SaferProducts incident

Failure type

Electrical shock / short

Incident narrative

SaferProducts.gov consumer incident report 20260524-D7484-2147318759. Severity: No Incident, No Injury. Product: Keurig K-Elite K90 (Keurig K-Elite K90 single-serve coffee brewer, black in color, countertop kitchen appliance used to brew hot beverages using K-Cup pods. Has the water tank the is the entire left side of the Keurig.). Incident: During a routine descaling of my Keurig K-Elite K90 Serial No. 90.0571.0021988, I followed a recommended troubleshooting step of inverting the machine and tapping the bottom to release air bubbles causing a short pour on the 12 oz setting. A rusty metal binder clip fell out from the top chamber area of the machine the compartment that is accessed only to insert K-Cups during normal operation, not the pod insertion point itself. The machine itself was never disassembled or opened beyond this standard user-accessible compartment. The object was heavily corroded and rusted, indicating it had been inside the machine since manufacture. I do have binder clips in my home office, however they are kept in a separate area of the home and would have no access to the kitchen or this appliance. This machine has been used daily to brew beverages consumed by myself, family members, and visiting friends for an estimated 2-3 years or maybe more. The machine also developed a black bleed on the display screen, it is unknown whether the metal object may have contacted internal components, potentially contributing to this malfunction. I contacted Keurig customer service on May 16, 2026 and requested escalation the same day. A corporate representative called me back on May 18, 2026 and acknowledged the report but offered only a discount on a new machine and a package of K-Cups, with no acknowledgment of the food safety concern. No injury has been identified at this time, however the object was present and potentially corroding during an unknown duration of daily beverage preparation.