The Two-Pod Keurig Hack for Stronger Coffee, and What It Costs

If one K-Cup tastes like brown water, The Takeout’s fix is to use two. Its tip, which has been making the rounds again on MSN this month, is to brew a second pod into the same mug and set the Keurig to its smallest cup size for both.

The logic is simple: more coffee, less water. The Takeout says the low setting keeps the cup from getting watered down, and if the result is too strong, you nudge the size up until it tastes right. It also points out that the coffee itself matters, so a bolder roast might get you there with fewer pods.

The article doesn’t pretend this is free. It works out the cost using a Statista figure of about two cups a day for the average American, which turns into four pods daily on this plan. At roughly 60 cents a pod, by The Takeout’s count, that adds up fast, and so does the pile of used plastic cups. Its suggested alternative is a reusable stainless steel K-Cup filled with your own grounds, with a finer grind for a stronger, if more bitter, brew.

Our take: doubling pods should be your last resort, not your first. Try one pod on the smallest size, use the Strong button if your brewer has one, and buy pods labeled extra bold. If it’s still weak, the brewer may be the problem rather than the pod, and our weak or bitter Keurig guide covers the usual causes. If you do go the reusable route, our reusable K-Cup guide explains how much coffee to use and how fine to grind it.