Best Keurig Coffee Makers in 2023
What makes a good coffee brewer?
Is it the design and size? What about the ease of using it? It must be the speed and brewing control, right?
I could go on all day, but the point is, Keurig coffee makers are so popular because they possess all these great qualities and then some.
Keurig actually upgrades their products at least twice a year. So whether this is your first time getting a Keurig coffee maker or you are simply looking for an upgrade, we’ve put together this guide to help you pick out the best Keurig coffee maker among the available models.
What is a Keurig and How Does it Work?
The Keurig is a single cup coffee maker that combines the technology of a conventional drip coffee maker and an espresso machine to give you a fast and easy cup of coffee.
What are K-Cups?
Keurig's famous “K Cups” are tiny pods containing ground coffee.
Before you start questioning the freshness of this coffee, you should know that Keurig has gone to great lengths to preserve the freshness of the coffee inside these pods. Beyond a 'best before' date that is labeled on each box, K Cups come with a plastic layer for containing the coffee, a filter layer, and a foil layer to keep moisture and air out.
While coffee pods can contain fresh coffee, you should understand that it still won’t compare to the quality of freshly ground coffee. This is where K Cups (and Keurig, in general) can fall short. But thankfully, there’s a remedy for this: the reusable k cup filter.
The Reusable K-Cup Filter
This is an economical replacement for K-Cup pods that allows you to use your own ground coffee. Attaching the k-cup filter is pretty easy once you scoop in the ground coffee.
However, the reusable filter is not without fault.
We’ve found that the filters tend to allow water to run through the grounds a bit too fast. But with a few tweaks and hacks, you can fix this little issue and make a strong cup.
The Secret Behind Keurig Coffee
Once you feed the K Cup into the machine (or reusable filter), pressurized water at 196 degrees is pushed through. Small holes are drilled at the top and bottom of each K Cup to let in the water. This allows the hot water to mix with the grind, producing the coffee which drains to your cup below.
The fact that it drips makes it comparable to a drip coffee maker, while the pressurized hot water element resembles the functionality of an espresso machine. The combination of both of these brewing methods results in a cup ready for you in under one minute. It also eliminates the burden of cleaning that comes with an espresso machine.
Speaking of Cleaning…
Other than the regular wiping and dusting, Keurigs are quite easy to clean and maintain. They come with a descale light that displays in the message console when it’s time to descale your machine.
The frequency at which you will need to descale will depend on the hardness of your water, whereby people with hard water usually end up descaling more often. Check out our guide on how to descale your Keurig.
How to Choose the Right Keurig Coffee Maker
Not all Keurig brewers are created equal. While the overall technology may be the same, some Keurig machines are suitable only for home use while others are only necessary to have if they’ll placed in a slightly busier location, like a hotel lobby or office break room.
With that said, here are our top picks.
Best Keurig Coffee Makers in 2023 - Reviewed
Best Keurig for Home Use
With a 48 oz. reservoir, the K55 model is capable of making about 6 cups without refilling enabling it to efficiently handle your thirst for coffee while at home.
Like many other Keurig brewers, the K55 is quite easy to use. It can also accommodate 6, 8 and 10 oz. cups, but keep in mind, the 6 oz. cup makes your coffee stronger! Consider it’s wallet-friendly price and compact design, we think it makes for an excellent choice for home use.
Click here to check out our full review of the Keurig K55.
PROS
CONS
This is yet another excellent coffee maker suitable for home use.
The K250 features a 40 oz. removable reservoir, which is large enough to make around 4 or 5 cups. Like the K55, the K250 has a compact design, but this machine features a small touch screen that allows for easy control.
Cleaning and maintenance is also easy, thanks to the the removable drip tray and removable reservoir. However, this coffee maker does not have a descaling feature, which might pose a cleaning challenge.
PROS
CONS
The K15 is the simplest Keurig coffee maker in our lineup.
It is ideal for people looking for a single-serve coffee maker that won’t take up too much space. But keep in mind, its reservoir can only accommodate a single cup of water, so you’ll have to refill after every brew.
The small size paired with removable drip trays allows for easy cleaning. The simplicity of this brewer, however, does not compromise the quality of coffee made, nor does it affect the speed at which it takes to make one cup.
Read more in our full review of the Keurig mini K15.
PROS
CONS
Best Keurig For Office Use
The one thing you need from an office coffee maker is versatility. The Keurig B145 OfficePRO delivers just that.
It comes with the ability to brew more than just coffee, allowing you to enjoy a drink of your choice like tea, hot cocoa or iced tea. It can also accommodate three cup sizes: 6, 8 and 10 oz.
The 48-ounce reservoir is removable and can drain incredibly fast thanks to the "Drain Brewer" button. It also saves on energy thanks to the auto-off function that automatically switches it off after 2 hours without use.
PROS
CONS
The K575 is a top notch office coffee maker made by Keurig. For starters, it features a large 80 oz. reservoir capable of making 10 cups before requiring a refill. The reservoir is also removable and drainable, adding to the overall convenience of this machine.
It can handle different sized cups up to 12 oz. Even better, you can use a Carafe for when you need to brew a lot of coffee. Just use the special Carafe pods and buy the Carafe (which is sold separately from the brewer).
You can easily decide on how strong your coffee will be using the strength control setting as well as 5 different temperature settings.
Other versatile features accompanying this brewer include a large, easy use console, Auto-off capabilities, and a minimum of less than a minute brewing time.
PROS
CONS
The Keurig K155 is the fanciest coffee maker Keurig offers.
It features a generous 90 oz. reservoir that is removable and drainable for easy cleaning and transporting. You can make 14 cups of coffee before needing to refill the large reservoir.
You can also opt for a strong cup of coffee or go for something mild thanks to the strength control setting and 4 cup sizes (4, 6, 8, 10 oz.)
PROS
CONS
Verdict
When it comes down to the best of the best among the six reviewed coffee makers, I would place my bet on the Keurig K155 for commercial use and the K55 for home use.
The K155 is more than just a beautifully designed brewer. It has a large reservoir to fit its commercial purpose as well as an easy to use system. Cleaning is also quite easy.
The K55, on the other hand, works well for a home use brewer due to its simple yet efficient features. These include a 48 oz. reservoir, which we think is just the right size for home use.
It's hard for us to leave out the efficient features of the Keurig K575, which we originally featured as an “office home brewer” in this guide. This coffee maker falls somewhere in the middle of an office and a home brewer, so we want to give this machine a shout out for anyone torn between an office and home coffee maker.