Kick Out Your KEURIG From Your Kitchen Immediately

Many people love the idea of having Keurig machine in the workplace, or at their homes.

One lady bought such machine from Costco along with the handy unit to store the awkward K Cups, insisting on the Newman’s Organic K Cups for his coffee choice. However, the little voice in her head started asking questions, thus she pushed the concerns away for the sake of convenience as filling his coffee filter with some freshly ground coffee takes just 2 minutes. She wondered:

  • How fresh is the coffee in a K Cup?
  • What toxins is she exposing to as the hot water forces the coffee through the little holes poled in the plastic cup?
  • What is that lid made of that is poked at the top to allow the water to enter the cup?
  • Is there a filter inside the plastic cup, what is it made of and hot it is secured inside the plastic cup?
  • What chemicals are used in the flavored coffee selections?

Is your Keurig Harboring Mold and Bacteria?

When she moved, upon packing the kitchen, she wanted the machine to be completely empty and dry, but that was impossible. When the brewer is being primed, you are not able to empty the water from the inside, and the internal tank of the brewer can’t be drained. This lady had previously worked in a hospital lab and they emptied all the reservoirs daily because if not they would have grown bacteria and biofilm.

The internal tank as well as the rubber tubing can’t be drained, so it is very possible that bacteria and mold live inside the hidden water tank. The black rubber ring in the bottom of the exterior water container is another mold-magnet. A slick biofilm is formed by bacteria when grown in moist and dark places. The coffee bean’s antibacterial action is not enough to kill the microbes which float through the system. A research shows that this is only 50% effective in killing bacteria, like Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans, and molds.

The water is not enough hot in order to kill all microbes which live in the coffee system. In order for that to happen, then the water should reach boiling temperature and stay there for one minute. Also, your coffee mug has to be cleaned with water and soap as they are contaminated with fecal bacteria.

Even after doing a few vinegar cycles, you can still feel the moldy smell. There are also floaty and black things in the cup even when the water is just being brewed.

Plastic K Cups Conundrum

They are made of a composite plastic #7 and is technically BPA-free, however the chemicals from the composite plastic are not safe and they still have estrogenic activity. There are fake estrogens in them, so do not think about adding soy milk to your coffee.

A big issue for the environment is that the cups are not recyclable as we’ve seen an explosion of single cup coffee makers, like Keurig, in the past couple of years. There are 8.3 billion K Cups discarded yearly, which is enough to circle the Earth 10.5 times, says MotherJones.com.

The lid is polyethylene coated foil which we have to avoid because of the connection with the following diseases:

  • Alzheimer’s disease;
  • Anxiety;
  • Depression;
  • Autism;
  • Celiac Disease.

The filter is made of filter paper fused or glued inside the plastic cup.

There are reusable K Cups named My K-Cup, but we are still faced with the stagnant water situation and hidden water tanks as well as tubing that can’t be cleaned. The reusable cup still should be filled each time one makes a cup of coffee and the filter needs to be cleaned each time.

The coffee is flavored with artificial flavors labeled as “natural”, hiding the ingredients which act like MSG (a neurotoxin). They often cause migraines and headaches. One guy started drinking tea from the machine at his work, and since then he experienced nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and vomiting. Another user said that his lips tended to get dry and numb on the outside when he started using the K Cups. One user noticed a connection between skin rashes and the use of K Cups with flavoring.

What you have to buy to get a good and healthy cup of coffee?

The coffee beans you purchase have to look inky black and be Fair Trade, organic and shade grown. The beans need to be grown and processed without pesticide, herbicide, or chemicals use. Pesticides contribute to the growing rate of cancer, miscarriage and Parkinson’s disease. Also, you have to use non-bleached filters as white filters have been bleached with chlorinated bleach. Shade grown coffee is better tasting coffee because shade-coffee beans ripen more slowly, resulting in a richer flavor. More importantly it is better for the environment and provides a healthier environment for the workers.

  • Vero

    Makes sense , I use a filter after using the kcuos I received with my purchase , but the water is a concern like you state here in the article

  • rom661

    I do everything mentioned about except I buy green beans and roast my own. They certainly do not have to look inky black. That’s absurd. If you like a dark roast and the bean is good for a dark roast, fine. I prefer a medium roast with most beans, which is still darker than what most grew up with. I usually do a manual pour over. What a silly thing to say re: the inky black.