Tea and coffee are the two most popular caffeinated drinks worldwide, and most people enjoy drinking them both.
Have you ever thought can you make tea in a Keurig coffee maker?
In fact, the Keurig system is just as convenient and user-friendly for brewing tea as it is for brewing coffee.
You can make tea in Keurig using tea pods – they are available easily and in a variety of flavors. Alternatively, you can use a Keurig as a hot water dispenser to make tea with tea bags or tea leaves
This article will discuss three different ways to brew tea with Keurig and at the end, we will discuss the pros and cons of using Keurig as a tea maker.
3 ways to make tea in Keurig
There are more than 50 Keurig models available in the market. For the sake of this article, we will be using Keurig Supreme Plus as an example. But the method of brewing tea with every Keurig model is almost the same.
Check out the review of Keurig Supreme Plus from coffeeabout.
1- Using Tea K cup pods
With the help of specialist brands in the tea industry, Keurig manufactures top-quality tea pods, including Celestial, Lipton, and Twinings.
However, there are some points you should know while using tea pods in Keurig.
- Whenever you are brewing tea in Keurig, use the largest cup size, which is 12 ounces for Keurig Supreme plus. With coffee pods, I never recommend going over 6 oz as the taste of coffee gets thin and watery; however, with tea pods, even the largest setting provides flavorful tea.
- In case you use both tea and coffee pods in your Keurig occasionally, it’s recommended to run a cleaning cycle before and after brewing otherwise your drink will taste weird.
- You can use over-iced settings for brewing iced tea with tea pods. But only a few Keurig models have an option for brew over ice.
2- Make tea in Keurig without K cups (Using Tea Bags)
If you don’t have tea pods using tea bags and a Keurig as a hot water kettle will still allow you to make tea. Here’s a step by step guide on how to do it.
1- Remove any used K cups from the pod holder and run a brewing cycle without any pods.
2- After the first brewing cycle, discard the water and run another brewing cycle selecting the desired cup size. Cleaning the Keurig is important otherwise your tea will taste like coffee, which is certainly not what you want.
3- Now place the tea bag in the hot water you just get with Keurig and allow it to steep.
4- Lastly, you can also add sweetener or hot milk if you want.
3- Making Tea in Keurig Using loose Tea leaf
Many people prefer to use tea leaves rather than k-cups or tea bags, as they believe tea leaves create a stronger and more intense cup of tea.
To use tea leaves, you must use Keurig as the hot water dispenser, just like you would if you were using tea bags.
Pour hot water from the Keurig into your mug and add one or two tablespoons of tea leaves. You can wrap tea leaves in tea filters for a smooth taste or you can filter them with a metal strainer afterward.
Can you put loose tea in a reusable k-cup
If you have reusable Keurig cups, you might be tempted to add tea leaves to them, but it’s not a way to brew tea and Keurig does not recommend this practice. As the steeping time of the Keurig brewing system isn’t suitable for tea leaves.
Pros and Cons of using Keurig as Tea Maker
Pros:
- Keurig machines are very convenient and quick.
- There are variety of k cups available with different flavors of tea.
- Some advanced Keurig Models like K-Elite have convenient features for making tea like adjustable temperature settings and a separate outlet for hot water.
Cons
- It’s a hassle to clean a Keurig both before and after each brew if you’re using it both for coffee and tea.
- K cups of tea are much more expensive than loose tea leaves, costing around three times as much per cup.
- The K cups are made of plastic and go to waste, which is certainly not eco-friendly.
- The Keurig isn’t a perfect tea maker, although it is a good choice if you like both tea and coffee, but it really isn’t a good choice if you only drink tea.
What you shouldn’t be doing while making tea with Keurig
You might think that putting a tea bag in a Keurig pod holder will yield a good cup of tea, but you’re wrong and you shouldn’t be doing this if you love your Keurig.
It will clog the Keurig needles, which will be very hard to clean later. And also, it will tear the tea bag and you will end up with tea full of tea leaves and herbs.
How to make Iced Tea in a Keurig
Using iced tea pods with Keurig is the best way to make iced tea. You can find options from Celestial and Lipton tea pods specially designed for iced coffee.
Many Keurig models including Supreme Plus have settings for brew over ice. Insert the pod, press the over-iced button, fill the glass 2/3 with ice cubes, and place it on the drip tray and your iced tea be ready in a minute.
If you have an entry-level Keurig machine like Keurig mini you will not have the settings for brew over ice. Simply select a 6 oz or 8 oz cup size in that case, and your iced tea will be fine in taste.
Final Thoughts on making tea with Keurig
The steps for making tea in a Keurig coffee maker are very simple – if you haven’t tried it before, now is a perfect time.
The good thing is there are variety of tea pods available from various different brands and you can easily pick your favorite one.
If somehow you don’t wanna buy tea pods you can brew tea with tea bags and use Keurig as a hot water dispenser.
Faqs
Is Keurig water hot enough for tea bags?
Yes! Keurig heats water at 192 degrees which is enough for making a hot cup of tea. This temperature is completely acceptable for black, green, and oolong tea.
Can I use a Keurig as a kettle?
Yes, Keurig can be easily used as a hot water kettle. Just remove any used k cup pod from the machine, close the head, and select your desired cup size. Keurig will heat the water in a minute.
You might have to run more than one cycle to have a clean cup of hot water as the first run will have coffee residue in it.