Keurig is the most popular brand producing single-serve coffee machines, but choosing from one of their huge number of machines can be confusing.
To make this decision easier for you, today we round up the 12 best Keurig coffee makers from the deep bench, enabling you to determine which would make the smoothest fit for your kitchen.
Founded in 1992, Keurig launched their first commercial single-serve coffee machine in 1998. It wasn’t until 2004 that Keurig started making single-serve machines intended for home use, and they have been producing both residential and commercial coffee makers ever since.
From 2006 to 20014, Keurig operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Green Mountain, the company that acquired the Keurig brand. In 2016, there was a $14 billion buyout. The subsequent merger saw a new company formed, Keurig Dr Pepper. Today, this is the third-biggest beverage company in the United States.
Are Keurig machines any good, though?
Well, these single-serve machines appeal primarily for the convenience they offer. You get decent coffee with push-button ease, and you don’t need to worry about cleaning up after or mastering the complexities of a semi-automatic espresso machine.
Your other main option when it comes to single-serve coffee machine is a Nespresso machine. Coffee is always about personal taste, but Nespresso machines typically make superior coffee and with less of an environmental impact than Keurig thanks to the aluminum capsules rather than plastic K-Cup pods.
For anyone uncertain about investing in a single-serve coffee maker at all, a French press or a stovetop moka pot are both well worth considering.
If you feel a Keurig is the right choice for you and your family, focus on the following pointers to help you pick the right model.
If you keep these factors in mind, you should find it relatively easy to choose the best Keurig coffee maker for your needs.
Now’s it’s time for our reviews of the dozen leading coffee machines in the Keurig range.
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The 12 Best Keurig Coffee Makers
1. Our #1 Pick: Keurig K-Supreme Coffee Maker
Features
Our overall favorite from today’s collection of the best Keurig coffee makers is the K-Supreme, a compact and highly effective single-serve coffee machine.
The key selling point with this model is the introduction of Keurig’s Multistream technology. As the name hints, the machine uses multiple streams of water to improve saturation, leading to a superior flavor and aroma than you could achieve from a K-Classic or similar machine.
The water reservoir on this unit has a 66oz capacity. The choice of positions helps to maximize your options for countertop installation, and the tank is removable to simplify refilling and cleaning.
You get the choice of 4 different brew sizes with this model (6oz, 8oz, 10oz, or 12oz). You can also accommodate taller travel mugs to liven up your morning commute without needing to decant drinks in the morning with your eyes half-shut.
While you benefit from single-serve convenience at its finest here, you can also customize your beverages. There is a dedicated bold setting for anyone who likes their joe super-strong, and you can enjoy your coffee piping hot or served over ice.
The only gripes we could find concerning this Keurig center on the amount of water that bypasses the K-Cup, with some users claiming this weakens the extraction noticeably.
Bottom line, you’ll never achieve the same quality of coffee as you would when using fresh beans and more traditional brewing methods, but you won’t be faced with the expense of a super-automatic machine either, and you won’t need to master any new skills. For push-button ease and coffee in 60 seconds flat, this is arguably the best Keurig coffee maker in the entire line.
2. Keurig K-Slim Coffee Maker
Features
Next in line is the Keurig K-Slim, delivering as promised and offering you a single-serve coffee experience in a machine just 5 inches wide.
Despite the tiny form factor, the water tank on this model has a 46oz capacity, allowing you to make multiple cups before needing to top it up. As with all Keurig coffee makers, the water tank slides out to streamline refilling. The removable nature also makes cleanup a cinch.
Punch a button to make an 8oz, 10oz, or 12oz coffee to suit. Aside from slipping in a K-Cup pod and topping up the water tank, that’s the extent of user input required on the K-Slim.
Another bonus for such a small machine is the fact this model easily accommodates tall travel mugs to 7 inches, giving you great versatility with serving.
With a choice of over 400 different coffees coming in K-Cup pods from almost 100 brands, you’ll be spoiled for choice if you invest in the Keurig ecosystem this holiday season. If you don’t fancy this coffee maker yourself, it would make a wonderful gift.
3. Keurig K-Express Coffee Maker
Features
The Keurig K-Express is another very compact model ideal for apartment-dwellers and anyone with space constraints in the kitchen.
As with the dinky K-Slim above, you’ll benefit from functionality and performance that belies the space-saving footprint.
This model couldn’t be easier to use. Choose one of the hundreds of K-Cup pods at your disposal to get the barista-style coffee you crave without leaving home and without needing to master a complex machine. Top up the 42oz water tank then choose one of three brew sizes to suit. Less than a minute later, you’ll enjoy tasty coffee with no messy cleanup.
Activating the Bold setting ensures that your coffee is even stronger and more intense, ideal if you’re looking for an eye-opener in the morning.
This model is marketed with an optional 3-month kit complete with descaling solution, but this is available separately rather than bundled with purchase.
Accommodating travel mugs to 7.5 inches tall, you get a versatile and highly effective single-serve coffee machine small enough to fit just about anywhere. From kitchens to dorm rooms, this is one of the best Keurig coffee makers in a deep and impressive range. Does it makes the right fit for you, though?
4. Keurig K-Mini Plus Coffee Maker
Features
Continuing our showcase of some of the smaller and more compact Keurig coffee makers in the line, the K-Mini Plus is among the finest of these space-saving single-serve machines.
Ideal for singles or couples, the main draw with this model is the one-cup reservoir. This, of course, might prove disadvantageous in a family environment or a high-demand kitchen, but for anyone wanting the occasional cuppa at the push of a button, the K-Mini Plus is tailor-made.
You can brew any cup size from 6oz through 12oz using one of the hundreds of K-Cup pods at your disposal. Since this machine comes from the Classic line rather than the 2.0 line, you won’t be locked into using only the barcoded pods, giving you a much wider choice, even if the extraction is not automatically optimized as with the newer generation of Keurigs.
The onboard storage for 9 spent K-cups further improves convenience, giving you a hassle-free and totally clean way of making coffee, as long as you don’t mind the eco-footprint of the single-serve game.
Available in a wide palette of vibrant colorways to add some character to your kitchen counter, the K-Mini Plus is hands-down one of the best Keurig coffee makers.
5. Keurig K-Elite Coffee Maker
Features
Stepping things up in terms of size, the K-Elite is an outgoing model now replaced by the Keurig Supreme, our overall favorite Keurig coffee maker. That said, there is a good reason this model has shifted so many units over the years, and it remains a valid choice today.
With a generous 75oz water reservoir, you won’t find yourself endlessly refilling this machine.
You can use any K-Cup pods in this iconic single-serve machine, and you can also purchase the proprietary reusable coffee filter so you can take advantage of freshly-ground coffee when you feel like something more robust.
Choose from the following brew sizes:
- 4oz
- 6oz
- 8oz
- 10oz
- 12oz
Whether you’re looking for a short, strong shot in the morning, or a longer coffee to ease into your day, you can customize your cuppa precisely with the K-Elite.
As well as choosing from hundreds of pods or any type of fresh coffee, you can also get hot water on demand from this unit, allowing you to widen your menu to include tea, infusions, and soups as well as the coffee you crave in the mornings.
Like all Keurigs, this machine doesn’t heat the water beyond 192F, so you’ll be short of the recommended temperature of 195F to 205F for the perfect golden cup of coffee. As with all machines in this line, though, convenience is the primary draw, and you get that here in abundance.
6. Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker
Features
As we reach the midway point in our showcase of the best Keurig coffee makers, we have the enduringly popular K-Classic.
Not only is this one of the cheapest Keurig in the whole range, but it’s also available at a steep discount right now, so act quickly and snatch yourself a real bargain.
This model comes equipped with a 48oz water tank, so you can enjoy 6 large mugs of coffee before needing to top it up. This reservoir slides out to make cleaning and refilling easier.
You can brew 3 different cup sizes from this machine (6oz, 8oz, or 10oz), and you can use any K-Cup pods, so you won’t be locked in like with machines from the Keurig 2.0 line.
If required, you can program your K-Classic to power down after 2 hours of inactivity.
There is also a dedicated descaling function baked in. Refer to our FAQs below for guidance on descaling a Keurig coffee maker the easy way.
For anyone looking for serviceable coffee in less than a minute from a compact machine that’s also extremely affordable, this is among the best Keurig coffee makers in a wide range. The only real drawback is that this model is flagged by several users as having reliability issues. Do your due diligence here.
7. Keurig K-Cafe
Features
The K-Café is one of the most flexible of all the machines in the Keurig line, so how does it perform?
Well, perhaps the main selling point with this model is the milk frother bundled. This is even dishwasher-safe, so removes one of the main niggles about frothing milk and giving you a seamless experience if you want to add latte, cappuccino, and macchiato to your menu of coffee at home.
Making any kind of coffee couldn’t be easier thanks to the K-Cup pod system. Choose from over 400 different blends, with almost 100 different brands offering their own versions of K-Cup pods.
The water tank has a 60oz capacity, ideal for busy home kitchens where you don’t want to be endlessly refilling the reservoir.
Auto shut-off is built in and powers the unit down after a couple of hours standing idle.
If you’re tempted by the idea of a single-serve machine but don’t want to give up your freshly ground coffee, invest in the reusable filter and enjoy your favorite fresh coffee on demand from the same compact coffee maker.
This is not the fastest Keurig when it comes to brewing time, but it’s worth the wait!
8. Keurig K-Duo
Features
Keurig’s K-Duo is another machine offering the option of both single-serve coffee with K-Cups and freshly ground coffee in a 12-cup glass carafe.
If you’re making pod-based coffee, choose from one of hundreds of options in the K-Cup line. In addition to proprietary pods, you’ll also find offerings from brands like Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts, giving you a vast choice of lip-smacking beverages with push-button ease. Choose from a 6oz, 8oz, 10oz, or 12oz cup of pod-based coffee and eliminate the hassle from making it.
When you feel like a more indulgent coffee, blitz up some fresh beans right before brewing and then load them into your K-Duo to take advantage of the filter and generous carafe. You need to buy this filter separately if you want to get going right out the box with fresh coffee.
This is one of the more programmable models in the Keurig line, and it comes with a correspondingly steeper learning curve than most of the more basic machines. Once you get to grips with the K-Duo, though, you’ll wish you’d bought this machine years ago.
In many ways, this machine is the perfect compromise, delivering push-button convenience when you need it, but without completely removing the option of fresh coffee when required.
9. Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker
Features
The K-Mini is similar in most respects to the K-Mini Plus. The main difference is that you don’t benefit from the spent capsule container here, so you’ll need to ditch these as you go, a minor niggle rather than a noteworthy flaw.
Choose from 6 striking colors to add a dose of fun to your kitchen counter, ideal if you’re sick of the glut of black and silver appliances glutting this vertical.
This model is very slender, measuring only 5 inches across. Whether you live in an apartment, you have limited space in the kitchen, or you want a travel coffee maker you can take to and from college, this model is versatile and highly effective.
Onboard cord storage is another nifty property of this space-saving Keurig.
How about the coffee, then? Well, as with all K-Cup coffee, you will be getting a reasonably tasty coffee rather than the world’s best cup of joe. What you get in return, though, is practically unrivalled convenience and no mess at all, so if that sounds a compromise you’re prepared to make, scope out the Keurig K-Mini.
10. Keurig K-Select
Features
As we near the end of our collection of the best Keurig coffee makers, we have the K-Select, so how does this model shape up?
Firstly, you need to choose from multiple colorways to complement your kitchen. While there is lots of plastic on display, the clean lines look great on the kitchen counter, and the unit feels pretty solid. Even better, this is one of the more affordable coffee machines in the Keurig line, too.
Choose from 4 different brew sizes so everyone in the family gets their coffee just the way they love it.
The Bold setting is ideal for anyone who prefers a stronger and punchier brew, and you can achieve this at the push of a button rather than by dialing in variable manually. Ultimately, this is the primary draw with all single-serve coffee makers. You might take a slight hit when it comes to quality, but nothing can beat these things for ease of use, ease of cleanup, and decent coffee on demand.
This model has some issues flagged with reliability, but aside from this receives generally favorable reviews, so see if it looks like the right fit for your home kitchen.
11. Keurig K-Duo
Features
Before we round out our search for the best Keurig coffee makers, we have another iteration of the K-Duo.
This machine gives you the option of enjoying single-serve coffee when you need a caffeine fix in a hurry, or the 12-cup carafe providing you with drip coffee when you want a fuller-bodied cup of joe at a more leisurely pace.
You get a reusable mesh filter bundled with this version of the K-Duo. The 12-cup thermal carafe included is made of stainless steel and keeps your brewed coffee warm for up to 2 hours.
The water tank has a decent capacity of 60oz and it can also be positioned to maximize placement options.
Whether you’re brewing pod-based coffee or freshly ground coffee in the carafe, you can choose from multiple brew sizes to suit. Take advantage of the Bold setting if you want a punchier and more intense cup of coffee to kickstart your day.
Aside from a handful of gripes related to customer service issues, the vast bulk of user testimony for the Keurig K-Duo is overwhelmingly positive.
12. Keurig Office Pro Commercial Coffee Maker
Features
Arguably the best Keurig coffee maker in a very impressive line, the Office Pro gives you a commercial-grade single-serve machine that works equally well at home or in the office.
The super-sized 90oz water reservoir allows you to make up to 18 cups before the tank needs topping up, perfect if the machine is installed in a busy environment of any kind. Unlike some commercial coffee machines, this model cannot be plumbed into a water line. The substantial tank capacity more than makes up for this, though.
Using the Office Pro couldn’t be easier. Navigate a crisp and intuitive touchscreen to easily brew pod-based coffee at the push of a button. You can manipulate brew strength to suit, but you’ll get no needless options complicating operation here.
To get started, try the box of 12 variety pods included. This will give you a brief taster of the hundreds of options at your disposal.
The internal hot water tank is drainable to streamline transportation.
If you’re looking for coffee in less than a minute for any high-demand setting, the Keurig Office Pro is a must.
FAQs
1) How many different K-Cup pods are there?
You can choose from over 400 different varieties of K-Cup pod. Over 75 brands also offer their own versions of K-Cup pods, from Starbucks and Green Mountain Coffee to Dunkin’ Donuts and much more.
2) How many different K-Cup 2.0 pods are there?
There is slightly less choice when it comes to K-Cup 2.0 pods, but you still get over 250 varieties of pod with offering from 50 brands beyond Keurig. With 2.0 machines, you will be limited to using these capsules only.
3) How much coffee is in a K-Cup pod?
These capsules contain just 7g of coffee grinds, which is why they are not strong enough for many coffee lovers.
4) Why have Keurig coffee makers got a bad reputation?
Aside from the environmental impact, the primary criticism leveled at Keurig coffee machines concerns the water temperature. The NCA (National Coffee Association) and the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) both recommend water heated to between 195F and 205F for the perfect cup of coffee. Keurig machines state that the ideal temperature is 192F, short of the minimum recommended temperature. This can result in the coffee tasting flat and under-extracted.
5) How do I descale my Keurig coffee maker?
This is straightforward. Empty the water tank and remove the water filter. Disable auto shut-off and power down your Keurig. Pour a bottle of Keurig Descaling Solution into the water tank. Fill the remainder of the tank with cold water. Pop a 10oz mug under the drip tray and fire up your Keurig. Lift and then lower the handle with no K-Cup inserted. Choose a 10oz brew and wait for the first cleansing cycle to complete. Ditch the contents of the mug and continue with this cleansing rinse until you get the message “More water, please.” Allow the Keurig to stand for 30 minutes while still powered on. Empty and rinse the water tank. Fill the tank right up with cold water and return the mug to the drip tray. Lift and lower the handle, again with no K-Cup inserted. Pick a 6oz brew and allow the cleansing cycle to kick in. Repeat 12 times and you’re good to go with your Keurig fully descaled.
Conclusion
We hope today’s guide to the best Keurig coffee makers has helped you decide whether this range of coffee makers is worth exploring.
If you are sold on the Keurig brand rather than the major competitor Nespresso, you should now be perfectly placed to choose the most appropriate machine from a huge line.
