Based on 11,518 analyzed reviews
Table of contents
NerdWallet’s scoring of the best Keurig coffee makers is based on our analysis of the opinions of experts and shoppers like you.
There are many things to consider when choosing a coffee maker. Do you need a single-serve brewer or one that makes 12 cups at a time? Do you like your coffee strong, weak or in between?
Helping you make a decision is where we come in. We analyzed the most popular coffee makers on the market to help you purchase the right one for you.
To narrow down the field, we looked at expert opinions from review sites such as The Sweethome, CNET and Good Housekeeping. We then analyzed user reviews to get opinions on each coffee maker’s high and low points.
We recognize that consumers look for different qualities in coffee makers, so we created scores based on user observations of a handful of different features, including ease of use, coffee quality and cleaning.
Our analysis
Our final coffee maker scores run from a low of 1 to a high of 10. Here’s how we came up with the numbers:
Overall score: This score shows reviewers’ overall satisfaction with the coffee maker as a whole across 11 criteria, including ease of use, coffee quality, coffee maker design, size and durability.
Coffee quality: This score, which factors into the overall score, reflects reviewers’ satisfaction with the quality of coffee the maker produces. This includes coffee taste, temperature and brewing.
Ease of use: This score, which also factors into the overall score, indicates reviewers’ satisfaction with how easy the maker is to use. This includes aspects such as cleaning, setup, design and features.
These coffee makers are our top picks, ranked in order of overall score.
The coffee makers
1. Keurig K40 Elite Brewing System
Users loved that by just inserting a pod and pushing a button, in less than a minute, the Keurig K40 Elite Brewing System dispensed a single serving of coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or specialty or iced beverage, in a choice of three cup sizes.
| Overall score | Coffee quality | Ease of use |
| 8.34 | 8.7 | 8.8 |
Buyers Like
- Brews delicious coffee
- Setup, use and cleanup are easy
- Possible to use large travel mug
Buyers Dislike
- Not durable
- Relatively large size
2. Keurig K45 Elite Brewing System
Along with brewing your choice of coffee, tea, hot cocoa, gourmet coffee drinks or iced beverages — all in less than a minute — the single-serve Keurig K45 Elite Brewing system also lets you choose the size of your drink. (This machine is still widely available for purchase, but has been discontinued and replaced by the Keurig K55 Elite Brewing System.)
| Overall score | Coffee quality | Ease of use |
| 8.21 | 8.3 | 8.1 |
Buyers Like
- Brews tasty coffee quickly
- Easy to set up and operate
Buyers Dislike
- Inconsistent volume and taste
- Bulky and a bit noisy
- Not hot enough for some
3. Keurig K10 Mini
The sleek single-serve Keurig K10 Mini comes in a variety of fun colors. It brews a perfect 6-, 8- or 10-ounce beverage in less than two minutes.
| Overall score | Coffee quality | Ease of use |
| 7.72 | 8.0 | 7.0 |
Buyers Like
- Compact and easy to use
- Brews rich, hot, smooth beverages
Buyers Dislike
- Cup size is limited
- Cleanup is difficult
- Not durable
4. Keurig K130 Brewing System
The single-serve Keurig K130 Brewing System is designed to be used commercially. Users highly praised its small size but complained about a plastic-like smell and taste in their beverage.
| Overall score | Coffee quality | Ease of use |
| 7.2 | 6.1 | 6.1 |
Buyers Like
- Easy to use
- No mess to clean up
Buyers Dislike
- Will only fit smaller mugs
- Not very durable
- Some complained of plastic taste and odor
5. Keurig K450 Brewing System
The programmable Keurig K450 Brewing System features a 70-ounce water reservoir, so there’s no need for constant refilling. Its color touch display allows you to customize the amount and strength of your coffee, and Keurig 2.0 Brewing Technology reads the lid of each K-Cup so you get a perfect cup every time. (This model is still widely available for purchase, but has been discontinued and replaced by model K475.)
| Overall score | Coffee quality | Ease of use |
| 7.07 | 7.8 | 5.5 |
Buyers Like
- Quick and easy to use
- Brews delicious coffee
Buyers Dislike
- Incompatible with some K-Cups
- Clogs often
- Coffee is lukewarm
Best Keurig coffee makers buying guide
A bad cup of java can sour a morning. This is why it makes sense to purchase the right brand of coffee and the right machine to prepare it in — because how you brew is just as crucial as what you brew. Here are some factors to keep in mind while you’re shopping:
Heat
Some coffee drinkers want their beverage to practically scorch their mouth, while others are content to ease into the morning with a warm cup. And then there’s the matter of the coffee staying warm once it’s brewed. Consumers liked the taste of the Keurig K450 Brewing System’s coffee, but complained that it was dispensed lukewarm. If very hot coffee is important to you, users lauded the Keurig K10 Mini’s taste and temperature.
Ease of use
If you’re the type of person who’d rather drink day-old coffee than read the instruction manual, the Keurig K130 Brewing System has instructions actually printed on the front of the machine, but all the Keurigs are fairly easy to program.
Quantity
Although all of these machines use K-Cups, some of them, like the Keurig K130 Brewing System and the Keurig K10 Mini didn’t accommodate larger mugs, which users found problematic.
Cleanliness
Regular cleaning is essential if you want to keep your coffee maker running smoothly. Most of the Keurig machines scored pretty high on ease of cleaning, though the Keurig K10 Mini fell a bit short in this department.
Size
If your kitchen has miles of countertop, the size of your coffee maker probably isn’t a concern. If not, figure out where the machine is going and bust out the tape measure before you buy. Most of these Keurigs are fairly compact, but the Keurig K40 Elite Brewing System had a larger footprint than most. However, it also rated the highest of the bunch.
For more coffee maker roundups, check out:
- The Best Coffee Makers
- The Best Single-Serve Coffee Makers
- The Best Grind and Brew Coffee Makers
- The Best 4-Cup Coffee Makers
Compare other popular coffee makers here:
Top image via iStock.
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