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Getting hot water for tea or cocoa can be quite troublesome unless you have a water kettle. However, a kitchen appliance with a specific purpose of heating water may not be worth the counter space or the extra cost.
But there’s an easy solution: You can use your coffee maker as a water kettle. Keurigs are a particularly great solution for when you need a convenient way to get water for a hot beverage or a bowl of fresh oatmeal.
Let’s take a look at how to get hot water from Keurig. These instructions work for any Keurig coffee maker, but I’ll also tell you about a Keurig designed with this purpose specifically in mind.
Can You Use a Keurig for Hot Water?
Yes, your Keurig coffee maker also doubles as a water kettle. All you have to do is fill the tank and run a brew cycle without the K-Cup. In turn, the machine heats water, transports it through the empty pod holder, and dispenses the hot water into your cup.
Does Keurig Boil Water?
Your Keurig can’t boil water since their internal water temperature of 192 °F (88 °C) is below the atmospheric boiling point of water, 212 °F (100 °C). That’s not even considering the increased boiling point due to the pressure buildup in water.
How to Get Hot Water From Keurig
Keurig dispenses hot water regardless of what model you have. How you obtain it differs when you have a Keurig model with a hot water button and one without this feature. Don’t worry! Either way is safe and easy, so repurposing your Keurig as a water kettle is no chore.
With over 50 models released, Keurig only offers one model with a hot water dispenser available in the market – the Keurig K-Elite. Here’s how you can get hot water with its hot water function.
- Fill the water reservoir. Using filtered water lessens the possibility of mineral buildup in your K-Elite. However, tap water is still an option if you don’t mind frequently descaling the machine.
- Press the power button. When turned on, K-Elite preheats water for about 3 minutes. The machine also shuts off automatically after two hours of idle brewing to save energy.
- Press the hot water button. The unique feature allows you to dispense hot water without opening or closing the lid. In other words, you do not need to trick your coffee maker into brewing coffee.
- Select the cup size. The K-Elite offers five cup sizes, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 ounces. You may choose whichever option you want based on your needs.
- Wait. As long as the pod compartment is empty, you should have hot water in under a minute.
Although Keurig released a model with a hot water function, you’re not limited to using that Keurig model for hot water. In other words, different Keurig models can also do the same trick, and here’s how.
- Fill the water tank. Some small Keurig machines do not have custom-size options, so the machine uses all of the available water in the tank. So, adjust the volume of water according to how much you will need.
- Press the power button. Once the green light goes up, Keurig automatically heats water for about 3 minutes. Just be mindful that some models like the Keurig K-Supreme and K-Supreme Plus do not have an auto-off feature, so they will continually heat water even when idle.
- Open and close the lid without the K-Cup. This step may seem pointless, but what you’re doing is “tricking” the Keurig into brewing a cup of coffee. Instead of puncturing a K-Cup, it holds nothing and lets hot water pass through.
- Choose the cup size. If your Keurig model has cup size options, you must select between the available 4 to 12 ounces.
- Wait. The cup should fill with hot water in less than a minute – the same time needed to brew with a K-Cup.
Why is My Keurig Not Dispensing Hot Water?
Waking up to a broken coffee machine may be one of the worst ways to start your day. Unfortunately, it eventually happens to most of us. When that happens, you can check out my full Keurig troubleshooting guide, but here are a few quick tips:
- Faulty heating element. When heating elements lose conductivity, they no longer produce heat in your Keurig. This problem commonly occurs over time due to wear and tear or instantaneously due to a short circuit brought by water spillage. Either way, your Keurig loses its ability to heat water.
Before throwing your Keurig out, I suggest checking in with a technician. Your machine may only need a part replacement, which costs significantly less than a new coffee maker.
- Residue buildup. Once coffee or sugar forms residue in your Keurig, the pipes clog and leave little to no room for hot water to come out. Not only does it affect how your coffee tastes, but residue buildup can also break the internal mechanisms of your Keurig.
Luckily, proper maintenance is key to extending the lifespan of your Keurig. Wipe your Keurig after every use and flush the machine at least once every month to avoid residue buildup.
- Mineral buildup. The white, chalky deposit on metal surfaces is the limescale buildup coming from tap water. When left unattended, this mineral decreases the heating efficiency of the machine, clogs the pipes, and possibly breaks the Keurig altogether.
Descaling clears mineral buildup. You should be descaling at least every six months and potentially as often as once a month, depending on how hard your water is.
- Manufacturing defects. Even with hands-on quality control, defective products can still make it out to the market. That’s a common reason why your Keurig machine is not working even if you use it correctly only a few times.
The best thing to do at this point is to stay calm and not do anything crazy like opening the Keurig yourself. You might discredit your claim for repair or replacement on the limited one-year warranty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all Keurigs dispense hot water?
All Keurig models dispense hot water. If you’re wondering how it does this, Keurig machines heat water and run it through coffee pods to produce different kinds of coffee drinks. Without K-Cups, hot water will pass through and dispense into your cup.
Can I make tea in a Keurig?
Yes, you can brew tea with a Keurig in two ways. One way is the conventional approach, where you obtain hot water from the Keurig and use it to steep the standard teabag. Second is brewing tea K-Cups like Bigelow Herbal Tea K-Cups in your Keurig machine.
What is a Keurig?
Keurig is a pod-based coffee maker with an automatic brewing system, heating chamber, and additional features. Keurig machines operate like drip coffee makers but with pressurized water through pre-measured capsules called K-Cups.
If you’re unfamiliar with how Keurig machines work, the brewing instructions are easy to follow. You fill the water tank, insert a K-Cup, press the button, and wait for delicious coffee in less than a minute!
Keurig: A Coffee Maker and A Water Kettle
Time to be practical and put your Keurig to multiple uses. Not only will it save you a few bucks from buying a separate water kettle, but it saves you storage space as well! Just make sure to properly maintain your Keurig to prevent your money from going to waste!
Once you feel like using your Keurig as a coffee maker again, I recommend trying out the best coffee K-Cups. If you’re up for a caffeine kick, the strongest K-Cups may be more up your alley. Let me know what you think about them in the comments below!
