Keurig is one of the most popular brands for single-serve coffee machines. The original manufacturer of single-serve brewers and K-Cup pods, Keurig was founded back in 1992. BY 1998, they launched a single-serve coffee machine aimed firmly at the office market. As this type of ultra-convenient coffee machine started to grow in popularity, the company introduced models designed for use in the home kitchen in 2004. In this article, we’ll be highlighting the 10 strongest models from the impressive Keurig range today.
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Contents
- Our Top Picks for Keurig Coffee Makers
- How Does A Keurig Machine Work?
- Can You Only Use K- Cup Coffee Pods With Keurig Machine?
- Reusable K-Cup Filters: What Are They Used For?
- 10 Best Keurig Coffee Makers
- Why Is Keurig Coffee Not Popular in Coffee Shops?
- Cleaning & Descaling Your Keurig Machine
- What Should You Look For on the Buying Trail?
- Common Keurig Brewing Problems
- Conclusion
Our Top Picks for Keurig Coffee Makers
Products & Features | Image & Price |
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Keurig K-Elite Our #1 Pick
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Keurig K-Classic
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Keurig K-Café
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Keurig K-Duo
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Keurig K-Mini
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Keurig K-Select
| |
Keurig K-Duo Plus
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Keurig K-Office K155
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Keurig K575
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Keurig Rivo
|
- The 17 Best Single Serve Coffee Makers
- The 15 Best Nespresso Machines
- The 13 Best Drip Coffee Makers
How Does A Keurig Machine Work?
Using a single-serve Keurig coffee machine is easy.
- First, fill up the water reservoir. Since so much of your coffee is water, you should either use bottled water or filtered water to get things off to the right start. Not only will you end up with a crisper, cleaner taste, you’ll also minimize the amount of sediment that accumulates and scales up your machine.
- Next, insert a K-Cup pod into the top of the machine as directed in the instruction manual for your particular model. The metal pod is pierced by the machine before the water comes surging through.
- Push the button you want for the drink of your choice, and you’ll have piping hot coffee in your cup less than a minute later.
Can You Only Use K- Cup Coffee Pods With Keurig Machine?
One of the most frequently asked questions concerning Keurig coffee machines is whether you’ll be limited to using K-Cups. The short answer is yes. Although K-Cups are routinely referred to as K-Cup coffee pods, they are not actually pods at all. With a true coffee pod brewer, the brewing chamber works differently. Water is sprayed over the full surface of the pod.
With a K-Cup, both the top and the bottom is pierced by the machine and the water is forced under pressure through the K-Cup. K-Cups contain both the coffee grounds and the filter. This means that if you try to use a generic pod, you’ll end up with a weak and insipid brew. This requirement to use proprietary pods is ramped up further in the retooled line of Keurig 2.0 machines. Thanks to an onboard bar code reader, you won’t be able to use anything other than K-Cups.
If you don’t want to use K-Cups, you’re much better advised not to get a Keurig coffee maker at all. However, Keurig has offered a solution in the form of the models that allow you to use freshly ground coffee and a permanent filter so you can get a whole carafe of your favorite roast without needing to sacrifice the option of using K-Cups when you feel like a shot of convenience.
Reusable K-Cup Filters: What Are They Used For?
The K-Cup Universal Reusable Coffee Filter allows you to use your favorite pre-ground coffee in your Keurig machine. This is without question the best option at your disposal if the machine is compatible. With these reusable filters, you’ll not only cut down on the waste with packaging, you’ll also be free to use your favorite beans and to grind them directly before brewing. Easy to use and equally straightforward to clean, you’ll get two lines with these reusable filters for cups or travel mugs. Everything is BPA free, so you can drink with a clear conscience and no contaminants.
10 Best Keurig Coffee Makers
1. Our #1 Pick: Keurig K-Elite
Pros: Oversized 75-ounce water tank minimizes need to refill. Slip in travel mugs with ease. Super-quiet in operation. Descaling alert to make your life easier. Drink your coffee over ice. Hit Strong for a more intense brew.
Cons: A few reported complaints about build quality. Customer care can be patchy.
Bottom Line: For push-button ease giving you enough choice without overwhelming you, the Keurig K-Elite epitomizes single-serve convenience.
2. Budget Pick: Keurig K-Classic
Pros: Compact footprint ideal for smaller kitchens. Decent 48-ounce water tank so make up to six cups before refilling. Programmable with auto shut-off for your peace of mind. Shotgun results with coffee in your cup in 60 seconds flat.
Cons: Design could be improved. Lots of plastic.
Bottom Line: If you want a squat yet powerful single-serve Keurig that punches above its negligible weight, it’s got to be the K-Classic.
3. Keurig K-Café
Pros: Make brewed coffee and latte or cappuccino for maximum versatility. Brew your drink over ice on those hot summer afternoons. Onboard frother that’s dishwasher-safe for your complete convenience.
Cons: Wide and bulky so make sure you have space to accommodate.
Bottom Line: As long as you have space in the kitchen, the Keurig K-Café gives you the ability to make a broad array of creamy coffees with froth just the way you like it.
4. Keurig K-Duo
Pros: Single-serve convenience on one side of the machine and drip coffee with a carafe on the other. Large water tank so cut down of constantly refilling. Hit Strong for a deep and intense caffeine fix.
Cons: Let down by its looks.
Bottom Line: If you can’t decide between a single-serve or drip machine, you don’t need to. The classic Keurig K-Duo
5. Keurig K-Mini
Pros: Perfect scaled-down unit for small apartments or crowded kitchens. Accommodates travel mugs despite size of machine. Optional resuable filter if you prefer using freshly ground coffee. Several colorways to inject a splash of brightness.
Cons: Not ideal for heavy and sustained use.
Bottom Line: If you’re primarily motivated by size, the K-Mini measures just 5 inches across while delivering powerful performance across the board.
6. Keurig K-Select
Pros: Rack up multiple brew sizes. Tweak strength and intensity to taste. Comes in a pleasing spread of colors. Slide out the drip tray to slot in your travel mug.
Cons: As with many Keurig machines, aesthetics could be improved along with customer care.
Bottom Line: For a compact and versatile single-serve machine giving you a decent water tank and coffee in your cup in under a minute, what’s not to love?
7. Keurig K-Duo Plus
Pros: Another innovative combo machine from Keurig with single-serve and drip coffee at your disposal. Choose from 6oz through 12oz cups to suit. Thermal carafe thrown in to keep your coffee warmer for longer. Fully programmable.
Cons: You’ll need to dig deep for this multi-purpose gem.
Bottom Line: As long as you have a fluid budget, you’ll get a highly versatile pair of brewing methods in one compact and potent package. Check out the K-Duo Plus for unparalleled excellence.
8. Keurig K-Office K155
Note that this machine is not suitable for being plumbed into a water line.
Pros: Commercial-grade unit that also works well at home. Elegant aesthetic putting. 90oz water reservoir to minimize refilling. Full color touchscreen. Choose from four brew sizes.
Cons: Not cheap but currently heavily discounted.
Bottom Line: Whether you’re looking to kit out an office or your home kitchen, the rugged K-Office K155 from Keurig will not disappoint.
9. Keurig K575
Pros: Fully programmable brewer. Generous 80-ounce water tank. Strength control so something for all the family. Five temperature settings. Hot water on demand. Large color screen is a pleasure to navigate.
Cons: Temperature settings seem low.
Bottom Line: If you want a modern classic single-serve coffee machine giving you the freedom to create a vast range of drinks at the push of a button, it’s got to be the iconic K575.
10. Keurig Rivo
The onboard frother lets you choose from:
- Cold froth
- Cappuccino
- Latte
Just like with all Keurig’s single-serve machines, all you’ll need to do is insert your preferred K-Cup pod, hit the button and sit back until your gourmet coffee is served. What could be easier? You’ll get all of this functionality in a machine compact enough for smaller kitchens.
Pros: Stunning latte and cappuccino without leaving home. Short or long espresso. Multiple frothing modes for a personalized drink every time. Simultaneously froth and brew.
Cons: Eye-wateringly pricey so make sure you’ve got deep pockets.
Bottom Line: As long as you can afford it, the flagship Keurig Rivo is the ultimate single-serve coffee machine.
Why Is Keurig Coffee Not Popular in Coffee Shops?
There are many reasons why coffee lovers don’t necessarily love K-Cups, including issues with:
- Freshness
- Packaging
- Insufficient coffee grounds
- Questionable Labeling
- Water isn’t hot enough
- Brewing time is too swift
Freshness
The first reason you’re unlikely to see a pod-based coffee served up at a gourmet coffee shop is freshness. Before you purchase your K-Cups, the flavor is already impaired. Although pre-grinding coffee and having it packaged into neat little pods is highly convenient, the grinding process brings coffee beans into contact with oxygen. The process, called oxidation, zaps both flavor and aroma from the beans.
Packaging
As freshly roasted coffee beans start to cool, they release tiny plumes of carbon dioxide. This can continue for weeks. It’s not possible to seal beans when they’re degasing like this so the coffee companies sidestep the issue by waiting at least 15 days before packaging them. During this period, degradation continues and you’re keep on losing both flavor and aroma before the grounds are even packaged.
Insufficient Coffee Grounds
If you’re making pour-over coffee, you’ll use up to 20 grams of coffee grounds for every 8 ounces to 10 ounces of water. A K-Cup only contains 7 grams of grounds, not enough for a full-bodied cup of Joe. This is perhaps the primary reason you won’t find many K-Cup drinks for sale in a commercial backdrop. It’s simply not strong enough for the average customer.
Questionable Labeling
Most K-Cups don’t contain information about how recently the coffee was roasted making the problem above even worse. Keurig also offers relatively little information about the precise type of beans used or where they’re sourced from. A lack of transparency with labeling typically points toward lower quality ingredients and most coffee shops pride themselves on the exact opposite.
Water Isn’t Hot Enough
Keurig coffee machines brew water at 192 F. Unfortunately, the NCA (National Coffee Association) along with other reputable bodies suggest the ideal temperature band for making coffee is 195 F to 205 F. The inadequate temperature is responsible for the tepid taste of K-Cups and another reason you won’t find them in coffee shops.
Brewing Time Is Too Swift
As a final kicker, the brewing time is too quick with K-Cups. With contact between water and coffee grounds minimized to seconds, you benefit from enormous convenience at the expense of quality.
Cleaning & Descaling Your Keurig Machine
How often you need to clean and descale your machine is largely dependent on how hard the water is where you live along with how often you use your machine. Minerals build up over time and this can clog up the Keurig. If you simply ignore this, performance will continue to worsen until the machine simply stops working. Luckily, there’s no need for it to reach that stage. As a general guideline, you should look to descale your Keurig every three months if you use it quite frequently. You could get away with twice-yearly cleaning if you only give your machine an occasional outing.
How To Descale Your Keurig
Before you do anything else, take care of the following basic preparation.
Preparation
- Empty the water reservoir.
- Remove the water filter if your Keurig comes with one of these.
- Make sure you disable auto shut-off so it won’t interefere with the descaling process.
- Follow your brewer’s instructions and shut off the “auto-off” function so your brewer will be able to run through the entire descaling process.
- Power down your Keurig.
Descaling Rinse
You need some Keurig Descaling Solution for best results.
- Decant the entire bottle of descaling solution into the water reservoir
- Top up the empty descaling solution bottle with water. Pour this into the tank so the solution is ideally diluted
- Switch your Keurig on
- Put a mug of at least 10 ounces under the drip tray
- Lift the handle without inserting a K-Cup. Lower handle
- Select a 10-ounce coffee and kickstart brewing
- After this initial cleansing cycle is complete, remove the mug, decant the contents into the sink and replace under the drip tray
- Continue with this cleansing rinse until the machine prompts you with “More water please”
- Leave your machine turned on and standing for 30 minutes
- Pour any remaining solution out of the water tank. Clean this thoroughly using soap and warm water. Rinse thoroughly, dry, and replace
Rinse with Water
With descaling taken care of, it’s time to make certain all the solution is driven out of the brewing system. How do you do that, then?
- Top up the water tank to the maximum fill level with clean water
- Return the large mug to the drip tray
- Lift the handle without inserting a K-Cup then lower it again
- Choose a 6-ounce brew size and allow your machine to go through a cleansing brew again
- Pour out the liquid then return the mug to the drip tray
- This process should be repeated 12 times. You might need to top up the water tank as you go
Cleaning the Water Tank
Cleaning the water reservoir is quick and easy. You should carry out this routine maintenance at least once a week.
- Remove the water reservoir and take off the lid
- Wipe down the inside using soap and warm water with a clean cloth
- Rinse out the soapy water but don’t dry the water tank. If you do this, you risk introducing lint and other tiny particles to your brewing system
- Top up the tank with water and replace
- Start a cleansing brew with hot water
- Refill and repeat
Cleaning The Other Components
You also need to pay attention to the drip tray and pod holder. These tasks should be performed weekly.
Drip Tray
- Remove the drip tray and empty it out.
- Wash with warm, soapy water.
- Dry the drip tray with a clean cloth and replace.
Pod Holder
- Remove the pod holder from your Keurig machine. Be very careful of the sharp needles.
- Rinse the holder with warm water but skip the soap. Allow the holder to air dry then replace it. When doing so, make sure to align the arrows properly.
- Run a hot cleansing brew to flush the system.
Exterior
- Wipe down the outside of the machine on a weekly basis, too. You’ll maintain its appearance while also ensuring nothing gets inside the machine or inside your cup.
What Should You Look For on the Buying Trail?
Before we get down to the main event with our highlight of the 10 best Keurig machines on the market, a few pointers to simplify your buying decision further. Double down on these elements to get the most effective machine from the broad and deep range:
- Type of drinks available
- Brew sizes
- Water reservoir capacity
- Overall dimensions
- Strength control
- Programmability
- Durability
Type of Drinks Available
As with all coffee machines, Keurig coffee makers give you the option of making a wide array of drinks. Some of these machines deliver regular coffee, others espresso, cappuccino and latte. You can get Keurig machines offering hot water on demand, too. This allows you to enjoy tea, hot chocolate or your favorite infusions. You should check for the kind of drinks you can rack up and make sure this falls in line with what you and your family prefer. We would also advise carefully checking out the K-Cup pods available before committing to purchase. There are hundreds of options but you should be certain that you can find the exact roast you love in advance.
Brew Sizes
You’ll be able to use a wide variety of brew sizes from small 2oz shots through to full K-Carafes. Again, you should focus firmly on the way you and your family like to drink coffee. There is no boilerplate answer here. All that counts is getting something suitable for you.
Water Reservoir Capacity
The size of the water reservoir will obviously dictate how frequently you need to top up your machine. The K-Mini will only make you a single cup while the K-Elite comes with a whopping 75-ounce water tank. This is sufficient to make up to eight cups of joe so ideal for all the family.
Overall Dimensions
Keurig brewers range from 5 inches to 10 inches across so pay close attention to overall dimensions if you have a small apartment or a cramped kitchen. You should also think closely about placement. If you have cabinets hanging close to the work surfaces, you should make absolute sure the Keurig machine you’re looking at will make a neat fit.
Strength Control
Are you a fan of strong and intense coffee? If so, you can alter the brew size for a stronger drink. Also, some Keurig machines come with an added Strong button allowing everyone in the family to get their morning cup of joe just the way they want it.
Programmability
Do you like the idea of coming downstairs in the morning to a fresh cup of coffee? Many Keurig machines come with varying degrees of programmability. Look for this along with auto shut-off if you enjoy automating the way you make your coffee.
Durability
Last but not least, you should consider durability set against your usage habits. If you only make the occasional coffee, even the lighter-duty Keurig machines will be fit for purpose. If, on the other hand, you put your machine through its paces on the regular, you’ll be better advised shooting for a pro-grade model like the K-Office that’s built to cope with some serious punishment.
Common Keurig Brewing Problems
If you’re noticing any impairment in the quality of your Keurig machine over time, there are several elements that could be causing this.
- Does your machine need cleaning and descaling? Refer to our instructions above and make sure you keep on top of this
- Make sure the water reservoir is properly fixed in place
- Perhaps the exit needle is clogged with coffee grounds. Try running a water-only cycle. This will release anything stuck in the exit needle. If this doesn’t work, we’ll give you further directions below
- There could be air bubbles in the water line. Turn off the machine. Unplug it. Fill the water tank to the maximum level and replace. Gentle tap the machine then try again
Coffee Grounds In Your Cup
The exit needle of your Keurig coffee maker is important as this is what allows the brewed coffee to pour into your cup for you to enjoy. If this becomes clogged with grounds, this sediment can easily end up in your finished drink.
Here’s how to avoid that if the water-only cycle doesn’t work:
- Turn off and unplug your Keurig being careful with the sharp needles as you proceed
- Push the lever in the K-Cup holder and you can access the exit needle
- If your model did not come with a dedicated needle-cleaning tool, use a toothpick
- Clean the exit needle of all grounds, top up the water tank and turn your machine back on
- Run a water-only cycle to flush all residue
What To Do If You See the More Water Error Message?
The first obvious thing to check if you see More Water displayed is that the tank is topped up.
If the water tank is full, follow these steps:
- Remove the water tank
- Thoroughly clean it with warm, soapy water
- Rinse and air dry
- Top up water tank to maximum level and replace
What To Do If You See the “Oops” Error Message
The Oops error message doesn’t actually mean that there’s a problem with your machine. This message flashes up when you’re using an incompatible pod. All Keurig 2.0 machines are designed to work only with proprietary K-Cups so expect this message if you insert a generic alternative.
These simple steps should help you to overcome most of the problems you will encounter with a Keurig machine. If you’re still struggling, you should contact Keurig. Their customer service has a somewhat checkered reputation so you might want to pack plenty of patience.
The good news, though, is that you shouldn’t expect much to go wrong. Use either the correct K-Cups or a reusable filter, keep your machine regularly cleaned and descaled, and you shouldn’t have any real problems with your Keurig.
Conclusion
Single-serve machines are not for everyone. As we outlined above, you’ll create a substantial eco-footprint using so much plastic. The pods are not cheap either if you drink a lot of coffee. However, Keurig is a reputable brand that has satisfied many coffee lovers with its sing-serve coffee makers. Check out this list of top 10 Keurig coffee makers to find the best one for you.