How to Drain a Keurig Fast & Simple (6 Steps)

Last updated on August 12th, 2023 by Garret Jacob

how to drain a keurig

If you own a Keurig, than you are one of millions of people who enjoy its convenient quick K-cup pods for a nice hot cup of coffee on the go.

Using a Keurig machine is pretty simple and straight forward.

But owning a Keurig also requires some maintenance, including draining.

There are several reasons you may consider draining your Keurig, which we will go over in the paragraphs below.

The good news is the steps for how to drain a Keurig are incredibly simple, so you can easily get it done and move on with your life.

After reviewing many suggestions from Keurig’s support site and owners of various Keurig models, we determined how often you should drain your Keurig coffee maker and why it is important to do so. 

Plus, we compiled some step-by-step draining instructions for some of the most popular Keurig models on the market. Let’s get started.


Why should you drain a Keurig?

There are several reasons that you may need to drain your Keurig coffee machine.

1. Vacationing

how to drain keurig on vacation
Enjoying delicious coffee breakfast on a cabin getaway retreat!
Photo by Vicky Gu

Maybe you are going on vacation for a few weeks and won’t be home for a while, or maybe you are taking your Keurig coffee machine with you to the family cabin for a long weekend and need to travel with it. 

2. Sitting idle for a week or more

Also, anytime your Keurig coffee machine sits unused for a week or more, it is a good idea that you drain the machine and start fresh before using it again.

It is important to drain your Keurig machine if you plan to be away from home for a while, or after it has sat unused for a long time, to prevent mold growth. Many Keurig coffee machine users have reported finding mold in their machines if they do not properly drain the machine.

In addition to mold, there have been some studies conducted where the inside of a Keurig coffee machine not only had different types of mold growing inside it but also contained several strains of bacteria!

Although the mold and bacteria found had little to no risk of being severely harmful, it’s still gross. Also, anytime mold is ingested or inhaled, it does have the potential to make you extremely sick. 

3. Cold weather

Another reason you should drain your Keurig coffee machine is if you plan to store the machine or travel with it in the truck of your car during the winter months.

Exposing the Keurig coffee machine to cold temperatures, even for only an hour or two, could cause any water in the machine to freeze and potentially cause damage to the water lines and other internal components. 

In addition to draining the machine, you should be thoroughly cleaning and descaling your Keurig coffee machine every two to four months as part of proper regular maintenance. 

Yes its boring and a pain, but its how you keep your machine running longer with no problems.

How often should you drain a Keurig?

keurig k1500 coffee maker left side
We keep our commercial Keurig like this K1500 well maintained

If you use your Keurig regularly, you should drain and clean it at least once every two to four months.

However, if you want to make sure that you are not potentially exposing yourself to harmful mold or bacteria, you should consider draining and cleaning your Keurig every 30 days. 

You should also drain your Keurig machine anytime it has sat unused for more than one week or any time you plan to travel with it and bring it to another location. 

How to Drain Your Keurig Machine by Model & Method

How to drain a Keurig Mini

To drain a Keurig Mini coffee machine, follow these steps:

  1. Turn off and unplug the Keurig Mini
  2. Remove the water reservoir and pour out any remaining water
  3. Take the machine and flip it upside down over your sink to remove any water from the internal tank
  4. Take a clean cloth and wipe the entire machine inside and out including the removable reservoir
  5. Put the reservoir back into place.

How to drain water from Keurig K Duo or Keurig K Elite

To drain a Keurig K-Duo or K-Elite coffee machine, follow these steps:

  1. Turn off and unplug the Keurig Duo or K Elite
  2. Lift the handle and remove the K-Cup holder
  3. Remove the water reservoir from the machine and pour it out
  4. Take the machine and flip it upside down over your sink to remove any water from the internal tank
  5. Take a clean cloth and wipe the entire machine inside and out including the removable reservoir
  6. Replace the reservoir and K-Cup holder

How to empty water from the Keurig Classic

keurig coffee maker classic
Our old Keurig classic machine

To empty water from a Keurig Classic coffee machine, follow these steps:

  1. Turn off and unplug the Keurig Classic
  2. Lift the handle and remove the K-Cup holder
  3. Remove the water reservoir straight up and off the machine and pour out any remaining water
  4. Take the machine and flip it upside down over your sink to remove any water from the internal tank
  5. Take a clean cloth and wipe the entire machine inside and out including the removable reservoir
  6. Replace the reservoir and K-Cup holder

How to drain a Keurig 2.0 without disassembly

To drain a Keurig 2.0 coffee machine without disassembly, follow these steps:

  1. Turn off and unplug the Keurig 2.0
  2. Lift the handle and remove the K-Cup holder
  3. Remove the water reservoir straight up and off the machine and pour out any remaining water
  4. Take the machine and flip it upside down over your sink to remove any water from the internal tank
  5. Take a clean cloth and wipe the entire machine inside and out including the removable reservoir
  6. Replace the reservoir and K-Cup holder

How to drain a Keurig with the drain button

To drain a Keurig coffee machine with the drain button, follow these steps:

  1. Turn off and unplug the Keurig
  2. Place a large container under the spout and locate the drain button
  3. The drain button is typically located somewhere near the water reservoir or on the bottom of the machine. Press and hold the button.
  4. Keep holding the drain button until all of the water has been drained
  5. Take a clean cloth and wipe the entire machine inside and out including the removable reservoir
  6. Refill the water reservoir and run a few brewing cycles without a K-Cup to flush out any old water with fresh water

How to drain a Keurig coffee maker for storage

To drain a Keurig coffee machine for storage, follow these steps:

  1. Turn off and unplug the Keurig
  2. Lift the handle and remove the K-Cup holder
  3. Remove the water reservoir from the machine and pour out the water
  4. If your machine has a “Needle Maintenance” button, press and hold it for 5 seconds to make the needle retract into the machine. If not, skip this step.
  5. Next, press and hold the “Brew” button for 5 seconds to make the needle extend back out.
  6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 (if applicable) until no more water comes out.
  7. Remove the drip tray and pour out any collected water.
  8. Take the machine and flip it upside down over your sink to remove any water from the internal tank
  9. Let the machine and all its parts sit out to air dry overnight.
  10. Store in a climate-controlled environment that will not reach below-freezing temperatures.

References:

  1. https://www.thecommonscafe.com/the-dangers-of-mold-in-keurig-coffee-machines/
  2. https://www.thecoffeemaven.com/guides/how-to-drain-a-keurig
  3. https://coffeeaffection.com/how-long-can-you-leave-water-in-keurig-machines/
  4. https://support.keurig.com/?kmContentId=1014756&page=shell&shell=knowledge-article
  5. https://identitycoffees.com/blog/how-to-drain-a-keurig

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