The Keurig brewer is loved for its ability to make a single perfect coffee but can you put milk in a Keurig? Keurigs make it seem magical when they brew the coffee so quickly and flawlessly.
There is a wide variety of K-Cups which have different flavors of coffees some really strong and some flavored, It makes it seem like there is the perfect concentrate and quality for everyone. And the need for that perfect brew makes one wonder if they can put milk in Keurig.
In short, No, you cannot put milk in Keurig because it will destroy the running of your machine. Milk added into the reservoir will stick in the reservoir and will become spoilt due to temperature. You can add milk to your Keurig K-Café which is actually designed to accommodate the milk and froth functions.
Can you put milk instead of water in a Keurig?
The question of whether or not you can put milk in a Keurig can be answered with a simple no. The Keurig machine is made specifically for water.
A liquid like milk will froth over leading to a number of issues. Firstly, when you put water into your Keurig after putting milk in it, the water will turn cloudy because of the milk residue.
It will also smell like burnt milk. When this happens, it can be really inconveniencing and you may even e tempted to throw your Keurig away.
The only time you can safely put milk in a Keurig is if you are using a Keurig Rivo which comes with a milk frother. If you or someone else does put milk in your Keurig, there’s no need to panic. I will talk about how to deal with that further down in the article.
Can you make hot chocolate in a Keurig with milk?
The Keurig is also used for brewing other types of beverages. You can use your Keurig for making teas and hot chocolate.
The conventional method of making a hot cup of chocolate is to use water, but you might like your hot chocolate made with milk.
Yes, you can make hot chocolate in a Keurig with milk, you can add milk to your Keurig but this only applies if your machine has a milk frother like in the case of the Rivo.
The other option by which you can make hot chocolate with milk is to use a premade K-Cup. You can choose a K-cup with milk chocolate, although it might not be as sweet but there are ways of hacking it to get the desired result.
How do I fix my Keurig after putting milk in it?
Most Keurig brewers are made in such a way as to allow only the use of water. The water lines running from the reservoirs through the pumps can be easily clogged.
The filter especially can be easily clogged by small particles worse of all milk. You might run into trouble even if you add milk when your Keurig has a warranty, the warranty will not apply in this case.
What you might want to do to fix the problem is to first rinse out the reservoir. Rinse it out and making sure that there is no more milk left in the reservoir.
Attach the reservoir back to the machine and run the brewing cycle to clear out the milk in other parts of the water lines.
You might have to empty and refill the reservoir with fresh water several times to completely clear the lines. The final problem you might have to deal with is the smell and taste of burnt milk.
The taste is usually due to residues in the machine that will not easily dissolve in water. A simple hack would be to use a milk froth cleaning product, these used to clear milk residues in espresso machines.
You can try using any alkaline-based froth cleaner and run it through the water lines; the products should eventually clean out all the residues left but the milk.
To help prevent the build-up of bacteria in the machine you might want to have regular cleaning habits. To clean your Keurig make sure you remove the movable parts of your machine and thoroughly clean and dry them.
For machines with a removable filter, you might want to regularly replace the filter after you have used it for a long time. The most common way to clean inner parts of your Keurig is to use white vinegar.
Fill up the reservoir with a 50:50 solution white vinegar and water, run the mixture through the brewer to dissolve and clean out all residues and particles in the system.
Once done with cycling the water, fill up the reservoir with water to rinse out the vinegar left in the water lines. You can rinse it several times to make sure your next coffee will not have its taste ruined.
Make sure to wipe the external parts of your machine as well and be sure to leave them dry. And that rounds off the ideas surrounding brewing other beverages besides coffee using a Keurig brewer.
It is not a good idea to place milk in your machine’s water reservoir, it is better to use K-cups with milk in them already or to use a separate milk brewer unless you invest in the K-Café machine.
The Keurig can also be used as a hot water dispenser for brewing your teas, and there are tea k-cups available as well. Make sure to always clean your Keurig to prevent the build-up of harmful bacteria. And most of all make sure to enjoy your Keurig Cup-a-Joe.
Conclusion on using milk in a keurig
Putting milk in your Keurig is definitely not a good idea unless your specific model comes with a milk frother. The pipes and other components in the majority of Keurigs are specifically designed for water.
Any other thicker liquids or substances will most likely clog up the pipes or make the descale light to stay on. If, by accident or through ignorance you or someone else puts milk in your Keurig, there are ways of cleaning it to ensure that it stays in tip-top condition.