Ever since my dad got a fancy espresso machine, I’ve dreamed of brewing my own crema-topped coffee at home. But most at-home, coffee makers don’t offer this feature — unless you want to pay hundreds of dollars and sacrifice a large chunk of your kitchen’s counter space.

When I saw that Keurig was coming out with the K-Crema, I wondered if it could be a good lower-cost option to my dad’s top-of-the-line model.

Ultimately, the K-Crema brews a tasty cup of coffee with a layer of foamy crema on top. It might not stack up to an espresso shot from a pricier machine or a coffee shop, but for those of us who want to save money while still enjoying a delicious shot of coffee, the K-Crema is a decent pick.

Read this Keurig K-Crema review to find out how it performed over several weeks in my kitchen, and why I think this is a top pick in the Keurig coffee maker lineup.

Keurig K-Crema review: Price and availability

The Keurig K-Crema is available for $219 at Keurig and Amazon. You can also buy it at Target, Kohl’s, Walmart, and other major retailers. Plus, the machine is available in a single color: Black.

You can use any K-Cup pod in the K-Crema, though mine came with Global Trek medium roast pods. The machine doesn’t come with a reusable pod, but you could buy one and use your own coffee if you prefer. For this review, I stuck with the provided K-Cups.

Keurig K-Crema review: Design

After initially unboxing the Keurig K-Crema, the first thing I noticed was its size. It’s bigger than your basic Keurig machine, like the K-Slim or the K-Mini, yet smaller than most coffee machines.

The K-Crema has a removable water reservoir that sits to the right of the machine, making it wider than some other single-brew coffee machines. But the reservoir was easy to fill: simply pick it up using the handle, fill it with water, and pop it back.

The K-Crema has six size options, from a single shot to a 12-ounce brew. The “Pressure” button brews coffee at five times the pressure of a standard cup, resulting in a silky layer of crema. That’s what sets the machine apart from other Keurigs, but can it justify the higher price tag?

Keurig K-Crema review: Performance

To determine whether or not the Keurig K-Crema is a good buy, I put it to the test in my kitchen over several weeks. I timed each drink setting and took the temperature of multiple cups to gauge the average hotness of a cup of coffee.

Here’s how the Keurig K-Crema performed:

These brew times are comparable to other Keurig machines, though it was interesting to note that the machine brewed faster when I used the pressure setting. Coffee temperature was a little colder than I expected, especially for the shot and double-shot sizes.

I measured brew temps from a low of 163 degrees to a high of 174 degrees. Experts recommend a water temperature of 195 to 205 degrees for the best-testing coffee, but that’s not realistic from a single-serve machine like the Keurig K-Crema.

Noise-wise, I measured a high of 68 decibels for both the Classic and Pressure settings, with an average in the 50 to 60 decibel range. That’s considered to be in the moderate range — and since the machine brews most sizes in under two minutes, it’s unlikely to cause much disruption.

Now for the most important factor: taste. My only prior experience of a crema machine is in my dad’s kitchen, where he has a fancy (and expensive) espresso machine. I didn’t expect the K-Crema to measure up, yet I was still pleasantly surprised by the taste of the resulting cup.

In the past, I’ve found K-Cups to taste too weak or artificial, but the Global Trek pods I tested were just right. I liked the addition of the crema, though it didn’t quite hold up when I mixed in milk and sugar.

Keurig K-Crema review: Comparison

The Keurig K-Crema is a solid single-serve coffee maker, but how does it compare to other Keurig models? I have previously tested the K-Mini Mate, and the K-Crema definitely brews a superior cup. But it comes at a cost: The Keurig K-Mini Mate costs $59.99, compared to $219.99 for the K-Crema.

You might also consider the Keurig K-Cafe, which comes with a milk frother. This machine is ideal if you like coffee drinks, like lattes and cappuccinos. But if you prefer to drink straight shots of espresso, the K-Crema is the right choice.

Ultimately, you’ll want to consider what you want out of your coffee machine. If you’ve always wanted an espresso machine but don’t want to spend the money, the Keurig K-Crema is a good budget-friendly option.

Keurig K-Crema review: Verdict

If you’re looking for an affordable coffee maker that can brew a decent cup of coffee or a shot of creamy espresso, I recommend looking into the Keurig K-Crema. While it doesn’t quite measure up to the expensive espresso machines on the market, it’s available for a fraction of the price, and the resulting coffee is smooth and enjoyable.

It’s the ideal middle ground for someone who wants to brew coffee drinks at home, but isn’t ready to commit to an espresso machine.

Nespresso and Keurig machines do what the best espresso machines cannot: take all the guesswork out of your daily brew.

As a former barista and a self-professed coffee snob, I'm the ideal candidate for a fancy, confusing, temperamental espresso machine. I love dialing in fresh beans, adjusting the grind one micron at a time to get my perfect shot. I love steaming milk by hand, creating a mesmerizing eddy within my milk jug. I love sipping the golden crema of a perfect, honey-colored espresso, savoring the fruits of my labor.

Which, unfortunately, means that I've been pretty cruel towards pod-and-go machines in the past. I've poo-pooed Nespresso and Keurig, brushing them off as machines for people who don't really like coffee. But, boy, I was wrong. I went on vacation a couple of weeks ago, and my Airbnb had a Nespresso Pixie tucked away in the minuscule kitchen. I found my worldview utterly shattered. Nay, destroyed. I guzzled that bean juice like it was the last bean juice on Earth. Dear Nespresso machines, this is an apology.

Nes-press-go

The beauty of a pod machine is its simplicity. You can go from no coffee to full-cup-coffee in literally fifteen seconds. You can't say the same of an espresso machine.

Of course, espresso and Nespresso/Keurig are completely different brewing mediums, and I'm not saying I would ever replace my Breville Bambino Plus and Comandante C40 MK4 grinder with a Nespresso machine.

I am, however, saying that I shouldn't have been so harsh on Nespresso machines. True, their coffee isn't "technically" espresso, but that's fine. They're not supposed to be real, Italian, coffee-snob-pleasing espresso machines.

Even so, the coffee didn't even taste bad. I bought super-cheap pods, and, yes, while the coffee was a little weak, there was no bitterness or burned notes. Every espresso was rich, flavorful, without those nasty scorched flavors you expect from diner drip coffee.

A Nespresso machine is pure convenience. They're the perfect coffee machine for hotels, Airbnbs, and vacation rentals.

When you're on vacation, you want to get out of the hotel and start exploring, right? So why would you want to spent fifteen minutes dosing, grinding, and pulling espresso, when you could just spend fifteen seconds preparing a pod coffee?

Again — fellow coffee snobs, please don't come at me. I know Nespresso/Keurig isn't "real" espresso. If you're that addicted to the grind (pun intended) that you're willing to sacrifice precious vacation time to make specialty espresso every morning, be my guest. But when I'm on vacation, I'm in vacation mode. I want to be at my first museum of the day at 9:00am sharp — if that means I have to sacrifice a barista-quality flat white, then so be it.

So, Nespresso/Keurig: I'm sorry. I'm sorry I said you were trash and nasty and only for people who don't like coffee. I take it back. You are perfect for vacations.

But pods will never replace good ol' espresso machines

Despite how easy and convenient Nespresso/Keurig machines are, I'll never give up my Breville Bambino Plus in favor of the pod.

For starters, pods are inherently wasteful, even though many of them can be recycled these days. U.K.-only brand Grind makes compostable Nespresso-compatible pods, so these would be my first choice if I were to get a Nespresso machine, but the pods are still being made in the first place, which kind of contradicts their "cyclical" nature. The most sustainable thing of all is straight-up not consuming coffee — think of the air miles! — but, obviously, that's not going to happen. As a result, buying Fairtrade, ethically sourced, small-farm beans with recyclable packaging is the way forward, without the need for processing and pod factories in the mix.

Secondly, I'm a coffee snob. What can I say? I love watching my espresso pour like honey. I love weighing my beans using my Wacaco Exagram Pro, one of the best coffee scales. I love choosing my small-batch roasted beans from my local snooty coffee house. It's all part of the lifestyle, right?

So, even though I had a wonderful time using the Nespresso machine in the Airbnb, I don't see myself purchasing one any time soon. But I emerge from my vacation a changed woman — one who is much more open-minded and tolerant of the world of pod coffee.

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Black Friday is an excellent time to pick up one of the best coffee makers, espresso machines, or Keurigs for less. If you have a coffee lover in your life — or just want a great deal for yourself, we've rounded up the top 15 deals we've come across so far. We've personally tested many of these coffee makers, too, so we're not recommending something that's going to leave you with a foul taste in your mouth.

For example, the De'Longhi Stilosa Espresso Machine is on sale for $99 at Amazon, making it a steal for espresso lovers on a budget. We're not seeing many deals on Breville machines just yet, but we expect that to change as we get closer to Black Friday itself. We'll be updating this page as soon as we spot new deals, so keep it bookmarked!

Today's best coffee maker deals

• Mr. Coffee Programmable Coffee maker: was $59 now $35 at Amazon
• Ninja 12-cup Programmable Coffee brewer: was $89 now $69 at Amazon
• Keurig K-Mini Single Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker: was $99 now $69 at Amazon
• Casabrews 3700 Essential: was $129 now $95 at Amazon
• De'Longhi Stilosa Espresso Machine: was $149 now $99 at Amazon
• Keurig K-Duo Hot & Iced Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker: was $219 now $144 at Amazon
• De'Longhi Classic: was $229 now $149 at Amazon
• Technivorm 10-cup Moccamaster: was $359 now $241 at Amazon
• Nespresso Lattissima One : was $429 now $259 at Amazon
• Philips 4400 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine: was $1,199 now $799 at Amazon

Espresso machine deals

Coffee maker deals

Keurig deals

For more discounts, check out our Amazon Black Friday deals live blog.

Shop today's best Black Friday deals

• Amazon: 50% off Ring, Ninja, AirPods and more
• Walmart Plus: 50% off @ Walmart
• REI: half-off Arc'teryx, Patagonia, more
• Dell: monitors from $69, laptops from $299
• Nectar: 50% off mattresses + bundles
• Best Buy: laptops from $149
• Lenovo: doorbuster deals from $319
• Wayfair: up to 80% off home decor
• Lululemon: top picks from $9
• Newegg: Doorbuster deals from $6
• Walmart: holiday gifts from $15
• Birkenstock: deals from $20 @ Nordstrom
• Saatva: luxury mattresses from $1,099

Single-serve coffee machines are all the rage. In fact, according to the National Coffee Association, 42% of American households own a single-cup brewer in 2025. But even the smallest machines can take up more space in your kitchen than you’d like them to.

Enter the Keurig K-Mini Mate. It’s a single-serve coffee maker designed to take up as little space as possible in your kitchen while still delivering a tasty cup of coffee. This new release from one of the biggest names in coffee brewing is intended for use in small kitchens, dorm rooms, and campers where counter space is limited. At just 4 inches wide, it’s also small enough to take with you on your travels.

As a daily coffee drinker, I was eager to test out the newest machine in Keurig’s lineup. My regular coffee machine can brew a large carafe or make a single cup, but it’s bulky and takes time to set up. The Keurig K-Mini Mate’s small size and simple brewing process appealed to me for those times I need a quick cup as a pick-me-up. I tested the machine at home over several weeks, taking note of brew times, noise levels, and the quality of the resulting up of coffee.

After extensive testing, I’d recommend the K-Mini Mate as one of the best Keurig coffee makers for those with limited kitchen space such as students or those in house shares.

Keurig K-Mini Mate: Price and availability

The Keurig K-Mini Mate is available exclusively at Target for $79.99, though your price may be lower if you catch it on sale. You can order it online or visit your nearest Target location to see the machine before making a purchase. Currently, no other retailers sell the Keurig K-Mini Mate.

The K-Mini Mate uses K-Cup pods to brew a cup of coffee; however, you can also purchase a reusable K-Cup to save money and reduce waste.

Keurig K-Mini Mate: Design

Upon opening the box, my first impression of the Keurig K-Mini Mate was its size. Although I knew it would be compact, I was expecting it to be at least a little bulky. However, the machine is sleek and narrow as advertised, making it ideal for small kitchens. You can brew coffee into your regular mug or a travel cup up to 7.25 inches tall.

The machine is made from durable plastic and weighs just 3.3lbs, making it easy to move to your desired location in your home or pack in your luggage for vacation use.

The controls are simple; there’s a single setting that lets you brew your perfect cup of Joe without accidentally selecting the wrong setting.

This Keurig machine is available in three colors: Matte Black, Glamping Green, and Red Rocks. The machine I tested was black, which helped it blend in perfectly in my kitchen. The green and red colors are muted, with Red Rocks being an attractive terracotta shade and the Glamping Green a minty, nature-inspired hue.

Keurig K-Mini Mate: Performance

To determine how well the Keurig K-Mini Mate performed, I tested it over several days, taking note of brewing time and the temperature of the resulting cup.

I brewed a total of four cups in varying sizes: 6 ounces (the minimum), 8 ounces, 10 ounces, and 12 ounces (the maximum). Heating time ranged from 10 to 15 seconds, depending on the amount of water used. Surprisingly, the machine took less time to heat the water for larger cups than for smaller ones.

The total brewing time (including heating) for a cup of coffee was as follows:

• 6 ounces: One minute and 10 seconds
• 8 ounces: One minute and 23 seconds
• 10 ounces: One minute and 41 seconds
• 12 ounces: One minute and 49 seconds

These brewing times align with those of other Keurig models, such as the K-Slim, brewing a fresh cup of coffee in under two minutes. The machine automatically switches off five minutes after it’s finished brewing, so you don’t need to worry about accidentally leaving it on.

The K-Mini Mate brewed coffee at 178 degrees Fahrenheit—hotter than some other Keurig machines, but not as warm as the recommended water temperature for ideal extraction, which is 195 degrees to 205 degrees. This may affect the flavor of your coffee.

When brewing a cup of coffee, I registered an average noise level of 59 decibels with a maximum level of 75 decibels at times. The machine was noisiest at the beginning and end of the brew cycle, but the noise wasn’t overpowering. A household refrigerator is around 55 decibels, so this machine was only slightly louder than that.

Although temperature, brew time, and noise level are all important factors to consider when choosing a coffee maker, the ultimate test is how your cup of coffee tastes. I typically drink medium to dark roasts flavored with oat creamer.

In the K-Mini Mate, I used two different types of K-Cup pods: Donut Shop Vanilla Latte and McCafe Premium Roast. I wasn’t overly impressed by either; the vanilla latte was too sweet for my taste and had a strong artificial sweetener flavor.

The McCafe brew was better, but a little weak for my taste (and there’s no strong brew option like there is with other machines, such as the Keurig K-Cafe). I switched to a reusable K-Cup pod so I can use my own coffee grounds, and was much happier with the taste.

Keurig recommends descaling the K-Mini Mate every three months. There’s also a descale light on the machine that illuminates when it’s time to descale. Keeping up with descaling should help the machine last longer.

Keurig K-Mini Mate: Comparison

There are hundreds of coffee machines on the market, making it challenging to choose the best one for your needs. Some of the contenders for the K-Mini Mate include the K-Mini, K-Slim, K-Express, and K-Compact.

All of these machines brew single cups of coffee in minutes, so they’re ideal for single-person households, small offices, and dorm rooms. However, the K-Mini Mate is the slimmest of them all, making it the best option if you want your coffee maker to occupy the least amount of space possible. Its compact size also makes it the ideal travel mate, whether you’re hitting the road in an RV or heading to a vacation rental without a coffee maker.

Performance-wise, the K-Mini Mate is comparable to other single-cup brewers. However, if taste is a big concern, you might prefer a traditional coffee maker or even an espresso machine. The K-Mini Mate works in a pinch when you need caffeine, but the taste doesn’t compare to a fresh cup of pour-over or espresso.

Keurig K-Mini Mate: Verdict

Overall, I would recommend the Keurig K-Mini Mate as a backup coffee maker or a primary machine for small homes or apartments. It brews a decent cup of coffee quickly and takes up minimal counter space. It’s simple and quick to use, so there’s no learning curve, and the slim design will blend in with most kitchens, regardless of aesthetic.

However, I don’t see it replacing my standard coffee maker, which brews coffee to my desired strength and taste. In a pinch, however, the K-Mini Mate would more than fulfill my needs—especially once I replaced the disposable K-Cups with a reusable one filled with my preferred coffee.

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• 7 ways to create a barista-style coffee bar in your kitchen
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2025 is set to be a huge year for ice cream makers. We've already been introduced to the new Ninja Creami Swirl soft serve ice cream maker, as well as ColdSnap, a soft serve competitor that caused a stir at CES 2025 — both enticing innovations for fresh-serve desserts. But when it comes to ice cream, there's always room for more, right?

Enter Frolic, the machine boldly dubbed the "Keurig of ice cream". With such a statement, we're incredibly intrigued and you should be, too. Available for $525 at Frolic, it uses the pod-based system we know and love from coffee brands like Keurig, but this time for ice cream.

Frolic says these ice cream pods are "made with organic, farm-fresh ingredients to create some of the tastiest and healthiest ice cream in the world in 90 seconds flat." We certainly love the sound of fast ice cream.

Innovating ice cream at home

To use Frolic, you purchase individual 12 fl oz pods, priced at $6.99 each. These pods come in two base flavors; chocolate and vanilla, which are available in standard, vegan, or lite varieties depending on your preference.

Now, here's the kicker about using Frolic pods. You can add whatever ingredients you want to make your own flavors. Frolic sell a few of their own for $3 each — like Candy Donut Hole Bites and Peanut Butter Chips, but it's really up to you what you add.

Whatever you choose, the machine will atomize the ingredients as it blends the ice cream to create these new flavors. Which means you can become an ice cream maker in your own home. After all, the pods are just the base to your ice cream creation.

Using a stainless steel blade and the simple push of a button, the inserted pod becomes ready-to-eat ice cream in just 90 seconds.

When compared with one of Frolic's direct competitors, the Ninja Creami, you don't need to make your recipes from home and freeze them for 24 hours before you can eat them.

Fresh desert in an instant

Each Frolic pod is made up of fresh ingredients from a small dairy farm in Northern Illinois. But what makes their ice cream so different?

Well, Frolic says the secret behind it is in the ice crystals, that are 20x smaller than what you'd find in traditional ice cream. And so, you get a smoother texture and taste. After the pods are mixed at the farm, they're flash frozen before they're shipped.

And when we delved into the nutritional information on Frolic's site, we learned that the Classic Vanilla is made up of 11 ingredients, whilst Classic Chocolate is 12. And it's in these ingredients that Frolic says you'll get "less fat and sugar than most supermarket brands."

So, if you're looking to get seriously into ice cream making at home, the Frolic offers a new innovative way to make it happen. But, until we get our hands on one, we'll reserve our judgment (and tastebuds) for a full review.

You might also be interested in GreenPan's ice cream maker, which delivers soft-serve in 30 minutes.

More from Tom's Guide

• How to make ice cream without an ice cream maker
• This smart ice cream maker is a CES hit, and it makes soft serve in under 2 minutes
• The Ninja Creami makes it so easy to make ice cream, it’s dangerous

Like many people, I love the convenience of a pod-based coffee maker — it’s arguably the quickest and easiest way to make a single cup of hot coffee when you’re in a rush. However, the trade-off is that these single-serve machines typically don’t make a great cup of joe.

The flavors are often weak and flat, and the temperature may not be as hot as it should be. The Bruvi Brewer claims to change all that.

Not only is this pod coffee maker quite stylish, the brand also claims its special pod design will make a much better cup of coffee that’s stronger and more flavorful. We wanted to see if this newcomer to the scene could compete with popular brands like Keurig and Nespresso, so we put it to the test for several weeks.

Overall, we were impressed with its performance and the quality of coffee, but there are a few big caveats you’ll want to keep in mind before you purchase this machine.

Bruvi BV-01 Brewer: Price and availability

The Bruvi isn’t as widely available as other single-serve coffee makers, and it’s only sold at a few retailers. Your best option is likely to buy it directly from the brand’s website, where it has an MSRP of $373 but is often marked down for less or available in bundles with a variety of pods. The only other retailer that sells the unit is Amazon, where it’s listed for $348.

It’s worth noting that the Bruvi’s price point of $350+ is substantially higher than most other pod-based coffee machines out there today. Even the most expensive Keurig models typically cost less than $200, so the Bruvi is undeniably a splurge.

Bruvi BV-01 Brewer: Design

As soon as I began unboxing the Bruvi Brewer, it was clear that a lot of thought and consideration went into designing every aspect of the machine. The brewer comes carefully wrapped in a reusable cloth bag, and the majority of its packaging is plastic-free.

As someone who unboxes dozens of products each year, it’s always great to see a brand that prioritizes sustainability in its packaging! I love being able to recycle packing materials instead of putting them in the trash.

I was equally impressed with the brewer itself, which is sleek and eye-catching, especially compared to the often utilitarian design of Keurigs. I tested the brand’s “Cream & Sugar” colorway, which has a matte off-white finish with bamboo accents, but it’s also available in a more modern black option.

The machine has a similar setup to a Keurig, with the brewing area on one side and the water reservoir on the other, but its overall appearance is much more design-forward.

The Bruvi has a large touchscreen control panel that gives it a high-tech appearance, and even the power cord is a blue woven material for an added pop of color. It’s the type of machine that will add to your kitchen’s décor, and it earned compliments from nearly everyone who walked into my kitchen.

In terms of operation, the Bruvi is easy to use. The 70-ounce reservoir has a recessed handle that makes it easy to lift and fill with water, and it slots back into place easily. When you want to make a drink, you simply place one of the brand’s “B-Pods” into the machine, then close the lid.

The Bruvi automatically scans the pod and adjusts its brew parameters based on that specific beverage, and then all you have to do is select your desired cup size—the four options range from 6 to 12 ounces—and press start.

Depending on what type of drink you’re making, there may be a few other settings to choose from — for instance, you’ll see optional buttons for hotter, stronger, low acid, iced and even cold brew when you insert most coffee pods.

Bruvi BV-01 Brewer: Pods

The Bruvi Brewer is only compatible with the brand’s exclusive “B-Pods,” which are sold from the brand’s website or through a few larger retailers like Amazon and Walmart.

The pods are hermetically sealed to keep coffee as fresh as possible, and there are two filters inside to prevent grounds from ending up in your drink (a problem I’ve run into frequently with Keurig pods). The brand also claims that its B-Pods can be tossed directly in the trash and the material will break down rapidly in the landfill, leaving no microplastics behind.

However, B-Pod options are very limited, and there’s nowhere near the same amount of variety that you’ll get from Keurig K-cups. Right now, there are only 24 B-Pod options—most of them are coffee or espresso, and there’s also one matcha tea.

The B-Pods are also quite pricey, costing between $16 and $40 for a pack of 20 pods. (This translates to between $0.80 and $2 per pod.) You can save 20% on each box if you sign up for auto-delivery, which is a good option if you find one variety that you really like, but it still usually shakes out to more than $20 per box.

Additionally, during testing, I received an email that said the brand plans to increase B-Pod prices around 5% in 2025.

To help temper the cost of using this machine, the brand does offer a reusable pod (sold separately) that you can fill up with your preferred coffee grounds. Just keep in mind that it can’t be used to make espresso or tea.

Bruvi BV-01 Brewer: Performance

To see if the Bruvi’s performance is as impressive as its design, I tested it in my kitchen for around three weeks. My partner and I used it as our primary coffee maker during this time, brewing at least two cups every day (but usually more).

Hot coffee

While the Bruvi has settings for iced coffee, cold brew, and even tea, we almost always use it to make hot coffee. We tried out a variety pack of B-Pods, and some of our favorite options include "Tenango" and "Dancing Spoon".

We tend to prefer medium roasts, but the brand also has everything from light roasts to extra dark roasts, with options in between.

When you’re brewing with this coffee maker, the pod gets inserted sideways, which takes a while to get used to, and you do have to put some effort into closing the machine’s lid, as it requires quite a bit of pressure to pierce the B-Pod.

However, I do love that the machine automatically adjusts the brew parameters based on the pod, saving you from having to select settings each time.

When brewing an 8-ounce cup of coffee, it takes the Bruvi 15 seconds to heat up and start dispensing liquid, and the total brew time is around 85 seconds. I measured the drink temperature right out of the machine, and it’s generally around 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

However, if you turn on the “hotter” brew setting, the drink comes out at 175 degrees, which is great if you like to put milk or cream in your coffee, as it doesn’t get cooled down too much. The machine is also fairly quiet, measuring at between 55 to 60 decibels while brewing.

After making dozens of drinks with the Bruvi Brewer, both my partner and I agree that the coffee is much stronger and more flavorful than other pod-based coffee makers. It tastes very similar to the coffee from our drip coffee machine—but brews in a fraction of the time. Plus, after each brew, the B-Pod drops down into a catch bin inside the machine, saving you from having to throw away used pods after every brew.

Our only complaint about the Bruvi is that larger mugs don’t fit into the machine’s brewing area. Although you can remove the base to accommodate longer classes, we have several mugs that are too wide to fit under the dispenser, and most of our travel mugs are too tall to brew into.

When we make coffee to-go, we end up brewing it into a regular mug, then transferring it over to the to-go cup, which isn’t the most convenient when you’re in a rush.

Espresso

I’ll admit that I didn’t have particularly high hopes for the Bruvi’s espresso-making abilities, so I was pleasantly surprised that the machine pulls a good shot!

When you insert one of the espresso B-Pods, the brewer automatically adjusts the settings, and you can choose from a 1-, 2-, or 3-ounce shot. The drip tray can even be raised to just the right height for an espresso glass.

Brewing a 2-ounce shot of espresso takes around 45 seconds, and it comes out with a nice layer of crema on top. The shots are rich and flavorful, and they make delicious lattes if you have a milk frother handy. I wouldn’t say the espresso is quite on par with a true espresso machine, but it’s far better than what you’d get from other pod-based coffee machines.

My only complaint is that I did experience more spillage while brewing shots of espresso. The beverage occasionally comes out of the brewer at an unexpected angle, which results in some espresso dripping down the side of the glass.

I’d recommend paying attention when you start the brewing cycle to ensure the espresso ends up in your cup—not all over the counter.

How does the Bruvi BV-01 Brewer compare?

There are several other pod-based coffee makers you may want to consider, including options from both Keurig and Nespresso. One of the best Keurig models we’ve tested is the Keurig K-Cafe—despite being a more high-end model from the brand with milk frothing abilities, it’s still more affordable than the Bruvi, with a price point of around $200.

We love that this Keurig machine is easy to use and has a built-in milk frother to make lattes and cappuccinos. It can brew regular cups of coffee as well as “shots” of espresso, but its shots aren’t as flavorful as the Bruvi—they’re essentially just very concentrated coffee.

For espresso lovers, you might be better off with a Nespresso machine—our top pick is the Nespresso Vertuo Lattissima, which retails for around $290. Nespresso offers designated pods for espresso, and this machine is able to automatically brew a wide range of espresso drinks thanks to its built-in frother.

The Nespresso can churn out lattes and cappuccinos all on its own, and it can also brew regular coffee, with six drink sizes to choose from. It’s also worth noting that both Keurig and Nespresso have a wider range of pod options than the Bruvi’s current selection.

Should you buy the Bruvi BV-01 Brewer?

If you like the convenience of a pod-based coffee machine but still want a quality cup of coffee, the Bruvi Brewer is worth the investment. It’s more expensive than many of its competitors—both for the machines and its coffee pods—but it brews much hotter and more flavorful drinks, including rich shots of espresso. It’s also a stylish and well-designed appliance that’s easy to use and will look great on your counter.

There are a few downsides to this machine, though. For one, the brand has a very limited selection of B-Pods to choose from, especially when compared to the number of K-cups that are out there today. Additionally, larger cups and travel mugs don’t fit into the machine’s brewing area, which is inconvenient when you want a bigger cup of coffee.

More from Tom's Guide

• I spent a month testing the Keurig K-Supreme
• I just tried aluminum K-Cups — here's my pros and cons
• I tried Keurig's first dedicated iced coffee maker

We drink a lot of coffee in my household, and I like the convenience of having a Keurig for one-off beverages in the afternoon. However, we simply can’t live without a full-size drip coffee maker for our morning cup(s) of joe, either, which means we have two coffee machines on the counter, taking up quite a bit of space. So when I saw the new K-Duo Hot & Iced Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker, which can make both drip coffee and single-serving K-cup drinks, I knew it would be a gamechanger for our kitchen.

This second-generation version of the K-Duo is even more versatile than the original. It’s able to brew four sizes of single-serving drinks, including both hot and iced beverages, and it’s equipped with the brand’s MultiStream technology, which delivers more flavor and aroma. It also has an easy-to-use control panel and a larger water reservoir for less frequent refills.

To see if this two-in-one coffee maker is worth it for all the coffee lovers out there, I put it to the test for several weeks, using it daily to brew coffee and other drinks. Here’s what I liked about it and whether I’ll be keeping it in my kitchen.

Keurig K-Duo Hot & Iced: Price and availability

The new second-gen K-Duo has an MSRP of $199.99, but you can often find it on sale for significantly less. It’s currently available through the Keurig website for $129.99, and if you purchase via the brand, you’ll get two free boxes of K-cups with it. You can also find the K-Duo at other major retailers, including Target, Walmart, and Kohl’s, and you may want to shop around a bit, as the machine’s sale price often varies by store.

Keurig K-Duo Hot & Iced: Features

The K-Duo Coffee Maker has a two-in-one design that has a single-serve brewer on one side and a glass carafe for drip brewing on the other. The single-serve side can make both hot or iced drinks, using the brand’s relatively new MultiStream technology, and it has four beverage sizes: 6, 8, 10, or 12-ounces.

This side of the machine works like a classic Keurig, accepting K-cups and other single-serve drink pods, and it has buttons for extra-hot or strong brewing .

The carafe side of the machine, on the other hand, operates like a regular drip coffee maker. It uses basket-style coffee filters (the ones with flat bottoms), and you can use your regular coffee grounds in it. You’re able to brew 6, 8, 10 or 12 cups at a time, and just like when you’re making a single cup, the machine automatically pulls the necessary amount of water from the machine’s 72-ounce reservoir.

The coffee is brewed into a glass carafe, and it sits on a hot plate that keeps the pot warm for up to two hours. You can also program this side of the coffee maker to brew up to 24 hours in advance, so a fresh pot of joe will be waiting for you when you get up in the morning.

Keurig K-Duo Hot & Iced: Design

In terms of appearance, the K-Duo basically looks like Keurig took a K-Mini and attached it to the side of a regular coffee pot. There’s a lever on top of the single-serve side that lets you put in K-cups, and there’s a larger basket over the carafe where you load in filters and coffee grounds. Both sides of the appliance share a control panel, and you choose to make a single pod or a carafe using buttons with little icons on them.

Because of its dual-sided design, this Keurig is a bit larger than many others, measuring roughly 13 inches wide and 11 inches deep. Its 72-ounce water reservoir is located on the back of the unit, spanning the entire width of the machine. The reservoir has a lip around the upper edge that lets you lift it off to refill, but it’s a bit awkward to do, especially if the machine is at the back of your counter. I much prefer models like the K-Supreme, which have an easy-to-grasp handle on their water reservoir.

It’s also worth noting that while this machine can be outfitted with a water filter, you have to purchase one separately. These accessories are typically included with most Keurig models, so I thought it was strange that this machine doesn’t have one.

Keurig K-Duo Hot & Iced: Performance

To see how the second-generation K-Duo performed, I tested it over the course of several weeks. In addition to using it to make my daily cup(s) of coffee, I also ran a few specific tests to measure brew time and temperature to see how it compares to other Keurig models.

Single-Serve Drinks

As you’d expect from a Keurig, it’s quick and easy to make single-serving drinks with the K-Duo. All you have to do is pop in a K-cup (or other compatible coffee pod), select the drink size you want, and hit the big “K” button to start brewing. There’s a special button for brewing iced drinks, which lowers the water temperature to help stop your ice from melting too much, and there are also buttons if you want an extra-hot drink or a stronger brew.

My partner and I used the single-serve side of this coffee maker daily for several weeks, brewing coffee, as well as specialty K-cups like chai lattes and hot chocolate. When brewing an 8-ounce drink, the Keurig takes 10 seconds to warm up and start dispensing, and around 60 seconds from start to finish to brew the whole drink. On its normal setting, it registers at 58-60 decibels during the brew cycle, making it a fairly quite model, and the coffee is around 165 degrees Fahrenheit—fairly average among Keurigs we’ve tested. On its strong setting, the brewing takes a bit longer—70 seconds total—and if you select the extra-hot option, the drink is slightly warmer, at around 170 degrees.

I also tested out the machine’s “brew over ice” setting, which is one of the features that sets it apart from the original K-Duo. The brand notes that this setting brews at a lower temperature to help prevent ice from melting, and true to claim, the drink came out at 145 degrees. However, this is still pretty hot and I found that it usually melts around 50% of the ice, which can lead to a watered-down taste. It’s ok if you just want an iced drink once in a while, but if you’re a dedicated iced coffee drinker, the brand’s new K-Brew+Chill does a much better job brewing flavorful iced beverages.

Carafe Brewing

It took a little bit of trial and error to get the results I wanted while brewing in this machine’s carafe. You’ll need filters to line the basket—the brand recommends 12-cup basket-style filters—as well as a scoop to measure your coffee grounds, as the machine doesn’t come with one. The directions recommend 1 tablespoon of ground coffee per cup, so I used a 1-tablespoon scoop that came with my old coffee machine.

My partner and I usually both drink two cups of coffee in the morning, so I opted to make a 6-cup carafe most days. It takes around six minutes to brew and is just the right amount of coffee for us. Like most coffee pots, you can take out the carafe to pour a cup while it’s still brewing, but you only have 20 seconds to do so before the filter basket overflows.

However, 6 tablespoons of coffee grounds wasn’t quite enough for six cups of coffee—it ended up too weak for our liking. On subsequent uses, I used 7 tablespoons of coffee, which resulted in a more flavorful brew. The carafe pours very smoothly, and the hot plate automatically stays on for two hours to keep any remaining coffee warm. If you want to shut it off, you just hold down the red carafe button for a few seconds.

My only major complaint about the carafe side of this coffee maker is that the coffee isn’t hot enough for my tastes. I measured the coffee’s temperature immediately after the unit finished brewing, and it was around 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Once I poured it into my cup and added cream, the coffee cooled down even more, and it was usually lukewarm within a few minutes. If you’re someone who likes piping hot coffee, you could be disappointed in this machine’s temperature.

Keurig K-Duo Hot & Iced: Ease of Use

Like most Keurig coffee makers, the K-Duo is very easy to use. When you’re in a rush, it’s quick and easy to pop a K-cup into the machine, and your drink will be ready in around a minute. On the carafe side, the brewing process is comparable to other drip coffee makers, and it only ever takes me a minute or two to set up the filter and start brewing a pot in the morning. Or, if you really want to streamline the process, you can measure out coffee grounds ahead of time and program the appliance to automatically start brewing right when you get up.

In terms of maintenance, the brand recommends washing the carafe and filter basket after each use, as well as cleaning out the drip tray and water reservoir as needed. All of these pieces should be washed by hand—they’re not safe to put in the dishwasher. You’ll also need to descale the machine every three months, and there’s an indicator light on the control panel that will remind you when it needs to be done. You can descale your Keurig using the brand’s descaling solution, but white vinegar works to break down calcium deposits, as well.

Should you buy the Keurig K-Duo Hot & Iced?

If you want the option to be able to brew a single cup of coffee or a full pot — but don’t want to have separate appliances for each task — the Keurig K-Duo Hot & Iced Coffee Maker is a worthwhile addition to your kitchen. It does a good job making both individual cups and full carafes of coffee, and like most appliances from the brand, it’s easy and intuitive to use.

My biggest complaint is that the coffee isn’t very hot. In particular, coffee brewed in the carafe tends to cool down quickly, but which may be a dealbreaker if you prefer a piping hot cup of joe. However, it’s hard to beat this model in terms of versatility, especially for such a reasonable price.

Keurig is one of the best-known brands for single-serve coffee makers, and over the years, their gadgets have gotten much more advanced. Today, many of the best Keurigs have features like milk frothers, Wi-Fi connectivity, and even carafe brewing, but if you’re just looking for a basic model to brew individual cups of coffee, the Keurig K-Supreme Coffee Maker is one of the brand’s more basic options.

This Keurig model keeps it basic, offering four brew sizes and strength control, but foregoing more advanced features. It has a few handy options that make it more convenient to use, such as a dual-position water reservoir and back-to-back brewing, and it’s also more compact than models like the K-Select.

Still, the Keurig K-Supreme is fairly expensive for a basic coffee maker, so we put it to the test over the course of a month to see if it’s worth adding to your kitchen. Here’s what we liked about the machine—as well as a few areas where it fell flat.

Keurig K-Supreme: Price and availability

The Keurig K-Supreme Single Serve Coffee Maker has an MSRP of $169.99, but it’s regularly on sale for $99. You can purchase it directly from the Keurig website (which can earn you reward points to apply towards K-cups), but it’s also available at most major retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, and Target.

Keurig K-Supreme: Features

The Keurig K-Supreme is a full-size, basic model in the brand’s current lineup of single-serve coffee makers. It has more brewing options than budget-friendly models like the K-Slim, but it’s nowhere near as fancy as options like the K-Cafe.

The K-Supreme has the brand’s “multi-stream technology,” which essentially means it pokes five holes in the top of the K-cup instead of just one, letting water more fully saturate the coffee grounds. The brand claims this technology delivers better flavor and aroma than you’d get from older models like the K-Classic.

In terms of brew options, the K-Supreme lets you choose from four drink sizes: 6, 8, 10, or 12 ounces. There’s a “Strong Brew” button, as well as a “Brew Over Ice” option, and the machine is compatible with the My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter. It also offers back-to-back brewing, meaning there’s no wait time if you want to brew multiple cups of coffee in a row.

However, I’d wager that the K-Supreme’s most interesting feature is its dual-position water reservoir. When you set up the machine, you can choose whether you want the reservoir on the side or the back. I tried out both orientations, and personally, I prefer having it on the side, as I found it’s easier to remove and refill that way. If you’re pressed for space, though, the machine takes up less room when the tank is in the back.

The one setting that this machine lacks is an automatic shut-off. Other models automatically shut off five minutes after brewing to save energy, but this one doesn’t turn off for two hours. If you want it turned off immediately after brewing, you’ll have to press the power button manually.

Keurig K-Supreme: Design

The Keurig K-Supreme comes in four colors—black, white, gray, or farmhouse white, which has a more yellow tone—and the exterior is all plastic with a matte finish. Even the handle that opens the lid, which is silver to make it look like stainless steel, is made from plastic. This is fairly standard for Keurigs, but I did feel like certain components were a bit flimsy. In particular, the water reservoir wobbles when it’s placed on the base, and the handle feels cheap and doesn’t shut fully when you put a K-cup inside the machine.

This unit has a simple control panel on top, and there are buttons for each brew setting and drink size. This saves you from having to scroll through a menu, and you simply press the big central button to start your brew. There are also two indicator lights that let you know when to refill the water tank and when you need to descale the machine, but that’s about it. There are no other settings to adjust, and overall, it’s a really simple design that’s easy and intuitive to operate.

Keurig K-Supreme: Performance

I tested the Keurig K-Supreme for several weeks, using it on a daily basis to brew both my morning cup of coffee, as well as mid-afternoon drinks. I regularly make specialty K-cups like chai lattes or hot apple cider, and my partner enjoys making hot cocoa for a little sweet treat after dinner, too.

Hot drinks

For the most part, we stuck to hot drinks with this Keurig, and it worked similarly to other Keurigs that I’ve tested in the past. When you press start, the machine takes around 15 seconds to heat up and start dispensing your drink, and the entire brew process for an 8-ounce drink takes 75 seconds from start to finish. If you want to brew a second beverage, it starts dispensing after 10 seconds and has a total brew time of 60-65 seconds. The machine registers at around 50 to 55 decibels throughout the brewing process, with the loudest step being the sputtering at the end, which measures around 65 decibels.

One downfall of Keurigs is that they typically don’t brew as hot as regular drip coffee makers, and that held true with the K-Supreme. Hot beverages are usually dispensed at around 160-162 degrees Fahrenheit. I don’t mind this lower temperature, as it allows you to start drinking right away, but if you prefer your coffee piping hot or add a lot of chilled milk to your drink, the temperature might be too low for your tastes.

In terms of drink quality, I don’t have any complaints. The coffee was flavorful, though I did find that the difference between the regular and strong brews was barely noticeable. My specialty drinks always came out as expected, but there were occasionally coffee grounds that ended up floating in my drink—this can happen if they get washed out of the bottom of the K-cup while brewing.

Iced drinks

The K-Supreme does have a brew over ice option, which lowers the brew temperature slightly to prevent it from melting the ice. I was surprised that there’s only one default drink size when you’re brewing over ice. The machine automatically brews a 6-ounce drink, and you’re unable to select a larger size. However, because you’re brewing over ice, which then melts, you still end up with a decently sized beverage.

This setting takes roughly the same amount of time as a regular brew: 10 seconds to start brewing and around 70 seconds total. In my experience, the hot coffee melts around 50-70% of the ice in your glass, which does leave the drink quite cold. The caveat, of course, is that the coffee is a bit watered down. If you drink a lot of iced coffee, I recommend checking out the Keurig K-Brew+Chill, which flash-chills hot coffee before it dispenses, resulting in less ice melt for a richer flavor.

Keurig K-Supreme: Ease of Use

If you’re looking for a Keurig that’s easy to use, the K-Supreme certainly fits the bill. Because it has a no-frills design, it’s intuitive to operate, even for someone who’s never used a Keurig before.

This machine can accommodate any standard mug or cup size, as well as travel mugs up to 7 inches tall. (You may have to remove the drip tray to fit bigger travel cups under the spout.) After you put a K-cup into the machine, it will prompt you to select a brew size by blinking the lights on the row of buttons. Once you select the size you want, the central “K” button lights up to let you know that’s where you should press next. It’s really that easy, and if you want a stronger brew, you simply press that button before starting the brew cycle.

I also loved that once you finish brewing, you’re able to simply pop in a fresh K-cup and brew a second drink without waiting for more hot water to heat up. This back-to-back brewing came in handy when both my partner and I wanted mid-afternoon drinks—no one was ever left waiting while the machine warmed back up.

Should you buy the Keurig K-Supreme?

The Keurig K-Supreme Single Serve Coffee Maker is a no-frills, easy-to-use option that’s great if you want to make one cup of coffee at a time. It offers all the basic settings you need without any added complexity, and its dual-position water reservoir lets you adjust the orientation of the machine to suit your living space.

Hot drinks made from this machine are flavorful, and it’s convenient that there’s no wait time if you want to brew a second drink right away. It’s not the best for ice beverages, as the brew over ice option yields a diluted drink, but overall, it’s a solid mid-priced option from the brand.

There’s a lot to learn when it comes to your Keurig, and it doesn’t just stop with making sure you’re buying one of the best Keurig coffee makers on the market. While you can make your Keurig last longer by learning cleaning solutions like how to descale your Keurig with vinegar, there’s another hack we’ve learned that actually makes a lot of sense.

It doesn’t matter which of the best coffee makers you’re using, maintenance is always key. Luckily, there’s always creators on TikTok sharing their best tips and tricks, and we’ve found one that relates directly to the way you use your K-Cups in your Keurig machine. Here’s why you should be pre-puncturing your K-Cups:

With over six thousand views and counting, user @mindyclancy reveals that in order to get the best out of your Keurig (she’s using the Keurig K-Duo Essentials) you need to pre-puncture your K-Cups manually. She demonstrates how you should push them into the machine slowly with your own hand and then close the lid, rather than relying on the pressure from closing the lid with the handle.

There’s a few reasons for this. Firstly, she recommends anyone that lives at a high altitude always pre-punctures as there can be a pressure buildup within the pod. Secondly, if the pod has been overfilled, there could also be a pressure buildup that requires manually puncturing, so as not to damage your machine.

Finally, while closing the lid with the handle is a reliable way of doing this, over time your coffee machine suffers from a lot of strain and pressure that could break your machine earlier. You can help your Keurig last longer if you’re taking some of that pressure away from the machine by applying manual pressure. Considering it’s such an easy step to incorporate into your coffee making, it seems like a no-brainer.

Why should you regularly clean your coffee machine, and how?

It should come as no surprise that in order to make your coffee machine last longer, whether it’s a Keurig or another model, you need to clean it. To do this, you should always follow the instructions and recommended practices from the manual that comes with your specific appliance.

As @mindyclancy goes on to explain in the video description, the needle that punctures the K-Cups can suffer from buildup of coffee grounds. She adds that this is “one of the biggest issues people have with their Keurig’s over time.” But, to avoid this issue, you should really be looking into how to clean your coffee machine on a regular basis.

We've also done research to help you make your coffee machine last longer, by asking experts for their advice on questions like, should you really be cleaning your coffee maker with vinegar? Plus, 3 game-changing tips from spending a day at barista school. Essentially, a combination of pre-puncturing your K-Cups and ensuring the machine is regularly cleaned is the ultimate way to make sure your machine works longer, and we all want that.

More from Tom's Guide

• How to make coffee without a coffee maker — 5 easy techniques
• Why should you descale your coffee maker?
• Want better coffee at home? I asked 3 coffee experts for their top tips

You’ve invested in one of the best Nespresso machines and you’re enjoying your fresh and flavorful coffee. But, if you’re like me, you’ve found yourself wondering, what's the best way to store the abundance of different Nespresso capsules? I’ve tried drawers and bowls, but they constantly take up space I don’t have. While they're perfectly shaped for Nespresso machines, keeping them organized is tricky. Yes, Nespresso do sell own-brand dispensers for the job, but they're not necessarily the best option for anyone struggling for space, or wanting to avoid a fairly pricey buy.

Luckily, I've found a hack on TikTok that solves the issue completely. In just 16 seconds, I learnt how to make my own storage solution that is both cost-effective and space-saving — a real win-win. Plus, there’s hope for other coffee makers if you're facing the same problem. I felt the same way when I discovered the hack for preserving great tasting coffee at home and the hidden Nespresso setting, and I’ll repeat my sentiment now — thank you, people of TikTok, for your game-changing advice.

Without further ado, here’s the Nespresso capsule storage hack that'll only cost you $10:

User @cleaningcorner posts a huge variety of home cleaning hacks to her 100 thousand followers and counting, but she also regularly shares Nespresso restocks, prompting users to ask her where she found her genius hidden storage solution.

How to create the hidden Nespresso capsule storage hack at home

Watching the TikTok clip over and over again is one thing, but when it comes down to actually crafting this coffee capsule storage solution for your own home, here's what you need and how you'll do it. Firstly, you need to buy this product:

Then, you need to follow these steps:

1. Choose a surface and clean it: Avoid walls with dust, uneven surfaces, or peeling paint
2. Place your first strip: Remove the red self-adhesive tape and place your strip vertically or horizontally inside a cabinet or under a cabinet/table, as preferred
3. Insert the capsules: Place two capsules, on either end, to establish the distance to the next strip
4. Mark the position: Mark where you want the next strip, take it away, then remove the red tape again to place it
5. Repeat the process: Continue to add the capsules and mark up for each strip to get the correct alignment and distance
6. Adjust, if needed: While you will be marking out your strips, they’re easily removed and adjusted, if you find they don’t glide out the way you want them to

As demonstrated by @cleaningcorner, you can place the Nespresso coffee capsule storage solution on the inside of her kitchen cupboard. But, that's not the only option. As long as you're finding a suitable surface, as discussed above, there's several other options, such as underneath the shelves, along a wall, under a table, or under your kitchen cabinets.

Does it work with other coffee capsules/pods?

This particular product states that it works with a “variety of brand of coffee capsules”. It goes on to say it can store K cup coffee pods of any size, including Keurig and Nespresso Original products. As long as you follow the steps correctly above, you’ll be able to position your strips to easily place your capsules inside, no matter the size. Plus, the capsules can be easily removed from either end, meaning you can mix up capsule flavors or split them into categories to suit your personal taste.

More from Tom's Guide

• I found a hidden Nespresso setting, and it's a game-changer
• Here's how to clean a coffee maker
• Why you should always descale your coffee maker

The best Keurigs are some of the most convenient coffee makers you can buy, as they’re able to crank out a single cup of coffee in just a minute or two. However, to date, they haven’t been the best option for iced coffee drinkers, as their “brew over ice” setting often leads to a weak, watered-down drink. That’s all about to change with the brand’s newest model, though.

The Keurig K-Brew+Chill is the latest release from the popular brand, and it’s designed with iced coffee drinkers in mind. The brand claims that the new machine is able to make full-flavored, perfectly chilled iced beverages in three minutes or less thanks to its new “QuickChill technology.”

Naturally, we wanted to see if this new, innovative Keurig would live up to the hype, so we put it to the test, using it to make a variety of both hot and iced drinks over the course of two weeks. Here’s everything that iced coffee lovers should know before buying this machine.

Keurig K-Brew+Chill: Price and availability

One of the newest Keurigs in the brand’s lineup, the K-Brew+Chill has a fairly high MSRP of $199.99. However, you can already find it on sale for $169.99 from retailers like Amazon. It’s also available though popular stores like Best Buy and Walmart, as well as the Keurig website.

Keurig K-Brew+Chill: Features

The main selling point of the K-Brew+Chill is its ability to brew iced coffee and other iced drinks. Some previous Keurig models have “brew over ice” settings, but the liquid still comes out hot. Instead, the brewer just makes the drink stronger because it will end up diluted by your melting ice. The K-Brew+Chill is different—it has a new feature that the brand calls “QuickChill technology,” and the machine flash-chills hot coffee before dispensing it. This means your drink actually comes out of the machine cold and won’t melt the ice in your glass.

I was curious as to how, exactly, the machine cools drinks after brewing, but none of the product’s literature really explains how the QuickChill Technology works. My best guess is that water from the unit’s secondary reservoir (which is located on the back of the brewer) is kept ice cold and somehow circulated around the drink before it’s dispensed, but the brand seems to be keeping its cards close to its chest when it comes to the specifics.

Beyond its QuickChill abilities, this Keurig is fairly standard in its design, and it brews hot drinks like normal. There are four drink sizes to choose from—6, 8, 10, and 12 ounces—as well as a “Strong” brew option. It has a 70-ounce water reservoir, and the brand notes that the machine uses “MultiStream Technology,” which saturates coffee grounds more evenly while brewing to extract better flavor.

This new Keurig works with all kinds of K-cups, including both hot and iced options. However, if you own a reusable K-cup, it’s worth noting that the My K-Cup Universal Reusable Filter doesn’t work in the K-Brew+Chill. There’s a footnote on the brand’s website that a compatible reusable K-cup will be released at the beginning of 2025.

Keurig K-Brew+Chill: Design

The K-Brew+Chill looks like your average Keurig at first glance, but there are a few design features that make it stand out from other models. Perhaps the biggest difference is the machine’s secondary water reservoir, called the Chill Tank, which is located on the back of the machine.

You have to fill the Chill Tank when you set up the machine, and it can’t be removed from the body of the brewer. I used the main reservoir as a pitcher to pour water into it, and the process was a bit tedious, as the opening is small and there’s no way to tell how full the tank is. The good news, however, is that this reservoir doesn’t need to be refilled—the machine just keeps recycling the water to chill down drinks.

The primary water reservoir is located on the front of the machine, and it has a round form that can hold up to 70 ounces. There’s a big handle that makes it easy to lift off and fill, and it’s easy to place it back onto the brewer, as well. The unit’s control panel has buttons for hot or iced drinks, as well as the different brew sizes. There’s also a small indicator light that lets you know when the QuickChill is ready to brew—if it’s not totally cooled down, your drink may come out a little warmer than expected.

Because of the Chill Tank, this machine is much bulkier than other Keurig models. It’s just under 10 inches wide and 15 inches deep, so it does take up more space on the counter than options like the K-Slim.

Keurig K-Brew+Chill: Performance

I tested the Keurig Brew+Chill for two weeks in my kitchen, using it to make both hot and iced drinks. One thing I noticed right away is that this Keurig has an inner fan that runs constantly to keep the Chill Tank cool. It’s not disruptive, but the noise is definitely audible from anywhere in the room, measuring in at around 42 decibels. The machine does have a “quiet” button that’s supposed to turn the fan down, and while the volume decreased a bit, I could still hear it running.

Hot drinks

I used the K-Brew+Chill to make several different hot beverages, including my daily mid-afternoon cup of coffee and an occasional chai latte, and its performance was comparable to other Keurig models I’ve used in the past. From the time I pressed start, it took around 15 seconds for the machine to heat up and start brewing and a total of 80 seconds to fully dispense an 8-ounce beverage into my mug, which is a lot longer than our top pick, the Keurig K-Cafe, which took only 36 seconds.

I also measured the temperature of my drink right after brewing, and it logged in at around 160 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a bit lower than the recommended temperature for hot coffee—which ranges from 195 to 205 degrees—but many of the other Keurigs we’ve tested have also brewed at this lower temperature. The good news is that hot drinks are much less likely to burn your tongue, but you might not be satisfied if you like your coffee piping hot.

One thing that sets the K-Brew + Chill apart is its its MultiStream Technology which uses 5 needles instead of 1 to puncture your K-Cup. This takes its cues from the best espresso machines — you'll always get the best extraction if each and every ground of coffee is saturated, which is why many drip coffee makers use something akin to a shower head to distribute water evenly through your grounds.

Iced drinks

I also tried several iced drinks with the K-Brew+Chill, and I like that you can brew any K-cup iced—it doesn’t have to be a designated “iced” beverage. When you first set up the machine, it takes around six hours before it’s ready to brew a chilled drink. There are two blue indicator lights on the control panel that let you know if the QuickChill technology is ready, and ideally, they should both be solid blue (not blinking).

Over the course of testing, I made several different iced beverages with the Keurig, including iced coffee, iced frappes, and even a fruity refresher. I would often brew them directly over ice, and true to the brand’s claim, the drink came out cold enough that the ice barely melted. The results were consistently better than other Keurig models with “brew over ice” settings such as the Keurig K-Elite, so if you’re an iced coffee drinker, this model is definitely the way to go.

To test the effectiveness of the K-Brew+Chill for making multiple drinks, I used it to make two 8-ounce iced coffees in succession. For the first drink, it took around 45 seconds to begin brewing and a total of 105 seconds (a little less than two minutes) to fully dispense the drink. The drink came out of the machine at 54 degrees Fahrenheit (without any ice in the cup).

After each iced drink, the machine runs a rinse cycle, which takes around a minute, then it’s ready to use again. After making the first iced drink, one of the two indicator lights was blinking, meaning the Chill Tank isn’t fully cold but still usable. When I brewed a second drink, it took the same amount of time as the first beverage, but the temperature was 68.5 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s still much cooler than if you brewed a hot drink, but the machine’s cooling abilities do deplete after each brew. I found that the machine generally needs around 30 minutes before both indicator lights are solid again, indicating a full charge in the Chill Tank.

In terms of noise level, both the hot and iced brewing cycles measured between 50 and 55dB, and the loudest aspect is generally just the liquid splashing into the cup or the gurgling at the end of the cycle. However, the rinse cycle is a bit noisier, clocking in at around 60-65dB.

Keurig K-Brew+Chill: Ease of Use

Despite having some new, advanced features, the K-Brew+Chill is just as easy to operate as other Keurigs. All you have to do is put a K-cup into the brewer, then select whether you want a hot or iced drink. You choose the beverage size, then press the large button in the center of the control panel to start brewing. It’s that easy—there are no complicated menus to navigate or extra settings to select—and the area under the spout is large enough for most mugs, travel cups, and even large glasses for iced beverages.

If you’re making iced drinks, you will need to regularly empty the drip tray, which quickly fills up with liquid from the machine’s rinse cycle. It has a red indicator that floats up when the tray becomes full, and you can simply pull the tray out and empty it in a sink. I found that it generally needs to be emptied after three beverages, but I got into the habit of emptying it after every drink, as I didn’t like seeing the mucky rinse water in the machine. This aspect does make the K-Brew+Chill a bit more high-maintenance than other models, which only catch drips and overflow in their trays.

Should you buy the Keurig K-Brew+Chill?

If you’re an avid iced coffee drinker, the Keurig K-Brew+Chill will likely be the perfect machine. Thanks to the new QuickChill technology, the coffee maker is able to brew rich, flavorful drinks that come out nice and cold—generally around 55 degrees Fahrenheit—so they won’t melt the ice. It’s a far superior method to the “Brew Over Ice” setting on past Keurig machines, which often leaves you with a weak, watered-down drink.

That said, if you mostly drink hot coffee, this Keurig may be more hassle than it’s worth. Unlike other models, it has a fan that runs constantly, which can be a bit annoying, and it’s much bulkier than other units. So for hot coffee drinkers, we’d recommend a more basic model like the Keurig K-Elite, which is also less expensive.

Keurig just dropped its new machine, the K-Brew + Chill — and I can't wait to try it. From the latest Ninja launch to more premium machines like De'Longhi, it seems like all of the best coffee makers now come with a cold brew setting, and it's no surprise when you look at the growth in the iced coffee market. According to World Coffee Portal, 37% of people aged 35 and under drink iced coffee daily, and as someone who's tested dozens of coffee makers over the years, I'm absolutely part of the 37%.

When it comes to making iced coffee at home though, the market has some catching up to do. I'm all too familiar with pouring freshly brewed, piping hot espresso over ice for my morning iced coffee. And while this gets the job done just fine, the coffee just doesn't taste as good when it immediately melts your ice, leaving you with a watered-down brew. This brand new Keurig machine features something called QuickChill Technology, which promises to fix all this.

Released today with an eye-catching $100 discount when you build a starter bundle, the $99 Keurig K-Brew + Chill brews, then chills, and then pours your coffee, meaning it's already cold when it hits your ice cubes. According to Keurig, coffee comes out at sub-60°F, and best of all, it leaves you with a refreshing caffeine hit in under three minutes. 

What we know about the Keurig K-Brew + Chill

If I were to make one minor gripe about the latest iced coffee makers, it's that they don't really make their coffee cold. Instead, it comes out at whatever the temperature of the water in your reservoir is — lukewarm, at best, and in need of a fair few ice cubes to hit that refreshing temperature I'm looking for.

That's why the Keurig K-Brew + Chill's QuickChill Technology has me excited. It promises to flash-chill coffee straight after brewing, cooling it to a sub-60°F temperature before pouring it over your cup. This means you'll be left with fewer melted ice cubes, and a less diluted drink. 

This should also mean great things for the taste of your brew. The K-Brew + Chill promises a more intense and robust flavor thanks to its MultiStream Technology which uses 5 needles instead of 1 to puncture your K-Cup. This takes its cues from the best espresso machines — you'll always get the best extraction if each and every ground of coffee is saturated, which is why many drip coffee makers use something akin to a shower head to distribute water evenly through your grounds. 

How does QuickChill work? 

We'll be testing this coffee maker as soon as we can get our hands on it, but until then, we can pick up a few clues as to how its smart tech works. 

The QuickChill Technology seemingly uses a cold container that chills coffee immediately after brewing. You need to fill this with water during initial setup of your machine, where it's then kept cold by the machine. The machines comes with a Cold Charging Bar which will show if your Chill Tank is ready to brew cold coffee, which means you can't unplug it between uses or you'll have to wait for the Chill Tank to re-acclimatize — we'll test to see how long it takes for your brewer to cool the Chill Tank before it can be used. 

What else is new? 

I'm happy to see a hefty removable water reservoir, which can hold up to 70oz. This has a handle and sits to the front of the machine for easy refills. It can brew a range of coffee sizes: 6, 8, 10, or 12 oz. cup, and you can use any Keurig K-Cup pods with this machine, although it won't work with K-Carafe, K-Mug, Vue, or Rivo pods. 

One thing you might miss is a milk steamer, which you'll find with our current #1 Keurig, the K-Cafe. 

More from Tom's Guide

• I found a hidden Nespresso setting, and it's a game-changer
• Which type of coffee maker should you buy?
• Why you should always descale your coffee maker

If you've invested your hard earned money in one of the best Keurig machines, you'll need to know how to descale your Keurig with vinegar. Vinegar is a miracle cleaning product that can break down limescale buildup inside the mechanics of your Keurig machine, as well as countless other cleaning hacks. But in order to use vinegar to clean your Keurig, there are a few tips you'll need to know. 

Even in the best coffee makers will become sluggish and eventually stop working altogether if you don't descale them. This process can clog water lines, impact heating elements, and even alter the flavor of your favorite brew. 

We'll guide you through the steps to descale your Keurig, a process that can benefit other coffee makers too. Using vinegar — a cost-effective and readily available solution that's as effective as specialized cleaning products. Let's get started. 

What you'll need 

• White distilled vinegar
• Water
• Large cup/mug
• Microfiber cloth

What is descaling? 

Descaling is the process of removing mineral buildup, or 'scale' from your coffee maker. This buildup can clog water lines, affect heating elements, and even change the taste of your coffee. 

Regular descaling keeps your Keurig running smoothly and ensures every cup tastes great. And if you don't do it for a prolonged period of time, the buildup could kill your machine altogether, so even if you can't taste the difference, if you can't remember the last time you descaled your coffee maker, it's probably a good idea to do it now. 

Whether you're team Nespresso or Keurig, or you're intrigued by Ninja's first barista-style coffee machine, maintenance is key. Clean machines ensure great brews, no matter your preference.

The best coffee makers have become increasingly popular in recent years, offering quality coffee at home with the touch of a button. The two leaders in this space, Nespresso and Keurig, are both high performers but offer slightly different benefits: whereas the best Keurig coffee makers focus on drink versatility and a flexible price range, Nespresso is more committed to quality coffee than an extensive range of products. Both machines will save you money compared to buying your coffee out at a café, but which is truly the more cost effective option?

When evaluating the overall costs of owning a coffee pod machine, you’ll need to look at a few factors. Not only do you need to pay for the machine itself, but you’ll also need to pay for coffee pods on a regular basis. You may also want to take into account the cost of the electricity that powers the unit, especially if you’re making multiple cups a day. 

Finally, it’s helpful to consider the “value” of the unit, although this may be subjective. A machine that offers more versatility in drink selection or brews a more high-quality cup of coffee may balance out a slightly higher price — or it may not be worth it.

So how does Nespresso compare to Keurig? We crunched the numbers.

The upfront costs

There are several models available by each brand of coffee machine, so there is some degree of flexibility here. Nespresso has a slightly smaller product range, with every machine priced at over $100, although its cheapest unit (the Vertuo Pop+) is occasionally on sale for $99.00. There are several machines in the $100-200 range and these all include the option to bundle an Aero3 Milk Frother for an additional $50. 

For coffee lovers who want to invest in Nespresso’s higher end products, the brand also has advanced machines that go up to $849.00 for the Creatista Pro. In general, the bulk of its Vertuo products lie between $129-$250. All of these machines work exclusively with Nespresso coffee pods.

Keurig has a wide variety of coffee machines, with several options under $100. The brand also has frequent discounts across its product range, so you can often find the K-Mini Single Serve Coffee Maker and the K-Express Single Serve Coffee Maker for as low as $59.99-$69.99. On the highest end of the product range, the Keurig K155 OfficePRO Premier Brewing System (designed for business use) sells for $294.95, while the K-Duo Plus Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker is $229.00 at full price. In general, most products fall between $80-$150.

Overall, while there is considerable overlap in price across the mid-range options, Nespresso units definitely skew more expensive than the Keurig range. Keurig products are also more frequently on sale, which enables greater savings.

The ongoing coffee costs

Both brands require specific coffee pods for use in their machines, but there are considerable differences between the two.

Keurig sells its pods (K-cups) in boxes of 12, 24, 72 and 96, with cheaper pricing for 24+ counts. Subscriptions enable further discounts and they often have sales on their products, with classic coffee flavors dropping to under 50 cents per pod. In addition to its own brand of beverage flavors, Keurig has partnered with several famous coffee brands, such as Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts, to produce signature flavors in K-cup form, although these tend to be priced a little higher. As each K-cup produces one cup of coffee, drinking a daily cup of Keurig-brewed coffee will cost you roughly $17.50 over the month, without discounts.

Nespresso makes two kinds of pods: Vertuo and Original, each only compatible with that accompanying line of machines. This can make purchasing coffee pods a bit more complex as you have to verify you have the correct pods for your machine. While the Vertuo line of products is generally priced lower than the Original line, the Vertuo coffee pods are more expensive at $1+ per pod. Original pods are frequently under $1 per pod, but never as low as Keurig’s prices. Buying a 100-pack of Original pods will still amount to $24.60 per month in daily coffees. 

Therefore, a Keurig will be more cost-effective when it comes to coffee-pod purchasing than a Nespresso machine.

Energy usage

When it comes to energy usage, coffee made from a Nespresso or Keurig requires more energy than a cup of drip or French press coffee. However, the amount used per cup is quite negligible, as long as the machine is then turned off after use. 

Keurig’s tend to use 1500W when at peak power of brewing coffee. This drops to 200-400W when kept on but not in direct use, so homebrewers would be wise to switch off the machine once it’s finished working. Some of Nespresso’s units can use up to 1500W as well, but others are slightly more economical: the popular Nespresso VertuoNext caps out at 1260W per use, making it slightly more energy-efficient (and therefore cost-efficient) than the Keurig models. Nespresso also offers an energy saving mode on many of its models, which helps to lower overall energy consumption and therefore increase savings on electricity.

Overall, Nespresso is more cost efficient when it comes to energy usage.

Additional features and versatility 

Different machines produce different kinds of coffee and may even make even other beverages, such as hot chocolate or tea. If you can make a hundred cups of coffee that are cheap but not to your taste, you’ll likely find yourself visiting a café more often and spending more overall than if you’d invested in a machine you like better. That’s why, although the features themselves don’t save money, they can contribute to the overall value of the product.

Higher-end Keurig coffee machines are designed to support the brewing of coffee, tea and hot cocoa, as well as iced and specialty beverages. Machines at the lower end of the price range lose this functionality and focus on producing single-serve coffee. The machines are a bit more simplistic than Nespresso with how they brew the coffee, with many customers arguing that the quality and complexity of Nespresso’s drinks are higher.

Nespresso machines use centrifusion brewing to make a range of high-quality coffee drinks, including espresso and double espresso. The Original line only makes espresso, while the Vertuo line makes regular coffee and espresso drinks; neither has the capacity for iced drinks or tea. They also feature an automatic pod detection system, which enables the machine to tailor its brewing technique to best suit the type and style of coffee selected. For premium quality coffee, Nespresso is the better producer — however it doesn’t have the versatility of Keurig.

Nespresso vs Keurig — which wins?

It’s clear that Nespresso costs more in daily use than Keurig. From the upfront cost of the machine to the purchase price of the coffee pods, you are likely to spend a bit more on Nespresso products and this could add up significantly over time, especially if you’re a heavy coffee drinker. 

The Keurig is also able to make a greater range of drinks than the Nespresso, so if you’re looking for a versatile, all-round machine that performs decently at a lot of things, then the Keurig is going to be better value for money.

However, Nespresso is broadly recognized as having higher quality coffee than is found in K-cups. If you are a coffee purist who doesn’t want to compromise on the taste of your at-home brew, then the Nespresso is more likely to keep you from running out to the local coffee shop — and is still much cheaper than buying a coffee out. 

If you prioritize coffee quality over beverage flexibility, then you might find greater value in the slightly more expensive Nespresso.

More from Tom's Guide

• Here’s how to make pour over coffee
• Plus, learn these 5 ways to froth milk without a milk frother
• Just avoid these 9 coffee brewing mistakes that are ruining your cup of Joe

The Keurig K-Classic is the brand’s best selling machine, iconic for starting the coffee pod craze and introducing consumers to a no-fuss way of brewing coffee at home. To use it, you simply turn the machine on, insert a K-Cup, and tap a button to start brewing. In the mid-aughts, Keurig machines seemingly took over the coffee appliance space. But, does the speedy coffee maker still warrant its flagship status? 

The Keurig K-Classic lacks all the bells and whistles of a typical coffee maker and replaces it with a large water reservoir and a small array of buttons. This convenience may save a lot of time, but leaves it with more to be desired. Find out if it’s one of the best Keurig coffee makers in our full Keurig K-Classic review.

Keurig K-Classic review: Price and availability

The Keurig K-Classic retails for $149, but you can easily find one within the price range of $69 to $129, depending on color, retailer, and the occasional sale. Since this is the prototypical Keurig, we haven’t found many stock issues, so it’s widely available online. It’s also easy to luck up and grab the machine with a bundle of other Keurig accessories and K-Cup pods if you’re looking for a starter kit.

This being a Keurig machine, the K-Classic only accepts K-Cup pods to brew coffee, tea, and hot cocoa. These pods can run anywhere between $7 to $14 per 12-pack, the lower end being grocery chain branded pods and the higher end Starbucks branded. Give or take, that’s about 60 cents to $1.15 per K-Cup. The K-Classic is compatible with the reusable K-Cup filter.

Keurig K-Classic review: Features

Although the K-Classic is one of Keurig’s barebones offerings, it still has a few minor updates that differentiate it from older models. For one, an “Add Water” light indicates when more water is needed for the water reservoir to brew a cup of coffee. It also has a “Descale” indicator to show when the machine needs cleaning.

Other than those new signals, this machine has lights to show when the K-Classic is warming up, if the device is on, and if you’ve toggled the Auto On/Off feature, which turns the appliance off after two hours of inactivity. It also has three buttons to show if you’re brewing a 6-, 8-, or 10-ounce capacity.

If you’re the grab-and-go coffee drinker who often forgets to turn off their coffee maker, that Auto On/Off feature may be handy. While using an energy reader, we observed the K-Classic required roughly 110 kilowatts per hour. The machine will automatically warm up again after brewing, so energy-conscious people should just hit the off button after a cup is brewed. It’s nice to know that if you forget to do that, your machine will do it for you, though in a much larger window than needed — two hours seems way too gracious for a single cup coffee maker to stay on.

Keurig K-Classic review: Design

Unless you’re into your K-Classic being the centrepiece of your counter space, the physical design of this machine isn’t great. It’s bulky and looms over other appliances you may have nearby. The K-Classic looked massive sitting next to my electric kettle, which can hold roughly 2.5 liters of water. It doesn’t feel smartly designed either, as most of its heft isn’t for its dedicated water reservoir, but for housing its electrical workings with an excess of plastic.

I live in an old modular home, and measuring from the bottom of my kitchen cabinetry to the below counter space is about 17.5 inches. To fully open up the Keurig’s latch and place a K-Cup inside, I had to pull the entire machine forward so it wouldn't catch on the above cabinets.

The K-Classic machine measures about 13 inches tall (17.6 inches tall with the latch open), 13 inches deep, and just shy of 10 inches wide. My Hamilton Beach coffee maker, by comparison, shaves about 3 inches off each of those dimensions and holds 12 cups of coffee. Those of you who have a tiny living space or, like me, have cluttered counter space should stay clear of this machine. For being a single-cup coffee maker, the K-Classic demands a ton of room.

At least the 48oz water reservoir is removable, however, and I could easily pull it out to fill it with filtered water. The fact that its top rack dishwasher safe also makes cleaning it easier.

Keurig K-Classic review: Performance

First, the good. If you're getting a Keurig machine, you want a cup of coffee, and you want it now. Although the machine takes roughly two minutes to initially heat up its water when powering on — a process that sounds similar to a low-powered water flosser — heating takes less than 40 seconds with each sequential cup. The K-Classic's brew and heating times are separate. We found it needed 47 seconds on average to heat its water and about 35 seconds to brew, the smallest cup size taking as short as 25 seconds, the largest as long as 46. That coffee-making speed is impressive, and it sure beats waiting for your morning pot to finish in the AM.

However, that doesn’t mean coffee should be brewed in less than a minute. For this review, I used a pack of Publix-branded decaf house roast to brew a 6oz, 8oz, and 10oz cup of coffee. Keurig recommends brewing a smaller cup to get a more intense cup, but I still found the 6oz cup lacking in depth. The flavor here is stale and flat.

Temperature matters with coffee, and the National Coffee Association says the optimal cup is brewed between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Straight out of the box, after a quick suggested rinse to clean its filter, the K-Select brewed my first 10oz cup of coffee at 186F. Using a thermometer, I measured every sequential cup and noticed that they brewed at a significantly lower temperature, ranging between 172F and 178F. So, don’t expect this machine to make a piping hot cuppa.

Though Keurig makes a few machines that provide options like temperature adjustments and brew strength, the K-Classic can’t craft as consistent a cup of coffee. The K-Classic is also unable to make crema, a layer of foam made of tiny bubbles that gives coffee a full, syrupy mouthfeel. Crema is made from a combination of hot temperatures and pressure during the brewing process, which the Keurig cannot provide. But, for what it’s worth, most drip coffee machines also can’t produce crema. Still, the Keurig ultimately can’t offer a tasty cup that, say, a Nespresso can with its pressurized brewing method.

Keurig K-Classic review: Ease of Use

The K-Classic is pretty painless to use. You turn it on, insert a K-Cup, wait for the water to warm up, and press one of its three glowing blue buttons to indicate what size of coffee you'd like: 6oz, 8oz, or 10oz. Its latch opens with gliding ease, and it’s easy to clamp shut with a gentle push. Although it’s got two more buttons than the Nespresso Vertuo, the K-Classic is just as easy to operate.

Maintaining a K-Classic is a little trickier, though. You’ll need to buy some Keurig descaling solution every three to six months to clean your machine. It’s a long process that’ll take about an hour or so of your time, even if you’re carefully following Keurig’s descaling instructions. Outside of descaling, you’ll have to wash your reservoir by hand or in the top rack of your dishwasher. You also need to clean the K-Classic’s pod holder, using a straightened paper clip to remove any loose coffee grounds found around the entrance needle — this is what’s used to puncture each K-Cup.

Keurig K-Classic review: Verdict

The K-Classic is the prototypical fast-brewing, easy-to-use Keurig machine. It’s a no-frills appliance with an easy access 48oz water reservoir, an auto on/off feature that can help save energy, and the ability to brew a single cup of coffee in less than one minute. However, like many Keurig machines, this one is boggled down by a chunky design that hogs counter space and the inability to brew a tasty cup of coffee at an appropriate temperature.

The K-Classic is best for those constantly on the go, who may find it irritating to prep and set up a coffee maker to brew first thing in the morning. Ease of use couldn’t be better as well; K-Cup pods pack pre-ground coffee into single-servings that are so easy to brew, a child can do it. You can also recycle that K-Cup pod too, granted you rinse it clean of its wet coffee grounds. 

If you’ve got the counter space, the K-Classic is a straightforward intro to the single-cup coffee experience. But, those who are looking to replace the at-home coffee making experience may be let down by the machine’s lack of brew options, poor flavor, and inconsistent temperatures. We don’t recommend the K-Classic over our favorite picks, the K-Elite or K-Cafe. If you’re looking for a gateway Keurig that’s better, and cheaper, than the K-Classic, check out the K-Select. 

If you value ease of use, convenience, and guaranteed consistent results, you'll enjoy using a Keurig. These compact single-serve coffee makers can be used to brew everything from iced lattes to carafes of pour-over coffee, and all you need to do is add your K-Cup and press a button.

You may note that this brand isn't featured in our guide to the best coffee makers. If we're talking flavor alone, an espresso machine or a drip coffee maker would be a smarter choice than any single-serve coffee maker. Not to mention, Keurigs have a high ongoing cost and produce a lot of plastic waste.

However, over 40% of American households own a single-serve coffee maker, and when it comes to single-serve, Keurig reigns supreme in the U.S. market. Many members of the Tom's Guide team own Keurigs and would never switch. So if you're dead set on buying a neat, affordable and easy-to-use single-serve machine, this is the guide for you.

We tested a number of leading Keurig machines, and put the top five in our list of the best Keurig machines you can buy. Our number one Keurig machine is the streamlined, flavor-rich Keurig K-Supreme, but if you're on a budget or want a more compact option, we recommend the stylish Keurig K-Mini Mate.

For our full reviews, keep reading.

The best Keurig coffee makers you can buy today

The best Keurig coffee maker for most people

For most people, the K-Supreme is the best Keurig coffee maker you can buy. It features everything people look for in a pod coffee maker: a streamlined design with user-friendly controls, and it doesn't skip out on flavor, either. That's due to Keurig's new MultiStream Technology, which you won't find on older models such as the K-Classic.

Coffee quality

To be quite honest, if flavor is your top consideration, you can get a tastier brew from non-Keurig machines. But if you're committed to the Keurig and K-Cup ecosystem, you'll find that the K-Supreme delivers a richer, juicier brew thanks to its MultiStream Technology, which punctures the K-Cup with multiple needles to ensure grounds are evenly soaked and extracted, like you'd get from an espresso machine.

Other Keurigs we've tested run hotter, but the 160-162 degrees Fahrenheit mark was suitable for drinking straight after brewing, which we liked.

Time

The MultiStream tech takes a little longer than some other Keurig machines. It took 10 seconds for the machine to heat up, and from there it took around 55 seconds for an 8-ounce drink to brew. Iced coffee took a bit longer, with a 70-second brew time.

Noise

This is a quiet option. The Keurig K-Supreme hit just 65 decibels when brewing, and won't be irritating when brewing back-to-back coffees.

Read our full Keurig K-Supreme review

Most versatile Keurig coffee maker

If you enjoy the ability to make a batch brew for the family but still want the occasional espresso from your Keurig, the Keurig K-Duo Hot & Iced is the machine for you. It features a Keurig dispenser on the right hand side and a conventional drip brewer on the left, with a handy joint control panel that allows you to simultaneously manage both.

Coffee quality

You can adjust both the strength and the heat of your Keurig coffee with the Keurig K-Duo Hot & Iced. We found that it dispensed 165 degrees Fahrenheit coffee as standard. As the name suggests, it can even do iced drinks, although this is better described as drinks over ice because they only brew slightly less hot that typical coffee, as opposed to the K-Brew+Chill which brews actually cold coffee.

Flavor-wise, we had no complaints with our results when testing this machine. It was rich and full-bodied, and holds its own among other Keurig machines. The carafe setting came out a little colder than we'd have liked, but the hot plate keeps it warm for 2 hours after brewing.

Time

The Keurig K-Duo Hot & Iced takes 10 seconds to warm up and start dispensing, and 60 seconds from start to finish to brew an 8oz whole drink. For contrast, the K-Cafe brewed a cup in 36 seconds, making it significantly speedier. The drip side took five minutes to brew a 6-cup carafe, which is pretty standard for drip coffee makers. You don't want to rush this, or you'll end up with a weaker brew.

Noise

When measuring the noise level in the Keurig K-Duo Hot & Iced we registered a fairly standard level of 58-60dB when dispensing pod coffee. Predictably, the drip side was almost silent.

Read our full Keurig K-Duo Hot & Iced review

Best budget Keurig coffee maker

Ousting the Keurig K-Mini as the brand's smallest coffee maker, the all-new Keurig Mini Mate is the ideal companion for your college dorm or cozy kitchen. It can hold and brew up between 6- to 12-ounces and features a 12-ounce removable water reservoir for easy refills. At under 10 inches tall and long and only 4 inches wide, coffee makers don't come much smaller!

Coffee quality

Like many barebones Keurigs that lack a ‘strong’ setting or multistream technology, the K-Mini Mate can’t produce a deep flavor profile, let alone things like cold brew or frothed milk drinks. The coffee produced by this machine is just okay, but that doesn’t match up to some of the higher-ranked models on our list. The K-Mini Mate brewed coffee at 178 degrees Fahrenheit—hotter than some other Keurig machines, but 10 degrees cooler than the coffee we made in the original K-Mini, which actually brewed hottest of any Keurig we've tested.

Time

Every drink we made in the K-Mini Mate took under two minutes, and the smallest size, a 4-ounce drink, took only one minute and 10 seconds to brew in total. This neat and efficient machine is ideal for those mad dash mornings, and it also automatically switches off five minutes after use.

Noise

The K-Mini Mate averages 59 decibels, and peaks at 75 decibels, when brewing. These results are par for the course for a Keurig, so don't worry that shrinking things down has made things noisier.

Read our full review of the Keurig K-Mini Mate

Best Keurig coffee maker for milky drinks

Though it’s quite pricey, this premium Keurig is a superhero for those mornings when you want a barista experience with little time to spare. If you're in search of a Keurig that can replicate that coffeehouse feel at home, or you just want a bolder flavor of K-Cup in the morning, the K-Cafe is your go-to machine. Its incredibly easy-to-use functionality makes it all the better.

Coffee quality

During testing, we found the “strong” brew function provided a deeper, richer flavor of K-Cup coffee, while its “shot” feature, which brews a concentrated, espresso-like 2-ounce pour of coffee, is a terrific recreation of tasty espresso. Its milk frother is an added bonus, with the ability to heat and froth dairy and milk alternatives for lattes and cappuccinos––both iced and hot––at the push of a button, and in less than two minutes.

Time

After brewing three cups of each serving size, we measured the average time it takes for the K-Cafe to brew a cup at 36 seconds, just behind the slightly faster K-Elite and K-Classic. Meanwhile, the frother is a longer process, averaging about one minute and 35 seconds per pitcher. It must be noted that the K-Cafe cannot brew and froth milk at the same time. The frother is also located on the right side of the machine, which could frustrate those who are left-handed during operation. However, this is the only model from Keurig with a built-in milk frother, which makes it arguably the versatile offering from the brand.

Noise

We measured a high of 75 decibels during the K-Cafe’s brew cycle – the second loudest across all Keurigs – but its warm-up process averaged around a much quieter 65 decibels.

Read our full Keurig K-Cafe review

Best for iced coffee

The K-Brew+Chill was designed (as the name would suggest) with iced coffee lovers in mind. Lots of coffee makers are now being released with cold brew settings, but we've yet to find another pod machine that can brew coffee that comes out cold. Not room temperature, cold. This means it won't melt your ice and water down your coffee. However, it has some quirks.

Coffee quality

Iced coffee aside, the K-Brew+Chill has some extra flavor-enhancing features such as its new MultiStream technology. This punctures the K-Cup in multiple places to evenly infuse and extract the coffee grounds, which will lead to a more flavorful brew. Hot coffee came out at 160 degrees Fahrenheit, which is lower than the ideal range of 195-200 degrees. Other picks, such as the K-Slim and K-Mini, came out in the 180 range, closer to the ideal temperature.

When it came to iced coffee, our first brew came out an impressively cold 54 degrees and the second consecutive brew came out at 68.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Because the machine's QuickChill technology will need to re-acclimatise between drinks, you won't be able to brew consistently cold coffee without allowing it to re-charge, which could be annoying if you plan on sharing the machine with your family.

Time

We found that the machine took about 15 seconds to heat up when first turned on, and then took a full 80 seconds to brew an 8-oz mug. So it's a lot slower than the likes of the K-Mini, but this could be attributed to a more meaningful infusion, which will give you a fuller flavor.

In terms of iced coffee, it takes longer to brew and then chill your drink, so it's to be expected that this is a more intensive process. The machine took 45 seconds to begin brewing and a total of 105 seconds to fully dispense the drink.

Noise

Perhaps the biggest issue you might encounter with this machine is that, if you plan on churning out iced drink after iced drink, you will need to leave it on to allow the QuickChill technology to stay cold. And this comes with a baseline noise level of around 45dB when we tested it. It's not noisy, but it is another constant whirring noise that you could grow to resent. When brewing, it was relatively quiet compared to the likes of the K-Cafe's 75dB. It only hit 55dB when brewing, and the following rinse cycle hit a top level of 65dB.

Read our full review of the Keurig K-Brew+Chill

Best for espresso

The Keurig K-Crema was designed to offer the authentic espresso experience with Keurig convenience. Can it rival the best espresso machines? Well, of course not. But it certainly looks the part, and can compete with big-brand coffee chains for a fraction of the price.

With six brew sizes, including four standard cups and two concentrated shot options, the K-Crema adapts to everything from a quick solo espresso-style drink to a full travel mug. Its 66oz removable reservoir is handy. During hands-on testing, we refilled it just twice in a week of regular use, and the side-mount design made the process hassle-free compared to smaller or rear-mounted tanks.

Speed and consistency are clear highlights. In our tests, the K-Crema brewed a standard 8oz cup in under a minute and maintained an average output temperature of 171°F across several cycles. Our reviewer checked cup temperatures throughout the week and found the results steady, making mornings reliably fast and predictable.

When it comes to flavor, the K-Crema delivers solid results for a pod machine. While it won't hit the spot for coffee snobs, the flavor of our finished coffee as bright and smooth, with extraction quality on par with other Keurigs in its class.

Compared to the K-Duo Hot & Iced, which offers carafe brewing for larger gatherings, the K-Crema is focused on single servings but wins for footprint and versatility. It also surpasses the K-Mini Mate by providing a broader range of cup sizes and a higher-capacity reservoir, making it the more adaptable choice if you want flexibility and don't need an ultra-compact brewer.

There are a couple of trade-offs. The concentrated shot setting, while fast, doesn't get as hot as a true espresso (our measured average was 165°F), so if you prefer piping-hot, short drinks, you may notice the difference. There's no built-in milk frother, so you'll need a separate device for cappuccinos or lattes.

Read our full Keurig K-Crema review

Also tested

How we test

Testing coffee makers requires a balance of objective and subjective tests. And by subjective, we're of course referring to that all-important taste test.

For our objective metrics, we looked at comparable factors between the different Keurig machines we tried. This included:

• Time taken to heat up
• Time taken to brew
• Energy consumption over 30 minutes of use
• Size of the machine
• Noise level in dB during brewing
• Temperature of fresh-brewed coffee

For tasting, we brewed at least three cups of the same K-Cup variety, per machine, using a variety of brew settings, like “strong” and iced. We used a decaf roast from Publix so we could taste each cup without keeping our tester awake through the night. (That’s a lot of caffeine!)

We also measured the temperature of every serving size each Keurig machine produced, and recorded our ratings with regards to the depth and flavor of each K-Cup brewed.

The National Coffee Association considers the optimal brew temperature to be between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Each cup of coffee we produced with a Keurig measured lower than this, between 160 to 189 degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, most Keurig machines have a preset temperature and cap of 192 degrees, which is lower than the optimal suggestion of the NCA.

Any machine with a water reservoir that seemed flimsy or tough to grasp and fill was graded lower than those that featured inserts for fingers or a handle. As most Keurigs have top rack dishwasher-safe pieces, nearly all the machines scored well in terms of cleanliness.

The Keurig K155 Office Pro is made to handle commercial and office spaces alike, with a massive 90-ounce water reservoir, temperature control, and the ability to brew 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-ounce cups. Although it's meant for businesses, this Keurig is slightly shorter than the typical K-Classic, and its polished silver exterior and LCD touchscreen gives it a contemporary feel. 

If you’re interested in getting a Keurig for your business or office space, this $294 machine could improve your workspace. But, is the K155 Office Pro the way to go, or are you better off just grabbing another one of the best Keurig coffee makers? Find out in our Keurig K155 Office Pro review. 

Keurig K155 Office Pro review: Price

The K155 Office Pro will cost you $294, making it one of the most expensive Keurig machines on the market. This is a commercial-grade Keurig that’s built for work environments, so it likely won’t drop in price as time goes on.

The K155 Office Pro can only use K-Cup branded pods to brew coffee, tea, and hot cocoa, which can run anywhere between $7 to $14 per 12-pack, depending on the brand name. This equates to roughly 60 cents to $1.15 per pod. Special to the K155 Office Pro, however, is the inclusion of two sample 6-packs of hot cocoa and coffee, which can save some money upfront.

Keurig K155 Office Pro review: Features

The K155 Office Pro is actually pretty barebones considering its price point, weight, and shiny silver look. It can brew 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-ounce servings of coffee in less than a minute, though it doesn’t offer a 12-ounce like the K-Cafe, K-Elite, K-Slim, or K-Select . It isn’t able to handle espresso-like shots like the K-Cafe, nor does it have strong or iced brew options.

It does have a 90-ounce water reservoir, however, which means you’ll make the trip of refilling its tank less frequently. It has an internal tank as well, and the back of the machine has a tube you can open to quickly drain that out, just in case you need to relocate the machine.

Unique to the K155 Office Pro is an LCD touchscreen menu, where patrons can tap what size brew they’d like. Owners — or anyone who knows how to toggle the setting, really — can open a special menu of options by holding the touchscreen for 10 seconds. These options include setting the machine’s clock, enabling the auto-off function, changing the machine’s language, and setting the brew temperature. The only other Keurigs that offer temp settings are the K-Elite and the K-Supreme.

Keurig K155 Office Pro review: Design

The K155 Office Pro is big, but fairly lean for a commercial brewer. It’s smaller than the K-Classic, measuring 14-inches tall, 10.4-inches wide, and 13.9-inches deep. The body features a silver plastic finish that looks fairly nice in person, and its stainless steel drip tray looks super polished and shiny. 

Overall, the K155 has a minimalist design with a latch and drip tray visible. Unlike other Keurig machines, the K155’s only light source is its touchscreen. That touchscreen not only displays brew options, but also stock images of fresh coffee beans being harvested while you wait for your coffee to finish brewing. It’s a nice touch that provides an interesting buffer in replacement for a waiting screen.

The back of the machine has a single screw to contain its draining feature, which needs to be removed with a screwdriver. Two tubes can then be seen which can be pulled out to drain the inner tank. There’s also a power switch at the top.

The worst part of the design is arguably the machine’s weight, which is nearly 20 pounds. It was a bit troublesome taking the machine out of the box by myself, and once I put it on my countertop, I thought the machine was too cumbersome to move around. This is something to keep in mind if you’re considering this appliance for your office space — once you set it down, you might have issues quickly moving it later.

Keurig K155 Office Pro review: Performance

The Keurig K155 Office Pro may look luxurious, and it may be expensive, but the machine can only perform the rudimentary Keurig task: brewing K-Cups. 

I’m typically not a huge fan of K-Cup coffee, but Keurig’s proprietary “strong” brew and “multistream technology” features, included in the K-Cafe and K-Slim respectively, showed me that it’s possible to get a decent cup of coffee with K-Cups. But, those features are absent with the K155 Office Pro, and for a $300 machine, this appliance feels a little too barebones.

With this Keurig, you can brew a 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-ounce cup of coffee. It doesn’t taste as good as we’ve seen from other machines, but it’s at least a consistent experience. It only takes about one minute for the K155 Office Pro to warm up after it’s first turned on, and selecting a brew takes a tap of the touchscreen. Every cup I made with this machine took less than 32 seconds to brew.

Part of the reason why Keurigs struggle to brew strong flavor is a lack of pressure. To produce crema, which adds flavor, coffee (and espresso) must endure a specific amount of pressure which Keurigs can’t achieve — and Nespresso machines do. Per the National Coffee Association, the optimal coffee cup is brewed between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit, and the K155 can’t provide it. Through my experience, no cup I brewed exceeded 182 degrees Fahrenheit.

What’s an even bigger bummer about this temperature issue is that the K155 has a temperature adjustment option. By default, the machine brews at 193 degrees Fahrenheit. I was able to adjust this by only five degrees, changing it to 198. Even directly after changing this setting, my next cup brewed at 179. So these controls just aren’t accurate.

Lack of taste and disappointing temps aside, the K155 has an impressive energy cost. During 40 minutes of use, the machine only used roughly 124 KWH. It’s also quiet when brewing, with the highest decibel reading at 65dB.

Keurig K155 Office Pro review: Ease of Use

The K155 Office Pro replaces the simple button press of a Keurig with the tap of a touchscreen. No start or stop button is needed — just insert a K-Cup into the pod compartment, close the latch, and select the size of coffee you’d like.

If the water reservoir is empty — which is rare, as it can fit 90-ounces of water — you can remove it and refill it straight from the sink, or simply fill a pitcher up with water and dump it into the reservoir’s top opening.

Operating the owner’s menu, in which you can adjust temperatures and set the clock, is simple as well. You can just tap the screen’s prompts to toggle through options. Turning the machine off at the end of the day couldn’t be easier, with just a flick of the switch, which is located at the top left corner of the machine’s rear.

Keurig K155 Office Pro review: Verdict

The K155 Office Pro is a fine Keurig machine for office settings, but at its price of $294, it doesn’t feel like a smart investment. The K155 can produce a cup of coffee in an impressively short amount of time and it’ll look great while doing it. This shiny machine has an appealing minimalist design, and its touchscreen is a nice, smart addition to the traditional Keurig machine. However, a lack of flavor when brewing K-Cups is its biggest problem.

If you’re into the idea of supplying K-Cups for your office or commercial space, and you’re looking for an easy-to-maintain appliance to share among dozens of people, this could be a fine addition. But, if you’re not expecting a crowd of people to swarm toward the often stale taste of pod coffee, stay away, as this machine won’t turn any naysayers into Keurig fans. We recommend checking out the K-Cafe or K-Elite instead.

The K-Mini is Keurig’s classic coffee machine made small, with power cord storage, a single-cup water reservoir, and a width of only five inches. Built to be non-intrusive, the K-Mini is a decent appliance for small living areas, saving countertop space. Simply fill the water reservoir with 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-ounces of water, and brew the exact size of coffee you want. 

The Keurig K-Mini has a single button and can brew a cup of coffee in less than three minutes. It’s one of the best Keurig coffee makers because of its compact size above all, as you will see in our Keurig K-Mini review. 

Keurig K-Mini review: Price and availability

The Keurig K-Mini has a list price of $79 on Amazon but it’s frequently on sale for less. This model is widely available in retailers such as Best Buy, Walmart and of course, Keurig , and like other Keurig models, prices may vary depending on color.

Similarly, the K-Mini only accepts K-Cup branded coffee pods to brew coffee, tea, and hot cocoa, though thankfully, grocers carry a wide range. These pods can run anywhere between $7 to $14 per 12-pack, the lower end being grocery chain branded pods and the higher end Starbucks branded. That’s about 60 cents to $1.15 per K-Cup. The K-Mini is compatible with reusable K-Cup pods, which can accommodate pre-ground coffee.

Keurig K-Mini review: Features

The K-Mini is pretty barebones as far as Keurig machines go. It features two buttons — one to power it on and the other to brew — and a water reservoir fit for up to 12 ounces. 

It has a single light around its large brew button to show when your machine is heating up, and, of course, it has a latch to raise the compartment that the pod slots into. That’s about it.

Unique to the K-Mini, though, is the power cord storage located on the back of the machine. You can feed the cord through the appliance’s back and stow it away, making it great for moving around, or even just hiding an excess of cords in your kitchen.

Keurig K-Mini review: Design

Unlike the K-Classic, the K-Mini doesn’t look like a hulking machine. It’s roughly 12 inches tall, and 4.5 inches wide, which is almost half the width of the K-Classic. With the latch open, it’s roughly 13 inches in height. Its slim silhouette fits neatly on a counter and can easily stand between other appliances you may already have in your kitchen. 

The K-Mini has a shape similar to a dry food storage container, but with plenty of color options to make it stand out. You can grab one in black or make your K-Mini pop on the counter in pink, green, two shades of blue, red, or gray.

The only potential downside to the K-Mini’s design is that its water reservoir, located at the rear of the machine, isn’t removable. This means you may have to pull the K-Mini out to reach it, depending on your counter situation.

Keurig K-Mini review: Performance

My experience with the K-Mini’s coffee is similar to that of the K-Classic, which is to say: not good. No matter what size of coffee I brewed with the K-Mini, all K-Cups tasted identical — that is, somewhat stale and flat. Although, if you’re a known fan of K-Cups, your opinion may vary.  

It takes just over two minutes for the K-Mini to warm up and brew a single cup of coffee. While testing, the shortest recorded brew time was two minutes flat, and the longest two minutes and 30 seconds. This is lightning quick, but it may be the culprit of why K-Cups don’t always taste all that great. The K-Mini stabs open a coffee pod, then sputters warm water through it without fully soaking all of its grounds or allowing them to steep.

Temperature is another vital part of brewing coffee, and the National Coffee Association says the optimal cup is brewed between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. The K-Mini is unable to produce coffee at this temperature. Out of four cups of coffee, each cup I brewed ranged between 180 to 189 degrees Fahrenheit, despite the serving size. Though Keurig makes a few machines that provide added options like temperature adjustments and brew strength, the K-Mini doesn’t offer this. So don’t expect a piping hot cup of coffee from this machine.

It’s also the noisiest Keurig machine we’ve tested, outputting 80 decibels of sound at the end of its brew cycle. Like all Keurigs, the heating cycle is low volume, but when it comes to brewing, its biggest noisemaker is the sputtering at the end of filling a cup. That loud spattering also manages to spray water around the machine and counter space.

Keurig K-Mini review: Ease of Use

The K-Mini is a breeze to use and eliminates some of the flashy lights on other Keurigs for the sake of a two-button operation. You simply fill the water reservoir up to the 6-, 8-, 10-, or 12-ounce line, turn it on, insert a K-Cup, and press the large glowing button to start brewing. The whole process takes less than three minutes. The worst of it is potentially having to pull the K-Mini out some to fill its reservoir up, but with such a small container, it’s as easy as filling your mug up with water and just dumping it in. 

Maintaining the K-Mini relies on Keurig’s descaling solution, which you need to use every three to six months to clean your machine. The K-Mini’s drip tray is removable so you can hand wash it, but its built-in water reservoir means you’re stuck with relying on Keurig’s descaling solution, or some vinegar, to thoroughly clean the inside of the tank.

Keurig K-Mini review: Verdict

The K-Mini is perhaps the easiest starter Keurig machine you can buy. Its compact size makes it a step above the larger K-Classic, and its one-button brew cycle makes it the simplest machine in the Keurig line. While the K-Classic may have a larger water reservoir, the K-Mini basically performs the same job at a lower cost and with less counter space. Plus, it can brew K-Cups up to 12-ounces — the K-Classic has a cap of 10. Its stow-away power cord makes it easy to hide unwanted visual clutter and easier to bring the K-Mini along for a weekend trip.

Still, Keurig machines can suffer from impractical brewing methods that result in a stale-tasting cup of coffee. The K-Mini can’t brew coffee at consistent or appropriate temperatures, and even at its best, its coffee tastes similar to what you’d find at a cheap diner. 

Saying that, the K-Mini might be best for those who already know they enjoy K-Cup coffee pods and want the single-serve coffee pod experience at home. The ability to brew a cup of coffee in under three minutes is definitely enticing, and having that convenience with a push of a button is unbeatable — especially at its price. However, if you want an overall Keurig experience, we would opt for the K-Cafe and the K-Elite.

If you’re new to Keurigs, you might be wondering: What is the difference between the K-Classic and the K-Select? Both models are fairly barebones, and by name alone, it may seem like the K-Classic would be a solid introduction to the Keurig.

Well, the K-Select fixes a lot of the issues seen with the K-Classic — namely, stature. While the K-Classic is gargantuan in size, the K-Select is a slightly smaller model equipped with a larger water reservoir of 52-ounces (as opposed to 48-ounces) and a “strong” feature that brews a more robust cup of coffee. It retails at $140 — $10 less than the K-Classic — but provides a slightly tuned-up brewing experience, which is why it’s one of the best Keurig coffee makers. And like all Keurigs, this machine can whip up a single serving of coffee in roughly one minute.

Is the K-Select a better machine than its predecessor? Read on to find out in our Keurig K-Select review.

Keurig K-Select review: Price and availability

The K-Select is currently priced at $105 (previously $149) on Amazon, a little less than what the standard K-Classic usually retails for, though the latter can typically be found for $99 on sales. The K-Select is frequently on sale for less too — you can sometimes find it for $129 or less at retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and Keurig. 

Like all Keurigs, the K-Select is limited to K-Cup pods to brew coffee, tea, and hot cocoa, which can run anywhere between $7 to $14 per 12-pack, depending on the brand name. This equates to roughly 60 cents to $1.15 per pod. The K-Select, however, is compatible with reusable K-Cups, which allows you to save some money if you have pre-ground coffee at home.

Keurig K-Select review: Features

The K-Select is a slightly upgraded version of the K-Classic as far as features go. It can brew 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-ounce cups. It also has a “strong” button, which creates a bolder flavor of K-Cup coffee via a longer brewing process. It comes with a removable 52-ounce water reservoir and an auto-off feature that automatically shuts off the K-Select after two hours of inactivity. 

The K-Select also comes packaged with a Keurig water filter handle and filter which you drop into the reservoir to purify the water. The only other Keurig model that comes bundled with a filter is the pricey K-Elite. Water filter cartridge refills typically cost $10. 

Keurig K-Select review: Design

The K-Select is a leaner version of the K-Classic. It’s 12-inches tall (almost 17-inches with its latch open), 9-inches wide, and under 12-inches deep. It’s a counter hog, but if you’re replacing a traditional coffee maker with a Keurig, it’ll likely suit your space just fine. It has a basic black-plastic frame (but you can also grab one in teal, white, and red) and a plastic drip tray, both prone to smearing.

The machine has six buttons to hit — four for serving size, one for power, and one for the ‘strong’ brew setting — and three lights to indicate when water is low, when the K-Select is due for a descale, and whether the auto-off feature is active. The lidded water reservoir has a little notch on the inside to indicate the max fill line, and a window to see where the water sits via the exterior. 

Keurig K-Select review: Performance

I’m admittedly not a huge fan of K-Cups, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned through testing Keurig machines, it’s that the addition of the brand’s “strong” brew function makes pod coffee taste way better. Regular Keurig brewing just doesn’t cut it for me, and the K-Select is no exception. But, its strong feature makes a whole world of difference when it comes to pod coffee flavor, and depth.

The K-Select can brew 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-ounce cups in less than a minute, right after its initial warm-up time of roughly one minute. During testing, I found that I could brew a cup of coffee in as short as 30 seconds, with the longest brew time clocking in at one minute and five seconds, regardless of serving size. The K-Select begins warming up as soon as it’s powered on and takes roughly 45 seconds between each sequential cup to brew again. 

The strong function adds another minute to the brewing process, which is a slower process in favor of a more saturated and carefully poured K-Cup serving. The longest I waited for a strong cup of coffee was one minute and 45 seconds. Even if I’m making myself a single cup of coffee, that timing is still impressive — especially when considering that all it takes to brew is inserting a K-Cup into the pod compartment, closing it, and pressing a few buttons.

But though Keurig machines may brew quickly, it’s also why these machines sometimes struggle to provide a tasty cup of coffee. Keurigs can’t produce crema, which is a caramel-colored layer of foam that is a result of both heat and pressure building up through the brewing process. Coffee lovers believe crema gives espresso and coffee a more complex flavor, which is why Nespresso machines have won so many people over. The K-Select can brew a bolder, tasty cup though, with a full flavor due to the machine’s strong setting. 

Per the National Coffee Association, the optimal coffee cup is brewed between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. The K-Select, like many Keurigs, can’t heat its water to that level. The hottest cup I recorded post-brew was 182 degrees Fahrenheit, and although that temperature is certainly warm, it’s just not the piping hot cup I prefer in the morning.

The only real complaint I have with the K-Select’s brewing process is its splashing. While it’s dispensing water through the K-Cup, the K-Select will splash water and coffee on itself and the counter. I’ve had to wipe down my workspace a few times while brewing coffee, but this is the most I’ve experienced with any Keurig machine.

The K-Select doesn’t take much energy to operate, thankfully. During 20 minutes of use, the machine only used 125 KWH. It’s also fairly quiet when brewing, with the highest decibel reading clocking at 67 dB, despite the unflattering sputtering sound during the end of its brew cycle. The K-Select has the quietest warming cycle of any Keurig machine we’ve tested, and a brew cycle similar to the K-Elite, one of our favorite Keurigs. It’s the quietest, overall, of all the machines we’ve tested.

Keurig K-Select review: Ease of Use

The K-Select is fairly barebones and incredibly easy to operate. To use it, you simply turn it on, and while waiting for the machine to heat up, insert a K-Cup into the pod compartment. Then, select what size coffee you’d like, and wait for the brewing to commerce. If the water reservoir is low, a light will turn on to tell you to add more. If your machine is in need of a descale, a light will shine for that, too.

Its removable drip tray and water reservoir are top-rack dishwasher safe, which makes cleaning the K-Select simple. This is a fairly low-maintenance appliance, with the only real upkeep involving refilling its water reservoir, though that is a painless task.

Keurig K-Select review: Verdict

The K-Select is a decent machine that is a true entry-level Keurig for those wanting an introduction to the brand. It has an updated build compared to the K-Classic, and its strong brewing function makes the sometimes stale K-Cup coffee taste much bolder through a slower brew process. While it may lack the bells and whistles of a more luxurious Keurig model, like the K-Elite or K-Cafe, the K-Select still brews coffee at the lightning-fast pace that made the company such a huge deal in the first place.

It’s worth buying this machine over its predecessor, and if you’ve got the counter space to spare, it’ll do a decent job. If you’re looking for a bold single-serving of coffee, the K-Select is a solid gateway into the Keurig world, though it’s $20 more expensive than our Best Value pick, the K-Slim, and doesn’t offer the bells and whistles of our favorite, the K-Cafe. 

Whether you love K-Cups or despise them, one thing is for sure: the K-Elite is the ultimate Keurig experience. This is Keurig in its final form, with a wide range of serving sizes — 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-ounces — the ability to brew for iced coffee, a hot water dispenser, a strong brew option, temperature settings, a clock, timer, auto-off feature, and a 75-oz water reservoir. This machine takes the technology introduced by other Keurig models and rolls them together into one convenient package as you will see in our Keurig K-Elite review.

With so many versions of Keurig machines on the market, it’s hard to tell which appliance is best for you and your lifestyle. If you’re looking for a coffee pod machine that can provide a coffee house experience at home, and you don’t mind a lack of frothy milk, the K-Elite is the best Keurig coffee maker you can buy. 

Keurig K-Elite review: Price and availability

The K-Elite is currently priced at $149 on Amazon, but the original listing price is $189. This is roughly $40 more than the standard K-Classic. However, it’s frequently on sale and hovering around $150 at retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Keurig’s official store, and Walmart. 

This is one of the most expensive Keurig machines, closest in price with the K-Cafe, which has an attached milk frothing station and the ability to brew espresso-like shots.

Like all Keurigs, the K-Elite can only use K-Cup pods to brew coffee, tea, and hot cocoa, which can run anywhere between $7 to $14 per 12-pack, depending on the brand name. This equates to roughly 60 cents to $1.15 per pod. The K-Elite, however, is compatible with reusable K-Cups, which allows you to save some money if you’ve already got pre-ground coffee at home.

Keurig K-Elite review: Features

The K-Elite has plenty of bells and whistles to put other Keurig models to shame. It has the largest range of single-serve sizes, able to brew 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-ounce cups. It can dispense hot water for hot cocoa and teas, and it has an option for iced coffee, which brews the coffee at a higher strength so it can be properly diluted with ice without losing flavor.

Also included is a clock, which is a surprisingly big deal for the usually screenless Keurig. This allows the K-Elite to be programmed to power on before you even wake up — you can just prep a K-Cup the night before, and the machine will heat up, ready to brew, at a set time. It can’t, however, start its brew function via its timer, meaning you still have to get up and press it on. The machine also has an auto-off feature, which turns the K-Elite off two hours after its last brew to save energy.

The K-Elite also comes equipped with a Keurig-branded filter handle and water filter, to purify the water in the reservoir. The only other Keurig machine to come packaged with this is the K-Select. These water filters must be replaced every two months.

Finally, the K-Elite has a “strong” brew feature, which deeply saturates K-Cups with a slower brewing process in exchange for a bolder K-Cup flavor. This, in conjunction with the machine’s temperature adjustment option — which allows you to set temperatures between 187 and 192 degrees Fahrenheit — can provide a tasty cup of coffee.

Keurig K-Elite review: Design

The K-Elite is about the size of the K-Classic, sharing a build similar to Gru from Despicable Me — curved at the top, slight taper at the waist. It’s 13-inches tall, 10-inches wide, and just under 13-inches deep. It has a brushed silver texture on its exterior, a plastic body, and a straightforward, perforated stainless steel drip tray. 

The K-Elite also has plenty of buttons to hit, and although there’s way more on offer compared to the usual Keurig control panel, it’s still just as easy to navigate. Lights indicate when the machine is due for a descale and when the water reservoir needs refilling. Selecting your cup size and strength is a matter of hitting a few buttons.

The biggest design flaw with the K-Elite is its drip tray, which is flimsy and too easily removed. It quickly glides from its placement because it’s not secured in any way, and it’s nearly impossible to move the machine without it falling out. 

Keurig K-Elite review: Performance

The Keurig K-Elite is one of the most impressive Keurig machines you can buy, simply for the taste it provides. While I’m not usually a fan of K-Cup coffee, the K-Elite’s “strong” brew feature is able to provide a robust cup of coffee that rivals my Hamilton Beach coffee maker. Hitting that strong button before choosing a serving size provides a slower drip — usually an extra minute — of brewing, but it’s worth the wait. It results in a more flavorful cup that will impress even the biggest coffee pod naysayers.

Once the machine is turned on, it begins warming immediately and takes less than two minutes to heat up ready for brewing. The K-Elite can brew 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-ounce cups in less than a minute. Without hitting that strong feature, you can brew 10-ounces of hot coffee in about 40 seconds flat. The longest I waited for a single-serve was 55 seconds for a 12-ounce pour. That’s seriously impressive.

However, those quicker brews aren’t as tasty — for me, anyway. Part of the reason why Keurigs can’t brew espresso-quality coffee is a lack of crema. Keurig machines can’t produce crema, which is a caramel-colored layer of foam that sits on the coffee. It is a result of both heat and pressure building up through the brewing process, and is what many coffee snobs believe gives espresso and coffee a complex flavor. This is why Nespresso machines win so many people over. 

Per the National Coffee Association, the optimal coffee cup is brewed between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit, and the K-Elite can’t heat water high enough to provide that sort of flavor. Even when I adjusted the machine’s temperature to 198 degrees Fahrenheit, the hottest cup I recorded post-brew was 182 degrees. That could be a bummer for those wanting an intense cup of coffee, or who prefer to drink their coffee piping hot.

If you like iced coffee, the K-Elite might intrigue you, though, fair warning, the iced feature doesn’t taste too far off from its ‘strong’ option. To brew iced coffee, the K-Elite simply pulls a longer brew cycle, similar to a strong cup. Keurig advises filling a mug up with ice and leaving it underneath the spout as it pours. After tasting it, I honestly think the iced feature makes the already weak K-Cup experience even weaker — too watery and flat. If you’re a K-Cup fan, your mileage may vary though. 

The K-Elite doesn’t take much energy to operate, thankfully. During 25 minutes of use, the machine only used roughly 115 KWH, making it the best Keurig for low energy use behind the compact K-Mini. It’s also quiet when brewing, with the highest noise reading at 67dB. The K-Elite and the K-Select are the quietest Keurig machines we’ve tested. 

Keurig K-Elite review: Ease of Use

The K-Elite introduces multiple buttons to its control panel, but it’s still incredibly easy to operate. You turn it on, and while waiting for the machine to heat up, insert a K-Cup into the pod compartment. You then just need to select what size coffee you’d like. If the water reservoir is low — which, at 75 ounces, will be rare — a light will turn on to tell you to add more. There’s also an indicator that shows when the K-Elite needs a descale. Any button that needs your attention will glow with a bright blue light.

You can adjust temperatures and set the clock by flipping through the options menu, which is as simple as hitting the options button and using the arrows. Powering off is also made easier with the auto-off feature, which cuts the machine after two hours of inactivity.

Keurig K-Elite review: Verdict

The K-Elite is, without a doubt, one of the best Keurig coffee makers that money can buy. It’s quiet, fast, efficient, and has the ability to brew a tasty cup of coffee — with a few of the machine’s special features. Its wide range of serving sizes, along with an iced coffee option, makes it one of the most versatile Keurigs on the market. Its only potential drawback is a lack of a milk frother, which you can buy separately from the company directly. 

If you already enjoy K-Cups, the K-Elite is a no-brainer investment. It’s got plenty of features to entice you into ditching your no-frills Keurig, and it’s a quieter brew compared to other machines within the line. If you’re not a fan of K-Cups, I’m confident the K-Elite can, at the very least, pique your interest with its ability to brew a bolder, stronger cup. We put it just behind our best overall Keurig coffee maker, the K-Cafe, for its plentiful coffee brewing range. 

The K-Cafe is a coffee shop upgrade to the Keurig line of machines — that is, it's one of the best ways to create a barista-style coffee bar in your kitchen. That's due to the added milk frother and the ability to produce concentrated two-ounce shots of pod coffee replicating the taste of espresso. While the machine doesn’t make actual espresso, it does a great job of getting close to that experience using the K-Cup coffee pods you already know and love. And the best part about it: we found it was really straightforward to use.   

Like many Keurig machines, its design may hog counter space. Still, its 60-ounce water reservoir and milk frother feel like great additions that don’t show an excess of plastic, like previous iterations. 

There's no getting around the $189 up-front price tag, not to mention you'll need to keep buying the pods. But, the good news is that since this machine first appeared, we've seen discounts and price cuts on it as part of various sales events. 

The real question is whether it'll it replace your visits to Starbucks? Find out why this is one of the best Keurig coffee makers in our Keurig K-Cafe review. 

Keurig K-Cafe review: Price and availability

At $199 (originally $189) at Amazon, the K-Cafe is far from the most accessible Keurig machine, but it’s worth noting that it’s the only one with a milk frother. Keurig sells a standalone frother for $89, so if you’re purchasing a K-Classic machine retailing at $119, you’d be saving by buying the K-Cafe for all of its added bells and whistles. Like other Keurig machines, the K-Cafe is also frequently on sale for much less.

This machine is widely available on Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart, and occasionally finds itself discounted during sales events. That's a good thing, because in keeping with the lineage of Keurig, the K-Cafe can only use K-Cup branded pods to brew coffee, tea, and hot cocoa. 

K-Cups can run anywhere between $7 to $14 per 12-pack, depending on the brand name, which makes it roughly 60 cents to $1.15 per pod. If you’re looking to save money with a Keurig, consider purchasing a reusable K-Cup pod compatible with this machine.

Keurig K-Cafe review: Features

The K-Cafe can brew coffee, pour espresso-like shots, and froth milk in less time than driving to your closest coffee shop. 

Keeping with the Keurig name, brewing a cup of coffee takes less than a minute with the K-Cafe. The center console of the machine can pour a 6-, 8-, 10-, or 12-ounce single-serve cup. The K-Cafe can also make a stronger brew with the press of the machine’s “strong” button, which makes a slightly more robust single-serve cup for a longer wait time. 

On the left of the K-Cafe is a 60-ounce water reservoir with a handle on it, which makes filling it underneath a sink or with a pitcher a cinch.

The K-Cafe also has a latte and cappuccino option, which brews a 2-ounce shot of your choice of K-Cup, replicating the taste of espresso. Because Keurig machines don’t apply pressure to its coffee pods, it's far from traditional — a lack of pressure means no layer of crema, or foam, on top of these shots. However, that full pour packs a powerful punch. You can also hit the “strong” button for an even stronger shot.

Unique to the K-Cafe is its frother, which can make foam for lattes and cappuccinos, hot or iced. The frother is to the right of the coffee brewer, and it houses a stainless steel pitcher with a lid that can hold four ounces of milk. 

Inside that pitcher are two lines that indicate how much milk is needed for a latte and cappuccino. You just press a button to tell the K-Cafe which drink you’re making milk for, and the frothing ring located on the inside of the pitcher will spin as the pitcher heats up in a few minutes, resulting in rich foam for your Keurig “shot.” Hitting the “cold” button makes foam appropriate for an iced latte or cappuccino, cooling your milk.

Keurig K-Cafe review: Design

The K-Cafe is quite large, but not as enormous as the K-Classic. It shares a similar curved peak which you will find on most Keurigs, but on its right side is a milk frother shorter than the machine’s center station. The whole machine is roughly 12.5-inches high (14 with its latch open), 14.5-inches wide, and 12-inches deep. The frother housing is about 5-inches tall, which extends to roughly 7-inches with its pitcher inside.

Even though the K-Cafe is pretty big, I like its design for my counter space. If I were to replace my coffee maker and introduce an espresso machine into the kitchen, the K-Cafe seems like it’d be saving a lot of appliance space with its three-in-one package.

The handle on the water reservoir is also an awesome addition for carrying to the sink. Other models have you awkwardly holding the tank by its curved plastic sides, hoping not to drop and crack it.

Keurig K-Cafe review: Performance

I’m usually not a fan of Keurig coffee pods as I tend to find them stale, flavorless, and flat. But the K-Cafe made me reconsider the K-Cup, thanks to the machine’s newest tricks. While I still don’t enjoy regular 6-, 8-, 10-, or 12-ounce servings of K-Cups, the K-Cafe offers three new options for me as a coffee drinker: a stronger brew, an espresso-like shot, and steamed milk.

Let’s start with the machine’s “strong” feature. After an initial start-up rinse, I brewed a regular 6-ounce cup to see if it was the standard K-Cup I wasn’t a fan of and, yep, still stale. The machine heated up in 28 seconds and brewed a serving for me in 32 seconds flat. I decided to brew another 6-ounce serving, this time tapping the strong option, and after one minute and 12 seconds, I was presented with a slowly poured, more intense cup of coffee. That strong option makes the K-Cafe pour a cup at a lengthier pace, but in exchange for a fuller cup of coffee. That button makes a huge difference compared to other Keurig models that lack it.

A major selling point of the K-Cafe is its ability to pour espresso-like shots, and I wasn’t disappointed with this feature either. Using a single serving of Publix-branded decaf house roast, I decided to make a cappuccino. I popped in the K-Cup, tapped the latte/cappuccino button, and pressed the giant K button in the middle to begin brewing. 30 seconds later, out comes a 2-ounce serving of a more intense and concentrated version of the coffee I wanted. That shot isn’t espresso per se — Keurig machines cannot make crema as they can’t build pressure — but it’s pretty close to the real thing in smell and looks.

Part two of that expresso-like experience is layering the 2-ounce shot with steamed milk using the K-Cafe’s milk frother. I poured in 4-ounces of oat milk into the steaming pitcher, closed its lid, and just tapped the “cappuccino” button.

One minute and 45 seconds later, the milk is heated up, foam is made, and I can pour the pitcher directly over my shot. Because I used oat milk — a dairy alternative that has barely any fat content — my foam was a little thinner than anticipated, though still really warm and enjoyable.

Although I love these K-Cafe features, the machine is lacking in terms of reaching temperature. According to the National Coffee Association, the optimal coffee cup is brewed between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit, and the K-Cafe can’t provide it. With each shot, cup of coffee, and pitcher of froth made, nothing exceeded 176 degrees Fahrenheit.

Furthermore, the K-Cafe can’t produce a shot simultaneously while it heats milk, which means once you brew a shot, it’ll sit for just under two minutes before you can toss warm milk over it. For one latte, I pulled a shot at 160 degrees Fahrenheit, then took 1 minute and 45 seconds to froth some milk. During that warming process, the shot cooled to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, while the milk heated to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. After I poured the milk, my drink sat at 153 degrees before I could drink it. The K-Cafe can make warm drinks ready to consume as soon as brewing is finished, but it won’t make anything as close to piping hot as you get in a coffee shop.

My time with the K-Cafe logged about 160 KWH of energy, the most out of any other Keurig we tested. However, the machine’s auto-off feature turns off the K-Cafe after two hours of inactivity which may help save on those costs. We recorded a decibel volume of 75dB during operation, with the machine’s loudest noise output being at the tail end of the brewing cycle, following its final coffee sputtering, making it one of the louder Keurigs.

Keurig K-Cafe review: Ease of Use

Brewing is as simple as with any Keurig machine: just insert a K-Cup into the pod compartment, tap a brew size, and wait for your cup of coffee. The K-Cafe adds the “strong” and “latte/cappuccino” buttons to its main panel, but those qualifiers are also activated with just a tap. It’s quick and painless brewing coffee and shots with the K-Cafe.

Frothing milk is even easier. The frother cradle holds a stainless steel pitcher that you fill with cold milk and warm with a tap of one of two buttons: latte or cappuccino. The inside of the pitcher has two lines to indicate which drink you’d like to make, so you can fill it to the appropriate level. No dealing with a steam wand that gets crusty either — after pouring your hot (or cold, if you tap that button beforehand) milk, you can give the pitcher a quick rinse with water to remove any liquid without much scrubbing at all. 

You can even toss the pitcher in the dishwasher for a deeper cleanse. The drip tray and water reservoir are also dishwasher safe. As is the milk frother, if you decided that needed a clean as well.

Like all Keurigs, you’ll also need to descale the K-Cafe every three to six months. But through regular use, the K-Cafe doesn’t require much outside of the occasional wash of its parts.

Keurig K-Cafe review: Verdict

If you’re looking for an effortless at-home coffee experience that can replicate a trip to the coffee shop, the K-Cafe is your best shot. This Keurig machine has the power to brew a tasty cup of coffee in less than one minute and an accompanying cup of steamed milk in just under two. Although it can’t give the exact taste of espresso, the K-Cafe comes pretty close, and the added “strong” feature makes an intense, great-tasting serving of coffee. Its large 60-ounce water reservoir also makes filling it less frequent, while maintenance is simple thanks to dishwasher-friendly parts.

Its price might deter those looking for an entry-level Keurig, and for those, we recommend the K-Slim. However, if you can swing the splurge, the K-Cafe comes close to replicating the feeling of a Nespresso. The K-Cafe doesn’t use pressure to craft its coffee, so its cups are less intense than its rival, but fans of coffee pods will definitely get a morning kick out of this substantial Keurig appliance. 

The K-Slim is an upgrade to the Keurig K-Mini, presenting a similar frame, and adding a water reservoir and improved flavor with its “multistream technology.” Built to save counter space, the K-Slim has a sleek body compared to the usual stout Keurig machine, but it can still brew coffee in less than two minutes. Just fill the water reservoir, insert a K-Cup, and tap a button to make a serving of coffee that’s 8-, 10-, or 12-ounces. 

The K-Slim’s “multistream technology” puts it above no-frills Keurigs like the K-Mini and K-Classic due to its ability to thoroughly soak an entire K-Cup, resulting in better flavor. This is why it’s one of the best Keurig coffee makers. However, like all Keurig machines, the K-Slim still has temperature issues that prevent it from making that perfect cup of coffee, which we will cover in our Keurig K-Slim review.

Keurig K-Slim review: Price and availability

The Keurig K-Slim has a list price of $129, but it’s easy to find on sale, both on Amazon and Keurig’s official website. Like other Keurig models, prices may vary depending on color, which includes red, white, and black.

Like all Keurigs, the K-Slim will only use K-Cup branded pods to brew coffee, tea, and hot cocoa. These pods can run anywhere between $7 to $14 per 12-pack, depending on the brand name. That’s about 60 cents to $1.15 per K-Cup. If you’re looking to save money with a Keurig, consider purchasing a reusable K-Cup pod.

Keurig K-Slim review: Features

Like the similarly modeled K-Mini, the K-Slim can only make a regular serving of coffee, with no options for strength or temperature control. The K-Slim has three buttons to choose your serving of 8, 10, or 12 ounces, and a huge middle button to start the brewing process.

Unlike the K-Mini, however, the K-Slim has two lights that indicate when it’s time to add water to the reservoir and when it needs to be descaled. It also has a removable water reservoir, which stores up to 48 ounces. This is pretty nifty when you fill it underneath a tap.

Keurig K-Slim review: Design

The major update with the K-Slim is one that isn’t found on other Keurig machines: multistream technology. All this means is that it better saturates a K-Cup pod with water during the brewing process, resulting in better-tasting coffee.

The K-Slim is similar in structure to the K-Mini, though an inch deeper and a few inches taller. It’s roughly 15 inches tall, 4.5 inches wide, and 12 inches in length. With the latch open, it’s roughly 16.5 inches in height, which can be a problem for those with kitchen cabinets at a low height. 

The K-Slim’s water reservoir, located on the backside of the machine, makes the appliance a little longer than needed. Although it’s nice to pull out the reservoir and fill the tank from a tap, it gives the machine a less sleek appearance. That extra inch in depth hogs space on the counter, as it extends well past other appliances and items you may have in your kitchen — in my case, a tea kettle and coffee maker. For reference, the K-Slim’s depth is similar to about one-and-a-half family-sized cereal boxes and stands a little taller, too.

Keurig K-Slim review: Performance

Considering my past experiences with Keurig machines, I’m surprised to say that the K-Slim can brew a great-tasting K-Cup. I made a few 12-ounce cups of Publix-branded decaf house roast and was shocked to find that they tasted fairly similar to that of a regular home coffee maker. The multistream technology Keurig pushed with this machine actually makes a difference — an excess of water streams helps to soak all of the grounds inside of a K-Cup, resulting in fresher coffee. Other Keurig machines simply use one stream that can’t fully saturate the grounds inside of a pod, giving a weaker flavor.

That said, the K-Slim still can’t provide an adequate temperature for brewing coffee. I brewed six cups, and each finished in under two minutes — the shortest time was one minute and 12 seconds, the longest, one minute 46 seconds. Not a single cup reached beyond 181 degrees Fahrenheit. The National Coffee Association says the optimal cup is brewed between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit, and the K-Slim simply cannot do that.

It’s also worth noting that the crema, the thin layer of foam seen atop espresso shots and pressurized coffee cups, is missing with the K-Slim. That foam is essential to a delicious cup of coffee, but it can’t form at low temperatures and pressure. Still, although I haven't been impressed by Keurig machines in the past, the K-Slim’s brewing ability far surpasses that of the K-Classic and K-Mini.

The entire brewing process takes about 139 KWh of energy, more than the K-Classic and K-Select, but less than the K-Cafe. However, the machine’s auto-off feature turns off the K-Slim after five minutes of inactivity to help save on those costs. We recorded a decibel volume of 74dB during operation, with the machine’s loudest noise being at the tail end of the brewing cycle, following its final coffee sputtering. This is the third loudest Keurig we’ve tested, behind the K-Mini and K-Cafe.

Keurig K-Slim review: Ease of Use

Although the K-Slim has plenty of lights, it only has four buttons: one for an 8-, 10-, or 12-ounce serving, and a large brew button to start the brewing process. To operate the machine, you just fill the water reservoir, open the latch to the pod compartment, stick a K-Cup inside, and shut it. Then, hit what size serving you’d like, press brew, and wait. It’s a quick and painless task, which is why Keurig is such a major brand in the appliance world.

The water reservoir is simple to take out and fill, and a cinch to hand wash as needed. The only frustrating part of the K-Slim’s design is its reservoir’s sensor. Although it can hold up to 48 ounces of water, the machine will always ask you to add more water if it doesn’t contain enough for a 12-ounce cup. If you’d like to brew a 10-ounce serving, you’ll have to add the extra two ounces to cue the machine to brew. It won’t start the brewing process until the “add water” light is off.

Like all Keurigs, you’ll also need to descale the K-Slim every three to six months. Thankfully, the water reservoir and drip tray are both removable, so you can toss those in the top rack of your dishwasher or hand wash as needed.

Keurig K-Slim review: Verdict

The K-Slim is a Keurig machine that has the power to brew a tasty cup of coffee in less than two minutes. Though it still has flaws shared with other Keurig appliances, like subpar temperatures and an excess stature, this machine is surprisingly competent at making coffee. It’s an easy-to-use appliance that requires minimal effort to operate, and its removable water reservoir and drip tray make cleaning simple. This may be the best Keurig coffee maker to buy due to its ability to produce a decent K-Cup flavor alone.

Still, those of you wanting more of a coffee house experience at home might be disappointed. The K-Slim doesn’t offer temperature control or strength options, and the coffee produced, while more flavorful than other Keurig machines, still falls somewhat flat. If the convenience of brewing a cup of coffee in under two minutes is its biggest selling point for you, the K-Slim is a solid purchase. It’s our pick for the Best Value Keurig, and though it’s missing some of the special features found in our favorite Keurig machines, the K-Elite and K-Cafe, the K-Slim is a great entry point. 

Memorial Day is here, and with it comes thousands of amazing deals on tech and appliances. If you’ve been waiting patiently to grab a great coffee maker deal, you’re in luck.

Right now, Best Buy is selling the Keurig Limited Edition Jonathan Adler K-Mini Coffee Maker for just $59, down $40 from its usual price of $99. To get a convenient and capable coffee maker for less than $60 is rare — and what's more, this one looks great, too. All of which makes this one of the best Memorial Day sales we’ve seen on a coffee maker this year.

We love this coffee maker not only for its looks, but also for its design. At just five inches wide, the footprint on your countertop really is minimal. And with brew size options varying from 6-12 oz, it’s more versatile than you’d think. Operation is very straightforward; simply slot in a Keurig K-Cup pod, add the water, set it going and you have fresh coffee in a matter of minutes. On top of that, the whole machine weighs less than five pounds, so you can move it around with ease. 

Then there’s the look of the design to consider as well. Potter and designer Jonathan Adler brings a unique tiled, geometric appearance to this coffee maker which will remind you of the roofs in Santorini, Greece. Such a singular appearance for a great price is hard to find. In fact, the standard colorways of this model will currently cost you at least $10 more on Amazon, so you’re getting more character in your coffee maker for a better price with this deal. Act now while stocks last to get one of the best coffee makers out there.   

While Keurig is best known for its pod coffee makers, the brand has been partnered with Drinkworks over the past year. However, that all came to an end this week, as Drinkworks announced that it was shutting down operations, effective immediately.

The pod-based cocktail maker shared many similarities with a Keurig coffee maker. Designed to pour and mix a range of drinks including an Old Fashioned and Cosmopolitan from just a capsule pod, the Drinkworks machine could create the perfect cocktail in fewer than 60 seconds. However, as of Dec. 15, 2021, Drinkworks has ceased all operations, selling off excess stock until supplies are depleted.

It’s a curveball for the drinks market, with the brand recently reporting a doubling of sales in the past 12 months, and a second-generation machine on the horizon as recently as October.

The COVID-19 pandemic certainly sped Drinkworks’ growth, with the brand benefitting from a boost to the home market despite the machine’s lofty $300 price tag. Whether that market proved too big too soon, and is now receding, or whether key investments have fallen through, there are many questions surrounding the demise of the Keurig partner. 

Many of those questions come from owners of these now redundant machines. While stock of pods and carbon dioxide cartridges will still be available while supplies last, many have invested in a particularly premium machine now rendered obsolete. Drinksworks’ acknowledges this, and has given its customers until February 28, 2022 to apply for a full refund. 

In our impressions of the Drinkworks Home Bar Classic, we found the device to be cool, but concluded that the pods might be a tad too expensive. 

We’re rounding up all the best Nespresso machines for more pod-based kitchen gadgets, or check out the best espresso machines for the full barista experience. We’re also bringing you all the best Cuisinart coffee makers for a no-fuss drip machine.

If you've got a coffee lover to buy for this winter, Keurig's new My Keurig personalization service may cut your holiday shopping short. The new feature allows users to add their own designs, text, and monograms to some of the best coffee makers on the market. The new service does carry a $30 premium, but offers plenty of room for customization across a range of Keurig machines.

Currently, only the Keurig K-Mini, K-Mini Plus, and K-Slim are ready to be dolled up but there may be more on the way soon. However, if you're looking to pick up one of the brand's cheaper devices, there are plenty of new aesthetics to choose from. 

From Holiday Sweater (which is exactly as you'd expect it to be) to sport stripes, polka dots, and the intriguingly named Scandinavian Meadow, there's a range of preset designs available. 

The M-Mini model can be customized from the standard Matte Black or Studio Gray versions, with the K-Mini Plus available in Matte Black or Matte White. The Keurig K-Slim, however, only comes in the standard Matte Black.

Once you've chosen you're design, you're free to alter any text (as well as the size), colors, pattern size, and a range of other elements as well. Each side of the Keurig coffee maker can be personalized separately, so those who can't choose between two options can mix and match as well. Unfortunately, at this time, Keurig isn't offering the option to add your own designs or photographs.

Keurig says that customized My Keurig machines will ship within seven days of your order, though it's worth noting that cancellations cannot be accepted and returns or refunds are off the table as well.

If you're checking out the competition, we're rounding up all the best Nespresso machines available right now. Or, if you're not interested in the convenience of a pod-based system, check out the best Cuisinart coffee makers and best espresso machines on the market. Unfortunately, Drinkworks, the Keurig of alcoholic beverages, has shut down. 

It's a little early for many, but coffee lovers looking to get ahead with their festive plans have some good news this weekend. Keurig has just released its annual advent calendar, this year titled 24 Cups of Cheer, so if you're already getting into the holiday spirit you can get prepped with a whole month of different flavors. 

Keurig is promising to keep things cosy this year, with both coffee and cocoa drinks behind the 24 doors. There's a range of flavors on offer, from peppermint to dark chocolate hazelnut, and each pod will offer up a different brew to the last. You can pick up the Keurig 24 Cups of Cheer Advent Calendar for $18.99 from Amazon, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Kroger, Kohls, Walmart, and - of course - Keurig itself. 

This year's holiday release includes coffee from Green Moutain Coffee Roasters, The Original Donut Shop, Peet's Coffee, Caribou Coffee, Cinnabon, and Krispy Kreme. Keurig makes some of the best coffee makers on the market, but it's easy to fall into a routine of picking up the same K-Cup pods. There is, however, a massive range of flavors and brands to try, which is one of the biggest draws of the best Keurig coffee makers. Variety packs and advent calendars are an excellent way to test the waters with a new pod selection - you might even find a new go-to favorite.

With a new brew every day, coffee lovers will be able to celebrate the holidays all month long. However, if you're after a little more control over the flavors on offer, there are plenty other variety packs up for grabs from as little as $19.95 at Amazon.

You'll need a Keurig to make the most of this pack, though, so if you don't already have a pod machine in the kitchen, you'll find all the lowest prices on the best models just below.

If you're yet to pick up a cheap coffee maker, it's worth checking out the best Nespresso machines for more convenient pod-based options. Or, take a look at the best Cuisinart coffee makers for a drip pot. We're also rounding up the best espresso machines for those after more of a barista experience.

The Nespresso vs Keurig debate has certainly been contentious over the last few years, with each pod coffee brand bringing more and more machines to the market and continuing to dominate. Many of these pod coffee machines sit among best coffee maker lists, and continue to offer excellent flavor, controls, and - crucially - the convenience that the night owls among us crave. 

Functionally, these machines may appear similar at first glance - they both produce high quality coffee from individual pods at the push of a button. However, if you're weighing up the pros and cons on each side of the Nespresso vs Keurig debate, there are a few differences that could make all the difference. 

We're telling you everything you need to know about the differences, and similarities, between Nespresso and Keurig machines, from price to ease of use to pod quality, so that you can find the best Nespresso or best Keurig for you.

Nespresso vs Keurig: price

It's worth noting that, while Nespresso machines are sold widely in the UK as well as the US, Keurig devices are less easy to find. If you're in the UK, then, we'd recommend sticking to Nespresso. 

In general, Keurig machines do tend to come out a little cheaper than their Nespresso counterparts, though the Keurig line overall focuses on breadth within the more affordable price range (under $100 / £100) whereas Nespresso firmly sets its sights over $100. 

You'll have far more choice with Keurig if you're shopping under this threshold, from the Keurig K Classic at around $89.99 to the K Mini at $79.99 in the super budget range. Even moving further up the feature list, you'll find that Keurig outpaces Nespresso in keeping that price low. The Keurig K-Elite offers far more settings and quality of life enhancements and still comes in under $150 due to regular discounts, even if the MSRP sits at $169.99. 

Meanwhile, the Essenza Mini is the cheapest Nespresso offering, with an MSRP of $149 that is regularly discounted throughout the year. While we do see cheap coffee maker deals on these machines, their MSRPs are starting far higher than those of Keurig, with the best model for most people, the Nespresso Vertuo Plus coming in at $179.99. 

Winner: Keurig

Nespresso vs Keurig: features

Keurig's cheaper machines can't keep up with the Nespresso Vertuo line, which is to be expected considering they are half the price. However, comparing the $169 K-Elite with the $179 Nespresso Vertuo Plus can show us where each brand is putting its focus in terms of its spec sheet.

While you're certainly paying a little more for a Nespresso machine, you're getting extra features that enhance your coffee's flavor to make up for it. Centrifusion brewing and automatic pod detection in the Vertuo line mean your machine will always produce a great coffee with a rich crema and well-balanced flavor -  guarantees that Keurig can't make with its more traditional pod system. Plus, you'll find a range of additional accessories like milk frothers available for Nespresso systems, unlike Keurig. 

However, you are getting a wider breadth of features by picking up a machine that might not get it right every single time. The K-Elite offers more brew size options, a cold setting for iced drinks, additional brew strength controls and a larger water reservoir. If you're after an all-in-one package, then, and you don't mind sacrificing a little of the coffee quality itself, then the Keurig is the better option.

It's worth noting, though, that at the sub-$100 end of the spectrum, you are stripping that Keurig spec sheet away considerably.

Winner: Keurig for range of features, Nespresso for coffee quality features

Nespresso vs Keurig: ease of use

Both Nespresso and Keurig machines are incredibly easy to use. You can operate both devices simply by inserting a pod and pushing a button, but Nespresso's pod detection system may seal the deal here. Vertuo line machines will recognize which coffee pod is inserted into the system and automatically set the coffee maker to the best possible settings for the type of coffee you have chosen. 

You sacrifice a little of the brew strength control you might find on higher end Keurig machines, but it makes the process of brewing a perfect coffee foolproof. It's also worth noting that Keurigs will take up more space on the countertop because of larger water reservoirs.

Winner: Nespresso

Nespresso vs Keurig: pod selection

That extra tech built into pod detection does cause Nespresso to fall behind in the pod selection category. Nespresso splits its machines into Vertuo and Original lines, which means you'll need to make sure you're buying the right pods for your device (pods for one machine won't fit into the other). Plus, you'll be paying a little more for Vertuo pods on average, but only by a few dollars per pack. 

Keurig, on the other hand, has a massive range of coffee pods up for grabs, from a range of brands that include Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Cinnabon and more. Not only that, but you'll find hot chocolate and tea options as well. These pods also come out a little cheaper than Nespresso's, even if connoisseurs may be sacrificing a little flavor. 

Both brands operate pod recycling campaigns, though it's unknown whether Keurig successfully managed to make all of its K-Cup pods recyclable by 2020 as it pledged to do.

Winner: Keurig

Nespresso vs Keurig: which should you buy?

Nespresso and Keurig both offer excellent pod coffee systems, even if each brand's range is tailored slightly to different consumers. We'd recommend picking up a Nespresso if you're simply looking for high quality coffee and you're willing to spend a little more to achieve it consistently. 

However, when it comes to affordability Keurig easily wins out. If you need a pod coffee machine for less than $100 it's your only option (outside of sale periods) and pod costs are reduced while also offering a larger range as well. You're not getting the smarts of a Nespresso here, but if you don't think you'll need to taste the difference between a textbook espresso and a good cup of coffee in the morning the extra features on the Keurig will be well worth your time. 

We're also rounding up all the best Cuisinart coffee makers available now, as well as the best espresso machines if you're looking to get a little more hands-on. Plus, we're showing you how to clean a Keurig and how to descale your Keurig as well. 

Amazon's big sales day is in full swing, but if you think you've already seen every great Prime Day deal, you're wrong. Amazon has held some of the hottest deals percolating in reserve, brewing up their strongest bargains for later in the day to keep the momentum going strong. 

And one of the best deals we've seen so far is the  Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker for $44.99 on Amazon. The slimmest Keurig coffee maker is also one of the best deals of Amazon Prime Day, with sales slashing the price by 43%.

• Prime Day deals: See all the best offers right now!

Measuring just 5-inches wide, the Keurig K-Mini fits even the most cramped countertops and tiniest kitchens, making single-serving K-Cups with style. The mini brewer delivers a fresh cup of coffee in minutes, with all of the Keurig flavor options available, brewing cups from 6 to 12 ounces. The removable drip tray will even let you fill a 7-inch travel mug with ease.

And for the environmentally conscious, the Keurig K-Mini coffee maker works just as well with My K-Cup universal reusable coffee filters, letting you brew your favorite blend without the disposable pod. An automatic shut off also keeps power consumption to a minimum, turning off the coffee maker 90-seconds after the last cup finishes to keep its environmental footprint as small as its physical size.

With all the basic functionality of the best coffee makers, but in a single-serving design, the ultra-efficient Keurig K-Mini is hard to beat, especially at this super-low price. Even better, you can get it in Matte Black, Studio Gray or Oasis Green, all for the same low price.

Shop all Prime Day sales at Amazon

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