Keurig 2.0 coffee maker models stem from the Classic Keurig 1.0, but even though they undoubtedly have the Keurig imprint all over them, the differences between the two lines continue to grow. In the case of the Keurig K50 and the Keurig K200, the two Keurig coffee makers find common ground in the simplicity of coffee-making, but from that point on each of these coffee makers is a different story. Their brew sizes, K-pod compatibility, and features tend to take opposite directions, making the gap between the classic and the modern Keurig more visible than ever.
Article summary
Keurig K50
Key features:
- For coffee specialties, tea, and more
- Brew sizes: 6, 8, and 10 ounces
- Brews under 1 minute
- 48-ounce water tank
- Programmable auto off
Pros
The definition of simple, with straightforwardness of the design and extreme user-friendliness
Single-serve, with three of the most popular cup sizes available at the touch of a button
Auto turn off feature for greater energy efficiency and protection of the life length of the coffee maker
A tank that is 8 ounces larger than the tank of the K200, for less refills and effortless coffee breaks
Both K-Cup and third-party pods available for the best coffee versatility
Cons
No water filter
Overly simplistic, with only three brew sizes that might not be enough for people with versatile coffee lives
No Strong setting for the coffee, meaning not much of a choice between coffee intensities
Keurig K200
Key features:
- Strength control
- Nine brew sizes: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 ounces plus a carafe
- 40-ounce water reservoir
- Black-and-white display
- High altitude setting
Pros
A much wider range of brew sizes, with all there is to brew: cups, mugs, and carafes
A design that makes the coffee maker slim so that it doesn’t take valuable space on busy kitchen counters
An option for stronger coffee for when you need a more intense coffee taste
A black and white touch display that embraces the modern generation of technologies which improve the simplicity of usage
Available in a bunch of different colors for decorative purposes
Cons
Unlike the black model, the colored models come at prices double the price of the K50
Additional costs for the coffee carafe that you’ll need to buy separately
Our pick: The Keurig K200
We’re in favor of the many brew sizes that the Keurig K200 comes ready to brew and we cannot substitute that with simplicity this time; things can be as simple as you want them to be with this coffee maker as well, after all. We recognize that not everyone needs to brew a carafe every day, but the fact that you can brew that carafe when needed is a stress reliever. There’s no reason why to not choose the rich-in-brew-sizes Keurig K200 when the black K200 is about the same price as the K50. In conclusion, the K200 is the better Keurig coffee maker of the two.
About the Keurig K50
This Classic coffee maker doesn’t differentiate from Classic series Keurig coffee makers, featuring a plastic body, the classic removable drip tray, and a removable 48-ounce reservoir. Colored in black, the nice Keurig K50 shows Keurig’s basic principle— simplicity.
This simplicity marks K50’s appearance, but it also marks the interface of the coffee maker made of a few buttons and indicator lights. The three buttons of the K50 are your way to the three brew sizes available on this Classic model: the 6, 8, and 10-ounce cups.
Apart from a nice cup of regular coffee, the K50 offers drinks like tea, hot cocoa, certain specialty drinks, and iced beverages. To be made, the drinks require K-Cups or third-party, making flavor versatility something natural for the K50. The removable drip tray, furthermore, makes the coffee maker even more versatile since fitting taller cups and mugs means more or less coffee.
Overall, the K50 simplifies the coffee-drinking routine, while animating it through goodies like a one-touch operation, versatility in K-Cups, large cup clearance, and a large reservoir capacity.
About the Keurig K200
The Keurig K200 will give you a full range of brew sizes and a coffee strength adjustment to set your coffee drink to your coffee standards. If the K50 was simple and straightforward, the K200 inspires you to want more from coffee.
This coffee maker has 9 brew sizes that you can choose from its touch black-and-white display. On the display, you can select any coffee length from 4 to 30 ounces of coffee. Naturally, this includes the use of cups, mugs, and even a carafe that you can purchase separately.
Like the brew sizes, the Strong option also helps you fine-tune your coffee. You can choose this setting or not because it is optional.
The reservoir of the K200 is not too big nor too small. With its capacity of 40 ounces, it gives you a nice equilibrium between refills and brewing. Like the drip tray, the reservoir is also removable, making for an easier management of your coffee time.
The K200 and its hot water function let you add other hot drinks like teas, hot cocoas, and over-ice beverages. The high altitude setting of the coffee maker keeps the beverages hot if you live on a higher altitude. With the abundance of colors that you can buy your Keurig K200 in, the flexibility of choosing your coffee maker’s design is guaranteed.
Similarities between the Keurig K50 and the K200
Apart from them both belonging to the popular Keurig family and being made of plastic, there are little connections that we can see between the two coffee makers.
There is a similarity between the prices of the black versions of these two Keurig coffee makers, as they are both quite affordable. That said, the orange zest or sandy K200 are more expensive than the K50.
Another thing the K50 and the K200 have in common is the removable drip trays and water tanks. The removable tanks and drip trays of the two coffee makers make coffee-making easier and comfortable.
Differences between the Keurig K50 and the K200
While the K50 is compatible with both Keurig and third-party pods, the K200 works with Keurig 2.0 pods only. Even though 2.0 Keurig pods introduce over 500 different coffee blends, some people like having third-party pod options as well.
Different are the coffee strength adjustments of these two coffee makers, with only the K200 having an option for strong coffee. Clearly, it is the K200 that gives you more programmability and choice when it comes to coffee flavor.
The biggest difference between the K50 and the K200 has to do with the brew sizes. If the K50 brews three cup sizes only, the K200 brews 9 cup, mug, and carafe sizes. The range of 9 brew sizes is massively convenient for coffee lovers who constantly jump from one coffee situation into another.
Interestingly enough, it is the K50 out of the two that has the larger water tank, and by as many as 8 ounces too! This might seem a bit strange, but it is very logical once you understand that the K200 was designed to save space on your kitchen counter.
What furthermore surprised us about the K200 was its lack of an auto off function—a feature present on the simpler K50. Even though this doesn’t negatively reflect on K200’s image, it does limit the energy efficiency of the coffee maker.
Finally, to brew your coffee, you use intuitive buttons on the K50 and a touch display on the K200. The ‘Classic vs Modern’ dichotomy is very noticeable here, but simplicity in operation remains intrinsic to both coffee makers.
Which one should you go with?
Once and a gazillion times again, we think that the Keurig K200 is a better choice for everyone, regardless of how experienced they are with making coffee. This coffee maker stands for everything that Keurig as a company stands for and doubles it. Think of the doubled simplicity, the doubled convenience, and the tripled number of brew sizes that you’re getting with the K200. If you like things extremely simple, that is absolutely fine, but we think that, with the Keurig K200, you’re not sacrificing simplicity— you’re just getting more simple options. So, which Keurig are you going to buy?