Once you find a coffee maker that suits you, you’re pretty likely to stick with the brand, and in some cases even the model. There are many loyal Keurig fans out there, but Nespresso is also a popular make in many parts of the world.
Keurig has a great range of drinks available; Nespresso has a somewhat more limited range.
Which Machine Is Better?
Our Winner: Nespresso Pixie
If you really can’t make your mind up between the two, and you’ve managed to narrow the competition to the final two, we’re here to help. Here’s our review of Nespresso vs. Keurig, specifically the Nespresso Pixie Espresso Machine vs. the Keurig K50 – the good, the bad, and the coffee choices.
The Nespresso Pixie Espresso Machine
There’s something really appealing about the design of the Nespresso Pixie, whatever color you choose. It’s just so incredibly cute. Just like real pixies (what do you mean, they’re not real?), or the idea of pixies, this is a tiny machine that packs a real punch.
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Even the dozens of drinks available have utterly charming and authentic names like Ristretto, Livanto, Capriccio and Cosi. Limited editions are regularly released and there are decaffeinated options for those who prefer their coffee without the caffeine.
It’s such a compact coffee machine that it will fit in the smallest of spaces, whether it’s a mini kitchen, a dorm room, or one of the tiny houses that are taking the United States, and the world, by storm. It measures just 12.8” by 4.4” by 9.3” and it weighs just over 6 lbs, 7.1 with shipping. It also scores very highly on the energy consumption scale – it falls into the A-class in terms of how much energy it uses. The Pixie turns itself off after 9 minutes.
As is the case with many coffee machines, you’ll get the best results and the freshest tasting brews if you stick with filtered or bottled water. You really do need to make sure you descale regularly too, especially if you live in a hard water area. This machine has 19 bars of pressure.
Pros & Cons
✔ It’s tiny. Like, genuinely tiny
✔ You can get it in lots of different colors
✔ The capsules are made of recyclable aluminum
✔ When you’ve made a cup of coffee, the capsules get fired into an internal receptacle which you can empty at your leisure
✔ You get a lot of machine for your money
✗ It’s not so good for brewing tea and non-coffee beverages
✗ You can’t really use your own choice of ground coffee
✗ Drinks don’t come out scalding hot
The Keurig K50 The All Purposed Coffee Maker
If you’re looking for an excellent entry-level coffee maker to get you started on your single-serve coffee journey, or keep you going for that matter, the Keurig K50 from the ever-expanding and constantly revamped Keurig range is a solid choice. It’s also a great option if you just need to replace an existing coffee machine.
There are relatively few bells and whistles with this coffee maker. If, however, your idea of heaven is sitting in the comfort of your own home enjoying a fragrant beverage that tastes just like the coffee your barista prepares at your local coffee shop, you could do worse than choose this model.
Keurig® K50 Coffee Maker
- 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
There are literally hundreds of delicious beverages to choose from in the K-Cup range, and with modern models like the Keurig Hot K50, you can also choose to buy a Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Filter, which is purchased separately.
No coffee maker is completely silent, and by their nature, single-serve coffee machines make noise when they brew, but this is one of the quieter models on the market. It’s an ideal choice if space in your home or study area is a little limited since it’s only 9.3” wide, 13” tall, and 13” deep.
You do need to make sure there’s enough clearance at the top to insert and remove the K-Cup pods. It’s also a light machine, at around 8lb once shipping materials are removed.
Pros & Cons
✔ Perfect choice for small spaces
✔ Extremely straightforward to set up and use
✔ Good water reservoir capacity
✔ Very good value for money
✔ Decent range of cup sizes
✗ A little basic
✗ No light to warn you when the reservoir needs refilling
✗ Some of the coffee blends are a little weak
The Showdown – Nespresso Pixie vs. Keurig K50
Whichever company you support in the Keurig vs. Nespresso debate, both of these machines are great choices if space is limited and size is an issue. If you want to get the very best cup of coffee possible, for both machines it’s a good idea to use bottled or filtered water, and follow the cleaning and descaling instructions to the letter.
What’s the same?
You can opt for hot water only from either machine, just run the cycle without a pod in place, but if being able to brew tea and other beverages using pods is important, then the Keurig will be the better choice for you.
Neither machine is silent, but they’re both relatively quiet. The Pixie makes a charming sort of humming noise for most of its brewing cycle, with a slightly louder sound for about 10 seconds.
Both machines are very easy to use, with clear buttons, and very portable. The Pixie, in particular, is great to take with you if you’re traveling: it’ll fit nicely into a bag.
What are the differences?
The water capacity is very different – while the K50 Keurig has a water reservoir capacity of 48oz (1.4l), the Pixie only has a capacity of around 24.6oz (0.7l). Both machines have removable water reservoirs to allow for easy cleaning. The Pixie has a folding drip tray to allow you to slip larger cups or travel mugs underneath the dispenser with ease, while the K50’s tray is removable.
If time is of the essence for you, you need to know that the Keurig’s brew time is around a minute, while the Pixie takes about 90 seconds to heat and brew. With the Pixie, it’s also a good idea to run water through afterward to get rid of any coffee debris and you may occasionally need to run a factory reset if the amount of coffee you’re getting per serving appears to be going down.
While the Nespresso Pixie doesn’t have quite the same range of blends available that you’ll find for the Keurig K50 The All Purposed Coffee Maker, the Pixie does make excellent lattes and the coffees are generally stronger tasting than those you’ll brew with the Keurig. Nespresso are also always trying out new flavors, with truly gorgeous undertones: hints of caramel, anyone?
Since the Pixie is sold as a specialist espresso machine, you’d also expect the espresso to be good, and it is. There are two choices of brew on the Nespresso Pixie, Espresso, which is 1.35oz, or Lungo, 2.75oz, while the Keurig K50 Classic can whip up a brew of 6oz, 8 oz, and 10 oz.
Color Choices
This review is for the smart and futuristic looking aluminum machine, but if color is important to you, and you really want your coffee machine to match your kitchen décor, then the Pixie comes in several different shades, depending on your supplier. The Keurig Classic K50 only comes in black. Depending on the supplier you’re using, you might be able to obtain the Pixie in aluminum, brick red, brown, electric yellow-lime, gray or steel blue.
The overall fun factor is really high with the Pixie – it’s really quite entertaining to watch the pods being jettisoned into the receptacle, at least the first few times. You can also get some really nifty accessories for this machine, like the Aeroccino milk frother.
If the environmental impact is important to you, then the Nespresso machine has the edge. The Nespresso company runs recycling programs and can supply recycling bags for your pods. If, on the other hand, using your own favorite blend of ground coffee is important, and you’re willing to purchase a reusable filter, then the Keurig K-Classic K50 will suit you better.
Other Considerations
While single-serve coffee pods are often in the news for not being as environmentally friendly as they could be, the Nespresso company is working really, really hard to improve its environmental footprint. Capsules are made of recyclable aluminum. While Nespresso pods come in a great range of authentic flavors, they can sometimes be a little difficult to find. Your best option may well be to order directly from the supplier.
You can’t easily use your own choice of coffee blend in this machine; there are hacks available online but we were a little wary of trying them in case they’d affect the operation of the machine. Besides, the pods you can get really do taste good.
The machine typically ships with an introduction pack of Nespresso pods, an instruction booklet and an information folder.
Conclusion – Which Machine Should You Buy?
Our Winner: Nespresso Pixie
Keurig is a company that is always bringing out new coffee machines; Nespresso is always adding new coffees to their offering. In the end, since both lattes and espressos are extremely popular in this household, our overall recommendation would be the Nespresso Pixie. Apart from anything else, it just looks so sweet and, well, pixie-like on the counter. I sometimes have to remind myself it doesn’t actually have a face.
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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 2023-03-25 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API.
