Keurig is undoubtedly the best single-serve pod-based coffee maker brand on the planet.
If you want to buy a simple and easy-to-use coffee maker, Keurig is the most convenient option. But deciding among similar Keurig models like K-Slim vs Mini can be tricky as they look almost the same.
Our Choice | Keurig Mini Plus
My recommendation is Keurig K-mini Plus as it offers many additional features.
It has strong brew options not present in both K-mini and K-slim.
It has a removable one-cup water reservoir.
It has storage for both cords and pods and a very portable design which makes it perfect for traveling.
Also, I like the taste of coffee from this machine the most among all three.
And there is not much price difference. So my recommendation is you must go with Keurig K-Mini Plus.
For this article, we have tested and reviewed Keurig Slim and both the variants of Keurig mini i-e simple and mini plus.
All these are great entry-level single-serve coffee makers but I have found that the K-mini Plus offers the best value in this price range.
We will be discussing the main features of Keurig Slim vs Mini, and Mini Plus, their similarities, and the key differences among them. If you are looking to buy one of them, Hopefully, this guide will help you a lot.
Keurig k Slim Vs K Mini Vs K Mini Plus | Quick Summary
| Specifications | Keurig K-Slim | Keurig K-Mini | Keurig K-Mini Plus (Our Choice) |
   |   |  | |
| Brew Size | Three Options 8,10 and 12 oz | Anywhere between 6 to 12 oz | Anywhere between 6 to 12 oz |
| Water Reservoir | Removable 46 ounces | Non-Removable single serve | Non-Removable single serve |
| Travel Mugs | Accommodate up to 7 inches tall | Accommodate up to 7 inches tall | Accommodate up to 7 inches tall |
| Auto-Off | Turns off automatically after 5 minutes | Turns off automatically after 5 minutes | Turns off automatically after 5 minutes |
| Cord Storage | No | Yes | Yes |
| Pod Storage | No | No | Yes |
| Colour options | Only black | Multiple Options | Multiple Options |
| Strong Brew Option | No | No | No |
| Indicator Lights | Yes | No | No |
If you have a slightly more budget then check out the review of the Keurig Supreme series. It is definitely worth it. Keurig Supreme Vs Supreme Plus
Main Differences in Keurig Mini vs Slim vs mini plus
1) Water tank (Winner: Keurig Slim)
Keurig K Slim has a 46 ounces removable water reservoir, so you can easily brew 4 to 5 cups of coffee without refilling the machine.
You can easily detach this water tank from the coffee machine for easy cleaning and refilling with its convenient holder at the back.
Keurig K Mini doesn’t have a removable water reservoir, and it can hold only one cup of water.
So, you have to fill the machine every time you want to brew coffee.
Keurig Mini Plus has a single-cup removable water reservoir.
Both Keurig Mini and Mini Plus have a similar water reservoir that has a convenient scale from 6 oz to 12 oz. So, you don’t have to measure the water before filling it into the reservoir.
Overall, Keurig Slim has the largest water reservoir among these machines that is removable and easy to clean. While the single-serve water reservoir in K-mini (s) is also not bad but I hate the water reservoir of Keurig mini which is not removable.
Note: The reservoirs of both models K-Mini can’t accommodate Keurig Water filters
2) Brew Size (Winner: k- Mini’s)
The brew size in Keurig machines directly affects the intensity of the coffee if you are using pods for brewing. If you select a large cup size, then your cup of coffee will be less intense, and if you choose a small one, it will be intense as the amount of coffee grounds in the pod remains the same in both cases.
Keurig K-slim has an option of 8, 10, and 12 oz. You can easily brew a cup size of your choice by pressing only one button.
Keurig K-mini and K-mini-Plus have a single round “K” button at the top for brewing coffee.
The size of the brew depends on the amount of water you fill in the water tank.
Simply fill the water to anywhere between 6 and 12 oz, press “K” and enjoy your coffee.
A standard K-cup has around 9-12 grams (0.3-0.4 oz) of coffee grounds and the ideal ratio of coffee grounds to water for normal drip coffee is somewhere between 1:15 to 1:20 (it’s subjective).
That means a standard K-cup is only capable of producing rich and strong coffee with a serving size of 5 to 7 oz.
Keurig K mini and mini plus offer a minimum serving size of 6 oz while the serving size in K-slim starts from 8 oz (which is quite large for a standard K-cup). So if you are a fan of strong coffee don’t buy K-slim. Otherwise, you will keep complaining about the watery Keurig coffee.
3) Strong brew function (Winner: Keurig Mini Plus)
Only Keurig K-mini Plus has the “strong brew option” among these machines.
In addition to the big “K” button, Keurig Mini Plus also has a “strong” button.
This button slows down the brewing process so the water extracts more flavors from the coffee grounds and you will get a strong and intense cup of coffee.
4) Taste of the coffee (Winner: Keurig Mini Plus)
As I told earlier if you want a strong and bold cup of coffee from Keurig you shouldn’t brew a cup size larger than 6 oz. If you are craving a larger cup of coffee then brew two small ones instead of one 12 oz cup.
So, the reason why I don’t like Keurig Slim is that it doesn’t give the option for a 6 oz cup of coffee.
But there is a plus point in Keurig Slim; it has multi-stream technology which is not present in both Mini and Mini plus.
While comparing the taste of an 8 oz cup of coffee from Slim and mini plus I found that this multi-stream technology does add some extra flavors to the cup.
There are five top needles in Keurig Slim. While Keurig Mini and Mini Plus have only one needle.
As I am a strong coffee lover, so I will give a plus to Keurig Mini Plus strong brew coffee with a 6 oz serving size.
5) Cord and Pods Storage (Winner: Keurig Mini Plus)
All these machines are compact and slim and weigh only around 5 to 7 pounds. So they are all well suited for traveling purposes as you can easily take them wherever you want.
For traveling purposes, it is very convenient to have the storage option for cords and coffee pods.
Keurig K-slim does not have both the cord and coffee pod storage. Moreover, it has a very large water reservoir which makes it nonsuitable for traveling purposes.
Keurig K-mini and Mini Plus have almost a similar design and have cord storage at the back.
The length of the cord is 24 inches for both machines and can easily be packed at the back of the machine.
In the package of Keurig mini Plus, you will also find a pod storage box, in which you can easily store up to nine coffee pods.
6) Color choices (Winner: K-Mini’s)
You might consider your machine’s color options if you’re a picky individual when buying a coffee maker.
Keurig K-slim comes in three colors black scarlet red and white.
While there are seven color options available in Keurig K-mini and K mini plus, and you can easily find your favorite color in these machines.
Key Similarities in Keurig Slim Vs Mini
1) Compact design
The design of all of these machines is very decent and compact. They are all 4 inches wide, so they can easily fit on the counter of your kitchen or office.
2) Auto-off feature
If you are a forgetful person, this feature will excite you the most. It is estimated that more than 80% of electrical appliances broke off just because we forgot to turn them off.
Keurig K-slim turns off automatically after 5 minutes of the last brew, while Keurig K-Mini and Mini Plus turn off automatically after 3 minutes of the last brew.
This feature saves your machine from deadly electrical shocks and saves you a lot of amounts on the bill of electricity.
3) Compatibility
All these machines are compatible with K-cup pods. There are more than 400 varieties of K-cup pods; you can easily find the one that suits your taste the best.
No problem, if you are not a fan of K-cup pods, you can buy a reusable K-cup filter and fill it with the coffee grounds of your choice to make a perfect brew for yourself.
4) Space for cup and Drip trays
All these machines have a removable drip tray beneath the dispenser.
This tray takes care of drops that might fall out of the dispenser after brewing coffee. You can easily remove this tray for cleaning purposes.
Keurig K-Slim has a space of 6.2 inches for the cups and Keurig K-mini and K-mini Plus have a space of 6 inches for the cups.
The drip trays in all these machines are removable. After removing the tray we can get an extra inch. So these machines can easily accommodate travel mugs up to 7 inches tall.
Keurig K-Slim Review
Keurig K-Slim is a coffee maker that has been designed to produce delicious coffee, at an affordable price. The main features of this machine are:
Portable Machine: This is a perfect portable coffee maker less than 5 inches wide and can fit anywhere in your Kitchen or Office.
Water Reservoir: This machine has a removable water reservoir with a capacity of 46 ounces that fits on the machine’s back.
Easy to use: This is a very quick machine that can brew a coffee cup in a matter of minutes and has a very simple interface. So, everyone can brew a perfect cup of coffee.
Auto-Off Feature: This machine has a modern Auto-off feature that automatically turns off the coffee maker after 5 minutes of the last brew.
Cup sizes: This machine has three options 8 oz, 10 oz, and 12 oz for cup size.
Pros
✔️ Easy to use and Quick
✔️ Auto-Off Feature
✔️ 4 Different brew sizes
✔️ Decent design
✔️ Removable 46-ounce water reservoir
✔️ Light Indicators
Cons
❌ No Strength Control Option
❌ No small cup option
Keurig K-Mini Review
Stylish and compact, this Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker brews a single cup of coffee in as little as two minutes. The key features of this machine are:
Compact Machine: This machine is less than 5 inches with a modern and sleek design.
Cup size: This machine can brew any cup size between 6 and 12 oz.
Water Reservoir: This machine has a non-removable water reservoir that can hold only one cup.
Auto-off feature: This machine automatically turns off after 3 minutes of the last brew.
Quick and simple: You can easily and quickly brew a cup of coffee with this single-serve coffee maker.
Travel mug friendly: This machine can accommodate travel mugs up to 7 inches tall.
Pros
✔️ Easy to use and Quick
✔️ Auto-off feature
✔️ Compact design
✔️ Has different color options
✔️ Can accommodate travel mugs
Cons
❌ Water reservoir is non-removable
❌ No strength control
Keurig K-Mini Plus Review
The Keurig K-Mini Plus Coffeemaker is the perfect single-serve coffee maker for small households, apartments, or offices. The key features of this machine are:
Portable: This machine is less than 5 inches wide and is a perfect portable machine for traveling.
Pod and cord Storage: This machine has storage for 8 pods. You can easily store the pods and the cord within the machine and take this lightweight machine anywhere you want without much hassle.
Water Reservoir: This machine has a single-cup removable water reservoir that is easy to clean and refill.
Auto-off feature: This energy-efficient feature automatically turns off the machine after 90 seconds of brewing.
Strong brew: This machine has a strong brew feature, which slows down the brewing process and extracts more flavor from the coffee grounds.
Pros
✔️ Quick and easy to use
✔️ Perfect for traveling
✔️ Compact design with multiple color options
✔️ Cord and Pods Storage
✔️ Strong brew option
✔️ Strong brew option
Cons
❌ No iced coffee option
Read a detailed review of Keurig Mini Plus
Final Thoughts on Keurig Slim vs Mini and Mini Plus
All these Keurig Models brew a perfect cup of coffee and they are among the best single-serve coffee makers
If you have limited space, you must go with K-mini or Mini Plus as they occupy less space than K-slim. All these machines are 4 inches wide, but K-slim has a water reservoir attached to the back of the coffee machine. That’s why it occupies more space.
Although Keurig K-slim is more expensive than both the mini and mini plus but it has some very useful additional features. Like it has a water reservoir so you don’t have to fill the water every time you brew and it has to descale alert which is very useful for cleaning purposes. Also, it has a multi-stream technology which does add some extra flavors to the coffee.
But there is a major drawback of Keurig Slim; you can’t brew a strong cup of coffee in it. And the minimum size is also 8 oz which is pretty large for brewing K-cup pods. So, if you are a strong coffee lover you certainly don’t want to go with Keurig Slim.
Overall my recommendation is Keurig Mini Plus.
Considering whether to buy Keurig or not and in a decision-making phase? This article can help: Is Keurig worth it
FAQs
Can you use regular coffee in these Keurig Models?
Yes, you can use regular coffee in Keurig models, but it requires a special accessory called a reusable K-Cup pod.
Reusable K-Cup pods are small, plastic pods that can be filled with your own coffee grounds and inserted into a Keurig machine like a regular pod. And you can easily buy them for around 10 dollars.
Can you use milk instead of water in Keurig Machines?
No, you should never use milk instead of water in any Keurig model.
It’s important to note that Keurig machines are designed to only brew coffee using water, so using milk instead of water could cause damage to the machine.
If you want to make milk-based coffee drinks buy a separate milk frother or you can buy flavored k cup pods.
Can a Keurig just make hot water?
Yes, you can easily make hot water in any Keurig Model. Some advanced Keurig machines have a dedicated “hot water” option while for others you have to brew without inserting the K cup pod.
This option is very useful for making tea or hot chocolate.
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