Are Keurig Coffee Makers worth it or not in 2024

Keurig coffee makers have been quite popular for the past decade now, mainly because of their ease of use and convenience.

It is estimated that more than 36 million Keurig units are being used in homes and offices across the US. Quite a huge number, Isn’t it?

Just put the k cup pod into the machine, press the brew button, and your coffee will be ready in a minute. The only easier way than this is to have coffee at some café.

Let’s cover the pros and cons of Keurig coffee makers from all angles and possibilities so that you can decide if investing in Keurig will be worthwhile for you or not.

Does Keurig make good coffee?

The Keurig coffee maker makes a simple and smooth cup of coffee that tastes decent, but not great. Keurig will disappoint you if you are picky about the great flavors and strength of your coffee drink; however, if you are a regular coffee drinker who does not take coffee seriously, then you’ll find it good.

There are three main reasons why Keurig coffee is weaker than French Press or Drip coffee maker:

• The brew time is too quick so the grounds do not have enough time to fully extract the flavors
• The brewing temperature inside the machine is less than optimal.
• The amount of coffee grounds in K cup is 9-12 grams which is too low for larger than 8 oz servings.

Many coffee snobs claim that Keurig is just a waste of money and always makes coffee that is too watery and weak.

But that’s not the case if your Keurig has a strong brew button or if you have a Keurig Supreme that features modern multi-stream technology.

This feature evenly saturates the coffee grounds and I have found it to be more flavorful and better tasting than normal Keurig brew.

The best way to brew coffee from Keurig is to always choose smaller brew sizes (as larger brew sizes are watered down) and press the strong brew button.

Reasons you should buy a Keurig | The Pros

The following are some reasons why you might be convinced to buy a new Keurig coffee maker.

1) Convenience and User Friendliness

The most special thing and unique selling point of Keurig is convenience and user-friendliness. Keurig is freaking simple. Insert your favorite K-cup coffee pod in the machine, select your desired cup size, press the brew button and your coffee will be ready.

You don’t need to care about grinding the coffee beans, selecting the right coffee-to-water ratio, and waiting for the whole pot to brew.

No brewing experience needed – Even a kid can brew a perfect cup of coffee using Keurig.

2) Keurig is super quick

We live in a world where people are always on the go, so it’s natural for us to skip the hefty coffee brewing process and get our cup of joe as fast as possible, especially in the busy mornings.

For this reason, Keurig has designed its brewing system to prepare coffee in as little time as possible.

Keurig only takes 1 to 2 minutes to heat up for the first brew and only 40 to 50 seconds to brew a cup of coffee.

That’s pretty fast compared to drip coffee makers which take almost 10 to 15 minutes for brewing a pot of coffee.

Keurig is a single-serve coffee maker and is only quick if you want 1 or 2 cups of coffee at a time. In my opinion, Keurig is not a practical choice for bigger families or if you need to brew multiple cups at a time.

3) Cleaning and maintenance

The best thing about Keurig is it’s super easy to clean. Just remove the used coffee pod from the machine and you are good to go for the second brew.

It’s very easy to clean than a traditional coffee maker where you have to dispose of the coffee grounds and clean the mesh filters and coffee pots every time.

4) Modern and Minimalistic design

I have to admit, one thing I really dig about Keurigs is their sleek, minimalist design. These machines just look super modern and stylish on your kitchen counter.

They have a very streamlined body and shape, with smooth curves and a pretty compact footprint.

Having a portable design, these coffee machines are perfect for small apartments, college dormitories, etc.

Also, Keurig models often come in various color options, so you can select the one that matches the aesthetics of your kitchen.

5) Variety of K cups

In recent years, the popularity of single-serve pod machines has led to an abundance of variety in K cups.

Every top coffee brand like Starbucks, Lavazza, Peets, Illy, and many more manufactures K cups of Keurig coffee makers. With so many flavors and quality coffee available in the K-cup market, you can easily find the one that fits your taste best.

Additionally, K cups are not limited to coffee only, you can find them for other hot beverages such as hot chocolate, tea, and latte.

Finding coffee pods for other pod-based machines like Nespresso Vertuo, Dolce Gusto, and ESE pods is sometimes difficult, but it’s not the case with K cups for Keurig which are available everywhere from Online stores to local supermarkets.

6) Variety of Models

Keurig has been there for more than 20 years now and has launched various models to meet the demands of customers. For Example

Keurig Mini Plus: Compact and lightweight budget-friendly model

Keurig K Elite: High-end model with a lot of customization options to brew coffee the way you want

Keurig Duo Series: The Keurig Duo models can brew both coffee pots or single-serve coffee.

Keurig Supreme series: This is the latest series from Keurig that has advanced multi-stream technology for better extraction and a more flavorful cup of coffee.

Keurig K café: This model has a built-in milk frother so you can easily prepare Latte and Cappuccino with a single button.

The Keurig company understands the needs of its customers and strives to meet them from every possible angle.

Check out: Best Keurig coffee maker for Office

Reasons Why you shouldn’t buy a Keurig | The Cons

There is no doubt that Keurig is the most convenient coffee maker out there, but it does have many drawbacks, including the high price tag.

1) The cost of the Keurig machine

Keurig coffee makers start at around 80 dollars for entry-level models like K mini and go to around 200 for advanced models like K café and K Duo Plus.

In contrast, traditional coffee makers start at around 30 dollars and a good one with all the features can be bought for less than $100.

So Yes! You have to pay almost double while buying a Keurig.

2) The Cost of k cups vs ground coffee

The price tag on Keurig machines is high, and the ongoing cost of K-cup pods is also very expensive.

The price of K-cup pods is almost double the price of coffee grounds.

Following is a quick comparison between the price of K cups, ground coffee, and a cup of coffee from a local café.

While K cups are definitely more expensive than ground coffee but still it is way better than wasting money at cafes like Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts every day.

3) Ton of plastic waste

I’ll be real with you, one major downside of Keurigs is all the plastic waste from the K-cups.

According to TheAtlantic,

“In 2014, enough K-Cups were sold that if placed end-to-end, they would circle the globe 10.5 times. Almost all of them ended up in landfills.“

The environmental impact of Keurig coffee pods has been widely criticized over the last few years. Fortunately, Keurig is taking action and is committed to making 100% of its packaging recyclable or compostable by 2025. In 2020, Keurig eliminated rigid polystyrene from its primary packaging portfolio.

Still, it’s far from being sustainable. You can do two things to combat this issue if you care about the environment (And why shouldn’t you?)

• Buy reusable coffee pods and fill them with your own coffee grounds
• Remove the lid of the used capsule, remove the paper filter, rinse it thoroughly with water, and then recycle only the plastic k cup.

Of course! There is nothing convenient about either of these options and that kills the whole purpose behind investing more money in Keurig.

Check Out: Best Reusable K cup Coffee Pods

4) The taste is just acceptable

Most people don’t like Keurig because of the weak coffee taste. Keurig coffee isn’t gonna blow your mind with insane and complex flavors. The taste is just pretty decent and acceptable in my book.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a smooth, drinkable cup of coffee. But You will not like it if you’re a coffee snob, who takes coffee very seriously.

In general, it’s a problem with all pod-based coffee makers. If you are really after convenience, I’m sure Keurig will provide better flavors than any other pod-based drip coffee machine.

5) Limited customizable options

If you prefer making coffee your own way, then Keurig isn’t for you.

With Keurig, you are limited to using k cups, which means you can’t change the coffee-to-water ratio, you can’t use freshly ground coffee for ultimate freshness and you can’t change the brewing time and water temperature.

In order to brew a perfect cup of coffee, these parameters matter a lot, and Keurig only lets you choose from pre-set values.

This is a good thing if you aren’t an expert in brewing coffee as it will always deliver a consistent taste, but it’s definitely not for true coffee lovers.

Some Alternatives to Keurig

1) French Press

French Press is my favorite brewing method as it gives me the richest, full-bodied, and strong cup of coffee.

In terms of taste, French Press is a better alternative to Keurig if you’re willing to put in a little more effort and time on the brewing process.

French Press does require some brewing experience since you have to select the right coffee grounds, steep them for enough time, and push the plunger accurately.

The French Press gives all the brewing parameters in your hand and actually allows you to make a rich and satisfying cup of coffee, and it is also a lot cheaper than Keurig.

Here’s a detailed guide on Keurig vs French press

2) Drip coffee makers

Traditional drip coffee makers are also a better choice than Keurig if you are ready to give up on convenience.

The main difference between Keurig and Drip coffee makers is that drip machines use coffee grounds while Keurig uses K cups. Drip machines give you control over brewing parameters such as grind size, amount of grounds, and brewing time, while Keurig doesn’t. Apart from that the brewing principle is exactly the same.

Drip coffee makers are way more cost-effective than Keurig and perfect for big families or for brewing coffee at gatherings.

Read a detailed guide Keurig vs Coffee makers

3) Nespresso

Nespresso is a pod-based Espresso Machine and a good Keurig alternative if you prefer strong and intense shots of Espresso over a regular cup of coffee.

If you are a strong coffee lover or if you prefer milk-based coffee drinks like Cappuccino or Latte then I suggest you go with Nespresso.

Additionally, Nespresso has a dedicated pod recycling system, so you won’t have to feel guilty about polluting the environment while also brewing coffee with the ease of pods.

Read a detailed guide on Keurig vs Nespresso

Read reviews of popular Keurig Coffee makers:

• Keurig K Supreme Plus review
• Keurig K Duo Plus Review
• Keurig K cafe Review