How to Use Your Keurig Coffee Maker and My K-Cup Reusable Filters

The best thing we bought recently was the Keurig B31 Mini brewing machine. We don’t have a lot of counter-top space so I didn’t want one of those large units with the huge water tanks on the side, so we opted for the personal size Keurig coffee maker. We also don’t drink but one or two cups of coffee a day so this is the perfect size for us. It requires that you put enough water in for each cup of coffee you want to make but is fine with us. When we set it up you would think we would have read the manual but noooo, who does that. So, it took us a few times to actually follow the steps to make a great cup of coffee with our Keurig. There’s really nothing to it once you know how. The steps are easy and laid out for you on the machine.

If you have a Keurig with an attached water tank, scroll down to find more instructions.

Since I thought maybe other people also do not read manuals or look for indicators on the machine to learn how to use it, why not write up a quick set of instructions with photos to show you how to use your Keurig machine properly.

First, turn the Keurig coffee maker on by pressing the button just below the Brew button. A blue indicator light will flash showing you that you need to open the top lid. Lift the lid.

You will see a water reservoir area with a piece of plastic that shows you the cup sizes and ounces needed for each to make that size cup of coffee. This is kind of what confused me because the indicators have holes in each so you think you need to pour the water directly in those holes for it to work properly. You are supposed to put water in until it reaches the hole but that confused me. I am inquisitive by nature so I removed that piece of plastic to find that it is only there to let you know how much water you will need to make a specific size cup of coffee.

We use a measuring cup for the water to make sure we are getting the right amount each time but as you get used to your Keurig machine you probably won’t have to do this. Once you have the right amount of water to make the size cup you want, pour the water ANYWHERE in the reservoir area. Remember, you don’t have to pour it on those holes as those are just for reference.

Close the water reservoir lid. Now you will see a blinking blue light indicating that you need to open the K-Cup compartment. Lift the handle and then put your K-Cup inside.

Important: Press the K-Cup down until you hear it “click”. By doing this you are puncturing a hole in the bottom of the K-Cup and this is necessary for the water to run through it.

Close the K-Cup compartment and then you will hear the water gurgle down into the machine. Make sure you let ALL of the water go into the reservoir or it won’t brew properly and you won’t get a full cup of coffee.

Now the large BREW button will blink blue. Press that once and wait for your coffee to be brewed. While the coffee is brewing the light will change from blue to red indicating that it is working. It does take about 30 seconds to 1 minute for it to brew and sometimes about 15 seconds before it starts so don’t touch it during that process.

In 30 to 60 seconds your freshly brewed cup of coffee will be ready to enjoy and maybe, if you’re lucky, you will have a cool Star Trek mug to put it in.

If you have a larger cup you can remove the tray that the cup sits on. There is a small button on the top left that you press down and then slide it out.

You can easily clean this tray if needed by removing it and then removing the silver drain cover on the top.

NOTE: if you put more than 10 ounces of water in the Keurig it will overflow into the drip tray below. We have tested it over and over and it does the same thing everytime. You won’t know water is in there either because you don’t see it drip down. Eventually you will know because it will overflow onto your counter. You should check from time to time to make sure it is not full of water.

We received the My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter with our Keurig coffee machine. Using the My K-Cup Reusable filter is a great way to own a Keurig and save money by using your regular coffee and not buying KCups.

Some people we talked to said their My K-Cup filter actually leaked but we didn’t have a problem and I want to show you probably why.

With the My K-Cup filter you get the grey housing unit, twist on lid, and filter basket that goes inside.

To use it, first you MUST remove the black filter unit that is inside of the Keurig machine. Lift the handle where the K-Cup is placed and remove the black unit. If you don’t remove it and try to just put the filter basket inside it will definitely leak. If you try to put the entire My K-Cup Filter unit inside it won’t fit until you remove this piece.

The My K-Cup Filter unit replaces the existing black filter unit inside of the machine.

Instructions for a Keurig with Water Tank

Since the instructions above are for the smaller Keurig coffee maker with no water tank so try this for the Keurig with the water tank attached.

1. Fill the large tank with water.
2. Select the size cup of coffee by pressing the button on the top of the coffee maker.
3. Wait for the coffee to brew.

To get a full-bodied cup of coffee, just like a K-Cup would make, you will need to put 1-1/2 Tablespoons of ground coffee into the K-Cup filter and 10 ounces of water to make the largest size this personal Keurig can make. We use a variety of ground coffees when using the filter and it saves a lot of money over purchasing the K-cups. Our favorite right now is Starbucks Italian Dark Roast coffee.

We love our Keurig coffee maker. It is so convenient and I can make a cup of fresh coffee whenever I like. It is definitely faster than waiting for water to boil for tea or making a whole pot of coffee. And, with the reusable filter it is affordable too.