Son poured milk in Keurig to make hot cocoa.

by Robin
(SC)

Water only in your Keurig brewer!

Water only in your Keurig brewer!


QUESTION:

I am sorry if this is put in the wrong spot but was wondering if there was a magic fix for milk in Keurig machine.

My 9 yr old wanted to make hot cocoa and poured milk straight into the machine. After 2 dozen rinses with water/vinegar the water is now running clear but it smells so bad. My machine is now sitting next to the garbage can waiting to get tossed out in tomorrow’s trash.

Has anyone encountered this tragedy (hahaha) and fixed it so the water doesn't smell like burnt milk?


ANSWER:

Robin, hi

I’m sorry, but I can’t stop laughing at your misfortune. : ) I just have this picture in my mind of a 9-year old boy earnestly pouring milk into a Keurig brewer! In a way, it makes excellent sense. Put water in for coffee, and milk in for hot chocolate. Why not?

It also reminds me of when one of my own sons squeezed two slices of bread and a slice of cheese in our toaster to make a toasted cheese sandwich!

As for your problem, you could try one of the products recommended for cleaning the milk lines in espresso machines, like Urnex Rinza Alkaline Formula Milk Frother Cleaner.

These products are designed to dissolve residues in the milk frothing part of the machine, so it might work for your Keurig. Worth a try anyway!

Best wishes,

Nick

Comments for Son poured milk in Keurig to make hot cocoa.

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Nov 19, 2022
17 year old put milk in Keurig
by: Anonymous

Cleaned it out right away, but it own't power on. No reset button either.

Oct 26, 2022
Milk in Keurig: solved!!
by: Dad

My 9-year-old son put milk in the Keurig also and told us immediately. The only way to get rid of that nasty burnt milk smell permanently is to take apart the Keurig and remove the scolded milk from the heating coil. 8 screws and some wiring harnesses. Fill the heating tank with a mix of hot water and dish detergent and let it sit over night. Clean off all the crud from the coils using brushes or light grit sandpaper, reassemble and good as new!

Dec 28, 2021
Help! Milk went through my Kuerig!
by: Anonymous

Nine year old son, nothing! My 33-year-old daughter just ran milk through, hoping for a rich hot chocolate. Rancid smell resulted! I’m trying vinegar and water, but it still smells rancid six cycles later.

Jul 02, 2021
Do no use heavy cleaners.
by: Dono

For cleaning the Keurig machine, you should avoid any heavy cleaning product since some parts of the interior of the machine is made out of rubber and heat resistant plastique. Anything even just remotely "hard" on plastique or rubber can damage the machine beyond repairs. If the cleaner has a symbol representing a skull or a reverse (!), don't use it as it's either poison or corrosive. (Yeah, obviously, don't put any strong (poisonous) cleaning liquid in a device you use to produce something you drink.)

You also have to avoid any sand-like materials. Only use liquid mild cleaners. Sand-like materials can easily break the machine mechanical (the pump) system and the water tank's drain system. (Even if it become soluble, any remaining residues stuck in it might return to a solid state later and break the machine or, even worse, end up in your next coffee. Your best bet for a cleaner would be dish washing cleaner that can be used in a dish washer. It's usually a cleaner that is even more efficient at high heat. Put only a small amount in the water and do a couple of full (max) cup size passes.

For those who has this misfortune, the burn smell comes from drops of milk that get stuck to the heating plates inside the device (the plates that heats up the water so fast). Think of it as if you were to drop milk onto a oven's hot top. Same principle, but enclosed in a case of plastique.
Do NOT run the machine without or with not enough water (or try to trick the machine in doing it) as this can result in having the machine melt and/or catch fire.

If your kid or you REALLY want to use milk instead of water for a hot chocolate, it's really simple!

• Put milk in a cup.
• Take a Keurig hot chocolate cup (or any chocolate flavor)
• Open the aluminum top of the cup.
• Pour the cup content in the cup of milk.
• Mix it with a spoon.
• Put it in the microwave for a dozen of secs at a time.
• Mix with a spoon and repeat the heating and mixing with the spoon until it's hot enough.
• Savour a great hot milk chocolate.

May 24, 2021
My kid just did this too!
by: Anonymous

I ran through 12 cycles of just water no filter and am now doing straight vinegar. Here’s hoping

Dec 23, 2020
Vinegar to the rescue
by: Anonymous

So my grandchildren decided to put milk in mine too. So I poured straight vinegar let it set for a few hours and then press on button and hurry the cleaning cycle came on and worked I was able to clean out all milk. Miracles can happen!

Dec 03, 2020
Cheese
by: Anonymous

Did the grilled cheese in the toaster work??

Jan 29, 2018
hot chocolate
by: Anonymous

I add the chocolate after frothing the milk and it was fantastic!

Jan 02, 2018
Oops
by: Stephen

I just want to be the first of 2018 to say that this most definitely does not work. Bought my Dad a Keurig for Christmas, thinking that milk wouldn't be that big of a deal, and it is. Most definitely is.

Dec 11, 2017
34 years old
by: Alexis

I googled to try and see if I could use milk in the Keurig. My husband said not to and I was hoping he was wrong. Now I'm back to hot chocolate in the microwave.

Nov 30, 2017
Did he try heating cycle with vinegar?
by: Dodo B.

Noooo! My plan is ruined!

Find any other clues as to the actual why or possibilities on how to use milk & machine be okay?



Thx

DB

Oct 13, 2017
Keurig has made a one for using milk
by: Glenn from Azle Tx,

Keurig has made a one for using milk, it's called "Keurig Rivo" Rivo stands for revolutionary. I do not have one. Im 63 years old and was wondering the same thing.

Apr 14, 2017
Milk in Keurig
by: Anonymous

I am 37 and I like Milk in my Coffee and almost did it but decided to google it thank God i found this forum lols :) apparently DO NOT put MILK in your Keurig lols :)

Mar 21, 2017
HOT CHOCOLATE/HOT MILK
by: Anonymous

My 12 year old daughter recently did the same thing.

Feb 25, 2017
Add milk afterwards
by: Orion

if you want to make something that usually take milk to make, just use the kurig machine like you normally do, but before you start get your cup that you're using, not the k-cup obviously, and put some milk in it. then start the machine and the flavors for it will be better and it will cool your drink down a little, but if you like it hot just warm the milk up in the microwave. BOOOM! hope you enjoy!

Jan 28, 2017
Milk in Keurig
by: Anonymous

I was about to pour milk in my Keurig that I bought one day ago and decided to google it. I'm 46, with that being said the 9 year old was thinking logic like most. Ha ha

Jan 16, 2017
Scared and apparently not alone
by: Anonymous

My parents got me my K15 (the cheapest version) and I put milk in it to make hot chocolate. It sounded like a great idea! Not so much. So I tried rinsing it with a run through with water, but it started smoking (well, I couldn't tell if it's smoke or steam, but it smells like it's burning). No clue what to do.

Dec 20, 2016
Disappointed as well
by: Anonymous

Dang I was going to try it with my chai latte 😣🙁 I'm disappointed that it won't work. Lol

Dec 17, 2016
Half and half in your Keurig?
by: Anonymous

No children to blame it on just a distracted mature woman who accidentally started to pour h&h into the mug but instead poured into the reserve tank. Didn't catch it in time. Soaked up some with paper towel. Ran thru two cycles, then added some white vinegar and more water, and one more cycle. Seems okay. No funny smell. Coffee tastes just fine. Granted this was only a tablespoon or so of the creamy stuff.
Whew!

Dec 17, 2016
Bleach + water?
by: Anonymous

What if you used water with like 2 teaspoons of bleach immediately after then ran it till the water had a negligible amount of bleach in it. Could it Work?

Dec 04, 2016
Feeling your pain
by: Anonymous

If someone finds a solution, I would love to hear it as well. Last night I came home to a horrible smell, and my 18 year old son informing me that it is NOT ok to put milk in the Keurig. I also tried a couple dozen times to rinse it. Looks clean, except for sediment, but still smells. Looks like it may be on the way to the garbage.

Nov 30, 2016
No accommodation yet!
by: Parker Gabriel

It is aggravating to the extreme!

Keurig has NOT revised the designs of ANY of its single-serve coffee-making machines to accommodate usage of MILK, rather than or as well as water, for ANY beverages!

Nov 27, 2016
Too bad no milk allowed
by: Anonymous

I guess I didn't think about it when I purchased my Keurig. I LOVE my chai tea latte but only have it with milk. I will try it with water but it's not going to be as yummy. :) Come on Keurig! Help us milk lovers out!

Nov 26, 2016
Lol
by: Anonymous

Heck I'm 36 and came to see if I could put milk instead of water ! Asked my bf and he thought it would work. He's 40 😂

Nov 20, 2016
Skeptical
by: BrianAnonymous

Me and my girlfriend were just wondering the same...now I'm no Keurig specialist and I haven't tried it yet, but I would think that flushing the Keurig immediately should be more than sufficient!!

Nov 13, 2016
Use microwave
by: Michael

I'm 50 and I wanted to do the same thing but I guess with age I'm more careful. I googled it and it said "no". I'll keep heating my milk for hot chocolate in the microwave. Usually for two minutes.

Sep 26, 2016
Making hot chocolate taste better
by: Anonymous

Put a whole lot of coffee mate in your hot chocolate after brewing and it helps the water that u put in it to taste more like it was made with milk,delicious

May 09, 2016
Hey now.
by: Anonymous

I just got a keurig and i had hot chocolate and i went online to ask if it was possible to use milk for it. I will me honest and say that i am 27 years old and college educated. Haha. So your son isnt alone and its good to see we are on same page and i guess that with age boys are still crazy but with age we realize that maybe we should look up our crazy ideas before we do them. And be honest everyone that laughed. It would be a great thing to be able to use. The hot chocolate would be even better!!!

Mar 27, 2016
Son poured milk in Keurig to make hot cocoa
by: Robin

Thanks all. The silver lining was that I ended up getting a bigger Keurig and my son who is now almost 13 clearly understands that milk does not go in a Keurig. Boys, they keep life interesting.

Mar 20, 2016
Aargh same issue!
by: Anonymous

MY 9 yr old son did the SAME THING!! Even worse, we didn't discover it for 3 days so the milk had curdled. The Keurig was only two weeks old. :(

Dec 02, 2015
Milk!
by: Anonymous

I totally agree! Would love to have a machine that can heat milk! Love milk so much better than water! The varieties are so much more.

Feb 25, 2013
Milk in Keurig for cocoa
by: Parker Gabriel

Hopefully, Keurig will so revise the design of its single-serve coffee-making machines that they can accommodate milk products AND be easier to clean.

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