How To Use Keurig Single Serve Coffee Maker – Using A Keurig Mini Plus

How to use Keurig single serve coffee maker and get your Keurig Mini Plus brewing perfect coffee and tea every single time is the focus of this article.

By the time you have finished reading this article you will know how to run a rinse cycle, how to use your Keurig Mini Plus brewer, how to run a perfect descaling cycle and how to clean and unblock your exit an entrance needles.

Keep reading for the details!

How To Use Keurig Single Serve

Using a Keurig single serve coffee maker is easy, very easy. All that is required for you to brew a great cup of coffee is to insert a Keurig K Cup coffee pod and press the brew button.

Well,

on the face of it, that is all that is needed. There is a lot more to it to get your coffee maker brewing perfect coffee every single time for weeks, months and years to come.

That is the objective of this article, to get you brewing perfect coffee for years to come with your Keurig single serve coffee maker.

Pay attention to the rinsing cycle and the maintenance instructions and my tip for reducing the build up of mineral deposits, calcium and limescale.

Read: How to use a Keurig Mini

How To Use A Single Cup Keurig Mini – How To Use Keurig Mini Plus

Focusing on the Keurig Mini Plus and using it to produce the best coffee, soup, hot chocolate, tea, juices and refreshing drinks, as this model is different from the others due to being compact and a smaller version of the other Keurig coffee makers.

Unbox Your Keurig Mini Plus Coffee Maker And Plug It In

The obvious first starting point is to unbox your Keurig brewer and the removal of any sticky tape that is holding parts together.

Keep your owners manual in a safe place as you never know when you may need to refer to it.

Save the box, fold it and flat pack it. You never know when it will be needed! From selling and sending to Keurig for repair and so on.

Plug in your coffee maker.

How To Use Single Serve Coffee Maker – Setting Up Your Keurig Mini Plus For The First Time

When you use your coffee maker, any coffee maker be it a single serve coffee pod based machine, a drip coffee maker or a home espresso machine it is of critical importance that you clean it first.

That first rinsing cycle will get rid of any build up of dirt, grime and dust from the manufacturing process.

I’m pretty sure that you don’t want that in your cup of coffee!

Raise The Handle Of Your Keurig K Mini And Open The Brew Head

Start this process by lifting the handle to open the brew head. You’ll see a shipping disc in the pod holder.

Most Keurig models, but not all, have a shipping disc placed in the pod holder of new machines. If your machine doesn’t have one, it’s not a problem. If it does, save it.

It will come in handy when selling your machine later or sending it back to Keurig for repair.

Read: How to use Keurig 2.0

Setting Up Your Water Reservoir

Your Keurig Mini Plus has a built-in water tank that has a capacity of 12 Oz (360 ml). It is not removable.

It may be full of all kinds of bacteria, dust, microbes and who knows what else!

This is why it is important to clean and rinse your water tank and internal tubing.

Add 12 Oz (360 ml) of water to your water reservoir. Be careful not to overfill.

Start And Complete A Rinsing Cycle

Start your cleansing cycle by adding 12 Oz (360 ml) of water to your water tank. Press the power button on your Keurig Mini Plus.

Open and close the brew head without adding a K Cup pod.

Press the brew button.

Your water will heat up and then run through your system. Put a coffee cup in place to catch the water that will fall from your coffee spout.

Due to the small water reservoir capacity, run this process three times to flush your system.

Run a rinsing cycle at least once per week to flush coffee grounds and other easily removable dirt from your machine.

Select A Keurig K-Cup Coffee Pod

This is where your fun and enjoyment starts.

Keurig has absolutely no shortage of K Cup pods for you to try, enjoy and experiment with.

Currently, more than 60 different brands produce over 600 different coffee pods with many recognizable brands and companies making coffee pods:

Here are just some names and brands you may recognize:

• Lavazza.
• Tim Hortons.
• Starbucks.
• Peet’s Coffee.
• Folgers.
• McDonald’s McCafe.
• Dunkin’ Donuts.
• Café Bustelo.

It’s not just coffee that is available as there are some absolutely delightful Swiss and Belgian hot chocolates, health herbal teas and Campbell’s soup!

There are no special instructions for your pods, be it soup, hot chocolate or a gourmet Starbucks coffee. Insert your pods and press the brew button!

Read: How to use Keurig

Brewing Your First Cup Of Coffee

So far you have unboxed your Keurig K Mini Plus Coffee Maker, plugged it and powered it up. You have also run a rinsing cycle and are perhaps salivating and waiting for your first brew be it a tea, a coffee or a Campbell’s soup!

Add 12 Oz (360 ml) of fresh water to your water reservoir and brew your first beverage with your coffee maker.

Place a coffee mug below the coffee spout on your drip tray. Open the brew head and insert the pod of your choice into the pod holder.

Close the brew head, locate the brew button and press it. Wait for your water to heat and your drink to be dispensed into your cup.

The Keurig K Mini Plus has the option of “Strong” simply press this button if you want a stronger tea or coffee.

Descaling, Deep Cleaning And Maintaining Your Keurig Mini Plus

Descaling your coffee machine, no matter what type it is, a Keurig, a Nespresso, a pod based coffee maker, a drip coffee machine, a home espresso machine or any other type is very important as limescale, calcium and mineral deposits build up which lead to a deteriorating quality of your beverages made and eventually the blocking and clogging up of your machines.

Clean the drip tray by removing it and wiping it clean with a soft soapy sponge or soft cloth.

Clean all the external surfaces with a damp cloth.

Now it is time to descale your coffee maker.

Add 6 Oz (180 ml) of white cleaning vinegar and 6 Oz of water to your water tank. Run a brewing cycle and repeat 3 to 4 times for a quality deep clean.

Fill the water reservoir 8 to 10 times with fresh clean water to flush your system of vinegar and all traces of it.

After flushing and checking that the scent of aroma has disappeared, move to cleaning your needles.

Cleaning, Unclogging And Maintaining Your Needles

Open the brew head and very carefully remove and clean the pod holder. With a cotton bud, dip it in cleaning vinegar and clean the area around your.

Be careful as the needles are razor sharp.

To clean and unblock the entrance needles and exit needles, use a couple of pipe cleaners and twist them together. Dip and soak them in white cleaning vinegar and poke and twist around inside the entrance and exit needles.

Repeat this action two or three times until the needles and jet lines are clean and clear of all dirt, gunk and coffee oils.

Look out your orange Keurig needle maintenance tool and fill it with 50% white cleaning vinegar and 50% water. Put it in your pod holder and follow the instructions to align it correctly.

Open and close your brew head 5 to 7 times in a pumping action.

Repeat for a second time.

Run two or three flushing cycles with fresh clean water.

Congratulations, your coffee maker, your Keurig Mini is now in optimal condition for brewing perfect coffee.

Frequently Asked Questions About How To Use Keurig Single Serve

Do Keurigs Only Do 1 Cup Of Coffee?

A Keurig single serve coffee maker allows you to make a cup of coffee of 4 to 5 different drink sizes depending on the model. The drink sizes range from 4 Oz to 12 Oz in 2 Oz steps.

Some models miss out on the 4 Oz smallest drink size. Since they are single serve coffee makers they will only make one cup at a time, one cup per coffee pod inserted.

Do You Only Use Keurig Pods Once?

Yes, Keurig K-Cups are for single use only. They are made with only enough ground coffee to brew a single cup of coffee.

If you are able to get a second cup of coffee from your Keurig K Cup, it is a good idea to take a look at your setting and figure out why your Keurig brewer is not getting all the flavor in the first cup of coffee.

Can I Use A Keurig Pod Twice?

No, your Keurig K cup coffee pod cannot be used to make a second cup of coffee.

You can, if you want, brew a second cup of coffee, let it cool down and use the brewed coffee to water your houseplants. The empty pod. The used coffee grounds can go well in your compost pile and the empty pod is great for seedlings.

Why Is My Single Cup Keurig Not Brewing?

There are an almost infinite number of reasons why your Keurig coffee maker is not brewing. It may be something serious like the water pump being broken to a faulty water heater.

It can also be something minor like your machine being blocked by the build up of minerals, calcium and limescale. A good quality deep clean will fix this.

Can I Use Any Coffee Pods In My Keurig?

No, your machine is purposely designed to only work with Keurig K cup coffee pods. You cannot use coffee pods for other machines like a Nespresso in your Keurig as they are incompatible.

Can I Use Starbucks Pods In A Keurig?

Yes, but you must make sure that the Starbucks coffee pods are designed for a Keurig as there are Starbucks capsules that are made for Nespresso machines.

Can You Get Cappuccino Pods For Keurig?

Yes, there are gourmet coffee pods of all types that have all types of coffee beverages, including lattes and cappuccinos.

Do Starbucks Pods Work In Keurig?

Yes, as long as you focus on the sleeve or box that they come in and make sure that your Starbucks pods are marked as being compatible for a Keurig coffee maker.

Pay attention to this as Starbucks also makes coffee pods, capsules to be more precise that are designed for a Nespresso coffee maker.

Nespresso capsules are not compatible with Keurig coffee machines, regardless of who makes the capsules.

Final Thoughts – How To Use Keurig Single Serve

Now that you know how to use Keurig single serve coffee maker and make great coffee with your Keurig Mini Plus and how to keep it in perfect order by running a rinsing cycle once per week and full descale and cleaning of the needles once per month.

I strongly advise that you always use filtered water when filling the water reservoir as you are helping to prevent the build up of mineral deposits which will help to prolong the life of your machine. This simple act I call preventative maintenance.

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Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location