Try as we might, there’s just no changing the hearts and minds of some people, even our dearest loved ones, by presenting them with inconvenient truths. I’m talking, of course, about people who prefer coffee from pods. But based on the popularity of coffee pod machines, it seems those of us who haven’t been assimilated into pod people are outnumbered. And, to be fair, even if the quality of their coffee is all over the place, we can’t deny they’re convenience. My goal here is to find single-serve coffee makers that can blend that convenience with coffee I actually want to drink.
The best single-serve coffee makers
- Best single-serve coffee maker overall: Nespresso Vertuo Plus
- Best K-cup compatible machine: Chefman Caffeinator
- Best pod-free single-serve coffee maker: Cuisinart Custom Grind and Brew
- Best small drip coffee maker: Ratio Four
- Best single-serve coffee maker for cold brew: Cumulus
In addition to plastic and aluminum pods, there’s a bevy of grounds-based coffee makers that specialize in one-cup-at-a-time brewing. So if you’re interested in the ease of pod machines, low-volume coffee brewing for one, or just can’t avoid K-cups, here are the machines that brewed the best.
Why we don’t (generally) recommend capsule or pod coffee
Thanks to the revival of pour-over and French press coffee making and the proliferation of chic matte-finish electric kettles, there are plenty of ways to brew a single cup of coffee without a dedicated machine and, in general, they give you better results. We will also note that many fancier drip coffee makers (like our favorites from Fellow and Oxo) can now be programmed to brew just one cup of coffee at a time—and do so without the plastic waste of pods. If you want true versatility and have the counter space, we’d advise you to consider a machine that will let you brew for yourself or a crowd, if needed. But we understand the convenience factor of capsule machines, which is why, if you must pop a pod for your daily cup, we’ve made our recommendations below, plus suggested some non-pod options too.
New in this update: I tested the most compact coffee maker from high-end brand Ratio, which makes a great, versatile option for anywhere between one and four cups. I also checked out a smaller-batch machine with single-serve option from Oxo, a simple scoop-based brewer from Hamilton Beach, as well as the sleek, super stylish, and lease-able Terra Kaffe Demi.
Best single-serve coffee maker: Nespresso Vertuo Plus
Pros and cons
Pros
- Nespresso pods make superior pod coffee
- Pods are easily recyclable
- Brews espresso shots and full cups of coffee
- Water tank can be configured to fit different counter setups
Cons
- Nothing really
Specs
Size: 8.7" x 12.7" x 12.8"
Water reservoir capacity: 40 oz. (standard) 60 oz. (deluxe)
Colors: 5
Coffee sizes: 1.3 oz., 2.7 oz., 5 oz., 8 oz.
What we love: Simply put, Nespresso’s capsule coffee machines offer the best output of any pod-based system we’ve tried. In our sampling, their capsules and brewing process offer meaningfully different (and better) results than what we got from K-cups. The Vertuo Plus wins in our book thanks to a few key features. First, it's part of the Vertuoline family of machines that can brew both espresso and larger-format coffee drinks (from 1.35 oz. all the way up to 8 oz.) depending on which Vertuo pods you purchase. Each recyclable (!) aluminum pod is printed with a barcode that tells the machine how to brew it. That lets the Vertuo Plus offer a truly one-touch experience. No matter your choice of pod, the coffee will be rich and flavorful with a layer of foamy crema on top. Pair it with a milk frother and you can get a Nespresso cappuccinos and lattes without barista-level mastery of a fancy espresso maker.
We also like the easily removable 40-oz. water tank (the Deluxe model can hold 60 oz.) that pivots to the side or the back of the machine, depending on how you want it oriented for your kitchen setup. The internal disposal bin can hold up to 10 used pods, so you’re not left constantly emptying it out between uses. And other than a recommended descaling cycle, the Vertuo Plus requires virtually no cleaning or maintenance. Finally, you can source pods from many major retailers in-store or set up a subscription on nespresso.com, where you’ll find a wider selection of roasts and special editions.
What we’d leave: Not much. The only flag we have is on the convenience (or lack thereof) of making good on the promise of recyclable coffee pods. The good news is that Nespresso pods are recyclable. But the bad news is that most people can’t just drop the pods in their recycling bins. Instead they’ll need to bag their used capsules up in a prepaid UPS bag and either have a UPS driver pick them up (if that’s an option where they live) or put them in a drop box. New York City residents can throw them into their curbside recycling bins, however.
Read more about the Nespresso Vertuo Plus here.
Best K-cup compatible machine: Chefman Caffeinator Single-Serve Coffee Maker
Pros and cons
Pros
- Uses K-cup pods or grounds
- Iced coffee mode with lower brew temperature
Cons
- Rear-mounted water tank is on the small side
- No storage for pods and grounds adapters
Specs
Size: 12.6"H x 4.5" W x 14" D
Water reservoir capacity: 48 oz.
Colors: Concrete, Midnight
Coffee sizes: 4 oz., 6 oz., 8 oz., 10 oz., 12 oz.
What we love: If you’re looking for a streamlined, smart-looking machine to brew your K-cups, Chefman’s Caffeinator wraps its pod machine in a chic shell. There’s a snazzy drip tray that slides up and down for differently sized cups, and backlit touch buttons that disappear into the satin finish exterior (in Concrete or Midnight) when not selected. In addition to looking good, it also produced a pretty good cup of coffee, both from pods and grounds thanks to three simultaneous streams of water.
It offers a lot of customization possibilities, with three hot temperature options from “warm” to “piping hot” (the latter of which raised the temp about 20 degrees from default “hot”), plus a lower temp iced coffee mode, and three brew strengths in addition to multiple cup size selections. It's also compatible with both K-cups and ground coffee. All that gave me the ability to get my coffee a little closer to the way I want it, even if it comes from a plastic pod.
What we’d leave: Clearance for larger cups and tumblers is pretty low, unless you remove the drip tray entirely, which gives you 8.25" of height. But doing that leaves a ring and fixed “divot” about the width of a cupholder that some bigger travel mugs still may not fit into. I wish the water tank was a bit bigger, wasn’t rear-mounted, and had a sturdier lid, however it requires only a slight lift to remove it from the base so it’s easy to manage, even if you can’t see behind the machine. I would have also liked a place to store the K-cup/grounds adapter inserts when not using one or the other.
Best Pod-Free Single-Serve Coffee Maker: Cuisinart Custom Grind & Brew Single Serve Coffee Maker
Pros and cons
Pros
- Push-button operation from beans to cup
- Multiple sizes and strengths
Cons
- Requires emptying filter each use
- Low clearance for larger cups
Specs
Size: 15.71" H x 7.99" W x 11.47" D
Water reservoir capacity: 58 oz.
Color: Black Stainless (only one option)
Coffee sizes: 8 oz., 10 oz., 12 oz., 16 oz., 20 oz., 24 oz.
What we love: Why settle for stale pods when you can have freshly ground coffee at the touch of a button? This single-serve machine from Cuisinart has a built-in stainless-steel conical burr grinder that grinds beans only when you’re ready for a cup of coffee. The bean hopper holds up to half a pound of coffee beans and has a gasket-sealed lid to keep them relatively fresh (a seemingly simple feature that my fancy grinder-equipped espresso machine lacks).
I was also impressed with the fineness of the sediment that was left in the bottom of my cup using the mesh filter. You should expect anything that uses only a mesh filter to leave at least a little bit of ground coffee sediment, but in this case it wasn’t unappealing during the last sips. If that is the sort of thing that bothers you, the basket is also paper filter compatible. Grinding and brewing are relatively quiet operations that probably won’t wake anyone up, and gentle beeps let you know your coffee is ready. Also, while you’ll need to find a carafe or container that fits under the machine, the fact that the Cuisinart can brew up to 24 oz. of hot coffee means you could, in a pinch, use this for a few guests over for brunch.
What we’d leave: Cleaning the filter after every use is a chore (and some people choose single-serve machines specifically to avoid that chore by using pods) That said, there are more gentle beeps to remind you the filter access door hasn’t been opened since the last brew, so at least you won’t forget. Clearance for cups, even with the drip tray completely removed, is still rather low for travel cups at just seven inches. Also, when brewing at the 24 oz. setting, the coffee was noticeably weaker than smaller cup sizes.
Best small drip coffee maker: Ratio Four
Pros and cons
Pros
- Super simple interface
- Sleek attractive design
- Customizable brewing applications
Cons
- A bit clunky
- Large countertop footprint (compared to a capsule machine)
- No warming plate
Specs
Size: 11.5" H x 7.5" W x 10.6" D (plus positionable water tank)
Water reservoir capacity: 20-plus oz.
Colors: Black, Linen (white)
Coffee sizes: 5 oz.–20 oz.
What we love: Portland, Oregon–based Ratio takes its coffee maker design seriously, including its smallest entry, the Ratio Four, so named because it brews a maximum of four 5-oz. cups of coffee in a single batch. The machine couldn’t be simpler; it uses one button that brews however much water is in the reservoir and a filter basket with flat bottom paper filters. Turn it on, and the first of three lights illuminates to let you know it’s in Bloom mode, followed by Brew and Ready when your coffee is done. The Ratio heats brewing water to an average of 200º F and has a wide stainless-steel showerhead that evenly wets the coffee grounds, producing a full 20-oz. brew that was robust, strong, and exactly what I like to wake up to.
But we’re here to talk about single-serve coffee, and while using it for one cup is a little trickier (you’ll have to measure smaller quantities of water and coffee), the Four delivered the same bold, balanced brew in a 5-oz. cup, it did in a 20-oz. carafe. I found the recommended 9 grams of coffee lacking, but the instructions advise customizing the ratio a bit, and sure enough a few more grams in the filter did the trick. I found I got the tastiest results brewing two cups (10 oz.), as I think the longer siphoning and heating process with more water flowing through the system was key to a more satisfying extraction. Plus, I like a big cup of coffee.
The Ratio Four comes with a handblown 20-oz. glass carafe that also has a sealed lid and a silicone padded bottom. But what I appreciated is the ability to brew directly into any container; there is no hidden button or latch that the carafe needs to activate to brew or let water through. I could use a mug or travel tumbler if I wanted to. And, surprisingly, the same goes for the filter basket, with the Ratio website and instruction booklet explaining that they’d be just fine with you using it with a Kalita Wave or Origami pour-over dripper if you want. A long-press of the brew button also lets you choose between the default (4 oz. of water) bloom and a shorter (2 oz.) bloom, which is preferable if you are brewing a single cup.
All of the removable parts are hand-wash-only, but I never found them needing more than a rinse between uses. The instructions recommend occasional cleaning and descaling with an approved solution to keep the lines clean, though, which is important maintenance for any coffee maker.
It has an external, detached water tank that takes up more counter space than it would if it were flush with the machine, but that cuts both ways. I actually love that it’s connected via a sturdy yet flexible hose, allowing you to position it on either side of the machine in a variety of ways depending on your specific needs.
What we’d leave: Ratio is a brand known for machines with parts that feel very high quality, as senior editor Noah Kaufman has pointed out in his reviews of its other two machines. Some of the Ratio Four’s parts are definitely in line with that reputation, like the heavy braided hose between the brewer and water tank. But there are exterior parts of the brewer that do feel less substantial than you might expect for something that costs $279. I also found myself double-checking that the filter basket was installed correctly, because it doesn’t click or snap to signal it’s on right.
“Set it and forget it” coffee drinkers should take note that the water reservoir isn’t “smart,” meaning it will brew whatever water is inside, so a full reservoir with a coffee mug underneath will overflow. If that’s something you don’t want to think about, the Cuisinart Custom Grind and Brew might serve you better as it requires less frequent refills.
Best single-serve coffee maker for cold brew: Cumulus
Pros and cons
Pros
- Produces actually cold cold-brew coffee
- Easy to operate
- Easily recyclable pods
Cons
- Expensive
- Can only use proprietary Cumulus pods
Specs
Size: 19" x 6" x 16"
Water reservoir capacity: 80 oz.
Colors: 2
Coffee sizes: 2 oz., 10 oz.
What we love: We have an in-depth review of the Cumulus cold-brew machine for more details, but here’s the gist: You could, in some ways, consider this the Nespresso of cold coffee with its recyclable aluminum capsules that are filled an even more concentrated cold-brew concentrate. The machine does the job of chilling water via an onboard compressor, meaning you don’t need ice in your cup. For texture, the Cumulus offers three settings—still, nitro, and espresso—making it one of the best machines we’ve tried for cold coffee connoisseurs. (Oh, and it achieves that “nitro” coffee without any gas canisters by using ambient air.) It vacuums out the capsules, leaving them empty and ready to recycle after you’re done brewing. And at just 6", wide it’s got a relatively small footprint and front-loading water reservoir, making it easy to use and keep on the countertop.
What we’d leave: At its current nearly $700 price tag, this is a luxury item—though, if you’re dropping $5 on cold brew every day, maybe it isn’t?
How we tested single-serve coffee makers
With so many brands and varieties of pods out there, I did my best to compare apples to apples by using Starbucks pods and beans of the same roast for every machine (Bruvi being the only exception that doesn’t sell Starbucks pods). That’s not because the global corporate coffee giant is my favorite coffee roaster, but because it is the most cross-pollinated among all types of machines and formats. For Keurig machines, I also tested using K-cups from Illy coffee, which I’ve found produce stronger coffee (an attribute testers often flag as missing from Keurigs). I used fresh grounds for any machines that offered a refillable pod and whole beans of the same roast were used on machines with grinding capabilities. I also tested the different brew size, strength, and style options on any machine with multiple settings.
What makes a good single-serve coffee maker
Good coffee
There are plenty of subpar single-cup coffee makers out there, and life is short, so we don’t think bad coffee needs to be a part of it. We looked for coffee pod machines that delivered balanced flavor and a smooth finish with consistency.
It’s easy to use
Are the pods simple to load and is the interface (buttons or screens) intuitive and simple? Does the water reservoir require constant refill oversight, and is it easy to access? Does the machine require regular cleaning or maintenance to keep working? The ease of use should extend to pod collection and disposal as well. Some machines require emptying the coffee pod chamber after each use. Others collect them for occasional disposal or recycling.
Size and style
Pod coffee makers don’t need to take up too much space, but they can also be too small, relying on heating and brewing elements that sacrifice on quality. And because most regular coffee drinkers won’t be putting their machine away every day, it should look good on your countertop too.
Sustainability
Pods are a problem. There’s no way around it. No coffee brewing option will be as ecologically sound as simply pouring water over grounds (and then composting those grounds if you can). Yes, technically you can tear apart Keurig pods, empty their spent coffee into your compost bin and the filter into the trash, and then recycle the plastic cup portion. But overall, we can’t get behind any machine that requires plastic pods that aren’t easily recyclable. Machines that operate using a reusable pod were also given some bonus points.
Other single-serve coffee makers we liked:
Terra Kaffe Demi
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better looking coffee machine than the Terra Kaffe Demi. It’s stylish, it comes in four colors, and it’s relatively small for something with a built-in grinder at just over 7" wide—however, it’s nearly 16" deep, and you’ll need access to both sides of the machine, plus the reservoir housed on the back. (If you opt for the milk-frothing TK-02 option, it’ll be wider and deeper still.) Aside from brewing great espresso and pretty great coffee, the most impressive aspect of the Terra Kaffe is how quiet it is. Compared to the cacophony my similarly priced grind-and-brew automatic espresso machine makes, the Demi barely produced a sound.
Generally, I liked the espresso results I got from the Terra Kaffee more than I liked the drip coffee. Once I dialed in my preferred drip settings—which you can adjust for any of the machine’s four drink presets after navigating a maze of menus and submenus—I was impressed with the rich flavor and texture of the coffee with no hint of sediment at the bottom of the cup. For what’s essentially a super-automatic espresso machine with no milk frothing, it’s expensive (commitment-phobes can rent it for $40 a month), so it wouldn’t be my first choice to simply fill a mug in the morning. But if you toggle back and forth between coffee and espresso, it’s comparably priced with other super automatic machines, and it offers a sleek and almost silent option.
This touchscreen pod machine is everything we wish most K-cup machines could be. It offers rich, balanced, and nuanced coffee, plus eight brewing sizes, one-touch presets for low-acid, americano, iced coffee (which brews hot over ice), and cold brew (which uses cooler water), as well as simple customizations to any of these like temperature control and brew strength. And it does all this using its own proprietary pods made with specially treated polypropylene, which will (mostly) break down in a landfill. So other than you need to use its proprietary coffee pods, Bruvi offers all of the convenience of capsules and the fancy-pants settings of high-end coffee makers and good coffee with little downside.
The Essenza Mini comes from Nespresso’s Original line, which uses smaller capsules and only brews 1.35-oz. espresso shots or 3.7-oz. Lungo cups of coffee. And it does so using 19 bars of pressure for extraction, as opposed to the VertuoLine’s centrifugal extraction method. It doesn’t make plain old cups of coffee, however, but we’ve included it here as a good option for pod coffee drinkers who prefer espresso drinks and want a simple way to make beverages like cappuccinos and macchiatos.
Like its larger Moccamaster brethren, Cup-One has a timeless, old-school design and a single, tactile glowing “on” switch would make it look at home in a truck stop diner or a trendy modern apartment. And speaking of diners, the coffee, even in a 10-oz. default brew, was diner quality (I mean that affectionately), with robust flavor and texture—though that may have had something to do with the fact that I used the recommended four tablespoons of grounds, twice what other machines suggest for eight oz. Considering its higher price tag, it appears to be pretty low-tech. Okay, okay, it’s just an automatic pour-over machine. But it brewed one of the best single cups from grounds I’ve had from any drip machine. And it’s quiet with no bubbling or burping. What can I say? The small footprint and retro vibes also won me over. It’s a small luxury. It’s a vibe. As the kids say, it’s aesthetic.
Now for the minuses: Yes, you could get a (really nice) gooseneck kettle and pour-over system for, like, half the cost. Give and take. Low clearance under the drip spout means you’re stuck with brewing into mugs and low-profile tumblers. The included measuring scoop and a needle-like poking tool for clearing the filter holder have no home onboard the machine, adding to your “things we need to keep but don’t know where else to put” drawer.
Hamilton Beach The Scoop
Of all the podless machines, this one is the most podlike in its convenience while producing pod-beating coffee. The eponymous Scoop is a small mesh filter that doubles as a measuring spoon. Just scoop up (or in) your grounds to the maximum fill line, and you’re good to go. The Scoop sits in a second “grounds catching” mesh filter which, in my tests, reduced silt in my cup compared to similar single-filter systems, but didn’t eliminate it. Using the two size settings, you can brew either 8 oz. or 14 oz. per cup. The coffee it produced on normal brew mode was fine, but tapping the BOLD setting did actually produce much more robust results. However, each cup I made was on the oily side.
A flip-down drip tray holds standard mugs, while the lower drip tray has a clearance of 7", so lots of travel tumblers stand a chance. The 40-oz. water reservoir is on the small side, but is easy to access and lift off from either side with a molded-in handle.
When you’re done, simple empty and rinse The Scoop (filter) and, if necessary, the secondary filter, and you can brew another cup right away. That’s as long as your Scoop filter is dry, anyway. If it’s still damp from the last cup, you’re going to need to scoop into The Scoop, which basically just makes this like any other small filter machine.
When you think of Mr. Coffee, you probably think of a basic, no-frills drip machine sitting on your grandparents’ countertop. And, for the most part, this multifunction machine is still just a small, simple rain-shower-style drip coffee maker designed for one-cup-at-a-time brewing. The reservoir and reusable mesh filter sit under the lid and feature graduated measurements for water levels from 4 oz. up to 16 oz. You can fill the removable filter with grounds using a double-ended measuring scoop that nests on the side of the machine and has guidelines for different sizes and styles of coffee, whether you’re brewing a “shot” for milk-based drinks or a tumbler full of iced coffee. The bonus of this machine is that, while still retaining a small footprint, it also includes a decent self-contained, stainless-steel milk frother cup with presets for hot milk and cold foam that can be used completely independently from the coffee-making portion.
As for taste and texture, everything was like middle-of-the-road drip coffee. However, I found that following the instructions for the weakest iced coffee (one large scoop) actually gave me decent results that weren’t as watered down as other machines on this list. It also comes with a 22-oz. plastic tumbler just for iced coffee—and enough brewing clearance to fit such a large cup—so if you’re someone who flip-flops between iced and hot coffee and aren’t too finicky about dialing in precise strength, it’s a practical option.
If, for whatever reason, you want to brew Nespresso pods but don’t want to actually get a Nespresso machine, the L’or is your choice. It brews Original Nespresso pods along with its own proprietary pods (which are cross-compatible with classic Nespresso machines). L’or’s brewer offers three brewing sizes and extracts coffee from the pod at 19 bars of pressure through two spouts, similar to the way coffee comes out of a semiautomatic espresso machine. This produces a delicious layer of crema that’s as good as Nespresso’s. It was only in a head-to-head matchup that we slightly preferred Nespresso.
If you like the idea of Nespresso but not the idea of being stuck with one-cup-at-at-time brewing, the Vertuo Next has brew sizes ranging from a single shot of espresso up to 18 oz. of coffee with the proper pods (an optional carafe is available for the biggest brews). This smart machine also has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, so you can track your favorite pods and get firmware updates. However, the Next is a smaller machine than the Vertuo Plus, and with that comes a smaller water tank. And like the Vertuo Pop+ below, the closing and locking mechanism is a bit clunkier than we’d like. But for all out versatility, it’s probably your best Nespresso brewing option.
If you’re looking for a K-cup-compatible coffee machine that can do a little more, this is a good option. It comes with a reusable filter capsule that, while a little finicky getting it to work properly, does, indeed, work. It also has a 72-oz. water tank for less-frequent refills, as well as settings for five cup sizes and two brewing temperatures. The biggest boost we’ll give this machine is that it produced superior tasting coffee using K-cups than any Keurig machine we’ve tried.
Single-serve coffee makers we don’t recommend
We like almost all Nespresso machines, but we think the three recommended above are better than the Vertuo Pop+ for a few reasons. On the Pop+, the actual snapping down of the lid to puncture the pod inside was the clunkiest of the bunch and a lot of effort in a pre-coffee morning fog. And this low-profile machine was so low to the counter, we couldn’t fit a pint glass or similarly sized tumbler underneath, which was a problem considering that Nespresso offers Iced Leggero pods that brew 7.7 oz., overflowing our smaller ice-filled cups. Lastly, the water reservoir on the standard version of this machine (which comes in at 25.4 oz. or 32 oz. on the Deluxe model) is pretty small compared to the Vertuo Plus, and it’s set in a fixed side-mounted position, so you’re stuck with the orientation as is. In other words, it’s still a solid Nespresso coffee brewer but less versatile than what you get for a few dollars more.
You might consider this machine Lavazza’s attempt to answer the classic Nespresso; its plastic coffee pods and presets brew in espresso or lungo sizes. It beats the Keurig and K-cup machines when it comes to robust and flavorful coffee, but it didn’t live up to the high bar set by Nespresso. The Ristretto capsules we tried were a bit bitter and the texture was thin, though we actually liked the medium-roast decaf capsules enough as after dinner/dessert coffee. Considering Lavazza makes capsules for both Nespresso classic machines and K-cup machines, along with other espresso products, we just don’t think it’s necessary to buy into the Lavazza tech—as sleek and compact as it is—to enjoy its coffee.
The dual on this machine refers to both drip coffee and coffee pods. It offers multiple brew sizes and strengths, and, being a drip machine first, comes with a glass carafe. It accepts pods with an adapter that fits into the filter basket. Some of its handier features are an adjustable 60-oz. water reservoir, dedicated hot water dispenser, fold-away milk frother, and an adjustable drip tray that allows you to brew directly into a cup or tumbler. But we don’t think it’s the best drip coffee maker out there, and it’s too big and complex for just making capsule coffee.
There’s a lot to like about the exterior design of this slimmed down version a Ninja single-serve system, from its pleasing colorways like stone, sage green, and glacier blue (in addition to black), its handy fold-away frothing wand that easily whipped some pre-warmed milk into a mug full of foam, or its storage nooks for the pod/grounds adapters and measuring spoon. The generous water tank, while rear-mounted, has a pressure fit lid that actually stays put between the faucet and counter. And all of its detachable parts and pieces are dishwasher-safe. But whether you’ll crave the actual coffee from this machine is another story. Pods tasted weak, even at the lower 6-oz. brewing size, and grounds were better but not by very much. The Specialty Brew setting, which brews a 4-oz. shot of coffee for use with the frother, isn’t quite an espresso experience, either. And while you can choose multiple cup sizes, you can’t select anything but the preset temperature.
Despite its 4.4 stars from over 100,000 ratings on Amazon, we can’t imagine using this machine for coffee every day. Our experience with Keurig coffee pods, regardless of the brand of coffee we tried, was watery or bitter coffee (or, at worst, somehow both). That, plus the fact that this machine’s reservoir is only large enough for one cup at a time makes this one tedious for regular use.
Unfortunately, the “smart” features of this machine add more frustration than anything. The machine is supposed to recognize which K-cup you put inside and adjust its brew settings accordingly. It also allows you to select and save brew sizes and temperatures as presets. But in our tests, the machine frequently froze and had to be unplugged to get it going again. Being “smart,” this machine also offers app-enabled remote brewing, something we can’t imagine using since you have to put K-cups in (and take used cups out) one at a time. One plus was the generous 66-oz. water reservoir with a convenient pitcher handle. But in the end, this fancy Keurig didn’t improve our pod coffee experience whatsoever.
As iced coffee rivals hot coffee consumption these days, it’s no wonder Keurig would offer a machine that specializes in cold drinks. One aspect of this machine that’s well thought-out is its dispensing spout, which is high enough off the counter to accommodate a pint glass or tumbler. We found the iced coffee setting only reduced the brew temperature by less than 10°, so our ice still had to do most of the work while also watering the coffee down, which was already diluted with 12 oz. of water during brewing. Even on the smallest of three preprogramed hot coffee brew sizes, it mirrored our other Keurig experiences with weak or just not tasty coffee output.
Even though this is an 8-cup coffee maker, I tested this machine because it proudly advertises on the box that it’s also a single-serve machine. Let me get one thing out of the way immediately: This is a great little drip coffee maker if you’re brewing by the carafe. It has the option to brew full and half carafes, and a heated warming plate that keeps the coffee pleasantly hot for hours. But it fell short on a few functional aspects, as well as that single-serve option. First, the water tank is not “smart”—as in, it uses all the water you put in it every time. So if you want a full carafe, you fill it all the way up with water, and if you want a single cup, you put in just enough for… two cups. No, it doesn’t actually brew a single serving of coffee. For a $200-plus machine purporting to do single-serve brewing that can go toe-to-toe with Keurig, that’s a little disappointing.
Additional testing and reporting by Emily Farris
Pod coffee is fine, but the fresh stuff is even better
- A good coffee subscription can get show you just how different coffee beans can be
- Good coffee doesn’t need to be complicated coffee thanks to the new cadre of excellent automatic coffee brewers
- Even fresh beans and a good brewer can’t save badly ground coffee, which is what a nice burr grinder is key