For many of us, Keurig means coffee – especially when it comes to convenience. The company has such a wide range of single-serve coffee machines, updated so regularly, that there is a model to suit everyone.
Deciding which Keurig is the best option for you can, however, be tricky. With such a range of machines, how do you go about working out which one should take pride of place on your kitchen counter? Our no-nonsense, straightforward review of the Keurig K55 is here to help you compare this model to other Keurig machines and choose the best option.
Keurig K55 Review
The Keurig K55 is attractively designed, with a sleek black finish and modern looking buttons. There’s a reasonable range of brew sizes and a decently sized water reservoir for a small household. The entire machine has a small footprint, although it’s not the smallest in the Keurig range.
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One of the major attractions of Keurig machines is that you know you’re always guaranteed a fresh-tasting cup of coffee, tea, cocoa, hot chocolate or indeed anything else you might like to drink to refresh your palate. Now let’s examine the Kuerig K55 Single-Serve Programmable K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker more carefully.
What Drinks Options Do You Have With The Keurig K55?
The Keurig K55 offers three standard sizes of drink: 6 ounces, 8 ounces, and 10 ounces, all represented visually by cups on the top panel. For larger servings, simply employ a little basic math: so, for a 12-ounce travel mug, for instance, just brew 2 6-ounce servings of coffee, and combine. You can decide how many K-cup pods to use to suit your taste.
You can’t change the brewing temperature on this model. Keurig has set 192 to 193 degrees Fahrenheit as the optimum temperature for coffee. To ensure your drink doesn’t cool too quickly, hacks include making sure your cup is warm before you brew, via a few seconds in the microwave or a splash of boiling water.
The Range Of Beverages
We’ve already touched on the fact that drinks made with a Keurig always come out fresh, hot, and authentic-tasting. The sheer range of beverages you can obtain for Keurig machines is also a major draw.
The range isn’t only restricted to coffee, of course; with the K55 Keurig, there are blends of tea, hot cocoa or chocolate, and herbal infusions to enjoy. If you’re an iced beverage fan, fear not: it takes a little imagination and a tiny amount of preparation, but you can even use the Keurig® K55 Coffee Maker to make iced coffee.
Just have your crushed or block ice ready in a separate container, brew your drink as usual, and then pour over. Hey, presto! Instant iced coffee, brewed just as you like it.
Most of the drinks available for Keurig machines are relatively mild tasting, so if it’s a stronger drink you require, we suggest you buy the stronger blends, use the smaller cup size, or both. The Keurig K55 also doubles as a plain water heater, great if you’d like to quickly rehydrate soup, oats or noodles.
Care And Maintenance Of The Keurig K55
Most of the machines produced by Keurig are straightforward to keep clean, and the Keurig K55 is no exception. The water reservoir is removable, so you can descale it and refill it quickly and easily. The water reservoir has a capacity of 48 fluid ounces.
Regular descaling is essential if you want to keep your coffee tasting as fresh as possible, and if you live in a hard water area, even more so. There’s a super-simple “Descale” button on this machine to help kickstart the process.
What Else Do You Need To Know About The Keurig K55?
We’ve mentioned the delightfully small physical footprint of the Keurig K55 already. To be a little more precise, to accommodate this nifty little machine, allow 9.8 by 3 by 13.3 inches. That 13.3-inch clearance is for the machine when the lid is closed, so you will need to allow a few more inches when you’re swapping or removing pods.
One of the most modern aspects of this machine is its auto-off feature. If it’s been left standing idle for two hours (heaven forbid!), then the Kurig K55 will turn itself off. It’s also pretty light, weighing around 12 pounds. We also really, really like the “Add water” button.
Pros And Cons Of The Keurig K55
Just like any coffee machine, the Keurig K55 is not (quite) perfect. It has its bonus points and its less-than-perfect aspects. So we’ve been as objective as we can.
To help you decide if this is the right machine for you, we’ve made a list of the things we like about this model, and the aspects we’re not so keen on. Of course, ultimately, it’s your choice.
✔ Smart-looking and contemporary
✔ Good sized buttons with clear text
✔ Straightforward user interface
✔ Small physical footprint
✔ The black finish will go with any style of décor
✔ Truly great range of K-Cup pods available
✔ Super-high levels of convenience
✗ You only get three brew sizes as standard
✗ The water reservoir is on the small side
✗ The brewing temperature is pretty much set in stone
As a relatively niche model, there are fewer reviews of the Keurig K55 than for some others in the range. Having said that, however, out of every 10 owners, around 6.5 were delighted, or at least very happy indeed, with the machine.
Yes, we know. You can’t have 6.5 people. It’s that math thing again. Essentially, over 60% of owners either loved this model or really, really liked it. Those who liked it were especially pleased with its convenience and ease of use. Those who were a little less enthusiastic mentioned the brewing temperature as a factor that affected their views.
Alternatives To The Keurig K55
The K55 is a compact and attractive machine, but what if you’re not entirely sure it’s what you’re looking for? You’ve definitely decided it’s still a Keurig that you’d like to grace your kitchen counter, but why not take a look at a couple of others first, before making your final decision?
Keurig K50
The Keurig K50 All Purposed Coffee Maker runs a little pricier than the Keurig K55 Classic, but still represents excellent value for money. You can brew coffee, tea, chocolate or hot cocoa, specialty infusions and coffee blends, and iced beverages. Again, for iced beverages, you do need to apply a little imagination and you need to make sure your preparation is up to par.
- Brews coffee, tea, hot cocoa, specialty, and Iced beverages
- Brews 6 oz. , 8 oz. , and 10 oz. Sizes
- Always ready and brews in under a minute
- Removable 48 oz. Water reservoir | indicator lights
- Programmable auto off feature | removable drip tray
Like the K55, you can brew standard-sized cups of 6 ounces, 8 ounces or ten ounces. The brew time is short, less than a minute, and, as with the K55, the removable water reservoir holds 48 ounces. This machine has a programmable auto-off feature, while the removable drip tray means that you can slip a smaller sized travel mug under the spout for easy coffee-on-the-go.
Keurig K250
The Keurig K250 Coffee Maker is another great alternative option to the Keurig K55 if you need help making up your mind. Like the K50, this model is usually a little more expensive than the K55, but there are a few more features that explain why.
To begin with, you can choose how strong you’d like your coffee, although the temperature remains set. You also get a choice of 9 brew sizes with this machine.
- A sleek and slim single-serve coffee maker. Includes 4 K-Cup pods, a water filter handle + 2 water filters, and a bottle of descaling solution to help extend the life of your brewer. Dimensions :...
- 40 oz. water reservoir allows you to brew 4+ cups before having to refill, saving you time and simplifying your morning routine. The water reservoir is removable, making it easy to refill
- Brews multiple K-Cup pod brew sizes (4, 6, 8, 10 oz.) and brews a Carafe (22, 26, or 30oz) using K-Carafe pods to give you more coffee when you need it (Carafe sold separately)
- Strength Control: A strength control setting allows you to brew a bolder cup using any K-Cup pod brew size
- A black and white touch screen makes it easy to brew a fresh, great tasting cup in under a minute
This machine tends to be a little more expensive than the K55 Classic Model, although there are a couple of extra features. As well as offering you the chance to choose the strength of your coffee, this model comes in a truly delightful range of colors, depending on your stockist. So if you’ve just redecorated your kitchen in peacock blue (or teal), there’s a color to blend in.
This model measures 15 by 9 by 13.7 inches. You will need to make sure, as is the case for most Keurig coffee makers designed in this way, that you have at least 17.6 inches of clearance above the lid. This is essential so that you can easily change, insert, or remove pods. The weight of this coffee maker is 7.5 pounds, increasing to 11.75 pounds once shipping materials are taken into account. This model does not usually come with a starter pack of pods, however, and the shut-off is not automated.
Keurig K-Select Coffee Maker
The K-Select Keurig Coffee Maker is, again, a little more expensive than the K55, but comes with strength control and hot water on demand. The finish is matte black. There is a choice of 4 standard brew sizes: 6 ounces, 8 ounces, 10 ounces, and 12 ounces. You can vary the strength and intensity of your drink with the K-Select.
- Note: 1)Too coarse a grind, too little coffee, or insufficiently tamping the grounds before brewing can all lead to inadequate pressure for a proper brew. 2)It is important to note that the amount of...
- WHAT'S IN THE BOX: 1 water filter handle, and 1 filter to help ensure your beverages taste their absolute best
- BREWS MULTIPLE CUP SIZES: (6, 8, 10, 12 oz.). Enjoy the most popular cup sizes all with quiet brew technology, minimizing noise during use
- STRONG BREW: Kicks up your coffee’s strength and intensity
- LARGE 52 Oz. WATER RESERVOIR: Allows you to brew 5 cups before having to refill, saving you time and simplifying your morning routine. Removable reservoir makes refilling easy
This is one of the quieter models available so if you have housemates, relatives, friends or colleagues who find noise disturbing, this might be a particularly good machine to consider. There’s a programmable auto-off feature, and this machine alerts you when you need to descale.
It’s simple to use, without too many unnecessary buttons. The removable water reservoir is larger than on some of the other small Keurig machines, holding 52 ounces. With the drip tray removed, this machine can accommodate travel mugs up to 7.4 inches in height.
Conclusion And Our Rating
Keurig generally inspires loyalty. The range of drinks available is pretty much unparalleled. In recent years, with the advent of reusable K-Cup pods, you can even add your own choice of coffee blend or loose leaf tea and help keep environmental waste to a minimum.
This machine is so small and sweet, you’ll barely notice it’s there unless you’re using it to brew a delicious cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate. This is one of the many reasons we’re giving the Keurig K55 Single Serve Programmable K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker an overall rating of 4.5 stars.
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Hi my name is Larry, a coffee aficionado from the US. I have already visited Colombia, Sumatra, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ethiopia and Jamaica in my pursuit of finding the best-tasting coffee beans. I currently write from Bali and enjoy the relaxed life that you can only find in Canggu. Welcome to my coffee world!
Last update on 2023-03-30 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API.