build-up in the machine.
Additionally, you will want to thoroughly clean and descale the entire machine approximately every three months.
To descale your machine, you can purchase the descaling product made by the company. Alternatively, you can run a mix of 50 percent water and 50 percent vinegar or citric acid through the machine.
After running either product through, make sure to run clear water through several times to thoroughly rinse your machine.
How do I completely empty my Keurig?
Knowing how harmful it might be for your Keurig to leave water in it, you might have a challenge in emptying it. Here are some instructions and tips on completely emptying your Keurig brewer.
For most home use Keurig you need to firstly power off the machine, use a mug on the drip tray, and then lift the brewer handle to move leftover water from the Cold Reservoir to the Hot Reservoir.
Lastly hit the BREW button to empty out all the water from the Hot Water Reservoir. Some versions do have an external tank that is removable which makes it easy to empty the water out.
For other versions like the 2.0, it is not possible to empty out the internal tank, you can only clear out the removable reservoir tank and store it in a suitable environment where the water will not freeze.
If you want to empty the commercial versions of the Keurig for moving or storage each version has a specific guide to help you. And the good thing all of the commercial versions can be drained.
Final Thoughts
Your Keurig is a great machine that consistently delivers a perfect cup of coffee. They are easy to use and relatively easy to maintain. Well, in return you need to take the utmost care of it.
You can store the water in it for up to four days but a good practice would be to empty out the water after every use.
With the proper upkeep, there is no reason why your Keurig machine won’t give you perfectly delicious (and sanitary) cups of coffee for years to come!
Sources:
https://www.amazon.com/Keurig