Is Your Keurig Not Brewing a Full Cup?

Having a Keurig coffee machine in your home or office can save a tremendous amount of time while giving you easy access to great coffee. But if your Keurig is getting stingy, that is to say, you have a Keurig not brewing a full cup of coffee when you press the button, it can be extremely frustrating.

Needless to say, this should not be happening if your machine is functioning correctly. Here’s how to troubleshoot your Keurig not brewing a full cup.

Descale Your Keurig

Descaling is a way to periodically remove water scaling from your Keurig coffee maker that prevents debris from getting lodged in various parts of the machine, which may interfere with its functioning. A simple mix of white vinegar and water put in the reservoir and run through a brewing cycle will often get rid of the scales and allow the Keurig machine to run properly. There are also store-bought descaling cleansers you can use.

Clean the Needles

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.

Cleaning the needles on your Keurig machine is a simple procedure that you can do at home. Just straighten out a paper clip and insert the paper clip into the needle. Wiggle it around to clear any potential debris that might be plugging up the works. Refrain from using a toothpick, as this may break off inside the needle, causing even bigger problems.

Clear the Reservoir Tube

Another possible reason for your Keurig not brewing a full cup is something interfering with the tube that connects the reservoir with the machine. Descaling will often resolve this problem, but if it doesn’t, you can:

• Slosh some water around in the reservoir, then pour it out and try to clean the area where the reservoir connects to the machine manually with a cloth,
• Use something like a turkey baster to force more water into the tubing at high pressure to try to dislodge the debris, or
• Use a can of compressed air and blow air through the tube (with the reservoir empty) to try to clear the debris.

Clear the Air

Another reason you may not be getting a full cup is that the pump cannot prime properly because there is extra air trapped in the machine. All you can really do here is try various methods of shaking the machine to get that air loose. If this turns out to be your problem, in the future, be sure to refill the reservoir before it becomes completely empty.