The Keurig K55 Classic Coffee Maker Review: Is It Worth the Hype?

Combining retro and modern elements, the K55 is iconic. It’s pretty much considered a (K)Classic when it comes to single-serve coffee makers: easy to use, quick and good value for money. You don’t believe it? Well, we’ve tested it for you.

Read our Keurig K55 review to discover all its features and decide if it’s the right one for you.

The Keurig K55

• 3 different cup sizes to choose from
  
• Smart features including the descaling reminder
  
• Practical 48 oz water tank

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The Keurig K55 Coffee Maker Review

Keurig K55 Review

• Custom Brewing Features
• Make Your Life Easier’ Features
• Water Reservoir

3.7

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Custom Brewing Features – 2.5/5

As you might have guessed looking at the limited control panel, the K55 is certainly not the most customizable, nor is it the best Keurig coffee maker available (no temperature control nor 4 and 10 oz brew sizes, to name a few missing features), but not even the least. This model is about speed and practicality rather than extra features, which is probably why it lost the Strong Brew option of its predecessor (the k50).

Like all Keurig coffee makers, it’s compatible with hundreds of K-Cups, from coffee blends to hot chocolates, meaning that you can get a different flavor simply by trying different one-cup pods (1).

However, we strongly recommend that you buy a My K-Cup reusable filter instead. While K-Cups are certainly quick and practical, they are definitely not cheap in the long run, they contain stale coffee and have a terrible environmental impact. With a reusable filter, you’ll be able to reduce your plastic footprint as well as get much better-tasting coffee with your fresh grounds… and you’ll be able to customize your coffee more by trying different types of grounds and origins!

	Reviewed Item
Manufacturer	Keurig	Breville	Keurig	Nespresso	Bosch
Model	K Classic	Nespresso Vertuo	K-Cafe	Pixie	Tassimo
Product category	Pod machine	Pod machine	Pod machine	Pod machine	Pod machine
Housing material	Plastic	Plastic, Metal	Plastic	Plastic	Plastic
Color options	Multiple Colors Available	Chrome	Dark Charcoal	Aluminum	Black
Carafe	/	/	/	/	/
Keep warm function	No	No	No	No	No
Milk frother	No	No	Yes	No	No
User interface	Buttons	Buttons	Buttons	Buttons	Buttons
Water tank size	48 fl oz	40 fl oz	60 fl oz	24 fl oz	50 fl oz
Number of cups	4	3-4	6	2	4
Reusable coffee filter	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Brews with	K cup, My K cup reusable	Nespresso capsules, Nespresso-compatible capsules	K cups, My K-cup reusable	Nespresso capsules, Nespresso-compatible capsules	T-Discs
Brew styles	1	2	3	2	5
Coffee strength adjustment levels	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Programmable	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Dimensions	13.0 x 9.8 x 13.3 inches	12 x 8 x 12 inches	14.17 x 17.32 x 14.41 inches	4.4 x 12.8 x 9.3 inches	7.83 x 11.73 x 10.94 inches
Customer review	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	4/5	4/5
Warranty	1 year	2 years	1 years	2 years	n/a
SCA certified home brewer	No	No	No	No	No
Price	$84.49	$170.99	$170.99	$249.99	$150.18
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Make Your Life Easier’ Features – 4.5/5

This is why people love the Keurig K55: it’s simple to use thanks to the intuitive control panel, fast (it takes less than a minute to brew a cup of coffee!) and incredibly practical. For example, it switches itself off automatically 2 hours after your last brew, saving energy and money (2).

It also has a Maintenance Reminder, which lets you know when it’s time to descale your coffee brewer with Keurig’s descaling solution (usually between 3 to 6 months). (3) This, combined with the removable water reservoir and drip tray, makes the cleaning process incredibly easy.

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Water reservoir – 4/5

The water tank of the Keurig K55 is another example of practical design: as we mentioned before, it’s removable, which makes it easy to fill up and clean, and it contains up to 48 ounces of water. This means that you could have a coffee a day for a week without having to refill it. It’s also compatible with Keurig’s charcoal water filter. By using filtered water, you’ll end up with a much better tasting coffee, so… trust us and use it!

Don’t buy if

You want to customize your coffee – The K55 is perfect for a quick and reliable cup of coffee. However, if you want to customize your brew, we think that the Keurig K-Elite, with its 5 brew sizes, temperature control, altitude control and Hot Water button, would be a much better choice. 

You can find out more about its features in our K-Elite K-cup brewer review.

You want some froth in your life – If you like Keurig coffee but also enjoy delicious milky drinks, check out our review of the Keurig K-Café. It has an integrated milk frother for both lattes and cappuccinos. If you prefer espresso for the base of your milky drinks, the Nespresso Pixie paired with the Aeroccino won’t disappoint. You can read our full review of the Nespresso Pixie here.

You’re not too sure about K-Cups – Pod coffee machines are convenient, but that convenience comes with a cost. If our paragraph about the problems associated with K-Cups resonated with you, there are plenty of great single serve coffee makers that use coffee grounds instead of one-cup pods. We recommend the Hamilton Beach The Scoop as a quick and budget-friendly option. 

You want something you can carry everywhere – If you want a one-cup coffee maker you can take anywhere, the Oomph Coffee Maker and the Aeropress are two products to consider. Both are small, light, and durable enough for travel. Even better, both use coffee grounds, so you won’t be contributing any more coffee capsules to the landfill.

The Verdict

Giving you 3 different sizes of drip coffee in less than a minute, the K55 is a good entry level single cup coffee machine without any frills that is perfect for those who want to start their day with a fast and consistent cup of joe. It will complement any kitchen thanks to its smooth design and the choice of 2 different colors.

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