How Many Times Can You Use A Keurig Cup? A To Z Of K-Cups

 How many times can you use a Keurig cup, how to reuse k-cups more than once, and how can you use a coffee pod twice – find out all about it and more here.

If you’re a coffee drinker, chances are you’ve used a Keurig before. They’re convenient, easy to use and make a great cup of coffee. But how many times can you use a Keurig cup before it needs to be replaced? The answer is: it depends. 

But why should we bother about how many times can you use coffee pods? Well, the kind of plastic used in the K-cups is accepted for recycling by only one-third of the leading recycling companies, according to this report. Moreover, since 25% of American households use K-cups, the number of K-cup pods being trashed can wrap the world around 10 times!

Since coffee and the environment are topics close to my heart, I thought that I’d share this post with you so that we can be more conscientious without compromising on the taste of our coffee. 

What Is A K-Cup?

A K-cup or a K-pod is a little sealed plastic cup that contains ground coffee. It operates by inserting it into a Keurig coffee maker, which has a metal needle that produces a hole in the top of the Keurig pod and injects hot water into it by exerting pressure. The water then pours out of the second hole the needle makes on the bottom. 

In other words, the K-cup is a miniature version of a standard coffee brewer and it consists of four parts:

• The outer plastic covering keeps out moisture, light, and air so that you can keep the coffee fresh until you’re ready to brew.
• A miniature paper filter that’s much like the one you would use in a standard coffee maker to keep your coffee free of grinds.
• Coffee grinds are measured out into each K-cup for a consistently flawless cup of coffee every time.
• The airtight foil seal covers the K-cup and aids in blocking off moisture, light, and air.

How Does A K-Cup Work?

If you’re new to Keurig and haven’t used a K-cup, the following steps explain how you can get a hot coffee in minutes. On a side note, if you’re especially into hot coffee, check out the hottest coffee maker in town. 

Step 1: Put the K-cup in the chamber of the Keurig coffee maker and press down the handle.

Step 2: A tiny needle punctures the foil of the K-cup lid when the handle is lowered. A needle also pierces the bottom part of the K-cup at the same time.

Step 3: Pressurized hot water is delivered to the coffee grounds through the top needle. After being filtered out, the freshly brewed steaming coffee is then sent to your mug sitting pretty on the tray.

Now coming to the main question. 

How Many Times Can You Use A Keurig Cup?

A Keurig coffee pod is meant for a single serve cup. If you’re like me and have a strong black coffee every morning, using the same coffee pod twice will be disappointing at best. With the Keurig machine, you can have a great cup of coffee if you use the pod once and that too at a six ounce cup setting. Other cup settings in the Keurig coffee maker are 8-ounce and 10-ounce sizes. Naturally, these larger servings of coffee won’t be as strong as the six ounce cup as more water is added. 

Can you reuse K cups? Of course, you can use the K cup twice if you don’t mind a weak and dull second cup. Most of the flavor was already extracted from the coffee grounds the first time around. Do you reuse coffee grounds that you used in your regular coffee maker to make a second cup? Most coffee drinkers don’t but for those who like weak coffee, it’s okay if they use K cup twice.

Can You Reuse K Cups?

You can reuse K-cups more than once if you buy a reusable K cup. With a reusable K cup like this, you can brew coffee as many times as you want instead of wasting precious money on K cup pods that you use once and throw away. Do you know how much money you waste with these K cups? Let’s break it down for you!

Suppose you buy the Original Donut Shop Keurig Single Serve K Cup Pods for roughly $32 from Amazon. You get 72 K cup coffee pods in this pack. If you drink 3 cups of coffee daily, you need 90 K cup coffee pods per month. Which equals around $40 per month. 

Now compare this to buying a reusable K cup for about $10 and investing another $20 for a kilo of coffee grounds. You save more than just $10 per month because you can make coffee with the same K cup without throwing them away. And let’s not even get into how much cost you’re saving from helping the environment. 

What Are The Benefits Of A Reusable K Cup?

I have just given you a simple calculation to show how much you can save every month by investing in reusable K cup pods. By saving at least $10 the first month (because your reusable K cup is a one-time investment) and $20 for the rest of the months, you end up saving a minimum of $230 annually. Besides being cost-effective, let’s see what other benefits you get is you reuse Keurig cups. 

They make you more conscientious toward the environment. I have already covered how single serve K pods that are trashed can wrap the world around so many times. However, since 2020, according to Keurig’s website, all their K pods are recyclable. But there’s a caveat – you need to peel away the foil lid, empty the used coffee grounds, and wash the pod before you bin it. Now that’s not as easy as just throwing away the used K pod in the trash as you could be in a rush. That’s why it’s better to switch to reusable K pods. 

With the control of the coffee grounds you use in a reusable K cup in your hands, you ensure a strong cup of fresh coffee every time. But if you bought a stash of K pods with coffee inside already and you have no clue for how long they have been on the store shelf, you are not sure your coffee will taste so fresh. But if you know how long to store coffee beans, you get fresh coffee always. 

Last but certainly not least, with reusable K pods, you can experience a wide range of roasts and flavors in your coffee and change them according to your mood, occasion, or weather. As a coffee lover, there’s nothing worse than not being in total control of your coffee and tasting the exquisite flavors whenever you want.

How To Use Reusable Keurig Cups

Can K cups be used twice? Yes, but only if you bought a reusable K pod. But before that, you need to know how to use a Keurig machine if you haven’t done so yet. The process is pretty straightforward. Let me walk you through how to prep the coffee machine, how to brew a cup of coffee, and how to reuse the K reusable coffee pod. 

Prepping Your Keurig Machine

Step 1: The first step is to plug your Keurig into an electrical outlet.

Step 2: The water reservoir should then be removed and thoroughly rinsed. Some coffee maker models might not allow you to remove the built-in water reservoir. In that case, you must wash it by running water through it.

Step 3: The reservoir must then be filled with fresh water after being cleaned. Be careful not to fill it past the rim.

Step 4: Then, turn on the appliance by pressing the power button. The water ought to begin warming up naturally. Wait for the boiling to finish.

Step 5: To clean the inside of the Keurig unit, you must run an empty brew cycle. Open the k-cup holder, place a mug on the drip tray, and then close it again as if you had just inserted a coffee pod. Then press the brew button.

Step 6: Pour away the water that collects in your mug after letting the brew cycle complete. Always keep in mind not to insert a K-cup during the cleaning cycle.

After completing these steps, your machine is now prepared to accept the first coffee pod.

Brewing Your First Cup Of Coffee With A K-Cup

Step 1: Place a clean coffee mug on the drip tray. The drip tray may need to be removed if you wish to use a travel mug because it’s larger than your regular mug and won’t fit unless you remove the tray. 

Step 2: Insert the coffee pod into the machine by raising the handle. Before putting the K-cup, there’s no need to remove the foil because, during the brew cycle, the Keurig’s built-in needles will penetrate it.

Step 3: Push the handle down to shut the lid once the k-cup is securely in place. Before continuing, make sure the lid is completely closed.

Step 4: Push the brew button after that, and wait for the cycle to complete. The brewing process is usually finished in under a minute.

Step 4: Your coffee will flow into your mug after the brewing process is finished. You’ll know when the machine releases a burst of air.

Voila! You have your very first cup of coffee made on a Keurig machine with a reusable K-pod. The best bit is that since these are made by Keurig, you can use these coffee pods in any Keurig machine. Now let’s see how to use the same K-cup. 

How To Reuse The Coffee Pods

Step 1: Wait for the entire system to cool down after brewing your first cup of coffee using a recyclable pod. This delay is necessary to prevent burning while trying to take out the old pod.

Step 2: Remove the filter holder’s cover from the K pod. Turn the lid counterclockwise to release it. Remove the used coffee grounds. To reduce trash, use these on a compost farm. There are other ways to reuse them like making your own body scrub with the grounds or if you are a watercolor enthusiast, you can mix the coffee grounds with water and use them to paint watercolors. 

Step 3: Then, add your favorite coffee grounds to the reusable coffee pod. Leave around 1mm empty at the top. Then twist the cover back on the K pod.

Step 4: Tamp and close the lid on top of the pod. The cover will most likely be made of silicone, aluminum, or stainless steel. Make sure the coffee grinds are packed tightly.

Step 5: Before inserting the filter holder into the Keurig, make sure the lid is flat and securely in place. But be careful not to turn the lid too much because it can break.

Step 6: Remove the holder component. For doing this, you must firmly grasp your Keurig and raise the housing from the bottom. The holder assembly should come off easily. The reusable My K-Cup filter holder can be inserted into the open assembly position now. Aim to align the arrows on your My K-Cup lid with the Classic Series brewer.

Step 7: Click the “brew” button. After the device completes its cycle, pour your steaming cup of coffee.

Note: Don’t use tea or green tea pods or any other powdered beverages in the Keurig pod as these have been designed for coffee only. 

How Many Times Can You Reuse Coffee Pods?

A reusable K-Cup should last the whole lifespan of your Keurig device, if not longer. These K pods are basically made from plastic and this material lasts forever! Plus the metal mesh inside the pods are also long-lasting. Similarly, the silicone, stainless steel, or aluminum lid of the K-pods are durable. And if you take proper care of them, then these can last for a lifetime. 

Can You Use A Coffee Pod Twice To Get The Best Flavor?

No, you can’t get the best coffee flavor by using a regular K-pod twice as these are single serve only. So, for a strong cup of coffee, don’t use the same coffee pods twice and set the cup size at 6 ounce setting. If you want a larger mug, brew 6-ounce mugs one after the other, each time using one K cup.

However, if you use a reusable K cup, there are many tips by which you can not only get the best flavor and strength from your coffee but also taste different coffee flavors. So, to answer your question can K cups be used twice, the answer is yes but only when brewing coffee with reusable K pods. 

The following are the secrets to getting a strong cup of coffee with the maximum flavor in the same K cup.

• Use K cups that use only 100% Arabica coffee beans for the best coffee flavor.
• Instead of using tap water for brewing coffee, use bottled or filtered water.
• Every two months, change the water filter of the Keurig machine as this could be one of the reasons why Keurig coffee tastes burnt.
• Every three months, descale your Keurig coffee maker with a vinegar-based cleaning solution or a branded descaler. 

Let’s explore some of these factors more to get a better understanding. 

Water Quality

Your Keurig’s internal components may deteriorate if you use certain types of water. Other types of water with a high content of minerals taste bad and in turn, make your coffee lose their real taste and flavor. There are yet other kinds of water that has been stripped of all its natural components, rendering your coffee tasteless. In some areas, chlorine is used to treat water. So if you use tap water, it will smell of chlorine and will ruin the taste of your brew. 

Many people use filters because they don’t trust tap water. The goal is the same whether you use a pitcher filter or a faucet-mounted one: to rid the water of pollutants and odors. The ideal option for filtering the water for your coffee is a pitcher filter that has an activated carbon filter. Otherwise, you can use bottled water.

Avoid distilled water or purified water as the minerals that give taste to your coffee have been removed from them. 

Coffee Quality

The quality of the ground coffee will make all the difference in the final cup. As mentioned earlier, use K pods that have used 100% Arabica coffee if your preference revolves around aroma. Robusta helps to give your coffee a strong taste. So, it’s better if you choose a ground coffee like this one that combines both Arabica and Robusta to get the best of both worlds. 

Coffee Grind Size

The grind size that you choose is another factor that will enable you in delivering excellent coffee from K pods. Your cup of coffee’s strength and quality are influenced by the size of the coffee grounds.

For coffee pods, whether they are reusable or not, it is generally recommended to use fine coffee grinds. This is because a better extraction will be made possible because the water will have to “work” harder to get through the grounds.

Use a coarse grind size if you want your coffee’s flavor to be less strong. Choose a medium-fine coffee grind size in all other cases. Invest in a burr grinder as opposed to a blade grinder if you’re grinding yourself at home. Burr grinders provide a more consistent blend, which produces stronger coffee.

Pod And Filter

Make sure the pod is made for your coffee maker. Although some pods claim to be universal and can comfortably fit into any coffee maker, in reality, that’s not always the case. So, make sure the reusable pod is the right fit. 

Equally important is the role of the filter. The ideal filter will typically be one with more slots if you’re using a fine grind size. On the other hand, filters with few gaps function well with a coarse grind.

Machine Maintenance 

I have already covered how often you should descale and change the water filter of your Keurig. Besides, you should clean the unit once a week at least and more if you use it more often. Despite of following the cleaning and descaling schedule, you might not get the best flavor from your K cup. In that case, these Keurig troubleshooting tips will come handy. If things don’t improve, maybe you need to clean the Keurig needle. 

FAQs