Can I take a long shot in the dark and assume you’re in the market for a coffee maker? Good—you came to the right place.
Perhaps you’re replacing a Keurig that kicked the bucket, or maybe you’ve never owned a Keurig. Either way, allow me to preface this by telling you that Keurig is an impressive little machine.
The experience of the Keurig machine is kind of entertaining. Yes—I just called a coffee machine fun. It’s fun to pop a little pod in the machine, put your cup under it and watch it almost immediately fill up.
Moreover, it’s fast. You’ll have your cup ready in under one minute flat, hot and ready to drink, to add creamer, sugar, or stevia—whatever fits your fancy.
Make Keurig Your Next Coffee Machine
There’re plenty of reasons for making Keurig your next coffee machine. The small footprint, the excitement and convenience of a single-serve coffee machine, and its modern, sleek and sexy good looks all put Keurig a step above any other appliance you might have in your kitchen. It’s not every day you can make coffee and look good while doing it.
Ready to buy a Keurig right now? Wait. Don’t you want to know which machine to buy? Excellent—that’s why we’re here.
With all the different Keurig models out there, which one will work best for you? I certainly can’t answer that. But you can—if you have the right information at your fingertips. Here is a breakdown of the prominent features as we compare Keurig 2.0 models.
The Breakdown
| [easyazon_link identifier="B00KYWL6E8" locale="US" tag="cafe049-20"]K550[/easyazon_link] | [easyazon_link identifier="B00KYWL4PO" locale="US" tag="cafe049-20"]K450[/easyazon_link] | [easyazon_link identifier="B00KYWL34Q" locale="US" tag="cafe049-20"]K350[/easyazon_link] | [easyazon_link identifier="B00AQ9NIO0" locale="US" tag="cafe049-20"]K45[/easyazon_link] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
|
| Price | $164 | $135 | $122 | $119 |
| Water Reservoir | 80 oz | 70 oz | 60 oz | 48 oz |
| Touch Screen | 2.8" Color | 2.4" Color | 2.4" Black & White | No Touch Screen |
| Colors | Silver, Black, Grey | Black, White, Red, Sandy Pearl, Vintage Red | Black | Black, Blue, Coconut White, Rhubarb |
| Programmable Clock | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Brew | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Night Light | Yes | No | No | No |
| Carafe Option | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Keurig 2.0 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
This is currently Keurig’s offerings of their best-selling coffee machines on the market today. A picture is worth a thousand words. Let’s discover what each of these means.
Price
Is the price the end-all of all solutions? I think not. Although price certainly factors into the final decision, ultimately you will get the one that suits your needs. The purpose of your research is finding value. When price intersects with perceived benefits, you have value, and that’s when you’ll have decided which machine is best for you.
There are two that stand out in this comparison; the K550 and the K45. The K45 is a 1.0 machine used to contrast the difference between the 1.0 and 2.0 machines. The K550, albeit a bit more expensive, provides the best value for me because it offers things the others don’t like a larger touch screen and a night light.
Water Reservoir
The water reservoir is the container on the side of the machine that detaches so you can remove it to fill it with water. Going from left to right, each machine offers a different tank size. Obviously, if you have a smaller water tank, you will be filling it up more often. Since each of these is a device of convenience, I would venture to think the one with the largest tank—the K550 with an 80 ounce water tank—provides the most convenience. The other ones carry less, with the K450 holding 70 ounces of water, the K350 holding 60 ounces, and the K45 holding 48 ounces.
Touch Screen
The programming of the touch screen is almost identical across the board of the 2.0 machines. However, I have found a few minor differences in the programming of the K550. For example, when you close the lid on the K350 and the K450, you need to press ‘Continue’. You don’t need to do that on the K550—it’s a bit more intelligent. That being said, the programming is identical on the K350 and K450. The difference is the screen itself. The K350 is black and white while the K450 introduced vibrant color screens. The K45 uses a series of buttons on the machine to play with settings—it doesn’t have a touch-screen at all.
Colors
This is where the K450 shines. Every machine is featured in black, but the K450 has five other colors: Black, White, Red, Sandy Pearl, and Vintage Red. Vintage Red is a darker shade of red intended to remind you of a typical diner in the 1950s. Sandy Pearl is a unique pastel color. Both Red and Sandy Pearl are unique to the K450. The K45 has its own color palate—it’s the only one featuring these colors: Blue, Coconut White, and Rhubarb. Rhubarb is a Magenta-like color, the Blue is a deep hue, but not as dark as Navy, and the Coconut White is a creamy off-white color. Silver and the black/white variant are unique to the K550.
Programmable Clock & Auto Brew
The programmable clock is a feature of the Keurig 2.0 machines made possible with the touch screens. This allows you to delay your brew the night before. It will automatically brew for you so you can wake up to fresh coffee waiting for you to take a sip. Not that you need it. Every one of these machines, the K45 included, can brew a fresh cup in under one minute. The K45 has neither a clock nor a touch screen.
Night Light
This feature is unique to the K550. It features a customizable water reservoir light that shows you the level of the water in the dark. It’s really a neat little feature—perfect for waking up early in the morning and knowing that you won’t get a notice on your machine asking you add more water. If your mornings are rushed and the water level is low without you realizing it, you may have to walk out the door without coffee. However, since it does brew in under a minute, that scenario is highly unlikely. You have to experience the light to appreciate how cool this is.
Carafe Option
[easyazon_image align=”right” height=”400″ identifier=”B00KYWL6E8″ locale=”US” src=”http://coffeemakersparadise.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/419z9dcIvmL.jpg” tag=”cafe049-20″ width=”400″]The ability to brew carafes as easily as you can brew a single serving of coffee was a feature added to the 2.0 line of machines. As these machines became famous for their method of brewing a single serving of coffee, it comes as no surprise when you discover you need to purchase a carafe separately to utilize this option. Being a 1.0 machine, the K45 is unable to brew carafes.
Conclusion
Since you’re in the market for a new coffee machine, I might as well come out and say it. I think all the features of the K550 provide the best value for the money. However, that’s only my opinion. Statistics shows the K450 as having the best value. I mean, just look at all those colors! Selecting the right color for your kitchen can be a big deal. While most people are stuck with a black option—or a variation, like the black/gray of the K550—getting one in Vintage Red or Sandy Pearl will stop traffic and put the rest of your kitchen appliances to shame.
