In this installment we’ll walk you through how to properly clean the entrance and exit needles as well as the K-Cup® portion pack holder in your brewer. The process is the same for all brewers, so we’ll use the Special Edition as the example. Make sure you have a clean metal paper clip and access to a sink. Your brewer should be turned off and unplugged. It’s also helpful to make sure you have plenty of light in the room.
The needles are sharp, so please be careful when performing the following steps. Remove the portion pack holder from the assembly lift the handle grasp the top of the portion pack holder with one hand, while pushing up on the bottom of the assembly from underneath with the other until it releases. Remove the funnel from the portion pack holder by pulling on the sides until it detaches. if this is the first time doing this to your portion pack holder it might take a bit of extra force.
Locate the hole on the bottom of the exit needle, which is on the underside of the portion pack holder. Straighten one side of your metal paper clip and insert it into the tube, moving it around to loosen any clogging and remove any particles. Keep in mind that you cannot poke all the way through the exit needle, as the opening of the needle is located on the side and not the top.
Since we have the portion pack holder already taken apart, it’s a good time to give it a cleaning. Both the portion pack holder and funnel should be rinsed and running water, washing thoroughly to loosen and remove any particles. At the same time, you’re also cleaning the exit needle, which is sharp, so be mindful of your fingers. Once complete, you can set the portion pack holder and funnel aside. Alternatively, the portion pack holder and funnel are both dishwasher safe, but only if put on the top shelf. Now let’s clean the entrance needle.
Lift the brewer handle and locate the entrance needle under the brewer head. Look closely and you’ll see two holes in the needle, which we’ll need to clean. The entrance has a very sharp point, so please be careful. Carefully insert your metal paper clip into the two side holes of the entrance needle and gently move the paper clip around to loosen and remove any particles. Then safely remove the paper clip and your hands from the area.
Now we can put the portion pack holder back into the K-Cup® assembly. Use two hands to click the funnel back into the portion pack holder by aligning the side slots, then align the portion pack holder tabs with the opening of the assembly, placing the two front tabs on the bottom and the single tab on top and snap it into place by pushing down on the top rim, while holding the brewer handle with your other hand. Lower the handle completely and run two water only brew cycles without using a portion pack. Your Keurig brewer is now ready for normal use.
