This detailed step-by-step guide will show you the proper way how to descale Keurig Duo and Keurig Duo Plus coffee makers!
If you’re reading this guide that means your machine is probably yelling at you to descale it…
Or maybe you’re a little OCD and you want to descale your machine before it starts yelling at you…
Either way, you’ve come to the right place, because this thorough guide will show you everything you need to know to keep your Keurig Duo and Keurig Duo Plus working like a charm!
P.S. Being OCD in this case is better than procrastinating.
Especially if you want your machine to last longer… Just sayin’...
So keep reading cause it’s time to pamper your Keurig coffee maker!
The Keurig K-Duo & K-Duo Plus are Keurig's take on coffee machines with multitasking capabilities. That's why the K-Duo line made our list of the Best Keurig Coffee Makers and the Best Dual Coffee Makers.
So make sure you continue to regularly descale your Keurig Duo (Plus) coffee maker to keep it feeling young and alive!
In other words, clean it so you don’t kill it…
Here’s what you will need during this pampering session:
This is how long it will take to refresh your (coffee) baby:
PRO TIP:
You should always be using fresh and filtered water when you brew your cup of coffee.
The great thing about this Keurig Descaling Solution is that it doesn't have a strong smell to it, unlike vinegar, which can leave a strong smell and possible aftertaste in your machine!
Unlike the other Keurig coffee machines, the Keurig Duo and Duo Plus have two types of brewing methods and therefore there are two types of descaling to do: one for the pod holder and another for the coffee grounds holder.
Also, the Keurig Duo and Keurig Duo Plus don't have a descaling mode or setting, so the Keurig Duo descale process is all done manually as follows:
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you descale Keurig Duo & Keurig Duo Plus coffee makers:
The coffee pod brewer of the Keurig Duo line and most Keurig coffee machines work with needles in a way that it pierces through the K cup. It lets the water go through the coffee grounds inside the coffee pod, and then through the Keurig exit needle at the bottom of the K cup.
Because of that, exit needles can get clogged too!
A telltale sign the needles are clogged is if you see grounds spill over the k-cup holder.
So it’s not only the water tank and the insides of your Keurig that need some love. You have to clean the needle as well.
To clean the exit needle, remove the k cup holder and detach the funnel as shown in the image above. The exit needle is on the bottom of the pod holder. Grab a small paper clip, straighten it and insert it into the exit needle and wiggle it around to loosen up any coffee grounds.
It is very important to descale your coffee machine as soon as the descaling light turns on.
Now we don’t mean going to work late because the light went on while you were making your morning cup of joe… Unless you want to, haha!
If you don’t treat your coffee machine with love and care, then your Keurig coffee machine won’t give you tasty coffee or tea. It’s as simple as that.
But sometimes, you will notice that even after you descale your coffee machine and follow all the steps outlined in this guide, the descaling light remains on.
If that’s the case, then check out our detailed guide to the dreaded Keurig descale light so you can get this issue resolved asap.
There are many descaling solutions available online and some people swear by white vinegar as a cleaning solution.
As we mentioned earlier, some Keurig Duo (Plus) owners have reported that there have been descaling problems when using white vinegar or a non-Keurig descaling solution.
So we do recommend that you use Keurig's own descaling solution that we mentioned earlier. We will share another link below for you.
The Keurig descale solution is meant to be diluted with water before using it. Keurig recommends using a 1:1 ratio of the descaling product and fresh water.
Keurig promises that their descaling solution will yield better-tasting drinks because it reduces the chances of flavor carrying over between brews.
Keurig has also created rinse pods that look exactly like a regular k cup coffee pod. These rinse pods help you keep your brew head or K cup pod holder clean and they recommend using these pods once a week.
They have both the Keurig descaler and the rinse pods in one package on Amazon, see below:
Yes, we did advise against descaling the Keurig Duo with vinegar…
…But we know some of you are just stubborn and you want to use white vinegar instead.
So we decided to guide you through this as well because we are nice and we care! Plus we don’t want you to screw up your Keurig Duo coffee maker…
When using white vinegar, you also have to dilute the solution with fresh water. Because using vinegar on its own will most certainly destroy your machine.
You will not be able to remove the vinegar taste from the machine or your beverages.
Similar to the Keurig descaling solution, you want to use a 1:1 ratio of white vinegar to fresh water.
Unlike the Keurig descaling solution, this process will take approximately 3 to 4 hours because you have to let the water/vinegar solution sit inside the coffee machine parts for 2.5 to 3.5 hours.
Again, we advise against using this solution to descale your Keurig Duo (Plus). It might be fine for other Keurig models, but for these two models, it seems to cause problems.
Citric acid is another way for you to descale your Keurig Duo and Keurig Duo Plus.
I bet you didn’t even know that…
Many people don’t actually know this, but indeed you can because citric acid has similar cleaning properties as vinegar.
To prepare the descaling solution just add 1 to 2 tablespoons of citric acid powder to 4 cups of fresh water, then add this mixture to the water tank.
Then go through the descaling process again for a squeaky clean coffee machine!
Similar to the water and vinegar descaling process, this process will take approximately 3 to 4 hours.
According to Keurig, it is recommended that you descale Keurig Duo (Plus) every 3 months, or when the descale notification or descale message appears.
Depending on how often you use your Keurig machine and the hardness of the water, there could be some mineral build up. So regularly descaling your Keurig coffee maker will ensure the best-tasting cup of java!
The descale message on the Keurig Duo coffee maker and the Keurig Duo Plus should disappear once the descaling process is complete.
If the descale message remains on, then press both the 8oz and the 10oz buttons at the same time, holding them for 3 to 5 seconds until the descale message id gone.
Yes, you can descale your Keurig Duo with vinegar, but we advise against it. Some have reported some issues during the descaling process and you want to avoid these problems to keep your baby working safely!
That’s it my fellow Keurig owner!
We hope that this super detailed guide on how to descale Keurig Duo and Duo Plus was helpful.
If you’re a visual person, then check out this YouTube video below from Keurig themselves!