What Is Keurig 2.0? (Keurig 1.0 Vs 2.0) (Why Discontinued?)

Keurig has a long history of making coffee, from the first-ever classic Keurig to newer models with premium features for brewing delicious Cup of Joe.

Keurig 2.0 was a short-lived series of Keurig that was launched in 2014.

I have done proper research and written in detail about what is Keurig 2.0. The Comparison between Keurig 1.0 vs Keurig 2.0 and which series is better?

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What is Keurig 2.0?

Keurig 2.0 coffee makers feature K-cup pod scanning technology that prevents the use of unlicensed Keurig pods and have modern built-in features that brew more cups at once and allow you to control the brewing process.

You can adjust the coffee brewing temperature to get your optimal extraction and also you can change the strength of the coffee.

Also, most of the Keurig 2.0 models have advanced touchscreen displays instead of simple button panels.

Why did Keurig introduce the 2.0 brewing system?

Keurig has gained great popularity in terms of manufacturing great coffee machines, however, this growing popularity gives rise to many companies producing unlicensed K-Cup pods.

The patent of Keurig pods was ended in September 2012 and the rising market for unbranded K Cup pods raised concerns about Keurig’s future economic structure.

To maintain the monopoly over coffee pods used in Keurig, the company released its Keurig 2.0 brewing system in the fall of 2014.

Keurig 2.0 brewing systems only work with licensed K Cups being made by Keurig.

How does Keurig 2.0 work?

The working principle of Keurig 2.0 is quite different from other classic Keurig models, the machine has to do a lot of work, and it all starts by scanning the lid of k cup pods.

The Keurig 2.0 brewing system scans the lid of the pod and determines how much water is needed, as well as the optimal brewing temperature.

Keurig 2.0 brewing systems use digital rights management (DRM) computer chips to read the infrared printing on K-Cup pods and verify that they are authorized by Keurig. If a K-Cup pod is not authorized, the machine will not brew.

This mechanism is very similar to the Nespresso Vertuo line series.

What is Keurig 1.0?

Keurig 1.0 is the original classic series of Keurig that works with any type of K-cup pod.

Many coffee lovers like Keurig 1.0 brewers because of their simplicity and ability to brew coffee with 3rd part K-cup pods.

These models are very simple to use. Just insert the pod into the machine and select the size of brew and your drink will be ready in 1-2 minutes.

As the Keurig 2.0 series is discontinued now, now all the Keurig models available in the market are part of the original Keurig 1.0 brewing system.

Keurig 1.0 vs Keurig 2.0

Both coffee makers use K-cup pods to brew coffee with just one touch.

Keurig 2.0 features advanced brewing technology that adjusts machine settings automatically (like water required, optimal brew temperature, and many more)

Both machines can brew different cup sizes. However, you have to select the size of brew in Keurig 1.0 manually while Keurig 2.0 models automatically adjust the size of brew according to K-cup being used.

Keurig 2.0 models have a larger water reservoir (60-70 ounces) than classic models (48 ounces).

Keurig 2.0 features hot water on demand while most of the Keurig 1.0 models lack this feature.

There are usually three or four preset brewing sizes available in classic Keurig 1.0 models: 6, 8, 10, and 12 ounces. While in Keurig 2.0 models you can program the brew size for any K-cup pod according to your taste.

Keurig 2.0 models have an advanced touchscreen display which gives a modern look. While most of the classic Keurig 1.0 models have a button display.

Benefits of Keurig 2.0 models over Keurig 1.0 models

Here are some advantages of Keurig 2.0 which make it superior to other classic Keurig models.

Hot water on demand.
Comes with advanced features and more programmable settings.
Full brewing control and functionality.
Larger water Reservoir.
New ways of brewing, like K Mug servings and K Carafe functionality with unique carafe pods.
Comes with a colored touchscreen.
More user-friendly operation

Drawbacks of Keurig 2.0

Keurig 2.0 can’t use regular K-cups and is compatible with only specially designed branded 2.0 k cups.
Keurig 2.0 pods are not widely available.
Both them machines and pods are Expensive compared to classic models.
More automation means less customizability.

Why are Keurig 2.0 models discontinued?

Keurig 2.0 series was discontinued in 2019. The attempt of Keurig to gain control of the K-Cup market with the launch of the 2.0 models backfired when customers rebelled against the new system’s lack of support for refillable coffee pods and their favorite third-party coffee pods.

The backlash was so severe that Keurig was forced to discontinue the 2.0 line and return to the original system.

Keurig’s CEO admits that launching the 2.0 brewing system was a serious mistake. He states:

“We were wrong. We underestimated, is the easiest way to say it. We underestimated the passion the consumer had for [My K-Cup].”

Yahoo Finance Columnist Rick Newman points out Keurig Green Mountain has been trying to cash in off of what is known as the “razor blade” or “walled garden” method.

“You get a one-time payment for selling the device and then you get the recurring revenue by selling the stuff you need to operate the device,” he explains. “Everybody would love to have that business model. Usually, it doesn’t work.”

The Keurig owners decided to expand their business but they failed at it miserably and now they are trying to overcome this mistake by giving free reusable coffee pods compatible with Keurig 2.0 models.

Should you buy a Keurig 2.0 in 2024

Keurig launched 2.0 models in the fall of 2014 that lasted for five years and now Keurig has completely discontinued the 2.0 series.

Still, you may find Keurig 2.0 models at local or online stores at a very good price but I highly recommend not wasting money on it. Because Keurig 2.0 models don’t work with normal k cups.

As Keurig has discontinued the 2.0 series, they will also not manufacture pods for the 2.0 series. So you will have a very hard time finding K cups.

There are refillable pods available, but they don’t offer the convenience that K-cups do. And many of us buy single-serve coffee makers because of the convenience.

Also as Keurig has completely discontinued this series so you will not be able to receive any support from Keurig.

Read the reviews of the classic Keurig coffee maker series good alternatives for Keurig 2.0

FAQs

What is the difference between 1.0 K-Cup and 2.0 K-Cup?

The major difference between Keurig 1.0 and Keurig 2.0 is the use of DRM barcode technology. The Keurig 2.0 machine is only compatible with Keurig branded cups designed specifically for 2.0 machines.