3 Reasons Why A Keurig Shuts Off When You Hit Brew or During Brewing

It’s morning. Your tired. All you want is a hot cup of coffee from your Keurig machine to wake you up. You put in a pod, hit brew, and then… the machine shuts off. You probably try hitting the brew button a few more times and your Keurig keeps shutting off. Ugh! Fortunately, you are in the right place. I’ve outlined the most common reasons why this is happening to your Keurig and how you can fix it. Keep reading to learn more.

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Reason 1: The Exit Needle Is Clogged or Broken

In order for water to flow through a K-cup, there needs to be a hole in the top of the capsule and at the bottom. That’s why your machine has two needles – one below the pod holder and one underneath the part of the brew head that opens.

If either one of these needles is not functioning properly, you’ll end up with a pod that has only one hole in it. Since the water would not be able to pass through the K-cup, your Keurig shuts off automatically if it detects this issue. Think of this as a safety mechanism built into the machine; with it, water would back up in the pod holder and really damage your machine.

An easy check for this is to remove a K-cup the next time your Keurig keeps shutting off when you try to brew. If there is not a fully punctured hole in the bottom of the pod, the bottom needle of your machine is the issue. Inspect it to see if it is clogged by coffee ground build up, bent or otherwise broken.

If there is a coffee grinds clog, you just need to clean the needle with the tool that came with your machine or with the paper clip method. If the needle is bent or broken, you can replace the needle gasket with the one that is compatible with your machine. These parts are easy to install. The needles are sharp so please use caution!

Reason 2: The Water Magnet Alignment Is Off

If you look inside your water tank, you’ll notice that there is a magnet. Your Keurig uses this magnet to detect the level of water in the reservoir. Over time, this magnet can become misaligned and stuck due to vibrations from the machine while brewing. When this happens, the brewer is unable to detect the water level and will shut off.

To fix this gently tap the tank near the magnet housing. If this doesn’t move it try giving it a little shake. If it is still stuck after this, empty any water in the tank, clean it with a gentle soap and then fill it with water again.

Reason 3: Your Keurig Needs Descaling

The minerals found in the water you use to brew cause limescale to build up in your machine over time. If left untreated, this can cause water blockages inside your machine. If water can’t make it all the way through, it would cause the machine to shut off.

You should descale every three months, or more often if you live in an area with hard water. See our detailed guide on how to descale your Keurig machine. If your machine is more than three months old and never descaled, you may need to repeat this 2-3 times.

K-Supreme Water Carafe Lid Issue & Solution

The water carafe on the K-Supreme model has a tight lid. Sometimes when the brewer is pulling water out of the carafe, it can cause a vacuum to form. This will prevent water from exiting the carafe during the next brew cycle, causing the machine to shut off. To fix this, try brewing without the lid of the carafe.

Additional Troubleshooting

If none of the above solutions fix your Keurig, you can try this social that has worked for many people according to social media. Simply remove the water tank and unplug your machine. Let it sit overnight or for several hours. When the time has passed, put the tank back in place, turn the machine on and try to brew. You may even want to try using a different outlet just to remove any electrical issues as the cause.

If even unplugging the machine doesn’t work, your best best is to contact Keurig support.