I could write a love letter to my trusty Keurig coffee maker. In fact, my first Keurig served me nearly 10 years before I upgraded. It's still in perfect working condition, but today's Keurig innovations are just too good to resist. So, I'm here to help you find the best Keurig machine for your needs, for when you're after coffee by the cup.
There's no denying the convenience of a single-cup coffee maker, and Keurig is a bonafide leader among the best single-serve coffee makers out there. They've made it beyond simple to indulge in a quick caffeine fix: coffee for one, coffee for people who want to try a variety of coffees at one, coffee on demand, minimal fuss and clean-up, no measuring, the perfect portion, and fast brewing. There's a Keurig machine for everybody.
Whether you're a casual coffee drinker looking to only brew what you need or this Keurig will become your lifeline, I think you'll like what you see among the best Keurig coffee makers: from coffee customizations to machines that take up barely any space at all to special combo machines with everything including iced-coffee capabilities.
In our comparison, we've taken into account and reviewed the machines based on functions, special features, ease of use, maintenance, value, and more so you can buy with confidence when choosing among the best coffee makers. Keep reading for our five top options.
Best Keurig coffee makers 2023
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The highly customizable and sleek K-Supreme Plus Coffee Maker stands out for its sleek (and easy-to-use interface), compact body, coffee strength and temperature customizations, and new brewing tech.
Multi-Stream technology
The K-Supreme Plus introduces Multi-Stream technology which uses 5 needles instead of the standard one, like a rainfall effect, for better saturation and flavor. The difference in flavor here alone is one of the reasons why this Keurig is our absolute favorite.
About the details
Just earlier I mentioned how in addition to size, you can select brew strength and temperature. There's also an "Over Ice" button so you can have a chilled iced coffee, without worrying about diluting it. The Plus model has a massive 78-ounce reservoir that will allow you to brew as many as nine cups before you have to refill it, which is also easy to lift up and fill. Finally, for practicality, the machine shuts off automatically after 5 minutes and alerts you to descale after every 250 brews. Fortunately, descaling a Keurig machine is not as tricky as it sounds.
Read our full Keurig K-Supreme Plus review.
At under five inches wide, the Keurig K-Slim is a top pick for anyone with a smaller space. It's particularly useful, we will say, for someone looking for a quick fix near their desk or as a compact choice for already tiny college dorm rooms. Of note, it's available in two variations: the original K-Slim, which now incorporates the Multi-Stream Technology mentioned previously, or a new edition called the K-Slim+ Iced, which incorporates a special built-over Ice function, available exclusively through Target (opens in new tab).
Small size, big options
Very few compromises here with 3 cup size options and a 46oz. reservoir for convenience. The K-Slim is available in black, white, or red, and you have the option to customize your machine when purchased directly on Keurig (opens in new tab). The ICED model is only available in gray, and it also initiates a 6-oz brew if and when you choose the Over Ice feature. At this time, neither have any strength options for those who like their coffee a little bolder than most.
Choose Multi-Stream Technology or OVER Ice Features
The K-Slim effectively replaces a previous small-space favorite, the K-Mini, for the addition of Multi-Stream Technology truly ups the brew quality. Or, if you're more interested in the variety of having convenient iced coffee at home, the ICED is best equipped to brew iced coffee, as its specially programmed to brew coffee at a hotter temperature to extract the full flavor before gradually cooling down for less ice melt, and a vibrant flavor that's not watered down. Both are the same size dimensionally, but you will need to choose which function you prefer.
Read our full Keurig K-Slim + ICED Single-Serve Coffee Maker review.
Full Keurig features and budget price? Yes, please! The Keurig K-Essentials Express offers the convenience of cup customizations and boasts a decently sized water reservoir. The affordable model is available exclusively at Walmart, and it's the cheapest Keurig brand option on record. However, it's a popular item, and in recent months we've found availability to be extremely limited, but you may be able to find it in-store.
Fuss-free
The simple boxy design entails powering up the machine, adding a K-cup, and simply selecting your desired cup size from the buttons on the front. Soon enough, you'll have a hot cup of coffee. The 36 oz. water tank is also easily removable for easy access. The tonal designs of the buttons do blend into the machine, but an indicator light shows you exactly which cup size you've chosen. In short, it's classic Keurig at an incredible value.
Read the full Keurig K-Essentials Express Coffee Maker review.
If you're the type who goes between needing a full coffee pot to fuel a family along with the convenience of a Keurig k-cup, the K-Duo is the best of both worlds— and you won't need two coffee makers taking up precious space on your kitchen counter.
Brew a cup or a carafe
The Duo will be your coffee home base, combining your favorite features of a standard drip coffee machine and a single-serve one. For days when you need a vat of coffee, the 12-cup glass carafe should help you have your fill, with a hot plate that keeps coffee hot for two hours and pause-and-pour features for when you're feeling impatient. For your carafe of coffee, you can choose to brew 6, 8, 10, or 12 five-ounce cups using your favorite ground coffee.
Similarly, you can choose to brew 6, 8, 10, or 12 oz. when you're brewing with a K-cup pod. The K-Cup "side" also has a stronger brew option.
User-friendly
Easy-to-see controls make it easy to get on with this dual-feature machine Buyers seem to appreciate the versatility of the machine, but some note that the carafe is prone to dribble, drip, or leak when pouring into a mug. Others suggested measurement lines to know how much they're brewing.
The drip side and the K-cup-side share the 60 oz. water reservoir. When brewing, you'll designate whether you're using the pod or the carafe side.
Activate your inner barista and turn ordinary K-cup coffees into specialty beverages with the K-Cafe.
Lattes and cappuccinos, check!
Amp up your mornings with lattes and cappuccinos at home with the SHOT button that brews a 2oz. concentrated shot of coffee from a K-Cup pod AND a built-in milk frother! Might we mention that it's also dishwasher safe for insanely easy cleanup, and you can choose from hot or cold froth. Though, we should mention that the specialty shot is not quite the typical espresso.
Convenience
We love that the K-Cafe incorporates all of our favorite K-cup features like cup size, and a large water reservoir. It doesn't however have the temperature control options like newer releases, but the ability to make lattes adds an extra element of sophistication to our days.
Note that unlike most Keurig coffee makers that turn off after five minutes, the K-Cafe turns off after two hours.
Other noteworthy models we considered
- For techy coffee fans, Keurig also launched an upgraded version of the Keurig K-Supreme with wifi capabilities called the Keurig K-Supreme SMART (opens in new tab). It has all the features of the Plus, plus innovative features like BrewID that recognizes the brand and roast of the K-Cup pod and customizes the brew settings to a coffee expert's recommendation and tracks pod usage and automatically reorders when you run low. The machine also connects to an app for added customizations and control and works with voice assistants. We think it's a super cool option, but more features than most people need... and it's one of Keurig's most expensive machines.
- The K-Mini is great for occasional or single users who don't want to leave water sitting in a reservoir, as it is filled each time. The reservoir can accommodate between 6-12oz. and completely empties each brew. It's usually priced around $79.99, but if you can find it on sale, we've seen it for under $50.
- The K-Classic is another reliable and popular machine. The design is a little clunkier than some of their more current options, though it is priced a little better at $149.99 and still has popular features like a large removable water reservoir and three cup-size options.
Keurig and sustainability
K-cups have a bad rap for not being the most sustainable coffee drinking method since they create more plastic waste if not properly recycled. Keurig has taken the steps to be more environmentally friendly and openly shares its sustainability initiatives (opens in new tab). By 2025, Keurig hopes to convert all packaging to be recyclable or compostable, incorporate recycled plastic products into its packaging, and reduce virgin plastic use by 20 percent. They also have equally aggressive environmental measures in place to be zero waste, fully operate with renewable electricity sources, and significantly reduce water usage by 2025.
K-cups are recyclable but the recycling process is not as simple and requires more action on the end-user. The aluminum lid needs to be peeled off and the coffee grounds disposed of before the plastic pod can go in the recycling. Don't forget, used coffee grounds are great in the garden, and they're compostable too.
Brands like Cambio Roasters (opens in new tab) have made it a bit easier to recycle k-cups with a move as simple as adding a peel tab on the aluminum lid for maximum convenience and utilizing tons of compostable packaging.
Keurig also offers a My K-Cup universal reusable coffee filter that you can reuse again and again with your favorite coffee grounds.
How do K-Cups work?
We think of K-cups as a compact alternative to a traditional coffee maker: The machine’s hot water saturates the pod’s ground coffee via the needle puncture, flows through the paper filter, and gentle pressure extracts delicious hot coffee straight into your cup.
Additionally, the new Multi-Stream technology uses 5 needles instead of the standard one, like a rainfall effect, for better saturation and flavor.
Keurig vs other single serve coffee options
Keurig is a leader in the single-serve coffee maker space for its It's most commonly compared to Nespresso, making way for lots of Keurig vs Nespresso conversations on our team. It comes down to preference, but we find Keurig machines to be preferred for those looking for convenience. The machines are generally less expensive and have more coffee pod options since Keurig works with over 75 top coffee brands You're also likely to find k-cups for sale wherever coffee is sold... they're that ubiquitous.
Nespresso, may be the better choice, however, for those serious about espresso beverages. Nespresso coffee will also be more consistent quality-wise since all the coffee comes directly from Nespresso, as opposed to differing coffee makers. It also makes their availability more limited.
The Keurig K-cup technology is also available for use in third-party machines, which is why you'll see K-Cup compatible machines from the likes of Cuisinart, Ninja, Hamilton Beach, and more. Our top choices continue to be the original, but these alternatives are useful for those who feel a certain allegiance to a small appliance brand or even a better deal, in the case of some other coffee makers.
