How to use ground coffee in Keurig (2 Simple Ways!)

The Keurig coffee makers are not known for brewing the best coffee but for brewing coffee with great convenience and ease using K coffee pods.

Since K cups are more expensive than regular coffee grounds, you may be tempted to use ground coffee in Keurig or you might want to use it if you run out of K cups.

I will discuss two methods of using coffee grounds in Keurig, one using old k cups and the other using reusable filters so you can easily make coffee in a Keurig without K-cups.

Keep reading till the end to find out why I am not a big advocate of using ground coffee in Keurig.

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Method # 1: How to use ground coffee in Keurig with a reusable K cup

The most efficient way to use ground coffee in Keurig is to invest in a reusable My K cup filter.

Things you need

• Reusable My K cup Filter
• Ground Coffee
• Paper filters (optional)

Instructions

1. Open the lid of the My K Cup filter by sliding it to the Unlock position and pull out the filter basket from the holder.
2. Place the paper filter in My K cup if you want. (Optional)
3. Pour the coffee grounds into the filter basket. You can add up to two tablespoons of coffee in a reusable K cup. There is a max line inside the filter basket make sure not to overfill it otherwise coffee will leak.
4. Now put the filter basket in the holder and close the lid.
5. Open the head of your Keurig machine and pull out the K cup holder
6. Now place the Reusable My K cup Filter in the place of the K cup holder and close the head of your Keurig machine.
7. Select the desired cup size on your Keurig and Enjoy your tasty coffee.

Note that there are two different types of My K Cup filters 1- With only one hole at the top and 2- With five holes at the top. If you have Keurig Supreme or Slim models that have multi-stream technology you have to buy the one with five holes otherwise buy the one with one hole.

You will need a paper filter if you want to brew an extra smooth cup of coffee. Here are some paper filters specially designed for My K cup reusable filters.

Check Out: Best Reusable K cup Coffee Pods

Method #2: How to use ground coffee in Keurig without a reusable K cup

Here’s a simple hack for using ground coffee in Keurig without a reusable K-cup.

Things you need

• Ground Coffee
• Aluminum Foil
• Paper Filters

Instructions

1. First, remove the lid of the used k cup and discard the spent coffee grounds from it. Also, remove the paper filter present at the bottom of the K cup.
2. Thoroughly rinse and clean the used k cup with water and allow it to dry.
3. Take a paper filter and fit it at the bottom of a used k cup. You’ll need a new paper filter since you can’t reuse a paper filter as it will be dirty.
4. Now pour coffee grounds into the k cup (Don’t fill it to the top and leave at least 10-15% space empty otherwise your coffee will leak).
5. Cut a piece of aluminum foil and wrap it over the k cup as tightly as you can.
6. Put this K cup into the machine and press the brew button.

This process will not make the best cup of coffee and you shouldn’t make this a habit (As it can also cause leakage problems in your Keurig machine).

This is merely a hack you can apply if you run out of K cups and don’t feel like going to the market to buy new K cups.

Read a detailed guide on how to reuse and repurpose K-cup coffee pods

How much coffee do you put in a reusable K cup?

The amount of coffee you put in a Keurig refillable K-cup is two tablespoons (10-13 grams).

The exact amount can vary depending on your personal preference, however, you shouldn’t fill the refillable pods beyond the max line which is around 15-16 grams for My K cup filters.

According to the Speciality Coffee Association:

To achieve the Golden Cup Standard, the recommended coffee-to-water ratio is 55 g/L ± 10%.

SCA

So according to the golden cup standard, the best coffee-to-water ratio is 1:17. That means 1 gram of coffee for 17 grams of water.

According to that ratio, you should use 14-15 grams of coffee for an 8 oz serving of Keurig coffee to get the best results.

One important thing to note here is that regular Keurig K-cups contain 9-12 grams of coffee and that is definitely not enough for larger Keurig brew sizes. That’s why I always recommend brewing a 6 oz serving size while using regular K cups to get a better and stronger coffee taste.

What’s the best grind size for Keurig

Medium to medium-fine grind size works best with Keurig My K-Cup filters. Too fine coffee grounds can clog or easily escape through my k cup filter, resulting in muddy coffee, and the coarse grounds will result in a watery or under-extracted cup of coffee.

If you really want to brew the best cup of coffee then use whole-bean coffee and grind them to medium settings just before making a cup of coffee.

Otherwise, you can also buy pre-ground coffee. There are plenty of options available in Medium grind size.

Here’s a detailed guide on different coffee grind sizes

Some tips for Cleaning

You must clean the reusable K cup after every use. Ideally, you should clean it right after brewing since otherwise, the coffee grounds will get dry and stuck on the filter’s screen making it a lot harder to clean.

When cleaning it after a while, use a soft sponge to remove dried coffee grounds. Avoid using an abrasive material as it will damage the screen.

While using reusable My K cups you will certainly miss the convenience of using k cups.

Put the K cup in the machine brew coffee and throw it into the recycle bin after brewing as simple as it is!

If you are still using plastic K cups read a guide on How to recycle K cups

FAQs