Keurig Is Spraying And Splashing Coffee Everywhere (Solved!)

A Keurig coffee maker can sputter a bit when it’s brewing a cup of coffee. This is particularly true for the Keurig K-Supreme and K-Supreme Plus models. They tend to sputter a bit more due to their specific design.

But, if coffee is splashing all around your Keurig and onto your kitchen counter, there might be a problem. It shouldn’t be that messy.

How To Fix A Keurig That Sprays Coffee Everywhere?

To fix a Keurig that sprays coffee everywhere:

Clean the exit spout and needles to remove any clogged residue or mineral deposits.
Check the bottom needle for damage and replace it if needed.
Ensure proper puncturing of K-cups, and avoid using old ones.
If using a reusable K-cup, seal it properly and use coarsely ground coffee.
If these steps fail, contact Keurig’s customer service as the issue might be a faulty pump.
For quick fixes, use a taller cup, elevate the cup, or place a towel beneath your machine.

Let’s dive deeper into these solutions below!

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The Exit Spout Is Clogged

If your Keurig machine sprays coffee all over when you make a cup, it could be because of mineral deposits and old coffee residue stuck in the spout where the coffee comes out.

This buildup can block the water from coming out smoothly, making it spray everywhere instead.

To sort this out, first, clean the coffee output area with a wet cloth. Next, run a descale cycle on your Keurig. Doing this should get rid of all the stuff blocking the coffee spout and let the water run out easily again.

Here are all the descaling guides I wrote for the Keurig Coffee makers:

Keep The Top Needle From Clogging With Coffee Grounds

Besides the spout, the tiny holes near the needles that poke into the K-cups can also get blocked. Cleaning these small holes can prevent coffee from splashing all over the place.

Think about it this way: if you cover half of a showerhead, the water will spray out harder from the uncovered part.

The same happens with your Keurig machine. For instance, if two out of the three holes around the needle get blocked, all the water has to push through the one unblocked hole. This causes the water to shoot out with greater force, which leads to it splashing everywhere.

To clean it, you can use a maintenance cup or a paperclip.

With the maintenance cup, turn off the machine, fill the cup halfway with water, and put it inside. Open and close the lid five times, then remove the cup and turn the machine back on.

Alternatively, you can clean the needle with a paper clip. First, unplug the machine. Then, turn it upside down and open the lid. Find the three holes surrounding the needle in the lid. Insert the paper clip into each hole and gently move it around to clean them.

Put everything back together, rinse with water to remove any leftover coffee, and you’re ready to make coffee again.

Check If The Bottom Needle Is Broken

Firstly, double-check if you’ve placed the K-cup basket in the machine before brewing a cup. It’s probably already there, but I’m reminding you just to be sure, as this can also cause your Keurig to spray everywhere.

When you open the Keurig’s lid, you’ll see a needle at the bottom inside the K-cup holder. This needle makes a hole in the K-cup. If the K-cup basket is bent or damaged, it can’t function properly. This might lead to sputtering and grounds in your coffee as the K-cup could burst open due to pressure.

If the needle is bent or broken:

If your Keurig is still under warranty, get in touch with their customer support. They may send you a new machine or K-cup holder.
If your Keurig is out of warranty, you could manually make a hole in the bottom of each K-cup before putting it in the machine.
Another option is to buy a new K-cup holder from Amazon. The linked K-cup holder fits most Keurig coffee makers.

Keep The Bottom Needle Clean

The needle at the bottom of the K-cup holder could also get blocked with coffee or minerals.

Just like the top needle, this could cause water to flow with more pressure causing it to splash all over. This can also cause your Keurig to leak all over the counter.

Clean it with a paperclip as you did with the top needle. Push the paperclip into the hole beside the needle and wiggle it around. Rinse by making a cup of water without a K-cup in the machine.

Make Sure The K-Cups Are Punctured

The bottom needle might not be sharp enough to pierce the K-cups. In this case, you’ll have to help it out.

When you place the K-cup in the holder, push down on it slightly to make sure the needle pierces the bottom.

Or, you could use a needle to pierce the K-cup before you put it in the holder.

This could be more necessary if you’re using K-cups from a brand other than Keurig. Some brands use different types of seals, like paper, which can be harder for the coffee maker to puncture.

Don’t Use Old K-Cups

The ground coffee in a K-cup begins to release gases over time. This causes pressure to build up inside the K-cup. If you then use this old K-Cup that has too much pressure, it might burst when you shut the lid and begin brewing.

This could cause a large rip in the K-cup’s seal. When the coffee brews, coffee grounds will then leak from the K-cup into your cup and splatter all over.

If You’re Using A Reusable K-Cup

Make sure your reusable K-Cup is properly sealed before you put it in your Keurig coffee machine. These cups can lose their seal faster than normal K-Cups.

Don’t use coffee that’s ground too fine. If the grains are too small, the Keurig machine might struggle to push water through, which can result in overflowing with grounds ending up in your coffee, it spraying water everywhere and you can end up with only half a cup.

It’s better to use coarsely ground coffee. Fill it to just below the brown line, which is about the same as 2.5 tablespoons.

A Faulty Pump

If you’ve tried all the steps above and your Keurig is still splashing coffee all over, the problem might be a broken pump pushing water too hard.

The best thing to do now is to get in touch with Keurig’s customer service. If your warranty is still valid, they’ll likely send you a new Keurig coffee machine. If your warranty has expired, they usually give a big discount on a new machine.

Short-Term Solutions

If you don’t have the time to clean your Keurig now, here are some temporary fixes you could consider:

Use a taller cup so it catches more of the spraying coffee.
Elevate your cup using a small item like a basket or a tuna can to prevent spillage.
Place a towel beneath your Keurig to absorb any splatters.

I call these short-term solutions because it can be annoying to do them every time you want to make a cup of coffee.

Conclusion

While a Keurig coffee maker splashing or spraying coffee can be a messy problem, it’s typically solvable with a little attention and care.

The issues generally stem from blockages due to mineral or coffee residue, damage to the device’s parts, or problems with the K-cups themselves.

By following these simple maintenance steps and tips, you can help ensure your Keurig operates smoothly.

Thanks for reading!