Keurig's Short Cup Problem Fixed

Keurig's Short Cup Problem Fixed

by Anthony
(Ontario)

We have had the Keurig Coffee Maker for just over a year now, and we recently started getting the short cup problem. We tried the de-scaling solution and cleaning with a paper clip and nothing worked.

As a last resort we tried using CLR at a one to eight ratio as per the directions for cleaning coffee makers. We filled the reservoir about half way and turned on the machine until it was hot and ready to brew.

To our surprise, the first cup worked perfectly. We ran a few more cups through and then cleaned and filled the reservoir with clean water and ran several cups through (about three reservoirs) to ensure it was clean. Works great now.

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Keurig's Short Cup Problem Fixed

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Apr 24, 2012

anything but the K-brand NEW
by: Sandy

I've had the Breville version over a year now, and it's behaving nicely (knock wood). My sister's Cuisinart version is going on its third year.

Apr 24, 2012

K stands for Krap
by: Mark G

I have had 4 different Keurig machines and all have failed in either the circuit board or short cup issues. One even leaked profusely. We use nothing but RO water and descale all the time and we still wound up with the short cup problem.

I don’t care what the manufacture claims causes this problem. They are engineered and manufactured to simply be a piece of krap. Will NEVER own another one.

Gave up and purchased a Cuisenart and stopped having issues. You want a quality one cup machine, buy Cuisenart.

Apr 04, 2012

Scaling IS NOT the problem
by: Anonymous

You can use distilled water and the short cup problem occurs. I don't kn ow why so many folks go along with the Keurig mantra, KJsut desclae your machine.

I'ts sticky valves that cause the ropblem ost of the time. Much less often it's clogged valves, tubes or spout. Mcuh less often does scaling enter into it at all.

Mar 04, 2012

It Sucks
by: David Tennessee

Have had mine a year and it started making half cups.
Now it makes NO CUPS I did the paper clip thing
We will NOT BUY another or tell anybody about one.
They Suck waste of money. I want my $19.95 Mr. Coffee back that I put in a yard sale for $5.00
I will give them $10 to bring it back

Dec 31, 2011

Keurig coffee machines
by: Courtney

They may not be the best quality but Keurigs customer service is 1st. class. just my opinion.

Dec 17, 2011

DON'T use distilled water!!!
by: Anonymous

Distilled water is tasteless, and makes an awful, flat-tasting cup of coffee. Not only that, the low-water sensors in reservoir coffee machines (whether espresso or Keurig) depend on mineral content in the water to determine when to shut off the boiler and flash the warning light. If you don't keep an eagle eye on the tank, you could end up with a burned-out machine.
Best to use filtered water, descale as indicated, follow all the fixes suggested here, and when all else fails, rely on your warranty if it's still in force. Some sellers go the extra mile when Keurig won't.

Dec 17, 2011

How to prevent Keurig problems
by: Anonymous

Use distilled water in your Keurig and it will never clog up. The reason it clogs with regular water is because of the minerals. Distilled water has little or no minerals to clog it. If it's too late and your Keurig is already clogged, if it's under warranty, call Keurig and they will send you a new one. You'll have to send back the part where the K cup goes. If the warrantee is expired, try Lime Away. Follow instructions on bottle.

Dec 03, 2011

Want brew a cup
by: Valerie mitchell

It it's ready but nothing comes out I paid 176.00 and now it don't work, I should have saved my mr coffee it works every time please help me fix my coffee pot.

Oct 11, 2011

short cups
by: Anonymous

i have tried the vineager, specific coffee cleaners, the CLR, even cold beer, followed by water with baking soda. It took four passes to completely fill a 16 ounce cup. 4 oz per serving does not cut it> I also did the paper clip thing in all 4 holes and the straw thing and turning it upside down. do i accept defeat?

Sep 30, 2011

Ask for a replacement
by: Anonymous

You said it was under warranty. I had a problem with my first Keurig not working. While it was under warranty I called and tried the fixes they suggested. That didn't work, so I called again and they sent me a brand new Latest model coffee maker. It has been working perfectly

Sep 23, 2011

Keurig-Keep your coffee maker,I'm SICK of it
by: Disgusted Marion

I have had nothing but problems with my coffee-maker. I called for help with the "short cup" problem, and they blamed it on the fact that I couldn't clean the nozzle correctly. I'm an older lady and I can't see that small hole, and I have no one to do it. I have gone back to my drip coffee maker, and my machine is not even out of warranty.(What do I do with all the coffee cups I bought?)

Sep 21, 2011

Fixed my short cup
by: Anonymous

An earlier post on this thread refers you to another thread with a crude "fix" for a short cupping keurig machine. It works.

The problem seems to be trapped air in the tubing. Unplug the machine. Remove the water reservoir. Pop the top and remove any k cups. Bring the machine over to the sink, turn it upside down and with the heel of your hand give it a gentle thud or two on the bottom. You should hear bubbling and some liquid may drip out. Mine gave a full cup after that exercise. Good luck!

Sep 16, 2011

not again!!!!
by: Sandy A.

So just a little over 2 months since Sur La Table replaced my Breville, it short-cupped this morning on a Timothy's Mocha Java at 7 oz. Second cycle was normal, as were the next two cups (9 oz. Barista Prima Colombia and 7 oz. Newman's Own Special Blend). But I'll keep a lookout over the weekend and see what happens. I am NOT going to descale, as it's only 2 mos. old and I use bottled filtered water exclusively. I suspect these things, whether $100 Costco Keurig-branded or $300 Breville, are essentially disposable, at least the ones with reservoirs and selectable cup sizes. It is almost certainly the electronics--not the mechanical components--since my little one-size pour-over Mini has never failed.

Sep 16, 2011

Keurig Problems
by: Anonymous

I have had 4 of these coffee makers - one platinum and 3 of the next cheaper model. I have had problems with all of them. (I had one at my office, one at my home in FL and one at an apt I used for work). All of them have short-cupped, no-cupped. I have thrown the planinum and one of the others in the trash after none of the Keruig solutions provided no relief. I put up with the short cup at my office and just made two cups to get one normal cup. I still have a considerable amount of K-cups at home but not sure I will be using them. All of these coffee makers used filtered water exclusively. Although they are expensive, they are cheap and not reliable for long periods.
I really feel bad now that so many of my friends have purchased them for their homes after visiting us and using ours.
I will no longer recommend this product to anyone and their customer serivce is no help beyond doing what is written in the literature about cleaning and descaling. Who ever heard of a normal activity of sticking a paper clip in a unit to get it to work? Rediculous - just cheap Chinese junk sold at an expensive price.

Jul 24, 2011

short cut, to cut out completely
by: Rose

I bought my Keurig last year in Jun, I started getting the short cup problem and then the descaling light came on. I followed the directions on descaling my machine and it cut out completely. I tried plugging it in another outlet to no avail I guess it's one of those things as soon as the warranty is done the machine is done. I bought the platinum B70 brewer and was hoping to get more than a years use out if it. Completely disappointed in this coffee maker.

Jul 21, 2011

Short cup issue
by: Anonymous

You may want to look at this thread where many many people have successfully employed a crude but effective method to solve the 1/2 cup issue:

http://www.all-about-coffee-makers.com/keurig-brewer-brewing-half-sized-cups.html

Jul 14, 2011

fourth time the charm?
by: Sandy A.

Sur La Table took back the Breville. I called them up, and before I could even finish the sentence they replied, "Bring it in and we'll give you a new one." When I got there, they said they'll order some more; and if this one breaks they'll keep exchanging it. So now $300 coffee machines are just like those $20 soda-maker cylinders: when they stop working, just swap 'em out for a new one. New one still working...so far...a whole two days....
No, I wasn't using the Timothy's, BTW--and the machine(s) were short-cupping on non-Extra Bolds, eventually even on hot water.

Jul 14, 2011

Morning Blend
by: Mike

We've found that the "short cup" syndrome happens with most frequency when using Timothy's Morning Blend. When we took the K cup apart and compared the grounds with other flavors, the Morning Blend was much coarser and retains much more water than, for example, the French Vanilla. Anyone else found that to be true?

Jul 12, 2011

They're all schlock--except the simple Minis
by: Sandy

My 4-week-old Breville K-Cup brewer ($300!) has begun to short-cup just like the two previous Keurig Platinum B-70s (the original purchase at $160 and its warranty replacement). This despite descaling, reaming out the needle hole, using only bottled water, and changing the charcoal filter. Moreover, this one has begun to leak as well. I am frustrated as hell because when it works it's wonderful and my family drinks a LOT of coffee. (We used to waste a lot when we used a drip maker and the rest of the pot went cold and stale). Because of that, we have about $150 or more worth of K-cups on hand. The only K-cup brewer that has never malfunctioned is the little Mini I bought back in 2009 and use for travel (as well as when I am awaiting a replacement for the larger unit). This is probably because I haven't used it as heavily, and there is no "dosing" circuitry as it brews only one size and needs to be refilled for each cup. I am convinced that the cheapo Chinese circuit boards that determine dosage are to blame, as this Keurig circuitry is in all the models that have reservoirs, tanks and multiple cup-sizes--regardless of whether Keurig, Breville or Cuisinart-branded.

Jul 12, 2011

K-CUP FED UP!
by: Coffee Guru

This is my 2nd Keurig coffee maker. The pump stopped working on the first one after 12 months. Tried the de-scaling method - did not work. Returned it to Costco, they replaced it for free. Thank you Costco. The second Keurig is exactly 45 days old and today has quit working. You can hear the water pump trying to work, but very little coffee drips out. I've only ever used filtered water so minerals/water impurities should not be building up in the water reservior. Heading out the door today to by a Tassimo. We'll give that a try. NO MORE KEURIG COFFEE MAKER FOR ME.

Jun 18, 2011

Short cup problem vs water
by: Martin

You know, I think the short cup problem depends of caracteristics of water you put in it. If your water contains a lot of limestone, for example, I'm pretty sure you'll have the short cup problem shortly. Yes you can use CLR to make a "shock treatment" but I think you should buy distilled water to make your coffee if you don't want to have this problem a second time.

Jun 18, 2011

3rd Keurig coffeemaker stopped brewing.
by: RC

Just bought a $40 Mr. CoffeeMaker after the 3rd Keurig coffeemaker stopped brewing. This is the 2nd replacement to fail after the original one failed a year and a half ago. You would expect a $160.00 coffeemaker to last years but these don't. And they always stop working after you've just spent 80 bucks on K-Cups.

Tried all the suggestions without success. I thought this coffeemaker was great but not anymore. I give up!

May 30, 2011

Don't by a Keurig!
by: Anonymous

Never had a problem with my $40.00 coffee maker, and now with the $169.00 Keuring I am constantly getting the "short cup.+ Followed all the directions on decscaling and still a short cup. Sick and tired of the Keuring. Customer service will not take responsiblity for their problem but instead blame you for anything so they don't have to send you a replacement

May 23, 2011

short cup problems
by: Ontario

We have had our Keurig coffeemaker for less than a month and it gives us unpredictable volumes about 90% of the time. We used it infrequently and was wondering if we just needed to prime it, but that didn't seem to work. I will look into these suggestions that I read today and will see it they will help. Thank you all......

May 16, 2011

Short cup problem
by: Anonymous

Bought the CLR and it worked! Thanks Mel!

May 15, 2011

our solution to short cup problem....
by: Mel

tried white vinegar with no success then took a straw like a previous comment suggested, blew several times thru hole under resevior and, 'shonuff', our cup of 2 oz. has now turned into a cup of 12 oz. praise the lord.

mel.nuss@gmail.com

May 13, 2011

What is CLR?
by: Anonymous

CLR is a powerful formula available for dissolving tough calcium and lime deposits and surface rust stains. CLR stands for Calcium, Lime and Rust remover. Google CLR and you'll see...

May 13, 2011

Short Cup
by: Anonymous

Having the short cup problem...what is CLR?

May 03, 2011

You saved my life
by: Martin

I tried it and it repaired my Keurig! Thank you for sharing this solution!

Apr 29, 2011

Same Problem As Others
by: clp

Having the identical problems as others here. Our machine is 13 months old and of course, out of warranty. Have ran at least a gallon of vinegar through ours, with no correction to the problem. Called Keurig's customer service; they told us to do everything we already did and said that they will send us a replacement K cup holder, as they say it is malfunctioning. Can't see how that could be, as all it does is puncture the K cup and we have cleaned and rinsed it numerous times before and after the problem started. Will call them back again, but not expecting too much. Will never buy another Keurig again, because after spending $150 on a coffee maker, I expect it to last longer than 13 months.

Apr 23, 2011

DeScaling Problems
by: Anonymous

We bought our first Keurig about 2 years ago and had it a couple of months befire it started acting up...would not brew an entire cup of coffee. Then we found out there was a recall on certain units because of a pump issue. Sent ours in and got a new one to replace it. Now the one we have is not that old but we are having the descaling issue. It is not brewing an entire cup of coffee and the descaling light will not go off, even after cleaning with vinegar 4 times! We are super frustrated because the Kuerig machines are not cheap...will try to clean with CLR, as I have seen suggested here...but will not buy another if this does not work...at least not Kuerig brand.

Apr 17, 2011

keurig partial cup
by: Anonymous

Problem:
Keurig B30 would only brew a partial cup and stop. Had to run 3 times to complete brewing.
Solution:
With the coffee maker unplugged and an empty cup in place, I filled the reservoir with filtered water and with a short length of flexible plastic tubing I blew in to the small hole in the bottom of the reservoir. I did this 4 or 5 times sucking some water in to the tube to force it through the system. When I had finished there were a lot of grounds in the cup and the next time I used the coffee maker it worked perfectly.

Apr 07, 2011

CLR use for Keurig brewer
by: Dean

I have seen comments from various people on both sides of the fence for using CLR in the Keurig brewer. On one side, the Keurig experts recommend AGAINST using CLR in any coffee maker that retains water (Keurig does); on the other side, Anthony posts his glowing comments, and I have seen others who have used it successfully. My situation is that my B70 Limited Edition pumps erratic quantities and the "DE-SCALE" warning is on constantly. I have run about 8 gallons of vinegar through it to no avail, and last night, I ran through several cycles of the Dezcal product from URNEX that I got through Green Mountain. The "DE_SCALE" warning is still on, although it DOES seem to pump a more predictable quantity. I will try CLR as a last resort, but in line with the chemical warnings, will run multiple reservoirs of water through it to flush it out. If it still won't come clean, I will get rid of it, although I hate to throw away $150 on a machine that is only 18 months old.

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