The US being so dynamic, people often need a coffee maker that will fit in their dynamic lifestyles. A coffee maker has, dare we say, become a lifestyle supporting item. Picking the right coffee maker is, therefore, something that every coffee lover should do responsibly. Being fast and versatile, K-Cup coffee makers are a great way to a good cup of coffee.
Collaborating with many, many brands throughout the years and offering some of the most exquisite coffee blends to their customers, Keurig has surely managed to become one of the leaders in the coffee industry. So popular are the K-Cups that it is not only Keurig coffee makers that use them. Many other manufacturers decide to make coffee makers that are compatible with K-Cups, and today we will go over the best K-Cup coffee makers available on the market.
#1 Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker – People Love It
The affordable Keurig K-Classic from the Keurig 1.0 series sells like hotcakes. If you want a coffee maker that can brew you a large coffee mug in under a minute, this is your product. Plus, it doesn’t only work with K-Cups, but with other coffee pods and My K-Cups as well, which is a good bonus to have.
Using the K-Classic is as easy as it is to clean it. Of course, this kind of convenience should be something that the best K-Cup coffee maker should offer you. The machine will tell you when it’s time to descale it or add water in its reservoir and has a removable drip tray to help you clean it faster. Now, it might not have a temperature control setting, but that makes it faster, more convenient, and affordable. Honestly, if we could name it ‘Fast K-Classic,’ we would.
Key Features:
- 3 cup sizes
- Removable 48-ounce water reservoir
- Brew time: about 1 minute
- Accommodates cups and mugs as tall as 7.1’’
- Removable drip tray
- Auto-off feature
Pros
Intuitive, easy to use and informative interface
Works with K-Cups and My K-Cups
Brews the coffee fast
Great for people who like to make and take a lot of coffee with them
Has been Amazon’s bestseller for a very long time now
Cons
No temperature control
#2 Keurig K-Cafe Coffee Maker – Add Milk Foam to Your Coffee
Like other Keurig coffee makers on this list, the K-Cafe also made it in our which Keurig to buy list. The K-Cafe is the best K-Cup coffee maker for you if you enjoy drinking cappuccinos and lattes: it turns the struggle of frothing milk into convenience with the included frother and frothing cup. Also, it does really well when it comes to customizing the coffee to your preference, and that’s thanks to its many control buttons (they’re easy to use, so don’t worry).
The Shot button on the K-Cafe will help you brew 2 ounces of strong coffee for your latte or cappuccino, and the Strong button is there to make your larger coffees more concentrated. As for the Latte & Cappuccino button, it has to do with customizing the milk and milk foam in your milk-based drinks.
Other than offering great customization, the K-Cafe is pretty much the ‘go big or go home’ coffee maker on this list. That is pretty self-explanatory when you understand that it brews 4 cup sizes, has a 60-ounce reservoir, and accommodates 7.2-inch travel mugs. Luckily, these are all good reasons for its higher price, so know that you’re getting great value for the money with this coffee maker.
Key Features:
- 4 cup sizes
- Strong brew setting
- Shot button
- Latte & Cappucino button
- Removable 60-ounce water reservoir
- Milk frother
- Auto-off feature
Pros
Works with every K-Cup pod and with the reusable My K-Cup coffee filter
Great for hot or cold milk-based coffee drinks
Very versatile thanks to the Shot, Strong and Latte & Cappucino buttons
Accommodates 7.2 inches tall travel mugs
Comes with a milk frother cup that’s dishwasher-safe
Cons
Pricey
#3 Mueller Ultima – Small and Versatile
Versatile and lightweight, the Mueller Ultima is the best K-Cup coffee maker for everyone who likes to ‘cheat on’ the K-Cups with some other pods and has to often move the coffee maker from place to place to place. However, it is also the perfect machine for people who like to customize their drinks in all kinds of ways at an affordable price. This is possible with the 4 brew sizes and three buttons for long, short and medium coffee which are easily accessible on the coffee maker.
The Ultima is also very small when compared to other coffee makers on the list, but it has a surprisingly big reservoir. It is also one of those coffee makers that have an auto-off feature, so it is fair to say that it is energy efficient. The only thing that some people think the machine misses is indicators for its functions. However, we think that the Ultima is simple enough to not even need them.
Key Features:
- Works with 1.0 and 2.0 K-Cups and other coffee pods
- Removable 48-ounce water tank
- 4 brew sizes
- Short, Medium and Long buttons
- Auto-off feature
Pros
Versatile when it comes to the coffee pods it uses
Brews the coffee fast in under a minute
BPA-free
Portable and lightweight
Cons
No indicators for different things
#4 Keurig K-Elite Coffee Maker – Great for Iced Coffee and Other Drinks
If you’re looking for a coffee maker that can ‘ice it up’ for you, look no more: just go and get the K-Elite. The K-Elite was one of the best Keurig coffee makers of 2019, and something tells us its name will keep appearing on best lists for a long time.
This K-Cup coffee maker can set its strength and size for a good cup of iced coffee in those summer days. You’ll get your coffee at the touch of a button—the Iced button. However, the K-Elite lets you get more, if not everything else that you might want. That said, you’ll get hot coffee which can be strong or not so strong, hot or not that hot. You can also brew different cup sizes and a 7.2’’ mug.
For those of you who live at a higher altitude—worry not! The K-Elite is a fancy coffee maker that comes with a high altitude setting which allows it to work properly at higher altitudes. Furthermore, you can also program it to turn on or off at a specific time. Now, all these features won’t come to you at a very low price, but they will really make your coffee drinking experience great.
Key Features:
- Iced Coffee button
- Strong Coffee button
- 5 brew sizes
- Removable 75-ounce water reservoir
- Works with travel mugs that are 7.2’’ tall
- Descale alert
- Removable drip tray
Pros
Makes you both coffee and other drinks
Prepares iced coffee
Brews very quietly
Programmable temperature and brew sizes
Programmable turn on and off time and high altitude setting
Cons
A bit pricey
#5 Keurig K155 Office Pro Commercial Coffee Maker – The King of Water Tanks
The capacity of the Keurig K155 is nothing but amazing. With a 90-ounce reservoir, you can expect coffee for a lifetime at the touch of a button in a few minutes. This coffee maker also has 4 brew sizes to offer, and it can be programmed to go on or off at the time you prefer.
Besides from its programmable clock and languages, the K155 also lets you program one very important thing—the brew temperature. We all know that some people like it hot, but there are still others that like it hotter or colder. Also, we don’t have the same temperature preferences for different K-Cups, and this is another thing that makes the adjustability of this setting great. Couple that with the K-Cup coffee box that you get with the K155, and both its price and popularity will make perfect sense to you.
Key Features:
- 4 brew sizes
- Adjustable brew temperature
- Removable 90-ounce water tank
- LCD color touch screen
- Auto-on and off features
- Drain and Store option
Pros
Brews the coffee in about a minute
Allows you to enjoy in a nicely-customized coffee with a lot of brew sizes and adjustable brew temperature
Has one of the largest tanks on the list
Comes with a 12 Count K-Cup variety box as a gift
Has a descaling function
Cons
Pricey
#6 Cuisinart SS-10P1 Premium Single-Serve Coffeemaker – A Very Well Rounded Coffee Maker
The Cuisinart SS-10P1 is a nice coffee maker for everyone who likes to have it all at a lower price; well, at least all that a good K-Cup coffee maker can offer them. This coffee maker is a well-thought-out product: not too heavy, but not too lightweight; there are multiple brew sizes, but there are few temperature settings as well; it can automatically turn on, but it can also turn off automatically if you want it to. Take a look at it from the left or the right, the SS-10P1 really has it all. Not to mention its very large 72-ounce water tank, ready to offer you a pool of coffee at any time.
The large water reservoir is not the last good feature in the good feature string, however. This coffee maker also has a water filter, rinses itself on your command and has a Hot Water button for preparing hot drinks that are not coffee. Seems to us like the manufacturers went pretty clever on this one. It might take it longer to brew the coffee and it might splash a bit, but so be it if it offers all these cool features. That’s our opinion, at least.
Key Features:
- Works with K-Cups, other coffee pods and ground coffee
- 5 brew sizes
- Removable 72-ounce water tank
- Brew, Hot Water and Rinse buttons
- Adjustable brew temperature
- Auto on and off setting
Pros
Lets you program the size and temperature of the drink
Comes with a reusable coffee filter
Has a charcoal water filter
Very versatile in terms of the drinks it can make for you and what it can make your coffee from
Pretty affordable
Cons
It takes it longer to brew coffee than the rest of the coffee makers on this list
The coffee might splash
#7 Keurig K575 Coffee Maker – A Generous Coffee Maker
The K575 is an ‘old-timer’ that doesn’t seem to get old as time goes by. This K-Cup coffee maker is still one of the favorite ones on the market, and it owes that to its great features. The machine can brew cups, mugs, and carafes in different sizes, and even though it takes it a few more minutes to brew the coffee, it does make it taste nice. Of course, that would’ve not been possible without its strength and temperature settings.
The reservoir of the K575 has a capacity of 80 ounces, which is great if you want the coffee maker to brew your coffee to go, for example. With this coffee maker, you can brew coffee at the touch of a button or choose one of your saved customize drinks. The machine will do this in a noisy manner and it will take some time for it to finish brewing, but neither the noise nor the brewing will take forever. Plus, it can automatically brew you a carafe! That said, we think it deserves our generous forgiveness for its downsides.
Key Features:
- 5 cup sizes
- 3 carafe sizes
- 2 mug sizes
- Coffee strength control
- 5 temperature options
- Removable 80-ounce water reservoir
- Different nightlight colors
Pros
Automatically brews you a carafe
Lets you create a menu of your already customized favorite drinks
Automatically turns on or off at the times you want it to
Programmability options allow you to adjust the strength, temperature, and size of your coffee
Cons
Cons
Noisy
Brews slower than some other coffee makers on the list
#8 Mixpresso – Single-Serve K-Cup Coffee Maker – Simple, but Accommodates Large Mugs
One of the simplest K-Cup coffee makers on the list is the Mixpresso. It is a coffee maker that is simple to use and simple to clean, and it has some pretty simple features. However, it is not a bad coffee maker at all; in fact, it does have some simple features that are simply very nice.
The Mixpresso comes with a 45-ounce water reservoir attached to it, and you can remove it to fill it with water. Another removable part of the coffee maker is its drip tray, and this actually lets the Mixpresso accommodate very large mugs. Since it’s a K-Cup coffee maker, it works with K-Cups. However, it is very versatile and works with all the K-Cups currently available. The coffee maker is also compatible with the reusable K-Cup filter, so you’ll have a lot of brew options to choose from if you get the machine. You might not get the most customizable coffee maker, but you’ll definitely get a simple and solid one. As for the water not being hot enough, we think that that’s a matter of personal preference. Still, you won’t drink lukewarm coffee, that’s for sure.
Key Features:
- Works with 1.0 and 2.0 K-Cups and the reusable K-Cup filter
- Takes 30 seconds to preheat
- Removable 45-ounce water tank
- Removable drip tray
- Auto-off feature
Pros
Compatible with K-Cups of all kinds
A reservoir with a nice capacity
Accommodates mugs as tall as 7.5’’
Easy to operate and maintain
Affordable
Cons
Lacks on features for customizing the coffee
Some find the water to be not hot enough
#9 AICOK Single Serve Programmable Coffee Maker – Packed as a Gift
The AICOK coffee maker makes for a nice gift since it comes to you packed in a gift box. The coffee maker has buttons that can be programmed for 5 different brew sizes. It also has a 45-ounce water tank on the back of the machine. Yes, this is a minor inconvenience since you won’t be able to see the water level. However, if you have that in mind, you’ll find a spot in your home adequate for the reservoir of the AICOK. That will make seeing the water level and refilling the tank easier.
This coffee maker has a thin base, and it can’t really fit some very wide coffee mugs because of this. However, it can accommodate mugs as tall as 7.5’’. This is possible thanks to its removable drip tray. This feature of the tray makes both accommodating mugs and cleaning the AICOK easier.
This coffee maker is compatible with all sorts of pods and, will brew your coffee in under a minute and is very safe to use. This makes it a pretty convenient coffee maker for anyone.
Key Features:
- 5 brew sizes
- Works with all K-Cups, other pods and the reusable K-Cup filter
- Removable 45-ounce water tank
- Removable drip tray
- Heat up time of 30 seconds
- Brews coffee in under 1 minute
- Auto-off feature
Pros
Very versatile when it comes to coffee pods
Brews the coffee fast
Accommodates mugs that are 7.5’’ in height
The capsule needle retracts when you open the lid so it doesn’t sting you
Packed in a gift box in case you want to give it as a gift
Cons
Water tank is on the back of the coffee maker
The base is a bit narrow
FAQ
1. How can I maximize the coffee temperature in my cup?
You can do this by putting hot water in your cup to warm it up before you get the coffee in the cup.
2. Are K-Cup coffee makers just for making regular coffee?
Not at all. There are so many interesting blends with which the K-Cups are filled that you can actually try something new. Also, you can use these coffee makers to make tea, and some of them will even allow you to make hot cocoa, oatmeals, soups, iced coffee, and even milk-based drinks if there’s a milk frother included.
Things to Consider When Buying a K-Cup Coffee Maker
Compatibility with different K-Cups – A good K-Cup coffee maker will be compatible with different K-Cups, if not with all of them. Some of them will even work with other pods and reusable filters. The more versatile the coffee maker, the better, for you’ll have more K-Cups to choose from.
Brew size settings – Like with the K-Cups, the more brew size settings, the better. This is in case you want to be able to choose between a few cup, mug, or carafe sizes. However, let your preferences guide you when it comes to this since not all of us want or need the same coffee makers.
Brew time – Your K-Cup coffee maker should have a fast brew time. Why would someone wait longer on their coffee when they can have it faster?
Programmable settings – The best K-Cup coffee makers will have some programmable settings. Depending on how simple you want your coffee maker to be you can get one with programmable brew temperature, coffee strength, auto on and off settings and brew times.
The size of the water reservoir – Some people prefer coffee makers with larger, while others prefer coffee makers with smaller water reservoirs. Before you buy your coffee maker, think how often you’ll be using it and how many people you’ll share it with. Needless to say, the golden rule is ‘larger for more and smaller for less.’
How easy to use the coffee maker is – Some K-Cup coffee makers will have a learning curve even if they are really good. However, most of the good ones will be with simple-to-understand control buttons, simple to program and simple to clean.
Conclusion
You now know what the best K-Cup coffee makers are, even though we don’t know what your favorite one of them is. However, that’s okay because we know that whichever one you decide to go for is a good coffee maker. Enjoy your favorite coffee maker, and remember—the quality of the coffee is very important, but so is the quality of the coffee maker you use.