Are Keurig’s Worth It? THE Critical Factor!

Perhaps the question spinning around your mind is are Keurig’s worth it as you seek to reassure yourself that you are getting some great bang for your buck!

This is exactly what is addressed in this article, as above all, you want great coffee in return for the investment that you are seeking to make.

They dig down and find out if it is worth it to get your hands on a Keurig!

What Is A Keurig?

A Keurig is a hot beverage brewing system that started out as the office coffee maker of choice across North America before growing and expanding into the domestic home coffee maker market.

The dominant products are their K-Cup pods, their main showcase product of single serving coffee capsules. The coffee capsule is not the unique product that you will find in a K-Cup as they have a variety of teas, hot chocolates, ciders, lemonades, fruit based drinks and other dairy based drinks.

There are 600+ varieties from 60+ well established brands.

Ironically, the one missing thing at the time of creating this article is an espresso capsule.

Read: Difference between Nespresso and Keurig

Is A Keurig Worth It?

To answer this question fairly and accurately, I have to cover it from all angles and possibilities. Let’s be clear, if you are looking to make and enjoy a great espresso shot then the plain and simple answer is no, a Keurig is not worth it for you.

Keurig did have an espresso K-cup, but the quality was low, not even middle of the road and was quickly withdrawn. I suspect that at some point, such a large company or one of the 60 or so brands that make Keurig compatible pods, there will be an espresso again at some point.

This is an important factor as many milk based coffee drinks like cappuccino, mocha, latte, cortado, flat white and many others are espresso based and are on offer as a K-cup coffee capsule which does not inspire great confidence in the quality of the final brew.

Thus,

the result of which is you are not going to get the greatest of coffee experiences with a Keurig coffee maker. I’m not saying the coffee is bad; it is just not fantastic or as great as the coffee experiences that you will get with a home espresso machine.

However, if you are looking for a quick machine that will make you an above average cup of coffee, then the convenience in brewing coffee is worth it!

This is why I have one. I can press a button, jump in the shower and have my cup of coffee ready and waiting when I am out of the shower.

The quality is much better than a regular drip coffee maker.

Read: Is Nespresso worth it?

Is The Keurig Starter Kit Worth it?

Yes,

as above, this is with the caveat that you are looking for a reasonably good but not excellent coffee, and you are likely to drink 2 or 3 cups of coffee daily.

If you are looking to buy a new Keurig. You will end up getting a 50% discount on the brewer and 25% off per order of Keurig coffee pods.

The Keurig Starter kit is a promotional program where it is possible that you can end up getting your Keurig coffee maker free of charge or with a sizable discount if you sign up to buy a predetermined number of boxes of coffee pods for 6 weeks, every 6 weeks for an entire year.

96 pods every 42 days – which will cost you from US$45 to US$60 or, for about US$10 per week for a whole year.

Conducting a little bit of price analysis, this does work out to be much better than buying on Amazon, Better Buy or Walmart.

It is a good deal that is worth considering as you have the option of a free K-mini coffee maker or K-select free of charge or any other Keurig for half price for what works out at U$400 to US$600 + a year’s supply of coffee.

There is a lot of value to be had and taken advantage of.

Cost Management Of A Keurig Vs A Regular Coffee Maker

Time for a little cost analysis breakdown comparing a Keurig K-cups coffee maker and a regular drip coffee maker and give a direct comparison of the cost of the machines and Keurig K-Cup Pods to determine if Keurig coffee is expensive or not and how they compare to drip coffee costs on a per cup basis.

*Calculated as 4 K-Cups per day or 4 Cups of drip coffee. Drip coffee is calculated as 12 grams per cup of coffee brewed.

Today’s average cost of ground coffee is US$0.50 per imperial ounce and per ounce of grounds of coffee bought you can make 2 cups of coffee per ounce and a little more.

Notably, a regular drip coffee maker costs significantly more, twice the price of a Keurig, but you can get half off or even get your Keurig for free with the Keurig starter kit.

Yes, your month’s coffee expense does go up, almost double (US$54 Vs US$30) it is a more expensive coffee maker which you can get for free, and slightly more expensive coffee but will only set you back US$0.80 per day.

I’m not being a coffee snob here but for 80 cents a day or 20 cents per cup of coffee it is an expense worth considering at least for the convenience factor. Of course, your drip coffee costs can easily increase based on the coffee beans that you use and if you are buying unground or ground coffee beans.

The former of which will require you to buy additional equipment, namely a coffee grinder, and thus you need to factor in the cost of a grinder as drip coffee can be great when you are using proper coffee brewing using a drip machine and freshly grinding your coffee grounds.

Pro Tip: Drip brew with a metal filter to ensure all the coffee oils get into your brew.

What About The Coffee Quality?

This is what the main reason for buying a coffee maker, or any kind of coffee machine, is to get a cup of coffee that is of a better quality.

Keurigs and the very fact that the coffee is preground means the coffee is not at its peak freshness. To be fair, this is the same for all capsules. The company does vacuum seal and uses nitrogen to mitigate the degradation with the aim of prolonging and preserving the freshness of the coffee grounds.

Also,

The company does put mini-paper filters in their K-Cups, which, as a result, remove all the coffee oils which provide your cup of coffee with flavor from the oils, and thus you are not getting the full coffee taste.

You can get good, very good but not great coffee with Keurig K Cups and Nespresso capsules for that matter.

With drip coffee, you have the option of full flavored coffee by using a metal filter instead of a paper filter, and you can use whole beans and grind them immediately before you brew your cup of coffee. Ultimately, how good your coffee will be with a drip machine will depend on the beans that you use.

The winner here is a drip machine. Keep in mind it does not have the convenience of a Keurig or the ability to make gourmet coffee for yourself or guests.

Keurig Coffee Machine Pros

To properly weigh up if a Keurig is worth it or not, you need to consider the pros and cons. Let’s start with the pros:

• 1. Keurigs are very convenient and easy to use.
• 2. You have a wide range of flavors.
• 3. You can use reusable K-Cups and your own coffee.
• 4. No skill level is required to use the machine.

Keurig Machine Cons

There are common drawbacks to owning a Keurig machine, which are:

• 1. Keurigs are expensive.
• 2. The K-Cup pods are damaging to the environment.
• 3. The Pods can be expensive.
• 4. The coffee quality is not great (very good, but not great).

Why Are Keurigs So Expensive?

Keurigs are more expensive than regular coffee brewers as are Nespresso machines. This is mainly due to the cost of the parts, the technology use in the machines, a lack of competition of market factors.

What we have here is Beta Max verses VHS, Apple Vs Android, iPhone Vs Samsung. If, and when more options of other capsule systems or more universal machines that accept both capsule types both the cost of the machines and capsules will come down.

At this moment in time, there are universal options, but choices are limited.

Keurig vs Drip Coffee

I have already made a comparison to drip coffee makers in this article. The obvious drawback is coffee that they take a long, long time to brew. A plus point is the ability to brew up a large volume of coffee at once.

Drip coffee is unpopular as many coffee snobs rate the coffee lowly. In my opinion and experience, you can get a much better coffee experience by simply changing the filter type from paper to metal.

Brewing coffee for guests is better with a drip machine than with a capsule based machine for obvious reasons, primarily based on practicality and expense.

Making coffee with a Keurig pod machine is one minute per cup of coffee brewed. The speed is an advantage and is great for special occasions and serving up gourmet coffee, but it can end up costing quite a bit.

Keurig vs Espresso Machines

As a former barista and coffee shop owner I have extensive experience with professional espresso machines, as a coffee lover, I am not short of experience with home espresso machines either.

No beating about the bush here, Keurig K-cup machines when it comes to making espresso based drinks fall a bit short of what you can and could get from a proper espresso machine. It is not bad coffee that you get from capsules; it is about 75% or 80% of the way there in terms of taste and quality.

Perhaps I am a bit of coffee purist I simply can’t see how capsules can recreate the full taste and body of an espresso while using a paper filter. There is no denying you get delicious coffee from coffee pods, but with the full flavor and body missing from the espresso shot, which is essentially what is in their latte, frappé, cortado, cappuccino, flat white, mocha and others.

Keurig coffee from their K cups does fall short by quite a bit when compared to an espresso machine.

Keurig vs French Press

The French Press is a coffee brewing tool that I love. The reason French press coffee tastes great is that you have full control over all the variables, from water temperature to brew time and beyond. The extraction process takes advantage of how water and coffee mix and effectively draws out all the great coffee flavor compounds and oils.

The drawback or downside of a French press Vs Keurig is that it does make quite a job of brewing coffee as a lot of effort is required when compared to what is, quite literally pushing a button!

Nothing beats the quick brew time of a Keurig.

Does the coffee taste excellent from a Keurig? No! But it does taste good.

Frequently Asked Questions about Are Keurigs Worth It?

Is A Keurig Better Than A Regular Coffee Maker?

It depends on what type of coffee you prefer. If your coffee preference is for the traditional taste of brewed coffee then a regular coffee from a drip coffee will be better for you. If your personal coffee preference is more of gourmet style coffee beverages, a Keurig will be a better choice for you.

What Is The Lifespan Of A Keurig?

If you take good care of your Keurig coffee maker it can last you as long as 5 years or more with only the gaskets and heating element needing to be replaced. Most of the parts inside, including the pump, are replaceable.

Why Do People Love Keurigs?

Keurigs are a device of convenience and can make a cup of coffee quickly and perfectly every single time. That is what makes them a much loved coffee maker, add to this 600+ different coffee pods from 60 brands. 

Do Keurigs Save You Money?

Yes, if you spend a lot of money at Starbucks, Keurigs will end up saving you a lot of money from your coffee trips there as you can get the same quality and type of coffee from your Keurig single serve coffee maker.

Are Reusable K-Cups Worth It?

Yes, reusable K-Cups are worth it for a few reasons, which are:

• They can save you money by using your own coffee grounds.
• You can help save the environment by reducing aluminum waste.
• You can use your own specialty grade coffee grounds.

It is worth using the high quality stainless steel ones if you are thinking about reusable pods.

Is It Cheaper To Brew Coffee Or Use K-Cups?

It is much cheaper to brew coffee than to use K-Cups. On a cup by cup basis, a cup of coffee brewed using a K-Cup coffee pod works out to be 4x more expensive than brewed coffee.

Frappé-Ing It All Up! -Are Keurig’s Worth It?

If you are asking yourself or wondering, are keurigs worth it, you need to consider what it is that you want it for and how often you will be using it to make coffee.

It can be an expensive machine to own if you are not taking advantage of it and if you are expecting coffee shop quality coffee.

You get close to that with gourmet coffee. Due to the quick brew time, it is, for me, a machine of convenience more than anything, as I can set it up, push a button and by the time I am out of the shower my coffee is ready, still hot and past that too hot to drink point and at the perfect sipping temperature as I get ready for the day ahead.

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Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location