In the world of coffee, Keurig is renowned for revolutionizing the coffee-making process into an easy and efficient experience. With the K Cafe, Keurig gives coffee-lovers the ability to make a coffee, latte or cappuccino with the push of a button.
Do you want to know if the Keurig K Cafe single serve k cup coffee maker is the right choice for you? Keep reading to find out.
Keurig K Cafe
Appearance
With a height of 12.5 inches, a width of 15.3 inches and a depth of 11.7 inches, the K Café will take up room on any counter. Understandably, the massive size of this coffee maker can deter coffee drinkers with limited space. However, if space isn’t an issue, the K Café can fit comfortably under cabinets and looks fantastic on a counter.
The exterior of the K Café is made primarily of plastic and is available in black. It should be noted that the Keurig K Café Special Edition version has a nickel-colored finish and a metal handle on the water reservoir, and the drip tray is also made of metal.
The left side of the machine hosts a detachable 60 oz frosted water reservoir. There is a built-in milk frother receptacle and frothing pitcher on the right. The center of the device has the classic Keurig brewing system with additional options for latte or cappuccino brewing.
Score on Appearance: 3 out of 5
The appearance of the Keurig K Café is grand and impressive. The sleek lines give the machine an elegant appeal, while the functional components like the frother provide sophistication to the brewer. Unfortunately, the massive size of this single serve K cup coffee maker makes it difficult to house with limited counter space. Additionally, the limited colorways can make it challenging to pair with particular kitchen aesthetics.
Brewing Features
The Keurig K Cafe is an impressive single serve k cup pod machine capable of making an array of coffee beverages, including hot or cold lattes and cappuccinos.
Primarily, the brewer allows users to select brewing for “coffee” and “latte or cappuccino.”
Users can brew their coffee regularly or select “strong” for a bolder brew when brewing coffee. The “strong” brew setting drips water through the coffee for more time, resulting in increased extraction and a robust flavor.
When brewing coffee, users also have the option to select volume. Users can choose from a 6 oz, 8 oz, 10 oz or 12 oz cup of joe.
The machine pre-selects the “Strong” and “Shot” option when brewing for a latte or cappuccino. The configuration results in two ounces of strong coffee. One must note that the shot is not an espresso shot. Espresso is brewed by pushing water at a high pressure through compact, fine ground coffee.
You should also consider the carafe height when brewing coffee beverages with this machine. This coffee maker’s carafe height is a staggering 7.2 inches, making it ideal for brewing a single serving coffee for travel mugs.
Beyond brewing single serve k cup pod coffee, the machine also heats and froths milk. This milk frother can froth milk for coffee, latte and cappuccino. In addition, users can select for the cafe to froth milk hot or cold. Finally, the built-in frother can froth several milk types, including skin, soy and almond milk.
Score on Brewing Features: 3 out of 5
While the Keurig K Cafe offers the versatility to create a range of different drinks, it is unable to produce espresso, which is required for true cafe drinks. So if you are hoping for a carefully crafted shot of espresso in the morning this isn’t the machine for you.
However, it is a step up from your standard drip machine. It will churn out a cup of drip coffee quickly and effortlessly. This single serve K Cup coffee maker also allows users to adjust the brew strength and volume of their coffee with a button. The ease of making iced or hot lattes and cappuccinos makes it possible for anyone to be a home barista.
Unfortunately, the designers didn’t incorporate Temperature Control and Altitude Settings into this Keurig Machine. While it is a great machine, it may not be ideal for coffee drinkers living in high altitudes with a taste for piping hot coffee.
User Experience
The Keurig K Cafe is an intelligently designed single serve k cup coffee maker. Let’s look at how Keurig’s unique features enhance user experience.
As mentioned before, the unit possesses a 60 oz, removable, frosted-plastic water reservoir. Thanks to the massive size of this reservoir, users can make 5 to 15 cups of coffee or 30 lattes and cappuccinos before refilling the chamber. Although this unit is not dishwasher safe, its massive size and detachability make the reservoir easy to clean in the sink.
The coffee maker features indicator lights for its auto-off feature, descaling, and adding more water. The auto-off setting automatically turns the machine off after two hours. This helps conserve energy when using the machine. The feature can be turned off or on by turning off the device and holding down the Strong and 10 oz button until the Auto-Off button flashes.
The Keurig K Cafe is compatible with the My K Cup Universal Reusable Coffee Filter. The compatibility allows users to use their own ground coffee for brewing. Additionally, K cup pods are recyclable, provided that users open the pods, compost the used coffee grounds and thoroughly rinse the pods before adding them to the recycling bin.
The drip tray holds up to eight ounces of coffee and can be easily removed for cleaning. Additionally, the frothing pitcher is removable and dishwasher safe for easy clean-up.
Score on User Experience: 4.5 out of 5
The Keurig K Cafe can brew a decent coffee, latte or cappuccino in under two minutes, with minimal effort. However, the lack of temperature control for the coffee or the milk frother is less than ideal for users who prefer their coffee to be piping hot.
Price
The Keurig K Cafe retails at $199.00, although people can purchase the machine on sale for as low as $99.00. This coffee maker is pricey for a Keurig coffee brewer. However, one can justify the price if they consider the all-in-one functionality of this Keurig coffee maker.
Nevertheless, the price of the coffee maker isn’t the only cost associated with the K Cafe. Being a single serve K cup coffee maker, it requires K cup pods to brew coffee. The price of a K cup pod can range from $0.40 to $1.25 per pod. One cup of coffee a day could cost anywhere between $144 to $456 a year. Although the price is staggeringly lower than spending $5 on a latte from the corner coffee shop for a year (totaling $1825 per year), it’s still a considerable investment.
Fortunately, the K Cafe is compatible with the My K Cup Reusable K cup pod, which retails at $19.99. Brewing coffee at home costs roughly $0.18 per cup, or approximately $66 per year. Those numbers mean that users can save $68 to $380 on their first year, if using a reusable k cup pod, and $88 to $400 on the remaining years of use.
Score on Price: 4 out of 5
While the price of this Keurig latte and cappuccino maker isn’t unreasonable, the cost of the pods can get costly. Luckily, users can save themselves some money with reusable coffee pods.
Who Should Buy the Keurig K Cafe?
This Keurig coffee maker is an ideal choice for coffee drinkers or individuals with the following characteristics:
Coffee Drinkers with Large Counter Space
This is a large machine and takes up considerable space on the counter. However, if you have ample space and are willing to let a coffee maker take up a significant amount of your countertop real estate, you may want to consider this Keurig latte and cappuccino maker.
Coffee Drinkers Who Need a Lot of Milk
The unique value proposition of the K Cafe is its ability to quickly and easily make lattes and cappuccinos in minutes. However, if you’re not into milky coffees and just want a basic cup of joe, this coffee maker is not for you. Consider buying a different model like the Keurig K Mini if you’re not into milky coffees.
Latte and Cappuccino Drinkers Who Aren’t Too Picky on Taste
The shots this machine brews are not espresso shots. Instead it brews a concentrated shot of coffee. Because of that fact, lattes and cappuccinos made on this machine don’t taste like lattes or cappuccinos from a coffee shop. If you love the espresso taste in your latte, this machine isn’t for you. Check out our review of the best espresso machines under $500 for some other options.
Coffee Drinkers Who Are Short on Time
Traditional coffees, lattes and cappuccinos require time and effort. Even if you outsource the work to your local coffee shop, the wait times can take more than a few minutes. The Keurig K Cafe latte and cappuccino maker can make a cappuccino in under two minutes.
Alternatives
Nespresso Vertuo Plus
The Nespresso Vertuo Plus is another single serve coffee machine worth considering. It retails around a similar price, but produces higher quality coffee. The Nespresso Vertuo Plus is capable of brewing both espresso and drip style coffee. The machine automatically adjusts brewing parameters such as temperature, pressure, and brewing time to produce delicious coffee. With five different drink size options this machine caters to the whole family. It also comes bundled with an Aeroccino perfect for cafe-style drinks.
Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System
If you are looking for a versatile coffee maker, the Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System is another popular option. This coffee maker offers 6 brew sizes (anything from a single serve coffee up to a carafe). It has a fold away milk frother for cafe style drinks and also has the capabilities to brew cold brew, tea or iced coffee. The Ninja system doesn’t use pods, reducing the waste and cost associated with brewing.
Keurig K Cafe-The Verdict
The Keurig K Cafe single serve coffee maker is an easy-to-use, efficient brewer with an excellent user experience and a fair price. Although the machine has aesthetic limitations and is a bit bulky, the range in functionality and efficiency more than makes up for it. It’s a fantastic option for a single serve coffee brewer.
