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If you are a coffee lover, you would have definitely noticed the small cute cup that comes filled with a variety of flavors. These cups are handy and you can use them at home and office. In addition, you can also use it while traveling. You can prepare coffee with the contents of this cup with the Keurig machine’s help. Therefore, the name K-cup.
How To Use Keurig Coffee Maker?
- Plug the Keurig machine
Once you unbox the Keurig machine, you should plug it into a grounded outlet. All Keurig machines are designed to plug to a grounded outlet for safety reasons.
- Fill the reservoir with water
A Keurig machine comes fitted with a reservoir either on the side or back of the machine. While some reservoirs are detachable, others are fixed. If it is detachable, remove the reservoir, and clean it. In the case of a non-detachable reservoir, you should wipe and run water through the machine to clean it.
Once cleaned, you should fill the reservoir with water. However, you should ensure that the water is filled only up to the maximum level marked on the side of the reservoir.
- Open the lid and insert the K cup
Once you fill the water in the reservoir, you are ready to prepare the beverage. For this, you should lift the handle of the Keurig machine. The K-cup holder will pop out. Now, place the K-cup in the holder. While placing the cup, you should make sure not to remove the foil on the top. The Keurig machine has a special needle that can pierce the foil on the cup.
- Close the lid
Once you have placed the K-cup in the holder, you can bring down the handle and securely close it. Some models will display a “ready to brew” message, which shows that your machine is ready for brewing.
If you have just brewed a cup of coffee, you should give the machine sometime before brewing again. This helps the device to cool down.
- Press the brewing button
You can select the brew button depending on the type of brew you want. You can choose the cup size and the strength of the coffee using the button. There are also options to choose between hot and cold beverages. Once the brewing is over, the machine will let out a loud burst of air. You can now place the cup under the machine and take the coffee.
To be on the safer side, you should never open the Keurig machine when the brewing is going on.
Now your K-cup is ready for serving.
What is Keurig and K-cup?
Keuring is a system of brewing beverages that you can use at home and office. It was developed by an American company Keurig Dr Pepper, and therefore the name. Keurig beverages include hot and cold coffee, cocoa, tea, dairy-based products, and fruit-based drinks. Keurig mainly sells its products through licensed vendors like Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and Gloria Jeans.
K cup is a single serve brewing capsule made for a Keurig machine. This cup has coffee ground and a filter in it and comes with a foil topping. Before packing, oxygen is removed from the cup so that the ground coffee does not get spoiled.
In addition to coffee, various beverages like tea, cocoa, and other hot drinks are also available in the K cup. All you have to do is add hot water, and your favored beverage will be ready in no time.
How to Use K-cup Without Keurig Coffee Maker?
Though the best K-cup coffee is prepared using a Keurig coffee maker, it is also possible to prepare one if you do not have a coffee maker.
Method 1
- First, remove the foil from the K-cup and transfer the content to a coffee cup. If you want to add any other coffee grinds, you can do so at this point. But it can alter the pure taste of the coffee.
- Now pour hot water to the cup and leave it for 2-5 minutes. This helps the coffee to brew.
- Cut the bottom of the K-cup without disturbing the filer inside.
- Once you brew the coffee, slowly transfer the clear coffee through the filter to another cup. This helps to remove any grinds that got mixed with the brew.
- You can add milk, cream, or soy to the brew and enjoy it.
Method 2
- First, remove the foil from the K-cup and transfer the content to a coffee filter. If you do not have a coffee filter, you can use a clean cloth instead.
- Now tie the coffee filter and make a bag, similar to the teabag. Leave the string long so that it hangs outside the coffee mug.
- Now place the coffee filter on a cup and pour hot water over it. Leave for 5 minutes. This helps the coffee to brew. You can leave it for more time if you want a strong coffee.
- Once you get coffee of the right strength, you can discard the coffee filter. Add milk or cream as desired.
If you have a French press, you can prepare K-cup coffee using it.
Why Should You Go For K-cup Coffee?
- Easy to use
A K cup is very easy to use when compared to regular brewing. With a K cup, you just cannot make a bad cup of coffee. The main advantage of a K cup is that you need not measure the coffee grinds. Thus, you cannot make a mistake by going for the wrong quantity of coffee.
Moreover, since the coffee brews directly on to the cup kept under the machine, there is no mess. All you have to do is to fill the reservoir, place the K cup in the right slot, and place the coffee mug under the machine. The coffee will be ready in no time.
- Saves money
If you are an avid coffee lover who cannot live without that cup of coffee from the coffee shop, then the K cup is a good choice. The K-cup machine can be expensive to buy. But it helps to save money in the long run. And there is no compromise on the quality of the coffee.
- Easy maintenance
The K-cup machine does not have any separate filter to wash and clean. Above all, you are using an airtight K-cup each time. Therefore, maintenance is minimal. There are no glass parts that require careful handling.
The only cleaning part is the reservoir, which is quite easy as you only store water in it.
- Less messy
Once you brew the coffee using a K-cup, the cup remains dry. You can just toss it on to the thrash without leaving any dirty drips.
- Wide selection
K-cup coffees are available in different flavors and varieties. All you have to do is to keep the K-cup in the respective slot, and your coffee will be ready in a minute.
In addition to coffee, you can also brew tea, cocoa, and even fruit drinks using K-cup.
- Attractive look
The Keurig K-cup machine has a sleek and attractive look. It is compact, and you can place it in any corner of the room. Because of this, it blends with the overall office decor.
What Are the Drawbacks of K-cup Coffee?
The only drawback of K-cup coffee is the number of used cups being thrown out as trash. Consequently, serious environmental hazards can occur in the long run.
If you are concerned about the environmental effect of using K-cups, you can go for reusable K-cups. In this, you can add coffee grinds and brew coffee just like a normal K-cup. After each use, you can wash and clean it and reuse it again.