How to Use Paper Filters in the Keurig K-Carafe Reusable Filter

The K-Carafe reusable filter lets you brew a whole carafe from your own ground coffee instead of a pre-filled pack. A paper filter inside it keeps grounds out of the pot and saves you scrubbing the mesh afterwards. Here's how to get it right.

What you need

• A Keurig 2.0 brewer that brews a carafe (the K300, K400 and K500 series) and its carafe.
• The K-Carafe reusable filter, the tall basket made for carafe brewing.
• Taller paper filters, sized for that basket. The standard single-cup filter is too short.
• Medium-ground coffee, the same grind you'd use for drip.

See the K-Carafe paper filters

Step by step

1. Lift the handle on your brewer and take out the pod holder if one is fitted, so the carafe filter seats properly.
2. Open the K-Carafe reusable filter and press a paper filter into the basket. Line the sides and let the top edge reach the rim. It doesn't have to touch the bottom.
3. Add ground coffee. Start with about 4 to 5 tablespoons for a 4-cup carafe, then adjust to taste. Keep the grounds level and don't press them down.
4. Close the lid, put the filter in the brewer and close the handle.
5. Put the carafe on the drip tray, choose the carafe size and brew.
6. Lift out the paper with the grounds inside and toss it. Rinse the basket at the end of the day.

How much coffee for a carafe

Keurig's own carafe packs hold up to about 26 grams of coffee, which is roughly 4 to 5 level tablespoons. That's the right starting point for a 4-cup carafe.

• Coffee too weak? Add a tablespoon, or grind a little finer.
• Coffee too strong or bitter? Take a tablespoon out, or brew the next size up.
• Don't overfill. Packed grounds swell, water can't get through, and the basket can overflow.

Fixing the usual problems

Grounds in the carafe. The paper is probably sitting too low or has a gap at the rim. Press it against the sides so the top edge reaches the top of the basket, and check you're using the taller carafe-size filter rather than a single-cup one.

Weak, watery coffee. Usually not enough coffee, or a grind that's too coarse. Add a tablespoon first, then try one step finer.

Water backs up in the basket. The grind is too fine or the grounds were packed down. Go one step coarser and keep them level.

The brewer doesn't recognise the filter. Keurig 2.0 machines read the lid of each pack before brewing. Make sure the reusable filter is seated properly, that you removed the single-cup pod holder, and that the top of the filter and the sensor area are clean.

Coffee tastes stale or brews slowly over time. Old coffee oils build up in the mesh. Wash the basket with warm water and a soft brush every week or so.

Does the same filter fit anything else?

Yes. The taller carafe-size filter also fits the Keurig My K-Cup Universal, which has a deeper basket than most single-cup pods. If you own both, one box covers both. Our guide to which paper filter size fits your pod has the full list.

For EkoBrew, EZ-Cup, Solofill and other standard single-cup pods, use the standard size instead.

Common questions

Do I need a paper filter in the K-Carafe basket?
No, but the mesh lets fine grounds into the pot, and without paper you're rinsing the basket after every brew. Paper fixes both. More on that in do you need a paper filter in a reusable K-Cup?

How many carafes does a box make?
One filter per carafe. A 100-count box makes 100 carafes, about three months of a daily pot.

Can I use a regular basket filter from my drip machine?
You can cut one down to size. Here's how, though you'll need a wider circle than for a single-cup pod.

Are the filters biodegradable?
Yes, plain unbleached paper. Grounds and filter go out together.

Will this work on a K-Duo or K-Supreme?
Those brew a carafe a different way, with their own ground-coffee basket rather than a K-Carafe pod, so the K-Carafe reusable filter doesn't apply. Not sure what your brewer takes? Send us a photo.