Keurig K-Elite Review

Are you interested in a Keurig coffee machine and only want the best of the best? Read our Keurig K-Elite review to find out if this model (which is the upgraded version of the popular K-475, now discontinued) is the right one for you. Spoiler alert: it probably is.

If you find the K-Elite is not for you, see other Keurig Models here.

SUMMARY: The Keurig K-Elite

• The most customizable Keurig machine, including temperature control
  
• Large water reservoir
  
• Elegant look and stylish brushed slate, silver or gold finish

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The Keurig K-Elite Review

Keurig K-Elite Review

• Custom Brewing Features
• ‘Make Your Life Easier’ Features
• Water reservoir

4.7

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Custom Brewing Features – 5/5

While this type of automatic single-cup coffee maker won’t offer real control over the brewing process unlike, for example, pour over methods, the K-Elite single serve is the most customizable when it comes to Keurig machines.

What we like the most is its brew temperature control: while the water temperature is an incredibly important factor in coffee extraction (1), it’s a very rare feature not only in Keurig models, but in single-cup coffee brewers in general. The K-Elite, however, lets you tweak the temperature between 86 and 89°C, and it even has elevation settings should you need to brew coffee at a higher altitude (2).

The K-Elite single-serve coffee maker is obviously compatible with hundreds of K-Cups, meaning that you surely won’t get bored when choosing the flavour of your next morning coffee.

It also has 5 different cup sizes: you can choose between 4, 6, 8, 10 or—perfect for a travel mug—12 ounces of coffee (120, 175, 235, 295, and 355 ml). If you need an extra kick, go on and press that Strong Brew button to increase the strength and bold flavour of your coffee!

If you also happen to enjoy iced coffees every once in a while (who doesn’t?), you’ll love its Iced option, which allows you to ‘brew hot and enjoy cold’ without compromising on the flavour. For this reason (and many others), the K-Elite made it to this list of the best iced coffee makers.

‘Make Your Life Easier’ Features – 5/5

The K-Elite single-serve coffee maker is very practical and easy to use: like any Keurig model, you just need to insert the K-Cup, choose a size and you’ll get a coffee in less than a minute.

However, the K-Elite has lots of extra features that will make your life easier. First of all, it’s programmable!

It has a handy Hot Water button, giving you instant hot water for a nice cup of tea or to add to instant soups and oats, while its Quiet Brew Technology means that you won’t wake up the entire household when you brew your first cup of coffee of the day.

How often you descale your Keurig coffee machine depends on the level of mineral content in the water you use (3), but, luckily, this model has a handy Maintenance Reminder that lets you know when the time has come. Like all Keurig models, the K-Elite coffee maker also has a removable drip tray that simplifies the cleaning process as well as making it easier to fit bigger travel mugs.

Water reservoir – 4/5

The K-Elite has an incredibly large water tank for a single-serve coffee maker designed for the house: with its 2.2-litre capacity, it’s slightly larger than its predecessor (K-475) and second only to the Keurig K155 OfficePRO Premier. Basically, you can have a 175 ml cup of coffee a day for 12 days without having to refill it.

It’s also compatible with Keurig’s charcoal water filter, one of which is usually included when you purchase this model.

Do NOT Buy If…

You don’t have much of a budget – As you might have guessed from our Keurig K-Elite review, we think that, when it comes to Keurig, this model is the best of the best thanks to its impressive customizability. However, if you’d rather invest less money as you don’t really need all these extra features, we think the K-Classic or its near-twin, the K-50 might be a better choice for you. We compared the K-50 and K-55 here. Some lower-priced options are the K-15 and the K-Mini Plus. Here’s where you can read about our Keurig K15 review and Keurig K-Mini Plus review.

You want to be able to enjoy large carafes of drip coffee too – If you enjoy the ease of use and practicality of K-Cups but think that you could do with some large carafes of drip coffee too, every once in a while, then we recommend the K-Duo Plus: it comes with a thermal carafe and a filter for coffee grounds, while also maintaining Keurig’s signature K-Cup element.

You want to be more in control of the brewing process – In our opinion, the K-Elite coffee maker is the best Keurig model, but we will choose ground coffee over K-Cups any time. If you’re like us but don’t want to compromise on time and practicality, we recommend looking into espresso machines, SCAA-certified coffee machines or the other options included in our list of the fastest coffee makers. You might also consider the Hamilton Beach 49981, which uses K-cups but also takes ground coffee. If you live in the mountains, the K-Select should be on your list because of its included altitude control; you can read about it in this post. And in case you like your coffee milky and frothy, why not consider the K-Cafe?

The Verdict

Overall, the K-Elite is the Keurig model that offers the most features and customization, from temperature control, to Strong Brew, to various brew sizes, to iced coffee and pretty much everything in between. It’s also very elegant and stylish: it comes in 3 different premium colours (brushed slate, brushed silver or brushed gold) that will easily blend in with your kitchen.

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Because of the environmental footprint of K-Cups, we strongly recommend that you also purchase a My K-Cup universal reusable coffee filter, which lets you use your own coffee grounds instead (we promise you’ll thank us as soon as you taste the quality difference… and realize how much money you’ve saved!).