Brewing Guide How to Make Kicking Horse Coffee
If you own a Keurig and a bag of Kicking Horse Coffee, the path to a good cup is shorter than you think: use the 6 oz or 8 oz brew size, not the 10 oz or 12 oz setting. Kicking Horse is a dark-roast-forward brand, and its beans are ground for drip brewers. In a Keurig, that means the water spends less time with the coffee than it would in a pour-over or French press. A smaller brew size keeps the extraction from turning bitter or thin.
Before you brew, check one thing: what grind did you buy? If the bag says “Whole Bean,” you need a grinder. If it says “Ground,” you can use it directly in a K-Cup-style reusable filter (like the Keurig My K-Cup Universal Reusable Coffee Filter). Kicking Horse does not make official K-Cup pods, so a reusable filter is the only way to brew it in a Keurig.
What You Need Before You Start
- A Keurig brewer (any model: K-Mini, K-Classic, K-Elite, K-Supreme, etc.)
- A reusable K-Cup filter (My K-Cup or a compatible third-party version)
- Kicking Horse Coffee, ground for drip or ground to a medium-coarse consistency
- A kitchen scale (optional, but recommended for consistency)
The reusable filter matters more than the machine. The official My K-Cup filter has a mesh basket that sits inside a plastic cup with a lid. Third-party versions often use a finer mesh, which reduces sediment but can slow the flow. If your cup comes out weak, the filter mesh is usually the culprit — not the coffee.
Step-by-Step: Brewing Kicking Horse in a Keurig
Step 1: Grind (If Needed)
If you bought whole beans, grind them to a medium-coarse texture — think sea salt, not table salt. Too fine, and the water will stall in the filter, causing overflow or a weak, over-extracted cup. Too coarse, and the coffee will taste sour and thin.
Checkpoint: If you are using pre-ground coffee, skip this step. But know that pre-ground drip coffee is often ground finer than ideal for a Keurig. That is fine — just use a slightly smaller brew size (6 oz instead of 8 oz) to compensate.
Step 2: Fill the Reusable Filter
Add 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee to the filter basket. This is roughly 10 to 12 grams. Do not pack it down. Level it gently with a spoon or your finger.
Why this amount: A standard K-Cup contains about 9 to 12 grams of coffee. Kicking Horse is a bold roast, so you can start at the lower end (1.5 tablespoons) and adjust up if the cup tastes weak.
Step 3: Lock the Filter Into the Brew Head
Place the filled filter into the K-Cup holder, then close the lid. Make sure the filter is seated flat. If it is tilted, the water will channel through one side, leaving the other side dry — that produces a sour, uneven cup.
Step 4: Select the Brew Size
Press the 6 oz or 8 oz button. Do not use the 10 oz or 12 oz setting for Kicking Horse.
Why: Dark roasts extract faster than light roasts. A larger brew size means more water passes through the same grounds, which pulls out bitter compounds. The 6 oz setting gives you a concentrated cup; the 8 oz setting gives you a slightly milder cup. Both are better than the larger options.
If your Keurig has a “Strong” button (found on K-Elite and K-Supreme models), press it. This adds a few seconds of pre-infusion time, which helps the coffee bloom and extract more evenly.
Step 5: Brew and Stop
Press the brew button. The machine will run its cycle. When it finishes, remove the filter immediately and rinse it under warm water. Coffee oils cling to the mesh and go rancid if left to dry.
Success check: The cup should be dark, aromatic, and slightly syrupy in texture. If it tastes bitter, reduce the brew size to 6 oz or lower the coffee amount. If it tastes weak or sour, increase the coffee to 2 tablespoons or switch to a finer grind.
Likely Causes of a Bad Cup (and What to Do)
| Problem | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Bitter, harsh taste | Brew size too large (10 oz or 12 oz) | Switch to 6 oz or 8 oz |
| Weak, watery cup | Not enough coffee in the filter | Add more coffee (up to 2.5 tablespoons) |
| Sour, acidic cup | Grind too coarse | Grind finer (medium, not coarse) |
| Overflow or mess | Grind too fine; water can’t pass through | Grind coarser or reduce coffee amount |
| Sediment in the cup | Filter mesh is too wide | Use a finer-mesh reusable filter |
Escalation signal: If you have tried all of the above and the cup is still bad, the problem may be your Keurig, not the coffee. A clogged needle or a dirty brew chamber can reduce water flow and throw off extraction. Run a descaling cycle before you blame the beans.
How to Dial In the Perfect Cup (Decision Criteria)
There is no single “right” way to brew Kicking Horse in a Keurig. The right settings depend on your priorities:
- If you want the boldest, most intense cup: Use 6 oz, 2 tablespoons of coffee, and the Strong setting. This is the closest a Keurig can get to a French press concentration.
- If you want a balanced, everyday cup: Use 8 oz, 1.5 tablespoons, and skip the Strong setting. This is the most forgiving combination.
- If you are using a light roast (like Kicking Horse’s “Three Sisters” or “Grizzly Claw”): Use the 8 oz setting and a slightly finer grind. Light roasts need more extraction time to bring out sweetness.
- If you are using a dark roast (like “Kick Ass” or “454 Horse Power”): Stick to 6 oz. Dark roasts are already bold; a larger brew size will push them into bitterness.
The one variable that changes everything is grind size. If you are buying pre-ground coffee, you are locked into whatever the roaster chose. If you grind at home, you can adjust — and that is the single biggest lever you have for improving the cup.
Cleaning and Maintenance After Brewing
Kicking Horse is an oily, dark-roasted coffee. Those oils are great for flavor but bad for your Keurig. They coat the reusable filter and the needle that pierces the K-Cup. Over time, that buildup slows water flow and makes every cup taste stale.
- After every brew: Rinse the reusable filter under hot water. Use a soft brush if you see coffee oils on the mesh.
- Weekly: Wipe the needle with a damp cloth. The needle is the metal tube inside the brew head that punctures the K-Cup. If it is clogged, water will drip slowly or not at all.
- Monthly: Run a descaling cycle with a Keurig-approved descaler. This removes mineral scale and coffee oil residue from the internal lines.
Stop point: If your Keurig is more than a year old and you have never descaled it, do that before you change your coffee amount. A scaled-up machine will under-extract coffee no matter what you do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Kicking Horse Coffee in a regular K-Cup pod?
No. Kicking Horse does not sell K-Cup pods. You must use a reusable filter. The My K-Cup Universal Reusable Coffee Filter is the most common option, and it works across all Keurig models that accept a K-Cup holder.
What grind size should I use for a Keurig?
Use a medium grind, similar to table salt. If the grind is too fine, the water will stall and overflow. If it is too coarse, the coffee will taste weak and sour. Pre-ground drip coffee is acceptable, but use a 6 oz brew size to compensate for the finer grind.
Why does my Kicking Horse coffee taste bitter in my Keurig?
The most common cause is a brew size that is too large. Kicking Horse is a dark roast, and dark roasts extract bitter compounds quickly. Use the 6 oz or 8 oz setting instead of 10 oz or 12 oz. A dirty machine can also cause bitterness — descale if you have not done so recently.
How much coffee should I put in a reusable K-Cup filter?
Start with 1.5 to 2 tablespoons (10 to 12 grams). If the cup is weak, add more. If it is bitter, reduce the amount or switch to a smaller brew size. Do not pack the coffee down — level it gently.
Is Kicking Horse Coffee good for Keurig brewers?
Yes, if you use a reusable filter and adjust your brew size. The brand’s dark roasts are well-suited to the quick extraction of a Keurig, provided you keep the brew volume small. Light roasts from the brand also work, but they need a slightly finer grind and a longer brew cycle.
Final Notes on Brewing Kicking Horse in a Keurig
The Keurig is not the ideal tool for Kicking Horse Coffee — a pour-over or French press will always give you more control. But with a reusable filter, the right grind, and a 6 oz or 8 oz brew size, you can get a solid, flavorful cup without buying a new machine. Start with the settings above, adjust based on taste, and keep the machine clean. That is the entire process.
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