Do you depend on your Keurig coffee maker to start your day, but it seems to operate slowly? Avoid being slowed down by a sluggish coffee maker and don’t worry, you don’t have to buy a new one! We’ll look at typical causes for why my Keurig coffee maker is running slow, along with solutions. So let’s troubleshoot while enjoying a cup of coffee together!
Table of Contents
How Long Should a Keurig Take to Brew?
In order to find out if your Keurig coffee maker is running slow or not, you need to be aware of the standard coffee brewing time. Whether you’re using k-cups or k-pods in your coffee machine, the normal brewing time should be between 2 to 3 minutes.
When you use k-cup or coffee pods in your Keurig machine, it brews around 6 to 12 oz of coffee at a time, usually taking 1 to 4 minutes. Note that this does not include the time it takes to heat the water for brewing.
So, even if you consider an extra minute for the water heat-up time, your Keurig machine should ideally take 2 to 3 minutes for brewing 10oz of coffee and 3 to 4 minutes for 12oz of coffee. In case you’re shopping around for a new machine, take a look at our top picks for a pod coffee maker, including Keurig models.
Why is My Keurig Slow to Brew?
Like all electrical appliances, your Keurig coffee machine can malfunction, slow down, or stop working with time. The good news is that a coffee machine working slowly is not an irreversible problem – you can easily solve it.
However, before we do that, let’s take a look at the common reasons for Keurig coffee machines slowing down:
The Water Line or Input Filter is Clogged
This is the most common reason for your coffee machine to work slowly. This primarily happens because the water line or input filter gets clogged.
You see, the machine has a tiny needle or water line from where the coffee passes. If that water line is clogged, the coffee brewing process automatically slows down.
Related Post: How to Get my Keurig to Give me Hotter Coffee
The Puncture Needle Hasn’t Been Cleaned
Another common cause of Keurig machines slowing down is because of a damaged or dirty puncture needle. It may not even pierce through the lid of a K-Cup. You can either clean your puncture needle or get a new one if it is not salvageable anymore.
Note that your first option should always be cleaning the puncture needle of your Keurig coffee machine so you do not have to buy a new one.
You Haven’t Descaled it in a While
If you tried cleaning your Keurig coffee machine and the slow brewing problem persists, it means you have to descale it. With time, calcium deposits, also known as scales, start collecting inside your Keurig coffee machine and end up clogging the water lines.
So, if you have not descaled your Keurig coffee machine in a while, this could be the reason why your machine is working slowly.
How to Fix a Keurig Slow Drip Problem
As discussed earlier, there are various reasons for a slow brewing Keurig. Once you have identified the root cause of the slow drip problem, you can follow the steps below to make your Keurig coffee maker work properly again.
Clean the Needle That Punctures the K-cup
The puncture needles in your Keurig coffee machine make holes in K-cups or coffee pods, allowing hot water to pass through them. However, with regular use, small coffee grounds can clog up the tip of the needles and in turn clog the holes that they make, thus slowing down the brewing process.
Therefore, you must unclog and clean the puncture needles inside your coffee maker. You can use any sewing needle and cleaning solution to unclog and clean the puncture needle.
Make sure to be careful while cleaning these puncture needles, as they have sharp edges that could cause serious injuries.
Descale the Machine
If cleaning the puncture needle did not solve the slow drip problem in your Keurig machine, it is probably time for descaling.
Ideally, it would be best if you descaled your coffee maker every 3 to 6 months, irrespective of the water filter you are using. For descaling, you can buy Keurig’s signature descaling solution to eliminate all the calcium build-up effectively. One advantage of using Keurig’s own descaling solution is that it does not leave any unpleasant odor and is completely safe to use.
You can also purchase additional rinse pods and filters along with Keurig’s descaling solution to make cleaning easier, effective, and long-lasting.