Keurig K-Elite Review (2023) - Is it a Great Brewer?
Summary
The Bottom Line
The K-Elite is a great all-rounder Keurig coffee maker. With its ability to brew 5 cup sizes, it comes with many features such as an iced coffee option, a hot water dispenser, and temperature control. Other features are geared to improve the coffee-making experience (e.g. Quiet Brew Technology, quick brew, and large water tank). The K-Elite is easy to clean and offers good value. However, it lacks Keurig's MultiStream technology or additional coffee strength settings for a better quality coffee drink.
The Keurig K-Elite single-serve coffee maker is a great all-rounder choice for those looking to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee at home. This machine has a sleek design, and it is made with high-quality materials. It is very easy to use, and it has a variety of features focused on rendering the coffee-making experience as quickly and quietly as possible.
Although it lacks some technology features, this versatile machine can brew 5 cup sizes, has an iced coffee option, and a hot water dispenser for tea lovers. The cleaning and maintenance are very simple. Overall, the Keurig K-elite is an excellent choice for those who want a quick and no-fuss coffee machine at home.
Is the K-Elite for you?
Read this Keurig K-Elite review to find out!
Specifications
- Model: Keurig K-Elite
- Type: Single Serve K-Cup
- Display: Small monochrome screen
- Colors: Brushed Silver, Brushed Slate, Brushed Gold
- Dimensions: 13.1” H x 9.9” W x 12.7” D
- Weight: 8.0 lb
- Cord Length: 30”
- Power Rating: 1,500 watts
- Warranty: 1 year
Key Features
- Single Serve Cup Sizes: 5 sizes (4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 oz)
- Lattes & Cappuccinos: No
- Drip Coffee Sizes: No
- Temperature Control: Yes - 187 to 192 degrees Fahrenheit
- Strength Control: Yes (regular and strong)
- Iced Setting: No
- Fits Travel Mug: Yes, max height of 7.2"
- Milk Frothing: No
- Carafe Type & Heating Plate: No
- Water Tank Capacity: Removable 75 oz water tank
- Multi-Position Water Tank: No
- Auto On: Yes
- Energy Saving Auto Off: Yes
- Programmable: No
- Pause & Pour: No
- High Altitude Setting: Yes
- MultiStream Technology: No
- BrewID Technology: No
- Wireless Connectivity: No
- Automatic Ejection of used Pods: No
Keurig K-Elite Review
Design and Build Quality
The Keurig K-Elite has a sleek and modern design that will look great on any countertop. The machine is made with high-quality plastic materials, and it feels very sturdy.
The K-Elite comes in three colors, namely, brushed gold, brushed silver, and brushed slate. The brushed finish gives it a more premium look.
Measuring 13.1” H x 9.9” W x 12.7” D, this coffee machine is not small but also not overly large. So most people should be able to fit it on their kitchen counter without too much trouble.
This Keurig coffee maker comes with a large removable 75-oz water tank which is sufficient to brew eight 8-oz cups and is compatible with water filters (it includes one).
The reservoir is positioned on the left side of the machine. It is thoughtfully hidden from the front - one of the sides of the water reservoir has paneling to match the front of the machine.
The removable drip tray holds up to 8 ounces of liquid and can be easily removed from the front. This allows to fit travel mugs up to 7.2 inches tall.
The control panel is intuitive and consists of 12 buttons, two lights (to indicate when more water is needed and when it's time to descale), and a small monochrome screen.
In short, the K-Elite coffee maker features an aesthetically pleasing modern design. The three colors of brushed designs give it a premium look and feel. The K-Elite is not overly large yet has a very large 75-oz removable water tank. It can also accommodate travel mugs if you remove the drip tray. The control panel sits on top and is intuitive to use.
Ease of Use and Features
The Keurig K-Elite is very easy to use, and it has a variety of features that make it stand out from other Keurig machines.
It can brew 5 cup sizes including 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12-oz cups, which is the most out of all Keurig machines except for the higher-end K-Supreme Plus and K-Supreme Plus SMART coffee makers.
As we noted, the large 75-oz water tank minimizes the number of times you need to refill your Keurig coffee maker. This is especially useful for large households.
The Quiet Brew Technology is useful early in the mornings. This machine is indeed quite quiet during the brewing process so it's perfect if you want to avoid waking up your family and having to deal with groggy and grumpy people in the AM.
This Keurig coffee maker is also very quick and can brew coffee in less than a minute.
The hot water on-demand dispenser is useful if you to make different types of tea or want to make hot cocoa, oatmeal, instant soups or meals, or anything that requires hot water.
You can even select the brewing temperature between 187 to 192 degrees Fahrenheit (86 to 89 degrees Celsius) by pressing the settings button until you see the temperature settings and then pressing the up or down arrow buttons.
You can use the Iced Coffee setting to brew iced coffee. By selecting this setting, the K-Elite will brew hot coffee over ice while accounting for coffee dilution due to ice melt.
Other features include programmable Auto On and Auto Off and the high altitude setting to brew coffee at altitudes greater than 5,000 feet.
The Strong Brew option makes bolder coffee if you press its corresponding button, but the K-Elite does not feature additional coffee strength settings.
Also, this coffee maker cannot make milk coffee, even though Keurig states on its website it can prepare specialty drinks...
Drip coffee is not an option either, for that, we recommend the K-Duo Plus.
In short, the K-Elite comes with many features for a quick and quiet coffee brewing experience. It's also versatile with up to 5 coffee drink sizes, temperature control settings, a hot water dispenser option, iced beverage settings, and programmability features. However, it only offers two coffee strength levels and no MultiStream Technology.
Coffee Drink Quality
The K-Elite can effortlessly brew a good cup of coffee; however, we consider its coffee drink quality as average among Keurig coffee makers.
The reason is that although it has temperature control settings, which could be tweaked to improve the coffee drink quality, it does not have features that directly increase the quality of your drink such as Keurig's MultiStream Technology.
It comes with the Strong Brew option, but this does not really provide an advantage in terms of coffee quality when compared to the cheaper Keurig K-Select.
The K-Elite is compatible with the My K-Cup Universal Reusable Coffee Filter. So if you use your own ground coffee, the drink quality could potentially increase. Even better, you could use a coffee grinder for freshly ground coffee. K-cup pods can contain coffee grounds for months so don’t be surprised how much of a difference the reusable K-Cup coffee filter can make!
Most of the features of the K-Elite seem to be geared towards a more luxurious coffee-making experience instead of the coffee drink quality.
This does not mean the K-Elite makes bad coffee! If you enjoy K-Cup coffee, then this machine will not disappoint.
In short, although the K-Elite allows for brew temperature control, it does not feature Keurig's latest technologies like MultiStream technology or multiple coffee strength settings. However, it can still brew a good cup of coffee, especially if you use the My K-Cup Universal Reusable Coffee Filter with freshly ground coffee.
Cleaning & Maintenance
Like most Keurig coffee makers, the K-Elite earns high marks for cleaning & maintenance.
It's extremely easy to keep in top shape.
You will need to remove and rinse the water tank and drip dray on a regular basis. They are not dishwasher safe, but cleaning them should only take a few minutes at most.
The K-Cup pod holder and funnel are also easily removable and should be washed regularly to keep your coffee tasting as good as possible.
The entrance and exit needles should also be cleaned. We recommend doing so at least once per week with a straightened paper clip (as per the K-Elite manual).
The K-Elite has a descaling program which should be run every 3 to 6 months, or whenever the descale indicator light turns on. The Keurig Elite descale process takes 45 minutes to complete so make sure you can go without coffee for at least 45 minutes!
In short, the K-Elite is very easy to clean and maintain. A few minutes per day should be enough to keep your Keurig coffee maker in top shape.
Value for Money
The Keurig K-Elite is a bit on the expensive side among Keurig coffee makers but it's worth the price tag.
As we noted, it comes with many features that enhance the coffee brewing experience such as programmability, temperature control, iced settings, and a hot water dispenser.
With its 5 cup sizes, it's suitable for most households and preferences, so this is a good all-rounder Keurig coffee maker.
In terms of value for money, if you are purchasing your daily coffee from a coffee shop, then purchasing the K-Elite is a no-brainer.
The standalone cost of this machine is $189 (at the time of writing). At this price, it will pay for itself in just a few months, assuming you purchase a $3 coffee every day.
To put things into perspective, your $3 daily coffee would cost you almost $1,100 per year, whereas owning and operating this machine (at around $0.80 per capsule) would cost you a little less than $500.
So yes, if you're an avid coffee drinker, then go ahead and purchase the K-Elite and save yourself some $600!
In short, the K-Elite offers excellent value for your money. Despite having to pay for coffee pods, this machine will pay for itself within a few months of purchase when compared to buying coffee from coffee shops.
Our Verdict
Keurig K-Elite
- Design & Build Quality - 83
- Features & Ease of Use - 84
- Coffee Drink Quality - 73
- Cleaning & Maintenance - 90
- Value for Money - 88
Overall
Summary
The K-Elite is a great all-rounder Keurig coffee maker. With its ability to brew 5 cup sizes, it comes with many features such as an iced coffee option, a hot water dispenser, and temperature control. Other features are geared to improve the coffee-making experience (e.g. Quiet Brew Technology, quick brew, and large water tank). The K-Elite is easy to clean and offers good value. However, it lacks Keurig's MultiStream technology or additional coffee strength settings for a better quality coffee drink.
Pros
- Attractive design with brushed finishes that look premium
- 5 cup sizes (4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 oz)
- Large removable water tank
- Temperature control from 187 to 192 degrees Fahrenheit
- Hot water dispenser
- Compatible with the reusable My K-Cup Coffee Filter
- Iced coffee option
Cons
- No milk system
- Lacks Keurig's MultiStream technology
- Lacks additional coffee strength levels
What Should I Get - A Keurig, Ninja, or a Nespresso Machine?
Both Keurig and Nespresso offer great options to conveniently make single-serve coffee. So which one is good for you? It depends on your preferences.
- If you like espresso coffee or specialty coffee drinks, then get a Nespresso machine. The best Nespresso machine, in this case, would be one from the OriginalLine. If you like specialty coffee make sure you also check our recommended automatic espresso machines since some Nespresso machines can cost as much!
- If you like to have espresso coffee and drip coffee (or have many opinions at home), then again, a Nespresso machine would be best. However, this time look for VertuoLine ones.
- If you like to conveniently make regular coffee, then the best option is Keurig coffee makers.
- If you want convenience but don’t want to deal with pods or capsules, we recommend you check out our best ninja coffee machines post!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Keurig K-Elite being discontinued?
No, it's not. It's available from Keurig at the time of writing (August 2022).
Is the Keurig K-Elite worth the money?
What is the difference between a Keurig K-Elite and a Keurig K-Supreme Plus?
The key differences between the K-Elite and K-Supreme Plus are :
- The K-Supreme Plus is slightly smaller than the K-Elite
- The K-Supreme Plus has 3 coffee strength settings whereas the K-Elite has 2 (regular and bold)
- The K-Supreme Plus has 3 temperature level settings whereas the K-Elite has 7 (187 to 192 degrees Fahrenheit)
- The K-Supreme Plus has 3 user profiles whereas the K-Elite has none.
- The K-Elite has a hot water dispenser whereas the K-Supreme Plus does not have one
What is the difference between Keurig K-Elite and K-Elite C?
The difference between the Keurig K-Elite C and the K-Elite is that the former is made for Costco - hence the “C” for Costco. It’s the same identical Keurig machine as the regular K-Elite, except that it comes in a bundle. The bundle includes a water filter and handle, My K-Cup Universal Reusable Coffee Filter and 15 K-cups.
Does the Keurig K-Elite have a water filter?
Yes, it does. It is compatible with water filers and it includes a water filter handle and one water filter upon purchase.
Can I use vinegar and water to descale my Keurig?
Yes, you can. But check our Keurig descaling post for more details.
Why does my Keurig not work after descaling?
Resetting your Keurig could help. To do so, unplug for a couple of hours.
