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4 things to make with a Keurig beyond just coffee

Keurigs aren't just for coffee and tea. Here are four food items that can be made with your single-cup coffee maker.

Taylor Martin CNET Contributor
Taylor Martin has covered technology online for over six years. He has reviewed smartphones for Pocketnow and Android Authority and loves building stuff on his YouTube channel, MOD. He has a dangerous obsession with coffee and is afraid of free time.
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Taylor Martin
3 min read

Keurigs and other single-cup coffee makers simplify the coffee-making process to a single button press. But when you break it down, all they really do is heat up water to nearly boiling and shoot that water out.

Once you realize this, you can start making new things with your coffee maker, including sweet desserts and breakfast.

Here are four things you can make with your Keurig that you never thought of before!

Oatmeal

Okay, maybe you thought of making oatmeal with your Keurig before. It's pretty obvious. All you need to make oatmeal is a little hot water and just the right amount of oats.

Getting the right consistency can be tricky, though, so it's best to pull the water into a measuring cup and add it to the oats slowly to zero in on the proper mixture.

Nature Valley also released oatmeal bistro cups specifically for use in Keurigs in 2014.

Soup

If you're short on time for lunch, you can also use the Keurig to brew up some hot soup.

As weird as that sounds, Campbell has released K-Cup Homestyle Chicken Broth and Noodle Soup and Southwest Style Chicken Broth and Noodle Soup. Progresso, Heinz, Kettle Kups and other soup brands also released their own lines of K-Cup soups.

Typically, these Keurig-ready soups come with a K-Cup component and a packet, which contains the noodles and other solid ingredients. Pop the K-Cup into the Keurig, empty the packet of noodles into a bowl or large mug and press Brew.

Rice and pasta

A less official way to make a quick meal with your coffee maker is to make some pasta or instant rice. This method takes a little more attention to detail and takes much longer than a typical Keurig brew cycle.

Jami Karow on Pinterest explains how to make rice with the Keurig:

  • Place a measuring cup under the Keurig and select the smallest brew setting on the Keurig.
  • Use equal parts water and instant rice. So if you use 1/2 cup (118 milliliters) of instant rice, pour 4 fluid ounces (118 milliliters) of water into the mug with rice.
  • Cover the mug and let sit for 5 minutes.

The same method can be used to make various types of pasta, such as Maruchan Ramen Noodles, Easy

, Cup Noodles and even non-instant pasta. Depending on what you're making, the time and amount of water needed will vary. And additional water may need to be added halfway through keep the temperature from dropping.

Affogato

You can also make a nice treat or dessert for your guests with little more than a Keurig, some coffee and a scoop of ice cream. Here's how:

  • Place a coffee or hot-chocolate K-Cup in the Keurig.
  • Add one or two scoops of vanilla ice cream to the coffee mug and place it under the Keurig.
  • Choose the 6 fluid ounce (177 milliliter) brew settings and press brew.

This is called an affogato -- ice cream or gelato "drowned" in coffee. It's quick and easy to make, and a perfect way to top off a delicious dinner with friends.