Nothing is more unpleasant than waking up one morning, brewing coffee in your new Keurig to start your routine, and the coffee tastes like plastic. The first (and most comfortable) solution is to think that the plastic taste will pass with time and its use, but why wait if you have a solution?
While rinsing the Keurig several times is an alternative to removing this disgusting “synthetic coffee” taste. However, it can be exhausting and frustrating when it doesn’t completely go away. If you’ve tried washing it repeatedly, and the plastic taste is still intact, we have some techniques to get you back to enjoying your pure coffee.
Why does coffee taste like plastic?
Suppose you have recently bought a New Keurig, and you notice that the coffee comes out with a plastic taste. In that case, this can be due to several reasons, which we will explain below.
Incorrect maintenance of the coffee maker
Household appliances are susceptible devices with a specific lifespan; that is to say, they will work, at least for a particular time. However, this period will decrease unless maintenance is carried out. Suppose you have not washed your Keurig periodically. In that case, you may not be able to get rid of the plastic taste.
You will notice that your brew tastes strange when you forget to perform the proper maintenance that the coffee maker needs. That is because fungus and bacteria may have appeared in the appliance. These bacteria will accumulate in the tubes of the coffee maker if you allow too much time to pass. Therefore, it produces an unpleasant taste that can even harm your health.
You must perform this maintenance regularly to avoid the appearance of these bacteria, which will remain in the coffee maker accumulating minerals and causing that plastic taste.
Degassing of packaged products
Degassing is the odor produced by the gases released by the plastic packaging of, in this case, the New Keurig. When an appliance is packaged in a plastic bag, it takes on the odor emanating from the material.
The odor permeates the device before you can prepare your first coffee because it has been enclosed in its package and without air circulation. When water is heated in the coffee maker, it comes into contact with the plastic and absorbs its flavor. That is why it is necessary to wash the coffee maker repeatedly.
Poor Quality K-Cup Capsules
The K-Cup is the coffee capsule used by the Keurig coffee maker. Still, their quality could be better since they are made of plastic. Their lid is made of aluminum foil, so the device can easily prepare the coffee. To eliminate the plastic taste, you should ensure that the K-Cup is made of stainless steel and reusable.
The same happens with other capsules of lower quality, which are different from the original ones that Keurig manufactures; that is to say, third parties make them. Although these “fake” capsules are generally of excellent quality, since they are not original, they can produce a plastic taste in the coffee. If you have already tried all of the above, perhaps you should try changing capsules.
How to eliminate the plastic taste of a Keurig?
Eliminating the plastic taste in coffee can be tedious. It can require several steps and even more than one day. However, this process can be faster if you consider some tips that will help speed up the cleaning of the coffee maker.
Deep Washing
Of course, you can wash your Keurig coffee maker just like any other dish, glass, or kitchen appliance. However, a more thorough washing process than simply washing with water and detergent is necessary if your objective is to eliminate the plastic taste.
To make good use of the Keurig and drink your delicious coffee with a coffee taste, we recommend that you wash the whole machine with soap and water. Separate the parts as you can and soak them in hot water for a couple of hours until the water cools down. Then wash and scrub the parts well at least three times with plenty of soap and water. If you still smell plastic, repeat the cleaning cycles, which can also be found in the manual of the coffee maker.
White vinegar
One of the most valuable elements when cleaning is white vinegar, which is a disinfectant and bactericide. It can eliminate fungi, bacteria, and molds and even eliminates terrible odors.
To remove the plastic taste of your coffee maker, mix half a cup of white vinegar with half a cup of water in the appliance tank and then turn it on as if you were going to prepare a coffee. That will not only clean the reservoir but also disinfect the entire appliance. If this does not work, you can soak the parts of the coffee maker in the same mixture (with the exact measurements) for one hour.