This piece was updated byDerek Rose, the coffee and tea expert for The Spruce Eats. He researches a variety of coffee products, from measuring scoops to commercial espresso machines, and interviews field experts for their insight. It doesn’t get more compact than this—you can even take it with you when you go camping since it doesn’t require electricity. For extra convenience at home, you can heat the coffee right in the water reservoir in your microwave. Reusable brew basketsCompared to pods, reusable brew baskets “provide the freedom to brew with your coffee of choice and are better for the environment,” Teoh said.
To unclog the exit needle, you need to remove and disassemble the pod holder and then use a paper clip to clear away any debris. Lift the head and use the paper clip to clean the entrance needle. We suggest that you watch this helpful video on the Keurig website before beginning the procedure. For tasting, we brewed at least three cups of the same K-Cup variety, per machine, using a variety of brew settings, like “strong” and iced. We used a decaf roast from Publix so we could taste each cup without keeping our tester awake through the night. (That’s a lot of caffeine!) We also measured the temperature of every serving size each Keurig machine produced, and recorded our ratings with regards to the depth and flavor of each K-Cup brewed.
Here are some of our favorite Keurig brewers that our experts swear by. This easy-to-use unit from Hamilton Beach takes up very little space and packs a big punch for a small machine. It can use both standard coffee cups and travel mugs up to 7.5 inches high.
It’s a special-edition, single-serve coffee maker that comes in a modern nickel-colored metal finish. Choose from four cup sizes including six, eight, 10 and 12-ounce brews and then make the most of simple button controls. You can use any K-cup pod, and here’s the kicker—this brilliant coffee machine even lets you make iced lattes and cappuccinos like the popular Starbucks pistachio latte. You’ll hamilton coffee Maker love waking up to freshly brewed coffee from this easy-to-use Hamilton Beach FlexBrew. It ranks as our best single-serve coffee maker overall because you can use it with or without K-cup pods and it brews up to 10 ounces of coffee at a time, or up to 14 ounces with a pod. A pod holder and grounds basket are included with the machine, and the affordable price point makes it one of the best values.
Many machines simplify the process with automatic cleaning cycles and warnings when cleaning is due. And if you regularly enjoy tea or hot chocolate, look for one that has the option for hot water. These are particularly useful in dorm rooms or offices hamilton beach dual coffee maker without a kitchen, as you can also use them for soup. And they’re only recyclable if you take the time to peel off the lid, toss or compost the coffee grounds inside and then rinse out the pods before throwing them in your recycling bin.
However, like many barebones Keurigs that lack a ‘strong’ setting or multistream technology, the K-Mini can’t produce a deep flavor profile. The coffee produced by this machine is just okay, but that doesn’t match up to some of the higher ranked models on our list. The K-Mini makes coffee that tastes flat and burnt, though we did measure the coffee temperature to be 189 degrees Fahrenheit, which, surprisingly, is the hottest cup we recorded. hamilton coffee Maker It uses about 115 kWh, which is slightly more energy than we recorded with the smallest Keurig offering, the K-Mini. With a coffee pod latch that practically glides open and a noise reading of 67dB, this machine is both easy to use and quiet in operation. 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.
What I don’t like is that you can’t control the process very much. You can choose k cups that fit your taste preferences, or brew at a smaller cup size for stronger coffee. The Kuerig K-Slim is essentially a slightly larger version of the K-Mini, due to its removable 46-ounce reservoir. The K-Slim also has a removable drip tray that can accommodate travel mugs. If you’re the nostalgic type, the Keurig K-Classic is where it all began. In comparison to the K-Elite, this is more of a “no-frills” model.