Keurig Coffee Makers

Honest Grounds is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why Choose a Keurig?

There are a lot of options out there, so its important to know what a brand has to offer before you invest in their product.

Here are some of the things people love about Keurig.

  • Market Leader  Keurig’s innovation started the single serve coffee maker trend in the 1990s, and it has ridden the ups and downs of the market ever since. They are still one of the most popular brewer and pod brands available today.
  • Convenience  It’s no small thing to have a cup of delicious, hot coffee at the touch of a button. There is no grinding, measuring, pouring or timing with a Keurig. So you save time and have a few less things to think about.
  • Consistency  You’ll get the coffee you want with every cup. No longer is the first coffee the best of the day. Temperature, amount of water and coffee dose are carefully controlled and will deliver the same results time after time.
  • Easy to Operate  On a basic Keurig, you literally push one button. On premium models, you can make a few more choices, but all from a simple, easy to operate control panel.
  • Lots of Beverage Options  Keurig offers over 400 flavors and sizes of officially branded pods. This is in addition to many other coffee manufacturers that produce their own Keurig-compatible pods. Plus, Keurig offers a reusable My K-Cup pod for all home models that allows you to use whatever coffee you want.

But to be fair, nothing is perfect.

Here are some of the things people don’t love about Keurig.

  • Higher Cost Per Cup  In general, pods are much more expensive per cup than other brewing methods. For many people, the flavors and convenience they get are well worth the price. And if your machine has a reusable pod, using your own coffee is an economical option.
  • Impact on the Environment  For many years, no K-Cups were recyclable. Because of their incredible popularity worldwide, a massive and growing amount of waste has been created. Keurig is now “making recyclability a priority“, and offers recyclable K-Cup® Pods in some varieties. Plus there are other recycling options as well.
  • Risk of Stale Water Inside Machine  It’s come to widespread attention that in certain models all the water is never fully purged from inside the machine. This can potentially lead to mold growing where it can’t be detected. But now we know that simple maintenance can prevent this.

How to Choose a Keurig

Choosing a Keurig brewer doesn’t have to be complicated. Our simple question and answer format will help you quickly narrow your search to the model that meets your needs.

Answer These 10 Questions To Find The Right Keurig For You

Where will it be used?

At home or in an office/commercial setting?

Although all Keurig machines use the same brewing process and technology, they are divided into Home and Commercial categories. The models in each category have safety features, functions and aesthetic design specific to their intended use.

The most important difference between Home and Commercial models is their UL safety certification.

Keurig strongly recommends that our home brewers be used at home and our commercial brewers be placed in commercial/office settings. That is why our home brewers are UL Listed for Household use only and our commercial brewers are UL Listed for Commercial use only.

Keurig.com

 

A brewer used in an environment it is not rated for may cause the warranty to be voided and may affect insurance coverage.

How many people will be using it?

Commercial models are designated as to the number of people they are best suited for.

How much coffee do you want to brew at a time?

All Keurig machines have multiple single-serving brew sizes to choose from, and some models have more choices than others. Check our comparison charts for brew size options for each model. The largest brew volume is available by using a K-Carafe Pod®, which brews several servings at once, up to 30 ounces at a time. The K-Carafe Pod® is compatible with a limited number of models.

How much space do you have?

In addition to the regular dimensions, don’t forget to include space for the parts that you’ll need to lift or pull out, such as the water tank.

Do you want to use your own coffee?

Select a model that is compatible with a reusable My K-Cup®, which allows you to use your own ground coffee. 

How often do you mind refilling the water tank?

Having to frequently refill the tank can be a nuisance, so think about estimated usage. How big is the tank and how many servings can be made between refills?

Do you want the machine to automatically brew at a set time?

Select a model with the Auto Brew function. Currently this is only available on models that are compatible with a K-Carafe Pod®.

Do you want to program when the machine will turn on and off automatically?

Models that feature programmable On/Off Times, can be set to turn on and shut down at exactly the time you specify.

Some models offer an Auto Off function, which when set turns the machine off after 2 hours of inactivity.

The Energy Saver feature allows you to select (in 15 minute increments) how long after the last brew the machine will turn itself off.

Different models may have none of these options, or one or more of them.

Do you live at a high altitude (5,000 feet and above)?

If the Keurig will be operated at high altitude, some models offer a High Altitude Setting to compensate for the effects on the brewing process.

What other options are important to you?

There are additional convenient options which are featured on some but not all Keurigs.

  • Adjustable strength
  • Adjustable temperature
  • Water filter
  • Clock
  • Choice of Colors
  • Touch Screen Controls
  • Display Language (English, French, Spanish)
  • Water Feed Plumbing Kit (to feed directly from a water source)

Current Keurig Models

The charts and reviews in this section reflect the coffee makers that Keurig is currently manufacturing. They divide their products into Home and Commercial categories, and strongly recommend that people use a model in the appropriate category. 

Home Use: Classic Series

Keurig® K15

The K15 is a small, portable Keurig brewer that fits easily in lots of places in your home: kitchen, office, garage, etc. Its a great choice if you want a machine without a lot of bells and whistles that makes a fast cup of coffee at the touch of a button. Just add water, place the pod and press brew. Choose your brew size to adjust the strength of your drink. And no need to worry about whether or not you remembered to turn off the coffee maker. It will turn off automatically 90 seconds after brewing.  [Read full K15 review]

Keurig® K55

The K55 is perhaps the most popular original K-Cup® brewer. With a 48 oz. removable water tank, and three choices of brew size, it can make several servings of coffee between refills. This makes it a good choice if you make more than one or two cups per day … whether you drink several cups yourself or share the machine among family members. For peace of mind, use the Auto Off function so it automatically shuts off after 2 hours of inactivity. [Read full K55 review]

Home Use: Plus Series (with 2.0 technology)

The Plus Series is the next evolution of the Keurig 2.0 Series, using the same interactive technology but featuring several enhancements. Users will enjoy customizable settings, a larger selection of compatible pods, additional brew size options, brew strength control, temperature control, touch screen display, and more.

Keurig® K250

The K250 uses Keurig 2.0 technology to make it seamlessly compatible with several sizes of Keurig pods. Depending on the pod you choose, you can brew as little as 4 oz. or as much as 30 oz. at one time. And if you want to use your own coffee, there is a compatible reusable filter available from Keurig. Other advanced features allow you to customize the strength and temperature of your drink. And this model is available in more colors than any other, so you can find a pop of color for any room.

Keurig® K475

The K250 uses Keurig 2.0 technology to make it seamlessly compatible with several sizes of Keurig pods. Depending on the pod you choose, you can brew as little as 4 oz. or as much as 30 oz. at one time. And if you want to use your own coffee, there is a compatible reusable filter available from Keurig. Other advanced features allow you to customize the strength and temperature of your drink. And this model is available in more colors than any other, so you can find a pop of color for any room.

Keurig® K575

The K575 layers many options and features on top of the Keurig 2.0 technology. Choose from 12 different brew sizes and several Keurig pod sizes. From the extra large color touch screen you can adjust strength and temperature, select from three languages, preset On/Off Times, select a time and amount to Auto Brew, and more. Plus enjoy these visual features that add color and warmth to your home environment:

  • Water reservoir light with color options
  • Customizable touch screen wallpaper color
  • Nighlight with programmable on/off times and color options
 

Commercial Use

Keurig’s Commercial brewers are designed and safety rated specifically for commercial/office use.

Keurig® K145 OfficePRO® Brewing System with K-Cups®

The K145 is a good fit for a small office or other commercial space that needs to serve about 1-15 people. One unique and very convenient feature is the Drain Function, which makes it easy to completely empty the internal hot water tank. In addition you will find several standard Keurig options and features. Three brew sizes and a 48 oz. water tank allow you to get several drinks per refill. Its compatible with all K-Cup® Pods and has an Auto Off option to automatically shut down after 2 hours of inactivity. 

Keurig® K150 Commercial Brewing System

Designed for an office or commercial space needing to serve 16-30 people, the K150 offers features especially for this environment. In addition to its 90 oz. removable water tank, it is capable of being plumbed directly into a water source using Keurig’s water feed plumbing kit. Five brew sizes allow you to adjust the brew strength and there is a water temperature control. Additional features include a clock, touch screen and more.

Keurig® K155 OfficePRO® Premier Brewing System

The K155 is designed to serve 16-30 in a commercial environment. With the color touch screen you can select from 5 brew sizes, set automatic on and off times, adjust the brewing temperature and select which of 3 languages to display. There is no strength control, but you can adjust this by selecting different brew sizes.

Like this article? - Share it Below:

Leave a comment