Best Keurig Coffee Makers (2019): We Rank the Top Models for Every Use

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With Keurig models designed for everything from a tiny kitchen or a dorm room, an office or commercial location, or a busy family kitchen, Keurig has a wide range of convenient, attractive coffee makers for nearly every situation.

But is a Keurig right for you?

And what's the best model for your needs? Today we're taking a closer look at these popular coffee machines to learn more about Keurig models and make the best purchase decisions.

The number of ways to make coffee has never been greater. From ancient techniques for making stovetop coffee, to percolators and coffee presses invented in the last century, to drip coffee makers, specialty cappuccino machines and advanced coffee machines that grind and brew coffee with the touch of a button, we have never had a wider array of choices for every preference and every lifestyle.

Keurigs are among the most recent coffee-making inventions, and people love how quickly and easily they can make a cup of coffee when compared to other methods.

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When considering a Keurig, there are a number of factors that will weigh in your decision. Here are just a few:

While all Keurig models are different and have slightly different features, the most common advantages of Keurig coffee machines are:

Of course, Keurigs aren't for everyone, and they have some disadvantages as well:

As we can see, there are trade-offs for all that speed and convenience, but many people love their Keurigs and couldn't do without them. Further on in this guide, we'll look at some ways to offset the downsides of owning a Keurig, to help you make the most of it. But first, let's take a closer look at some of the different Keurig models.

If you've shopped for Keurig coffee makers at all, you've probably run into a lot of confusion with model names. There are so many model numbers, and so many discontinued models, or models that have been renamed and reissued, that it can be difficult to tell which models you are comparing.

For example, the K50 is a rebrand and re-issue of the K40. The K55 is an update of the K50 with just a slightly different design and all the same features, but the K50 is now sold by Keurig as “the Classic.” Unfortunately, the K55 is also sometimes referred to as the “K-Classic” as well, despite both products being on the marketplace at the same time.

The K200 was discontinued and reissued as the K250. The K10 was discontinued and is now the K15, and so on. In side-by-side comparisons, the range of feature differences on these models can be very slight, while the machines themselves can look very different.

Or they can look almost exactly the same, as with the K-Classic and the Office Pro (K145), with almost the same features, but a fairly steep difference in price.

Keurig also uses the terms “Plus series” and “Keurig 2.0” to differentiate newer models from “Classic” models. Initially, Keurig “2.0” models were designed to only brew proprietary K-Cups produced by the Keurig company, but the consumer backlash was so strong that the 2.0 series are now compatible with third-party K-Cups, just like the Classic series. 

So, from a consumer standpoint, when the Keurig 2.0 series was first launched, it made a huge difference in the kinds of coffee you could make in the machine. Now the 2.0 series still have the technology to only react to certain pods (and to Keurig Carafes), but the 2.0 designation is less meaningful because they will brew anything.

In order to resolve the discrepancies between model names and make sure that your Keurig really has the features you think it has, make sure you buy from a reputable dealer. This is particularly important if you are looking at the standard-sized K/B40, 45, 50, or 55, which are all extremely similar models, with slight, but significant, differences in features.

Here's a practical way to determine the essential features that differentiate among current Keurig models:

With this information, you can sort out some of the model confusion and narrow in on the features that matter most to you. Here is a feature comparison of the top Keurig models available today.

These Keurig coffee maker models are all designed to fit and work in a standard kitchen and a busy lifestyle, with a variety of features designed to simplify your morning. For a quick comparison, here are some key attributes of these models:

The removable drip tray allows you to brew coffee directly into your own travel mug or thermos as well as brew into a standard-sized coffee cup. The optional “auto off” feature allows the Keurig to turn itself off if it's left idle for 2 hours, saving energy, and it comes in black or rhubarb color. The K50 is the classic, all-purpose Keurig, and has won over thousands of converts to Keurig coffee.

The optional “auto off” feature allows the Keurig to turn itself off if it's left idle for 2 hours, saving energy.

Older K40 models only brewed two sizes of coffee, and older ones still only brewed a single 8-ounce brew size. The K40 Elite brews all three coffee sizes, so it's good to check which model you are getting if you choose a K40.

The K-Elite is programmable, so you can set it to turn itself on in the morning, saving you a few minutes of warming up the Keurig. The generous 75 ounce water reservoir on the K-Elite improves time between refills, while the wider range of coffee brew sizes and temperature settings help you get the perfect cup of coffee in the morning.

With the K55, you can brew all standard K-Cups, including coffee, tea, cocoa, and other hot beverages. The K55 also brews iced beverages, and all can be made in less than a minute. It brews 6-, 8-, and 10-ounce sizes of coffee, with a 48 ounce reservoir. 

The optional “auto off” programmable feature allows the Keurig to turn itself off if it's left idle for 2 hours, saving energy when it's not in use. This Keurig comes in black and rhubarb colors when sold by Keurig, but on Amazon you can also get it in white or blue.

Keurigs have a great advantage over other coffee makers when space is an issue. When you want to have fresh, hot coffee in a dorm room, bed room, or guest room, or if you need a coffee maker that will fit easily in a small home or RV, Keurig has several compact coffee makers that can easily meet your needs without taking up extra space. Here's an overview of the features in the more compact Keurig models.

The tall design accommodates travel mugs up to 7 inches high with the drip tray removed, making it a great size for commuters. The K-Compact does not have internal water filtering capability, unlike many other Keurigs, so, depending on your water, it may need more frequent descaling, or you may want to use filtered water when filling the reservoir.

The K-Compact is a good compromise between all the standard, Keurig Classic features and capabilities, streamlined to take up less space on your countertop.

The small size, range of attractive and bright colors, and ability to produce a lot of coffee in a short time make the K250 a popular choice.

It also has touchscreen controls, multi-language capability, the “strong brew” button, high altitude and water filter settings, and a slim design. However, the K250 is the recommended choice, because of the ability to use 3rd-party K-Cups and expand the range of beverages you can make with your Keurig.

The tall design accommodates travel mugs up to 7 inches high with the drip tray removed, making it a great size for commuters. The K-Compact does not have internal water filtering capability, unlike many other Keurigs, so, depending on your water, it may need more frequent descaling, or you may want to use filtered water when filling the reservoir.

The K-Compact is a good compromise between all the standard, Keurig Classic features and capabilities, streamlined to take up less space on your countertop.

A Keurig is a great solution to manage office drama around the coffee machine. Instead of constant disputes about who is supposed to make the coffee, or what flavor everyone likes, or who burned the coffee, or how strong it should be, a Keurig lets everyone make the cup of coffee they prefer and get back to work. Keurigs designed for commercial use are UL Commercial listed, unlike their household coffee makers.

Unfortunately, Keurig's refillable My K-Cup reusable K-Cups will not work in any of their commercial line of products.

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To go back to the naming confusion, there are two “Office Pro” Keurig coffee makers. This one, the K145 or B145, is almost identical to the Keurig Elite, with the only appreciable difference being the UL listing designed for commercial use, which also explains why it is more expensive than the Keurig Elite.

The better UL listing might make this a more durable option than the Elite, but it is in all other respects exactly like a Keurig designed for a home kitchen.

The Office Pro has the standard Keurig features:

This machine is not compatible with the refillable My K-Cup, which is a severe drawback. In a small office, with the same people drinking coffee every day, the My K-Cup is a great option to save money and protect the environment.

Since this model is so close to the features and capabilities of the K-Classic and K-Elite, but at a higher price, it might be a better choice to use a Keurig coffee maker designed for the home, but with the ability to use My K-Cups instead of disposable ones.

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The K155 is the Office Pro Premiere model, and it's truly designed for commercial use. With a massive 90-ounce reservoir, this coffee maker can keep a small office going for hours before refilling. This Keurig is loaded with features, including:

It's more powerful, durable, and robust than Keurigs designed for residential use, without taking up much more space on a countertop. Many home users love their Keurigs so much that they get the K155 for their kitchens instead of a household model, and find it more robust and durable than the consumer Keurigs.

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The K150 is a truly commercial coffee maker. It is National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) certified for use in foodservice, and has a 90-ounce reservoir, but is also capable of being plumbed directly to a water line so the reservoir never needs to be manually filled.

It has customizable brew temperatures, can operate in English, Spanish, or French, and can brew 5 coffee sizes. For the home coffee drinker, many committed Keurig fans have gone all the way to buying these models, and enjoy them for being more durable than residential Keurig models.

However, the K150 is only supposed to be sold commercially through authorized distributor: if a private person buys one on Amazon, Keurig will not provide support for the machine.

The current Keurig models with the best ratings, most happy customers, and strongest overall satisfaction are:

Customer feedback is important when weighing which Keurig is right for you, but those rankings may miss the latest and best Keurig features, or not account for specific needs and situations. To that end, we have reviewed all of the current Keurig models to make our recommendations based on the requirements and features that may be most important to you. Here are our top Keurig recommendations:

Whichever model you choose, you can't make the most out of your Keurig without some essential accessories.

In short, My K-Cup is a fantastic way to save money and protect the environment while having more control over the strength, freshness, and content of your Keurig coffee. There's just no reason not to get one.

Whatever Keurig model you choose, there are a few things you will want to do to set it up to operate properly. Here are some tips for the initial setup of your Keurig.

Remove your Keurig from the packaging and remove the shipping disc from the pod attachment. Save the box, the manual, and anything necessary to pack and ship your Keurig. The manual has great information for using and maintaining your Keurig, so it's worth reading. And you should at least keep the box until the warranty expires, because Keurigs do have a reputation for being unreliable.

Wash the water reservoir gently in warm soapy water, and wipe down the whole machine inside and out with a damp cloth while inserting the water filter, priming a charcoal filter (if applicable), finishing assembly, and placing the machine where you want it.

Fill the water reservoir with clean water, place a coffee cup under the spout, and run a brew cycle on your new Keurig without a K-Cup, just to rinse it out. Run the largest brew cycle you can, provided it isn't larger than the cup that will catch the water.

Your Keurig should now be ready for use!

Some Keurig models have an indicator light that shows when the unit needs a new filter or periodic maintenance. But even without an indicator in the coffee maker, you should plan on performing routine maintenance in order to preserve the life of your Keurig and to keep your coffee tasting delicious.

While you should gently wash your Keurig every week, cleaning the drip tray, reservoir, and pod assembly, you will also need to periodically do a deeper cleaning to descale the workings of the machine You should always be using charcoal water filters to keep excess minerals from building up inside your Keurig.

Because charcoal filters need to be replaced every 60 days, it's a good time to perform your other Keurig maintenance as well, just to make a habit of it. Here's how to do periodic cleaning and maintenance most efficiently.

The most common problem that people experience with their Keurig is that, over time, the volume of coffee produced decreases, or that the flavor of their coffee isn't as good. In nearly every instance of troubleshooting a Keurig, the first step is a thorough cleaning and descaling as described above.

If that doesn't work, Keurig suggests using a straightened paper clip to clean the needles in the pod assembly. Coffee grounds and debris frequently get trapped and build up inside the needles, and rinsing doesn't always work to clear them out, so poking a paperclip through them often helps dislodge anything trapped in there. Then perform another rinse cycle.

If that doesn't work, many Keurig owners find that “spanking” their Keurig somehow helps to restore function. It may seem counterintuitive, but Keurig lovers all over the internet have found that a spanking works to fix Keurig problems that aren't corrected by cleaning, descaling, and a paperclip. To “spank” your Keurig:

It is theorized that spanking helps to clear stubborn debris that may be trapped inside, or remove air bubbles from the lines, or just show it who's boss, but hundreds of internet commenters agree that spanking a Keurig can resolve a variety of issues.

Hopefully you've found the best Keurig model for your needs, and have your machine set up and functioning, but now it's time to address the next most important question: K-Cup coffee. What's the best?

Green Mountain owns Keurig (and Barista Prime, Cafe Escapes, Coffee People, Donut House Collection, The Original Donut Shop, and Tully's Coffee), so it makes sense that these products would be particularly designed to brew well and taste good in a Keurig machine.

When you are first starting out with Keurig, it's best to get one or more variety packs of coffees, so that you can taste and try different things and discover what you like best. There are dozens of different K-Cup variety packs available, and here is how best to use them while getting to know your Keurig:

Always use filtered or bottled water if possible in your Keurig. It prevents minerals from building up inside the coffee maker, reducing the frequency of descaling, and makes your drinks taste as good as they can.

For non-coffee beverages like cocoa or cider, the powders can settle in the bottom of the K-Cups and not brew properly. Always shake the K-Cup before inserting it into your Keurig, and make sure you hear the powder shake inside the cup.

If you are using your Keurig to alternate tea or cider with coffee drinks, run a rinsing brew cycle on your Keurig with no pod in between beverages. The flavors are likely to carry over from one beverage to the next, which isn't noticeable when brewing different kinds of coffees, but is noticeable with other beverages.

If you are using a tightly sealed K-Cup with internal pressure (reusable My K-Cups and some eco-friendly cups are not made in this way), particularly if you are at a higher altitude, or brewing non-coffee drinks on your Keurig, it is best to pierce the K-cup before closing the pod holder. To do this, press the K-Cup firmly into place until the bottom needle pierces the cup.

 Then close the holder and brew normally. Piercing the cup beforehand relieves pressure inside the K-Cup before closing the machine up, which prevents the internal pressure from “puffing” the cup contents upward, inside the top needle.

Instead, pressure is released downward, where the lower needle is protected by the filter inside the K-Cup. This helps to prevent clogs inside the needles, and prevents carryover contamination between different beverages brewed in the Keurig.

Many people complain that even at the hottest setting, Keurigs don't brew hot enough to make the best coffee. While only some Keurig models allow you to adjust the brew temperature, and most never allow you to brew at the optimal 195°-205° that coffee experts recommend, you can get any Keurig to brew a few degrees hotter.

Simply brew a hot rinse cycle (without a pod), forcing the machine to heat up and brew hot water just before you brew your coffee. Place your mug to catch the water from this warmup/rinse cycle, discard the water, and then use that cup for your coffee as well. Making the cup itself a few degrees warmer keeps more heat in the coffee instead of transferring the heat to the cup.

Brewing hot water first, and using that water to pre-heat your mug, will make your coffee brew a few degrees hotter than it would if the machine had been idle for a while, and give you hotter coffee to drink.

Back at the top of this guide, we discussed several of the disadvantages of owning a Keurig. However, as we have explored more Keurig models, accessories, and options, it's clear that there are easy ways to overcome these disadvantages.

There are a variety of easy, effective solutions to compensate for a Keurig's shortcomings and really enjoy the convenience of these popular coffee makers. Let's readdress these issues one by one.

Some people who want a big cup of strong coffee don't like the fact that in larger brew sizes, a Keurig simply adds more water to a pre-determined amount of coffee.

Some people want coffee brewed at a hotter temperature than the Keurig default.

Some people don't like that K-Cup pods may not have the very freshest coffee inside them.

The cost of coffee per K-Cup pod is more expensive than coffee purchased by the pound.

The internet is full of complaints that Keurigs frequently break down or don't last very long.

Over the years, K-Cups have taken a toll on the environment, and it's important to reduce the use of disposable plastics in order to take care of our oceans.

As you can see, the newer Keurig models and My K-Cup accessory are specifically intended to offset many of these drawbacks, as Keurig evolves as a company and strives to win over new consumers. Keurig wants to offer fast, delicious, convenient coffee without harming the environment, and they are continually evolving their product line and company practices in order to achieve those goals.

The wide range of Keurig models, features, sizes, and colors means that there is a Keurig on the market for nearly everyone. Following these tips will help you choose the Keurig that's perfect for you, and then make the most of your machine, for the best long-term function, most flavorful coffee, and easiest way of life every day. Enjoy your kitchen, your workplace, and your mornings more with your new Keurig.