Did you know that your K-Cup can explode?
If you’ve ever had that happen to you, you’ll know it can be quite an unsettling experience that takes you by surprise and makes you worry that your Keurig machine is broken.
It also makes a mess that you really didn’t want to have to clean up first thing in the morning – and, let’s not forget that an exploding K-Cup can injure you because it contains hot coffee!
What causes a K-Cup to explode?
There are many reasons, which we’ll get to, but one of the most common is when there’s too much air in the cup. Exploding K-Cups seem to be quite common!
With that in mind, let’s look at why K-Cups can turn on you and explode. We’ll also find out if they can damage your coffee machine.
Contents
What, Exactly, Is A K-Cup?
It’s important to know what a K-Cup is and how it works so that it will be easier to fix the problem of exploding K-Cups.
Basically, a K-Cup is a small plastic cup that’s filled with ground coffee and sealed with a lid of foil. It also contains a filter. A K-Cup gets put into your Keurig coffee machine to brew you a delicious cup of your favorite beverage.
When you put a K-Cup in your Keurig coffee machine, you’ll hear a click when you close the machine and the brewing process will begin.
During this process, water is pumped through pressurized hoses so that they can enter the machine’s heating chambers, where they are heated to the optimal temperature to make tasty coffee.
When that temperature is achieved, the water moves into a hose that’s located at the top of the machine’s brewer. The brewer has an opening piece where you inserted your K-Cup.
Then, the coffee machine will puncture the K-Cup’s foil lid so that hot water can be poured over the coffee that’s inside the cup. The hot beverage moves through the paper filter and a hole that’s located underneath the K-Cup enables this liquid to enter your cup or mug.
If you end up with an exploding K-Cup that results in coffee being sprayed across your kitchen instead of filling your cup, there’s a problem!
Most Common Reasons Why K-Cups Explode
To prevent your K-Cups from exploding in future, you’ll have to ensure you know why they exploded in the first place! Here are some of the most common reasons for exploding K-Cups so that you don’t have to deal with this problem again.
There’s Too Much Air In Your K-Cup
This is a problem that was caused during the manufacturing process. Too much air was added to the K-Cup.
When the needle of your Keurig coffee machine punctures the K-Cup, the excess air will cause pressure inside the cup to build and burst, in a similar way to how a balloon pops.
While you can’t prevent there from being too much air in a K-Cup, you should get into the habit of inspecting your K-Cups before using them. You can spot that there’s too much air in a K-Cup by noticing the shape of its lid.
If it’s rounded, then it’s packed with air. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it – just prevent it from exploding in your Keurig machine by poking it with a pin to release some of the air before using it in your coffee machine.
The K-Cup Lacks A Strong Seal
If your K-Cup isn’t sealed correctly, this can result in a messy explosion. Inspect the seal of your K-Cup before use. If it looks like it hasn’t been sealed properly, you should avoid using it and contact the manufacturer who will probably be able to refund you.
Bear in mind that if the K-Cup isn’t sealed properly, this can also have a negative effect on the coffee inside it because it will have come into contact with the air. While K-Cups usually have a long shelf life, this is as a result of their contents not coming into contact with moisture or air.
You’re Making Coffee At A High Altitude
Who knew that altitude could have such an effect on your K-Cups?
If you make coffee with the use of K-Cups at an altitude that’s higher than 6,000 feet, this can cause pressure to build inside them to the extent that they explode.
To prevent this from happening, puncture the K-Cups with a small pin before you brew coffee with them to relieve some of the pressure.
Your Keurig Coffee Machine Has A Clogged Needle
As we mentioned earlier, your Keurig machine contains two needles that it uses in the coffee brewing process. One of them pokes a hole in the K-Cup lid and the other makes a hole in the bottom.
This process can be disrupted if these needles become clogged as they won’t work properly. This can result in your K-Cup exploding.
You should regularly inspect your Keurig coffee machine to be sure that the needles are in good condition.
You can also clean the needles with a paperclip that’s been pulled open and straightened. Simply push the paperclip into the needles to remove any dirt that has accumulated on them.
After you’ve done that, you should then run a pot of water through the machine so that you remove any other dirt that’s built up. The water will help to remove it and flush it out of the machine so that it doesn’t continue to cause problems.
What if you’re still having a problem with exploding K-Cups?
If you’ve tried some solutions to fix the problem of exploding K-Cups but you’re still experiencing it, you might wonder what to do. While your exploding K-Cups won’t damage your machine, they could be a sign that there’s a manufacturing problem with your Keurig machine.
Some people have expressed problems with exploding K-Cups in their Keurig machines even after they tried to deal with and prevent the problem, such as by trying some of the above-mentioned tips.
If this happens to you, it’s worth reaching out to Keurig to find out if there’s a problem with the machine you have as it could be a manufacturing error that has resulted in the cups constantly exploding.
How To Properly Insert Your K-Cups
How you insert your K-Cups can also help to prevent them from exploding. When you put the pod into the machine, make sure you press it down firmly enough so that you hear a popping sound. This ensures that the pod is properly inserted and secured.
When you’re ready to insert your K-Cup into the Keurig coffee machine, make sure you don’t remove its foil lid as this needs to be punctured by the machine’s needle.
If you make a small hole in it to relieve pressure, such as if you have a K-Cup that has a rounded top, this should be done with a pin so that the foil is still intact.
Make sure the machine is ready to use the K-Cup by pushing the Keurig’s handle down to close its lid. When you’ve inserted the K-Cup into its holder, this handle needs to be pushed down so that the lid is secure and closed.
Your machine’s display window might also say “Ready to brew” so you know that you can proceed with the coffee brewing process, but this depends on the model of Keurig that you have.
Related Questions
Why are there coffee grounds in your cup?
While this doesn’t necessarily mean your K-Cup exploded, it does point to your Keurig machine needle needing to be cleaned.
Why do some K-cups not work?
If you’re using a generic cup that’s not a K-Cup pod, this could result in it not working. It’s best to stick to K-Cups that are branded and compatible with your Keurig machine.
What to do if your K-Cup gets stuck?
K-Cups are installed into large inserts so you’ll need to remove the inserts with the use of needle-nose pliers.
You’ll see a pin that pierces the K-Cups. Move the small gate to remove the K-Cup so the mechanism will rotate forward to release it, as Koobies Coffee explains.
Conclusion
Exploding K-Cups are no fun. They cause a mess and can be a rude awakening in the morning when all you wanted was to enjoy a cup of coffee in peace. In this article, we’ve looked at some of the most common reasons why K-Cups explode so that you can prevent it from happening again.
We’ve also looked at how you can ensure you properly install K-Cups in your Keurig coffee machine so that they don’t budge. Now, time to get another cup of coffee!