How Much Coffee Do You Put In A Reusable K Cup?

I’m the furthest thing from a coffee snob you’ve ever met, but I DO love my morning cup of joe. The only thing I like better? Not waiting for it. My Keurig is used and abused at my house. It makes all our coffee, (anywhere from 4-8 cups in the morning. Yikes I know…) our afternoon cups of tea, and our evening decaf. At my house, we get our money’s worth out of that thing.

And, that comes at a cost. K-cups are not cheap, and our budget has me shopping at ALDI on a good week. So, how do we power through all that K-Cup use, without breaking the bank? Simple, we use reusable K-cups. And guys… they’re awesome.

The only issue I have with my reusable K-cup is getting that consistent taste (albeit some say watered down – I wouldn’t know- not a coffee snob remember?) that pre-packed k-cups do provide. So, how much coffee do you put in a reusable K-Cup to get that “just right” taste?

The Perfect Cup

When I first made my switch to reusable K-Cups, I used paper filters to get the job done. They were pricey in their own right and a royal pain. After using those for WAY too long, I finally acted like a grown up and bought a reusable filter. (I like this one.)

I made a lot of mistakes at first, (wasting coffee grounds, making the weakest cups of coffee EVER, and watching my filter overflow all over everything.) Ugh. Nothing like a nice cup of coffee in the morning filled with coffee grounds…. Fast forward 2 years and I’ve got it all figured out.

To get that consistent taste, look for the fill lines in your reusable filters. There are usually two, one is set for a small cup (4-6 oz) and the other is set for a larger cup (6-8 oz). However, it’s important to never go over the top fill line. Either your grounds need room to expand, or you can spend the time you were supposed to be drinking coffee, de-grounding your Keurig. You pick…

If you bought a filter with no filling lines, use 1-2 tsp for a small cup, and 2-3 tsp for a larger cup. Stick with that, and you’ll have the same tasting cup every morning.

Tricks Of The Cup…

Looking for some quick tips to get the most out of your Keurig cups? When brewing, use the 4 to 8 oz settings. Go any higher than that and you’re using more water for the same amount of grounds. It’ll put more in your cup, but won’t be doing you any favors.

To get the most kick out of your cup, go with a light roast. Dark roast coffees are known to have a much stronger flavor than a light roast, but don’t be fooled into thinking darker equals more caffeine. As a matter of fact, the lighter roast coffees have higher caffeine levels.

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Still too watered down for you? Try this hack – save a used K-Cup to serve as an insert in your reusable filter. This slowly filters the water through, giving you a stronger brew. I found an awesome guideline here.

Whether your reason for going the reusable route is to save money, or to lower the impact on the environment- (all those plastic cups are wasteful!) – Stick to these tips and you’ll get the most use out of your reusable K-Cups, along with the taste you’re after.

What’s your favorite reusable K-Cup? Let us know your tips and tricks for keeping your costs low and your coffee tasting good.