Why I Kicked My Keurig To The Curb

image © Eat Local Grown (with permission)

It’s a well-known fact that if you use any kind of machines for food / beverage preparation, they need to be cleaned thoroughly so as to stop the spread of pathogens.

You wouldn’t use a juicer, pan or cutlery without cleaning it first. So why a beverage machine that you can’t clean? When we came across this report, we had to pass it on as it seemed super important.

Owing to the self-contained design of the machines, the rubber tubing and the internal tank of the Keurig cannot be drained. Is it possible that bacteria and mold are happily living inside that hidden water tank where it is nice, dark, and warm? Another mold-magnet is that black rubber ring on the bottom of the exterior water container. Look now! Is there green or black slime? Ewwwww (biofilm!).

Another one of the problems is that the water inside a coffee maker is not quite hot enough to guarantee killing of microbes. It’s advised to have boiling water for at least a minute. Either that or a good scrub with soap and water; but if you can’t access the internal parts?

Yet another problem – the “K Cups” are a composite #7 plastic and reported “non recyclable”. That adds up to a lot of pollution, in fact MotherJones.com reported that a shocking 8.3 billion K Cups a year are discarded, enough to circle the earth 10.5 times! What are we doing to this planet??

Time to consider the real coffee!

Ok, here’s the full report – which also has some great tips on selecting and brewing your own perfect cup of coffee: Why I Kicked My Keurig to the Curb

A few other related posts from us:

The Benefits vs. Negative Effects of Coffee

Science: Drinking Coffee Could Help Protect Your DNA From Damage, Therefore Reducing Cancer Risk

10 Great Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds