What Is The Best Single Serve Coffee Maker?

K-cup coffee makers have revolutionized the way we enjoy our daily caffeine fix. These convenient machines use single-serve pods to brew a fresh cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa in just minutes, offering busy individuals like college students and professionals a quick and easy solution to jumpstart their day. Here are the 4 best cheap k-cup coffee makers of the year that offer a good balance between performance and affordability.

4 Best Cheap K-Cup Coffee Makers: - (you can get Up to 8% Super Cash Back on Keurig)

• Keurig K-Express Coffee Make

• Keurig K-Slim Single Serve Coffee Maker

• Keurig K-Mini Plus Coffee Maker

• Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker

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Details

What is the Difference Between the 4 Top K-Cup Coffee Makers：K-Mini vs. Mini Plus vs. K-Slim vs. K-Express

Short on time? Here’s a list of our overall top picks of the 5 best budget-friendly K-Cup coffee makers for your morning coffee ritual.

Editor's Review: Which Single Serve Coffee Maker Is Right For Me?

Editor's Review: Which Single Serve Coffee Maker Is Right For Me?

1. Keurig K-Mini

The Keurig K-Mini is a space-saving coffee maker that we recommend for those seeking a budget-friendly option with great performance.

The K-Mini is the easiest Keurig machine money can buy.

Its water reservoir is fit for the exact serving size you’d like––however much water you add is how much coffee you’ll get. It can hold and brew up between 6- to 12-ounces. 

It comes equipped with hideaway cord storage, making it easy to move around, and its two buttons––one for power, another for brew––make operating it a cinch. 

It’s the smallest Keurig available, measuring 4.5-inches in width and about 11-inches deep, which is slimmer than the K-Slim, and it’s available in eye-catching colors including green, rose, teal, gray, and red.

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 Keurig 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. In fact, no coffee brewed was lower than 180 degrees. 

The K-Mini has the longest brew time of any Keurig on this list, averaging 2 minutes and 33 seconds out of a total of five cups. It’s also the loudest, as we measured 80 decibels during its brew cycle. 

If you want more from your coffee maker, you may need to upgrade to a Keurig with more features. You won’t be able to set a timer or fully control your brew strength, and you’ll have to add water every time. 

Still, it offers great value and fast brewing!

It’s also the lowest energy hog, clocking in at 110 kWh. 

The auto-off feature turns off the coffee maker 90 seconds after your last brew, which is a nice touch for energy efficiency. 

I love the ease of use of the Keurig K-Mini, and the fact that it's compatible with My K-Cup Universal Reusable Coffee Filters (sold separately) is a major plus for me. This allows us to brew our own ground coffee, reducing the waste of single-use K-cups.

Although it can get annoying having to constantly fill up the water reservoir, it also ensures you’re not letting water sit in your machine’s tank, which results in less waste. 

This one is worth looking into if space is a premium and you just want the bare essentials from one of the best Keurig coffee makers.

The compact design allowed us to fit it into even the smallest of spaces in our kitchen, perfect for those with limited counter space. 

Pros

Compact design

Great for your desk at work, dorm room or bedroom, or anywhere else you want a cup of coffee quickly

Customizable brew sizes

Energy-efficient

No pod-scanning technology so brews both licensed and unlicensed K-Cup pods

Generally a less expensive model than the K-Mini Plus that functions almost exactly the same

Cons

One cup reservoir

There's no good reason to get the K-Mini when the K-Express is cheaper and has more features

Max 12 oz reservoir needs to be refilled before each use

No extra features

Is the Keurig K-Mini for you?

The Keurig K-Mini is great if you're looking for a slim, compact brewing experience and don't mind refilling before each use (or the non-removable reservoir).

If you're looking for a removable reservoir and don't mind refilling before each brew, upgrade to the Keurig K-Mini Plus.

If you're looking for a removable reservoir but want more capacity so you don't have to refill before every brew, take a look at the Keurig K-Express.

If you're looking for another narrow machine with a surprisingly large 46 oz reservoir, the Keurig K-Slim is for you.

2. Keurig K-Mini Plus 

Keurig's slimmest brewer, the Keurig K-Mini Plus is just like the K-Mini (4.5" wide and refill before each use) but adds several worthy upgrades. 

Where the K-Mini Plus becomes "PLUS!" is with 4 small changes:

• Removable water reservoir, which is easier to fill and clean

• Strength Control feature

• Chrome-colored accent panel on the drip tray

• Pod storage accessory with 9-pod capacity

If those additions make it worth the likely elevated price tag, go for the K-Mini Plus.

Keurig K-Mini Plus Vs Keurig K-Mini

The regular Keurig K Mini is similar to the Keurig K-Mini Plus, but there are a few differences between them. The K Mini Plus has a removable container for easy cleaning, while the regular Mini has it fixed in place. The K Mini Plus also has a stronger brew button and a K cup pod storage container to help maximize potential storage space.

These two systems are otherwise similar, with essentially the same brewing and water options outside of the Plus having a stronger brew setting. 

Considering the narrow price difference between them, it’s hard to recommend the K Mini over the Mini Plus, even for budget-conscious buyers.

The Keurig K Mini isn’t a fundamentally bad brewer, but its main competitor is better at a slightly higher price.

Keurig K-Mini Plus

Another compact brewer, the Keurig K-Mini Plus is just four and a half inches wide. 

The slim and sleek design easily fits into the limited counter space in our kitchen without sacrificing quality or taste.

The pod storage unit holds up to 9 K-Cup pods, which cuts down on clutter.

Unlike most brewers, the K Mini Plus doesn’t have a large reservoir suitable for brewing multiple cups. Instead, you can expect to add water every time you want to use it. That’s a major part of why this unit can fit in so small a space, but it’s easy to work around if you’re an occasional drinker.

This is a good choice for people who want a simple brewer for occasional use, comfortably handling anywhere from 6 to 12 ounces of water in each brewing cycle.

The one point of differentiation between this and some other k-cup machines is that the water reservoir is easy to fill by either pouring water directly into it from your coffee mug or by filling it directly from the faucet. The reservoir is removable and designed to not leak into the machine or down the side of it when the reservoir is replaced.

The brewer uses a big 1470 watt “engine” inside it that heats water to brewing temperatures in one minute and 33 seconds according to my timer. From first drip to the brew cycle shutting off it takes an additional 51 seconds to brew or one minute 19 seconds to brew when the “Strong Button” is selected.

The quality of the brew is great and the machines leaves no foul plastic taste in the coffee like some other cheap machines.

I don’t like the loudness of the machine. I own a lot of k-cup compatible brewers, and this one is one of the loudest I have ever used. It’s not going to wake up the house or anything, just a slight annoyance.

Keurig offers this brewer in a much wider array of colors than other brewers get. Having so many colors, including rarer options like blues, makes it easier to match this brewer to your decor.

Pros

Simple to use and fast brewing

Portable with pod and cord storage

Strong button for bolder coffee flavor

Compact and foolproof to use

Removable water reservoir is easy to clean and refill

Great for your desk at work, dorm room or bedroom, or anywhere else you want a cup of coffee quickly

No pod-scanning technology so brews both licensed and unlicensed K-Cup pods

Cons

Not compatible with a water filter

Max 12 oz reservoir needs to be refilled before each use

Not sure the removable water reservoir and chrome accent are worth paying up for

No extra features

Takes a bit of time to heat water during the brewing process

Is the Keurig K-Mini Plus for you?

The Keurig K-Mini Plus is great if you're looking for a super-slim coffee maker with a few features of convenience, like the Strength Control setting and removable reservoir.

If you're looking for the same narrow design and "fill before each use" brewing method, you'll be fine getting the regular ol' K-Mini.

If you're looking for a removable reservoir but want more capacity so you don't have to refill before every brew, take a look at the Keurig K-Express.

If you're looking for another narrow machine with a surprisingly large 46 oz reservoir, the Keurig K-Slim is for you.

3. Keurig K-Slim 

If you're looking for a slim single-serve coffee maker with a tiny countertop footprint, Keurig has you covered with 3 different brewers measuring just 4.8" wide:

• K-Mini: 4.5" wide and brew up to 12 oz but refill before each use

• K-Mini Plus: Same as the K-Mini but adds Strength Control

• Keurig K-Slim: Just 4.8" wide with an impressive 46 oz water reservoir

Unlike the K-Mini and K-Mini Plus, which brew all of the water you pour into the reservoir, the K-Slim gives you 3 preset brew sizes from 8-12 oz in the same Mini-style design and a relatively massive 46 oz water reservoir.

While Keurig has released several models with much larger water tanks (75 oz on the Keurig K-Elite), 46 oz isn't anything to scoff at. That's almost the same size as the K-Classic's 48 oz reservoir, and the K-Classic is twice as wide at 9.8" with just a 10 oz max brew size.

Is the Keurig K-Slim for you?

The K-Slim is the ideal brewer is you're looking for a narrow machine that doesn't need to be refilled before each use and can deal with the non-removable reservoir and lack of Strength Control.

If you're looking for a compact brewer with a removable reservoir (but no Strength Control), take a look at the Keurig K-Express.

If you're looking for Strength Control (but a non-removable reservoir), take a look at the K-Mini Plus.

If you're looking for a stylish machine with both a removable reservoir and Strength Control, the K-Select is for you.

As the name implies, the K Slim is a narrow coffee maker that aims to take up as little counter space as possible. 

The 4.8" Keurig K-Slim keeps the narrow width of the K-Mini and K-Mini Plus.

But it is impressive for a brewer that offers a relatively massive 46 oz water reservoir and a removable drip tray accommodating mugs up to 7" tall.

Though it packs a 46 oz reservoir into a sleek package, the brewer's design makes its water reservoir non-removable. 

The 46 oz. water reservoir allows us to brew up to four 8 oz. cups before needing to refill, which is perfect for busy mornings or when we have guests over.

Additionally, the K-Slim offers the option to select from 8, 10, or 12 oz. cup sizes, catering to our various caffeine needs throughout the day.

Plus, its multistream technology ensures a richer cup of coffee by fully saturating its K-Cups, a taste we found during testing to be much like the bold feature seen on other Keurig machines.

Every coffee we brewed using the Keurig K-Slim produced a tasty cup, providing both depth and flavor. It lacks the hot temperature required for the best tasting coffee, however, as do all Keurigs. The hottest recorded cup was 181 degrees Fahrenheit, while 168 degrees was the lowest. 

We also clocked the machine’s average brew time to be 1 minute and 25 seconds, though, unlike our top contenders — the K-Cafe and K-Elite — the K-Slim’s warm-up and brew cycles are combined, resulting in a longer wait. Still, like all Keurigs, the K-Slim can brew a cup in less than two minutes.

At its loudest, the Keurig K-Slim makes about 74 decibels of noise, toward the end of its brewing cycle. It also consumes about 139 kWh, which is slightly more than the K-Elite.

One mild downside is that the K-Slim does not feature a built-in timer. Nevertheless, the auto-off feature helps save energy by turning off the coffee maker five minutes after the last brew. 

Having said that, if you’re looking for a barebones machine, the K-Slim makes the best flavor of K-Cup coffee at the lowest price, and it comes in plenty of colors including red, mint, gray, and white. That’s why it makes the list as one of the best Keurig coffee makers. An Iced variant is nearly identical but supports cold drinks better.

Pros

Slim design like the K-Minis but has a larger 46 oz reservoir

Slim build uses less space 

Brews up to 4 cups before needing a refill

Offers 3 cup sizes to choose from

Lots of color options  

Multistream technology makes great coffee 

No pod-scanning technology so brews both licensed and unlicensed K-Cup pods

Cons

Only 3 preset brew sizes

Only brews 8-, 10-, and 12-ounce coffee 

No Brew Strengths or Temp Control features

Rear-positioned water reservoir is harder to access and refill

4. Keurig K-Express

The latest in Keurig coffee makers, the Keurig K-Express Essentials takes the best of both worlds, sporting a slim design and a large water tank similar to the Keurig K-Slim. 

At just 12.8 x 5.1 x 12.6-inches in surface area and a measly 4.1 pounds of weight, it’s super easy to carry this machine around and fit it in tight spots on your kitchen counter. Plus, the sleek, contemporary design looks great in any kitchen or breakfast nook.

Keurig K-Express does not compromise on anything just because it’s compact and lightweight. It comes with a 42-ounce water reservoir, which is quite impressive for its size. 

However, unlike the K-Mini series, which requires you to add water for every brew you make, it is an otherwise compact and light machine.

Keurig K-Express gives you the power to choose between 8 oz, 10 oz, and 12 oz cup size options, giving you access to a variety of preferences to suit many different needs. The best part is that the coffee’s strength is not compromised with each size, as the ratio of water to coffee remains the same no matter what cup size you choose.

When it comes to the brew, the K-Express provides more than just a single brew button. Additionally, you can select the ‘strong’ brew button to make a bolder, more intense cup of coffee. The brewer achieves this by prolonging the contact between the water and coffee grounds in the K-Cup, allowing the liquid to absorb more of the coffee’s richness before being dispensed into your cup.

However, the temperature is non-adjustable. The temperature of your coffee made with K-Express is a maximum of 168 Fahrenheit. 

Its back-to-back brewing technology means you can make multiple cups without waiting for the system to cool down.

But this coffee gadget doesn’t just brew coffee. The Keurig K-Express Single Serving Coffe Maker works with all K-Cup pods, including hot cocoa and tea.

K-Express is one of the very quiet and fast brewers of Keurig. This brewer doesn’t make irritating sounds to wake up the whole house. 

The K-Express also comes with a drip tray to keep your kitchen top nice and clean as it catches the excess drips from your dispenser that miss your cup. This tray is also removable, meaning you can detach it to clean separately via dishwasher or other. The great thing about this is you can brew a taller cup of coffee by making extra room for a travel mug or equivalent.

Keurig K-Express has a descaling light that turns on when your machine needs descaling. 

As the reservoir is positioned at the back, you cannot see the water level from the front, but the K-Express K-Cup pod coffee brewer has an Add Water that turns on when the reservoir has a low water level.

With K-Express, you can brew your own ground coffee as it shows compatibility with My K-Cup coffee filters. 

Pros

Design is compact, slim, and aesthetic, making it a gorgeous addition to any kitchen counter and saving on counter space.

Strong button for bolder coffee taste

Compatible with all your favorite American and global brands of K-Cups.

Easy-to-use brewing options

Brew options cater for 8oz, 10oz, and 12oz cup size options.

Removable Water Reservoir

The water tank holds up to 42 ounces of water and can brew up to 4 cups before a refill is required.

A removable drip tray creates extra height to accommodate travel mugs up to 7-inches tall.

Facilitates the use of a reusable K-Cup.

Descale Alert: Your brewer K-Express lets you know that it needs descaling as the descale light turns on. A great help in the maintenance of the machine!

Low Water Light: K-Express single-serve coffee maker has an Add Water light that turns on when the reservoir’s water level gets low.

Fast and Quiet: Keurig K-Express brews your coffee at a fast speed and doesn’t disturb you by making noise, as it is a quiet and calm machine. Enjoy a delicious cup of coffee in no time.

Cons

No auto-off function included.

No setting to adjust the temperature of the coffee according to your preference. You get the same temperature for every brew. 

K-Express coffee maker cannot serve you an iced coffee. 

Verdict: The best Keurig single serve coffee maker to buy is the K-Express!

The Keurig K-Express is a great coffee brewer available at a low price, most suitable for fans of the K-Slim series who want the compactness and portability of a K-Mini. 

We like the Keurig K-Express for its unique cross between a single cup coffee maker (less coffee waste and takes up less space) and a larger coffee brewer (has a 42 oz. removable water reservoir). 

What’s more, you get 8-, 10-, and 12-ounce serving sizes. That way, you can choose the size you prefer. 

This kitchen gadget actually has a STRONG button for a bolder coffee flavor. 

But this coffee gadget doesn’t just brew coffee. The K-Express Single Serving Coffe Maker works with all K-Cup pods, including hot cocoa and tea. 

Even better, you can use the My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter (sold separately) with your favorite ground coffee.

Ranking above and beyond the previous most affordable Keurig — the back-to-back brewing technology, so no waiting for the machine to reheat when brewing a second cup.

Another feature that shoppers are sure to love is its travel-mug-friendly form factor. To accommodate travel mugs up to seven inches tall, simply pop out the cup rest.

The look and modern design of Keurig K-Express are just outclassing! It’s a very sleek and small machine having an elegant look.

K-Express has three brew sizes and one power button. It has two lights just below the buttons, one for descaling alert and the other for a low water alert. 

Keurig K-Express Essentials Brewer also features takes up little space but still packs a punch.

Calling all coffee lovers -- Walmart has a hot deal for you. The retailer just discounted the Keurig K-Express Essentials coffee brewer to just $59. 

This is a budget model, but its inclusion of a strength control system and compact footprint make it an ideal entry point if you’re not used to brewing systems. Consider the K-Express if you want to brew 1 or 2 cups each morning from a K Cup pod and don’t want to worry about customizing the settings to match each drink’s unique flavor profile.

Keurig K-Express vs K Compact

The most notable difference between the K-Express and the K-Compact coffee makers is the difference in cup sizes offered. The Compact brings smaller cup sizes of 6, 8, or 10 oz brew options, a notch down from the Express.

Additionally, the Compact comes with an auto shut-off function that executes shortly after the last brew to help you save energy, which gives it a slight edge over the Express. However, the Express wins in lightness and compactness and has a strong brew button not available with the Compact. 

Keurig K-Express vs K Slim

K-Express takes the slim nature of the K-Slim and combines it with the K-Mini, making for a compact and lightweight model that does not compromise on the tank. Other than the product dimensions, the Express and K-Slim are very similar in their overall functionality, though the K-Slim does not have a strong brew option like the Express.

There is also a slight difference in the reservoir size, with the K-Slim having a small edge, though it is nothing of significance (we’re talking a couple of ounces). Also, keep in mind that the Express is only sold at Walmart stores, so it is not as widely available as the K-Slim.

Keurig K-Express vs K Mini

The main difference between the K-Express and K-Mini lies with the issue of the size of the tank. The K-Mini requires you to add water with every use, whereas the K-Express differentiates itself from such brewers by incorporating a 42 oz tank while being just as light and compact for the most part.

Another notable difference is the Express uses preset brew sizes. At the same time, the Mini allows you to customize the size from anything between 6 and 12 ounces. This gives you more flexibility for your brewing experience. Also, keep in mind that the Express is only sold at Walmart stores, so it is not as widely available as K-Mini brewers in this regard.

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