Did a little blue descale light on your Keurig Supreme single serve coffee machine start flashing?
The time has come: you need to descale your brewer. But you don’t have a clue what to do.
No worries, my friend!
Stay with me, and I’ll tell you how to descale Keurig Supreme step by step. I do it regularly with my coffee machine, so I also got a few helpful tips for you.
Well, let’s not waste any more time and get to work!
Table of Contents
Why Is Descaling Your Keurig Regularly So Important?
Descaling your Keurig coffee maker is a boring task (at least for me), but it needs to be done from time to time. To be precise, every 3 months.
Keeping your coffee maker nice and clean is a must if you don’t want to shorten its lifespan. If you maintain it properly, it will deliver you delicious cups of brew for years and years.
You must be asking yourself: what kind of dirt can get inside the closed water system?
Here’s the thing: water contains different minerals like calcium. The more minerals in the water, “the harder” the water is. Those minerals slowly build up inside your coffee machine and form limescale.
Limescale buildups are a persistent enemy.
Here’s why:
Limescale can seriously damage your Keurig brewer. Those nasty buildups can cause you problems, clog your machine, and hamper its work. It can even permanently damage some of the parts.
Also, some particles of that limescale will inevitably end up in your cup. Limescale isn’t toxic for humans. But, in combination with high temperatures and moisture, it’s a coffee-making incubator for developing fungi and bacteria. Yuck!
Now that you know the gross details, it’s time to stop procrastinating and clean your Keurig Supreme!
How To Descale The Keurig Supreme Coffee Maker?
Keurig descale isn’t a difficult task. You just have to follow my instructions. The steps are the same for all K-Supreme models.
IMPORTANT NOTE
I strongly recommend you use Keurig Descaling Solution. Some other descaling solutions or white vinegar can be too aggressive for Keurig’s interior. So, better play safe, and use their original product. Also, it doesn’t have a strong and unpleasant smell, so your house won’t smell like vinegar for a week.
Now, when you’re ready, follow these steps:
- Prepare your Keurig brewer for the process. Empty and clean the water tank. If you have a charcoal filter, don’t forget to remove it, or it’ll be ruined. Also, check if you removed the used K-Cup from the last brewing.
- Descaling solution. Follow the instructions on the bottle. In a nutshell: pour the descaling solution into the water tank. The solution should be diluted with fresh water. The ratio should be 1:1, so you can use an empty solution bottle and measure exactly the same amount of water.
- Start the descaling process. Put a large cup (at least 12oz) under the coffee spout. Your machine should be plugged in but powered off. Press together and hold 8oz and 12oz cup-size buttons. Hold them for 3 seconds. Then, the “Descale” light will turn on. Next, the “Brew” button will start flashing. That’s your sign. Press it, and the descaling cycle will start.
- Descaling cycle. Keurig Supreme will run hot, descale liquid, 12oz at the time. Keep your eyes on the mug because you’ll have to empty it. You will repeat this action until the tank is completely empty. In the end, the “Add water” light will start flashing.
- Rinse the machine. Remove the water reservoir and pour the fresh water all the way up. When you put it back into place, the “Brew” button will start flashing. Press it, and the rinsing process will start. Just like in the descaling cycle, you’ll have to empty the mug every 12oz, so pay attention. Repeat this until all the lights on the brewer turn off.
The descaling process is over, and your Keurig is again ready for use. Now, make yourself a cup of coffee, you deserve it!
How To Take Care Of Your Keurig And Keep It In A Good Condition?
Descaling isn’t the only thing you should do for your Keurig. Just like with living organisms, every part of the “body” must be healthy so it can function well. So, other parts of Keurig also need attention and care.
Quick reminder: Whenever you mess around with your coffee maker, disassemble or clean it, make sure it’s unplugged. You can never be too careful when you’re messing with electric appliances!
- A charcoal water filter is a big helper since it purifies the water. So, make sure you replace it every now and then. How often you should do it depends on your water, but once in 2 months is optimal.
- Using filtered water can also be a smart move and noticeably slow down the making of limescale.
- The outlet needle is also a delicate part. It pierces the K-Cup and, thru the small hole, pumps water into the pod. That small hole can easily get clogged with coffee ground particles and minerals from water. You can probably guess that it can cause a serious problem. So, once in a while, check the outlet needle, and if there’s a need, unclog it with a paperclip or needle.
- Don’t forget the removable parts, like the water reservoir. You can wash those with warm water and dishwashing detergent. Rinse them thoroughly and dry them with a dry cloth.
This maybe sounds like a lot of responsibility, but it really isn’t. Most of this stuff you don’t often do. And what is that compared to years of nicely brewed coffee?
FAQ
Do you still have some unanswered questions? Keep on reading! We’re going to talk about a few more common problems that people are asking about.
How Do I Turn Off The Descale Light On My Keurig K Supreme Plus?
If this is the situation, your Keurig machine needs a reset. Open and close the K-Cup lid, remove the water tank, turn it off, and unplug it from the power outlet. Leave it like that to rest for an hour or two. Plug it in and turn it on. It should normally work after this.
Why Is The Descaling Light Still On After Descaling?
This seems to be a frequent problem with K-Supreme models. The descaling process is completely over, but the electronic software doesn’t get it. So, give it a little restart, and everything will be fine. Also, check other parts, like the outlet needle or tubes, for any disturbances.
How Long Does It Take To Descale A Keurig?
The whole descaling process takes about 45 minutes. And you need to pay attention and participate in that process. I know it sounds like a lot, but considering you have to do it only once in 3 months, it’s not that bad.
Wrap-up
And there you have it:
Descaling your Keurig Supreme coffee maker is mandatory if you want it to work without any hiccups. Limescale can seriously damage your machine, so it’s a smart move to give it a nice descaling process once every 3 months.
If you take care of your baby properly, it will brew your perfect cup of joe for many, many years.
Did you notice some water leaking from your Keurig? Stay calm, we have easy solutions on how to fix your favorite coffee maker.
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FAQs
How To Descale Keurig Supreme? (A Simple Step-By-Step Guide)? ›
Place a large mug on the drip tray. To activate Descale Mode, begin with the brewer plugged in and powered off, then press and hold the 8oz and 12oz buttons together for 3 seconds. When flashing, press the brew button to start the descaling process. Once the brew is complete, pour the hot liquid into the sink.
How do I clean my Keurig with vinegar or descale? ›Run a mix of equal parts water and white vinegar through the machine. Pour the solution into the reservoir, turn on the machine, press the cycle button, and allow the solution to drain into a cup. You may need to descale your Keurig multiple times depending on how dirty it is.
Can I use vinegar and water to descale my Keurig? ›If the Keurig descaling solution isn't on hand, white vinegar is the cleaning solution you can have on hand. You'll want to do equal parts water and vinegar. Fill the reservoir about halfway with white vinegar, and then add water until you reach the top.
Why won t the descale light go off? ›The most common reason the descale light won't turn off is the incomplete descaling cycle. To solve this issue, you must run two full water tanks through your Keurig.
Do I have to put my Keurig in descale mode? ›Descaling is an important part of cleaning your Keurig® brewer. This process removes calcium deposits, or scale, that can build up inside a coffee maker over time. Calcium and scale are non-toxic, but left unattended, they can hinder your brewer's performance.
Do you remove the filter when descaling a Keurig? ›If your Keurig has a water filter, remove it when descaling. Fill the water tank with the descaling solution. Brew the entire contents of the water tank, dumping each cup as it runs through the system.
How long does it take to descale a Keurig with vinegar? ›The Keurig will brew a hot cup of vinegar water. When it is finished dump the vinegar into a sink and continue repeating the process until your Add Water light turns on. Let the Keurig sit (still on) for 1 hour. After the 1 hour dump any remaining vinegar in the reservoir down the sink and rinse it thoroughly.
How do you get vinegar out of a Keurig after descaling? ›How do I get the vinegar taste out of my Keurig? Clean that mug, then refill the reservoir with 10 ounces of only water and repeat, letting the Keurig sit for 30 minutes when complete. (Some people opt for a tablespoon of baking soda, just to make sure it's extra clean.)
How much vinegar water do you use to descale a Keurig? ›Begin the descaling process by filling the reservoir with either 16 ounces of white vinegar or Keurig Descaling Solution followed by 16 ounces of water.
Why won't the descale light go off on Keurig? ›When the Keurig descale light stays on, it is often because the water reservoir is full. This is because the descaling process requires water, and it is the water reservoir that contains the water. If the water reservoir is complete, then the descaling process won't be able to start, and the light won't turn off.
How do I exit descale? ›
To exit descaling mode, press and hold the button and the lever at the same time for 3 seconds, or until the light becomes green. Allow the machine to rest for 10 minutes. The machine is now ready for use. The orange light will blink once every 2 seconds.
How do I reset my Keurig plus after descaling? ›When flashing, press the brew button to start the rinsing process. Once the brew is complete, pour the hot liquid into the sink. Repeat this step until the DESCALE notification turns off. The brewer has now exited Descale Mode and will be ready for use!
Why is my Keurig K Supreme not brewing a full cup after descaling? ›If after descaling, your problem with the Keurig not brewing a full cup is still happening, it may be the needles that are the problem. Believe it or not, debris, like foil from the K-Cup, can get lodged in the needles that pierce the cup, disrupting flow.
Which Keurig do I have? ›To figure out what model of Keurig you have without using the box or manual, find the serial number on the brewer either behind the removable drip tray or water reservoir, or on the bottom of the brewer. You can then google this letter and number combination to find your Keurig model online.
Does the Keurig K Supreme have an internal water tank? ›Does the Keurig Supreme have an internal reservoir? Yes, the Keurig K-Supreme has an internal water tank. Depending on the model, the tank size is 66 ounces or 78 ounces. Each model in the Supreme series is removable.
Should I remove the filter before descaling? ›First, you'll learn to recognize when the machine is notifying you that a cleaning is required ('Clean / Descale' light on) and how to prepare the machine (by emptying the water tank and the drip tray). Next, you will remove the water filter and use the descale powder that came with your machine.
How do you run a vinegar cycle on a Keurig? ›Fill the water reservoir halfway with vinegar. Add water: Fill the reservoir the rest of the way with water. Run the machine: Start the brew cycle without inserting a K-cup. Repeat until reservoir is empty, discarding the mug contents after each brewing cycle.
What buttons do I push to descale my Keurig? ›To activate Descale Mode, begin with the brewer plugged in and powered off, then press and hold the 8oz and 12oz buttons together for 3 seconds. When flashing, press the brew button to start the descaling process.
Why does my coffee taste bad after descaling? ›Sometimes, your coffee can taste a bit bitter after descaling. Completely flush your coffee machine again. It is possible limescale residue or a bit of descaling agent has not been removed.
How much white vinegar do I use to descale my coffee maker? ›To make up your coffee machine cleaner, mix half a litre of distilled white vinegar with half a litre of water. If you want to know how to clean a coffee maker without vinegar, you can buy a store-bought descaling agent. Or alternatively, you can mix two tablespoons of citric acid with a litre of warm water.