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Can I Put Hot Water in My Keurig? (Yes, but do this instead)

By: Author Jeff Campbell

Posted on  - Last updated:

Categories Keurig Coffee

If you’re anything like me, you love a nice hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning. But if your Keurig doesn’t make the coffee hot enough for you, you may have wondered can I put hot water in my Keurig?

You can put hot water in your Keurig. However, the plastic water tank is not insulated or heated, so it gets cold fast. If you use water that’s too hot, you could also damage that tank. Plus, Keurigs have an internal tank with a heating element. So using hot water doesn’t significantly impact the heat of the coffee.

But there’s a lot more to know about Keurigs, coffee temps, and how to get yours as hot as possible. So let’s keep going!

There’s something about a strong, hot cup of coffee that just gets the day started off on the right foot.

I’ve found that coffee tastes the best when made with water between 195-205 degrees Fahrenheit. This is great if you are using a French press or a pour-over coffee maker. If using a French press or pour-over coffee maker, you have complete control over the water temperature.

But what about if you are using a Keurig?

You have virtually no control over the water temperature on most of their machines. How hot does a Keurig get, anyway? Can you put hot water in a Keurig to make it brew a hotter cup of coffee? Will it damage the machine?

Just keep reading to find out!

Can you put hot water in a Keurig reservoir?

You can, but I don’t know if I’d recommend it.

Keurigs have an external plastic water tank for cold water. It’s not insulated or heated, so if you put hot water in it, it’ll get cold pretty fast.

Keurigs also have an internal tank with a heating element. It heats the water as it brews the coffee. As long as the Keurig is powered on, it keeps the water in the internal tank hot.

Depending on how hot the water is, you could end up damaging the reservoir tank. Over time, you could potentially end up damaging the seals, internal plumbing, or internal filters.

The only advantage I can see to adding hot water to the reservoir would be that it could potentially make your first cup of coffee brew faster.

Does using hot water in my Keurig hurt the machine or the coffee flavor?

All coffee makers have a basic heating cycle that doesn’t change if you use hot or cold water.

It runs that same cycle and if the water you put in is significantly hotter going in, it will be significantly hotter coming out. As a result, your coffee can taste bitter.

Hot water from the tap that was heated in a hot water tank is likely to have more minerals in it. (source)

Additionally, hot water that’s been sitting in your hot water tank may contain sediment, rust, or other contaminants.

Minerals in water can damage your Keurig and cause scaling.

It won’t have a noticeable impact on the flavor of the coffee. Unless of course, your hot water heater contains an abundance of minerals.

Are you finding that your descale light on your Keurig is on even after you’ve descaled?

That’s so frustrating! And it always seems to happen when you’re desperate for coffee! But if you’ve descaled and the light still isn’t going off, read this recent article.

I cover every possible cause and solution to get you brewing again in no time! I even cover the “slap and burp” method which Keurig doesn’t approve of, but many swear works like a charm!

Click the link to read it on my site.

What temperature does a Keurig heat water to?

According to Keurig, the internal water temperature of your Keurig machine is 192 degrees Fahrenheit.

Generally, it can be agreed that the optimal temperature for a perfect cup of coffee is somewhere between 190-200 degrees Fahrenheit.

All Keurig machines come preset at 192 degrees.

Even the models that come with the temperature adjustment feature don’t get any hotter than 192.

If your coffee is not brewing as hot as it should be, then your heating element may be turned off. This could be due to the water not pumping through the machine properly due to scaling or it being clogged.

When water is not being pumped through the machine, the heating element shuts off to prevent overheating. Give your Keurig a thorough cleaning.

Sometimes small particles of dust, coffee, etc can get trapped in certain parts, causing issues with the machinery. Try turning it upside down and slapping the bottom of the machine to break these small particles loose. (source)

If it’s still not working properly, it could be a mechanical or technical issue that needs attention.

Which Keurig model makes the hottest coffee?

Most Keurig coffee makers do NOT have a temperature adjustment.

To get the hottest cup of coffee, you want to get a Keurig that lets you adjust the temperature. So, the one you want is the Keurig K-Elite Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker (click to see the current price on Amazon).

It brews your cup in under 1 minute and allows you to select a range of temperatures for the coffee serving temperature, between 187-192°.

At almost 5 stars and well over 1,000 reviews, this one just makes a lot of sense.

I will say another model, the Keurig K575 also has a lot of great features, including 5 temperature settings AND it’s able to dispense hot water on demand (for tea, soup cups, etc) and those are great features.

Unfortunately, at $550 it isn’t really an affordable option for the average buyer. Fortunately, however, Amazon says the Keurig K-Elite is the “newer version” of the K575. It’s much more affordable and gets excellent reviews.

Are you using a Keurig but not getting your coffee as hot as you’d like?

That’s frustrating as no one (aside from my wife) likes lukewarm coffee! Luckily, I have some solutions and recommendations in this recent article on my site.

Just click that link to read the article on my site to find out what coffee maker makes the hottest coffee.

How do I get my coffee hotter from my Keurig?

You may be under the impression that hotter coffee tastes better. I like my coffee really hot, but if it’s too hot, it will be bitter.

Are you are consistently getting foul-tasting coffee from your Keurig?

If so, check out this recent article on my site. It probably has nothing to do with the Keurig itself, but rather how well (or how poorly) you are taking care of your Keurig.

The best-tasting coffee comes from using cold, filtered water in a clean, descaled Keurig. And speaking of Keurig water filters, are they universal or do you have to buy those expensive Keurig ones?

Luckily I give you the answer and some money-saving tips in a recent article. Just click that to read it on my site.

However, if it tastes fine, but you just want it to be a little hotter, you can purchase Keurigs with an adjustable temperature setting.

The Keurig K-Elite Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker (click to see the current price on Amazon) has a temperature control feature that allows you to brew from 187 to 192 degrees Fahrenheit.

If 192 degrees still isn’t hot enough for you, there are a few things you can do. While they may not make that sip of coffee hotter, they may help in keeping the coffee hotter longer.

  1. Double your cups. If you are using paper or foam cups, double them up. A single cup will allow heat to escape rather quickly.
  2. Run a brew cycle first. A machine that has been sitting idle or freshly turned on will produce a cooler cup of coffee. Run a brew cycle using only water first to preheat the brewer.
  3. Use a mug warmer. A warm mug may slightly warm your coffee, but it will definitely keep it warm longer.
  4. Use a smaller mug. Mugs with wide openings tend to cool quicker than mugs with small openings. A mug with a top will hold the heat even longer.

Final Thoughts

In this article, I talked about whether it’s a good idea to put hot water in your Keurig.

I discussed whether you could put hot water in your Keurig reservoir and whether it would hurt your machine. Not only could adding hot water to your Keurig be bad for your machine, but it could be bad for you, too.

I also talked about which Keurig model makes the hottest coffee and how hot they get the water.

But most importantly, I answered the question of whether you can put hot water in your Keurig.

What type of Keurig do you have? Will you start putting hot water in it?

Photos which require attribution:

Keurig Pouring Coffee by Tony Webster is licensed under CC2.0

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Jeff Campbell
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