The K-Elite also has the widest serving size range, capable of brewing cups at 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-ounces. This beast of a Keurig may lack a milk frother, but it makes up for it with several features: temperature control, a programmable clock to schedule a warming function, a hot water dispenser, the ability to brew iced coffee, and a massive 75-ounce water reservoir. The key to a tastier, more flavorful K-Cup is a slower brew, and the K-Elite’s “strong” button feature helps achieve just that, and way more. That’s why it makes the list as one of the best Keurig coffee makers. Having said that, if you’re looking for a barebones machine, the K-Slim makes the best flavor of K-Cup coffee at the lowest price, and it comes in plenty of colors including red, mint, gray, and white. The K-Slim is capable of only brewing three serving sizes––8-, 10-, and 12-ounces––and the water reservoir’s location at the rear of the machine may be slightly annoying to fill as you’ll have to pivot the machine to reach it. Its downfalls may come from its no-frills design, however. It also consumes about 139 kWh, which is slightly more than the K-Elite. Still, like all Keurigs, the K-Slim can brew a cup in less than two minutes.Īt its loudest, the K-Slim makes about 74 decibels of noise, toward the end of its brewing cycle. We also clocked the machine’s average brew time to be 1 minute and 25 seconds, though, unlike our top contenders - the K-Cafe and K-Elite - the K-Slim’s warm-up and brew cycles are combined, resulting in a longer wait. The hottest recorded cup was 181 degrees Fahrenheit, while 168 degrees was the lowest. It lacks the hot temperature required for the best tasting coffee, however, as do all Keurigs. Plus, its multistream technology ensures a richer cup of coffee by fully saturating its K-Cups, a taste we found during testing to be much like the bold feature seen on other Keurig machines.Įvery coffee we brewed using the K-Slim produced a tasty cup, providing both depth and flavor. Its slender build is the total opposite of the typical bulky design from Keurig, and maintenance is fairly lowkey thanks to the dishwasher-safe water reservoir and drip tray. If you’re looking for a baseline Keurig machine that won’t hog counter space, the K-Slim is a solid easygoing entry at only 4.7-inches wide. Its incredibly easy-to-use functionality makes it all the better. If you're in search of a Keurig that can replicate that coffeehouse feel at home, or you just want a bolder flavor of K-Cup in the morning, the K-Cafe is your go-to machine. Though it’s quite pricey, this premium Keurig is a superhero for those mornings when you want a barista experience with little time to spare. We also measured 75 decibels of noise from the K-Cafe’s brew cycle––the second loudest across all Keurigs––but its warm-up process averaged around a much quieter 65 decibels.

The K-Cafe uses about 160 kWh of energy, the highest we recorded for a Keurig machine, but that’s to be expected from a machine that can both brew and froth. Those who prefer piping hot coffee may be disappointed by cooler temperatures. The hottest cup of coffee we measured from the K-Cafe was only 176 degrees Fahrenheit. All of the Keurigs we reviewed were unable to brew coffee at hot temperatures. Though we enjoyed the taste of the K-Cafe’s coffee, we found the temperatures to be a bit lacking. However, this is the only model from Keurig with a built-in milk frother, which makes it arguably the most versatile offering from the brand. The frother is also located on the right side of the machine, which could frustrate those who are left-handed during operation. It must be noted that the K-Cafe cannot brew and froth milk at the same time. Meanwhile, the frother is a longer process, averaging about one minute and 35 seconds per pitcher.

After brewing three cups of each serving size, we measured the average time it takes for the K-Cafe to brew a cup at 36 seconds, just behind the slightly faster K-Elite and K-Classic.

Space saver coffee maker using k cups