Ready to buy now? Shop the best:
- Best of the Best: Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker
- Best Bang for the Buck: Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker
- Best for Heavy Use: Keurig K-Elite Single-Serve Coffee Maker
- Compact Yet Capable: Keurig K-Express Coffee Maker
- Feature-Packed: Keurig K-Supreme
If you’re looking to make hot drinks as quickly and easily as possible, choosing a Keurig machine is a no-brainer. Using the prefilled pods, known as K-cups, these handy coffee makers don’t need much time or skill in order to whip up a tasty cup of coffee. It’s this ease and convenience that makes them so ubiquitous in homes and businesses.
But before you rush out and buy the first one you see, it’s important to consider the right one for your needs. There are slim compact options that are great for single-person use or small kitchens. Then, we have larger models with bigger reservoirs and more settings that work well for larger households and people who want more control over their brew.
To find the best Keurig coffee makers, we checked out every currently available version, tested a few popular models and spoke to coffee expert Tim Hopfinger Lee, the founder of Tim’s Coffee. Based on all this research, our top all-around choice is the versatile Keurig K-Classic for its easy-to-use design, large water reservoir and consistent brew temperatures.
Our top picks
Keurig K-Classic
Best Keurig Coffee Maker
Dimensions: 9.8” D x 13.3” W x 13” H | Material: Plastic | Water Reservoir Capacity: 48 oz | Cup Size Options: 6, 8 and 10 oz
The Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker was a favorite during testing. We found it easy to set up and a breeze to use. We liked that there are just five buttons on the body of the unit. Three control the cup size, one turns the machine on and off, and the last enables or disables the auto-off function. We appreciate the auto-off function for saving power, but it’s nice to be able to disable it when you want drinks throughout the day without waiting for the machine to warm up.
Speaking of warming up, it took four to five minutes for this Keurig to reach the correct temperature for use, which can be frustrating when you want your morning coffee. However, once at temperature, it only took around a minute to brew coffee.
Overall, this is a great mid-range choice that will suit most buyers. While some might be willing to pay more for a larger reservoir for brewing back-to-back coffees or others might prefer a cheaper, more compact model, this ticks all the right boxes for the average user.
Keurig K-Mini
Best Bang for the Buck
Dimensions: 11.3” D x 4.5” W x 12.1” H | Material: Plastic | Water Reservoir Capacity: 12 oz | Cup Size Options: 6 to 12 oz
Anyone without much counter space will appreciate that the Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker is just 4 and a half inches wide. It’s a little deeper than others, but it’s still a great space saver. During our testing, we found it extremely simple to use. You just add as much water to the reservoir as you want in your cup (up to 12 ounces), slot the pod into place, close the top and it starts brewing.
We found it took anywhere from one minute and 45 seconds to two minutes and 15 seconds to brew a drink. This includes the warm-up time, since this machine has a single-cup reservoir and needs to heat the water every brew. The time differences are likely due to the quantity of water or its temperature when it hits the reservoir.
All told, this is a solid Keurig coffee machine for an affordable price. Cleaning it was easy, taking just a couple minutes. Though we thought it felt slightly flimsy, the coffee was decent and the same quality we’d had from other Keurigs.
Keurig K-Elite
Best Keurig Coffee Maker for Heavy Use
Dimensions: 9.9” D x 13.1” W x 12.7” H | Material: Plastic | Water Reservoir Capacity: 75 oz | Cup Size Options: 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 oz
While the Keurig K-Elite Single-Serve Coffee Maker is one of the more expensive Keurig machines on the market, it’s worth it for anyone who wants more control over their brew. You can pick from five cup sizes between 4 and 12 ounces, which offers you more flexibility than cheaper alternatives. There’s also a Strong setting for those who find regular strength too watery. There’s even an option to brew iced coffee.
We love that you can adjust the brew temperature on the K-Elite between 187 and 192 degrees. This lets you brew lighter roasts at a higher temperature to get the most out of their flavors while choosing a lower temperature for dark roasts so they aren’t over-extracted and bitter.
This is our top choice of Keurig for heavy use or multiple users. The 75-ounce water reservoir holds enough for six 12-ounce cups or 18 4-ounce cups, and the machine had no problems brewing multiple cups of joe back to back. If you’re willing to spend extra, this option makes better-tasting coffee than other Keurigs we tested.