A fresh cup of coffee is the only thing that gets a lot of us going in the morning. For owners of single-serve brewers like the Keurig line, that coffee comes with a heaping spoonful of instant gratification. However, for nearly 7 million Keurig MINI Plus brewers, it also comes with a risk of burn injury. A new recall could delay the instant gratification that comes from hot coffee at the push of a button for owners for the owners of these brewers.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Keurig Green Mountain have announced the recall of 6.6 million Keurig MINI Plus Brewing Systems in the United States and another 564,000 in Canada. The recall affects model number B31.
According to the recall notice, the water in the Keurig MINI's resevoir can overheat. As it passes through the dispenser, the hot water can spray out, causing risk of burn injuries to users. Keurig reports that it has received 200 complaints about hot water escaping from the brewer. Among those complaints are 90 reports of burn injuries.
To remedy the defective product, consumers are advised to contact Keurig Green Mountain for a repair kit and for information about how to prevent burns while waiting for the repair kit to arrive.
For the free repair kit, contact Keurig Green Mountain:
For a full list of recalled serial numbers, see the CPSC recall notice here.
Any time you have a product that operates on electricity and heat, there is the potential for malfunction and injury. The Keurig recall is not the first time a single-serve coffee system has been recalled as a burn hazard.
In February 2012, BSH Home Appliances Corp., recalled more than 1.7 million Tassimo Single-Cup Brewers in the United States and Canada. These brewers were recalled after the company received reports that the T Disc, a plastic disc that held the coffee or tea in the brewer, could burst and spray hot liquid onto users and bystanders.
In that case, the company received 140 reports of the brewer spraying hot liquid. Among those were 37 reports of second degree burn injuries. In one case, a 10-year-old girl was burned so severely to her face and neck that she required hospitalization.
A few months later, in June 2012, Kraft Foods recalled 4 million Tassimo Espresso T Discs after receiving 21 reports of the discs becoming clogged and causing the brewer to spray hot liquid. Among those injured was a 2-year-old girl who sustained second degree burns to her face.
