Keurig K Duo Vs K Duo Essentials
You may come across the Keurig K-Duo. It sounds like it is the brother of Keurg K Duo Essentials.
Yeah. They have many similar features indeed. And they are Keurig dual coffee makers.
They may look the same too. But really, Keurig K Duo is a better version of the K-Duo Essentials.
And heres why K-Duo is better.
1. Auto Brew
K-Duo allows you to program the brew time up to 24 hours in advance for this coffee maker to start brewing. This auto brew feature is not found in K-Duo Essentials.
2. More brew sizes for both K-Cup and Carafe
K-Duo Essentials only have 3 sizes for K-cup and carafe. However, K-Duo has 4 brew sizes for K-cup and carafe. It can make smaller cup size of 6 ounces for single serve side and a smaller 6 cup carafe size. The extra smaller size gives you more flexibility to avoid coffee wastage if you require lesser coffee.
3. Travel Mug friendly.
The K-Duo Essentials can only fits mugs up to 5.8 inches and a maximum of 7 inches with the drip tray removed. K-Duo can fit even taller mugs, up to 6.25 inches with drip tray intact and 8 inches with drip tray removed. If you like to use tall mugs, this can really make a difference.
Keurig K Duo Essentials Review
HomeKeurig Coffee MakerKeurig K Duo Essentials Review
Are you a fan of Keurigs K-cup system? But you have always hope to be able to make a carafe of coffee using ground coffee on your Keurig coffee machine? Now you have it, the first Keurig dual coffee maker. In this review, we will take a deep look at this new Keurig K-Duo Essentials single serve and carafe coffee maker.
Contents
Whats The Difference Between Models In The Keurig K
The Keurig K-Duo Essentials is the most basic version of its two sibling machines: the K-Duo and the K-Duo Plus. While these machines also brew a single cup or a full pot like the Essentials, the K-Duo and the K-Duo Plus have a few extra features.
Some of the features which can be found on the K-Duo or the K-Duo Plus include: a strong brew option, a multi-position water reservoir, more brew size choices, and carafe options .
Both models also come with a programable carafe auto brew option so you can wake up to a nice cup of coffee every morning. The Essentials does not.
While the K-Duo and the K-Duo Plus are viable coffee machine options, for now we will focus on the Keurig K-Duo Essentials to see what it has to offer.
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Brew Your First Carafe
1. Place Carafe & Fill Basket
Fill the water reservoir to the MAX fill line. Remove the filter basket drawer by pulling outward and insert a 12 cup paper filter into the filter basket. Add the desired amount of ground coffee . Reinsert the filter basket drawer completely and make sure the carafe is on the heating plate.
NOTE: The maximum capacity for regular ground coffee is 15 tablespoons and 12 tablespoons for decaf. Exceeding this amount may cause overflow.
2. Brew & Enjoy!
Press the CUPS button and select your brew size. Once the brew is complete. the heating plate will automatically turn on and remain on for 2 hours – the CUPS button will illuminate red. To turn off the heating plate. press and hold the CUPS button until the light is no longer illuminated.
If you accidentally shut the heating plate off. press and hold the CUPS button until the red light illuminates to turn it back on.
Brewer Features
Smart Start heats then brews in one simple process. No need to wait for the brewer to heat before selecting brew size. Power on your brewer. add coffee. then select your brew size. The brewer will heat. then automatically begin brewing.
Single Cup Auto Off automatically turns your brewer off 60 seconds after the last brew for energy savings.
Carafe Auto Off automatically turns your heating plate off 2 hours after the last brew for energy savings.
Pause & Pour a cup mid-brew while brewing a carafe using the 20 second automatic pause feature.
Key Specifications Of Keurig Duo Essentials Coffee Maker
Dual coffee maker: can make single serve k-cup coffee and up to 12 cups carafe of drip coffee
Compatible with Keurigs K-Cup Universal Reusable Coffee Filter: if you want to go decaf or try speciality ground coffee, you can use do so with this filter.
Warming plate: The carafe side has its own hot plate for consistently hot coffee with each pour.
Glass Carafe: The carafe is not an extra expense. It is included with this maker straight from the box.
Pause & Pour Option: press a button to pause the brewing for a quick cup of coffee
Able to use Keurigs reusable gold mesh filter: This can save you plenty of money as disposable paper filter costs can add up over the long run. Also paper filter does a poor job at preventing the coffee particles from flowing through and affect the coffee experience.
Energy Efficient: The machine shuts down automatically after 5 minutes of non-use. Cut your energy costs with no hassle from your side. And no need to worry if you have remembered to switch off the machine on your way to work
Removable drip tray: for those who like to drink coffee on the go, simply remove the drip tray and you can fit up to 7 inches travel mug
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What Makes Keurig So Special
The Keurig brand was marketed first to American audiences in the business atmosphere. The target market quickly fell in love with the easy coffee-making method which made a fast, single cup of coffee that you could drink hot while on your coffee break. After its success in the business scene, Keurig began selling models for home-use and it has been a household staple ever since.
Keurig partners with other big brand names in the coffee world including Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts to bring coffee shop flavors to your home in a quick-brew style.
Brew Your First Single Cup
1. Place Mug & Pod
Place a mug on the drip tray.
If using a travel mug. remove the drip tray and place the mug on the drip tray base. Lift the handle and place a K-Cup pod in the K-Cup pod holder. Lower the handle completely to close the lid.
High Altitude Brewing: While holding the brewer handle up. push down slowly on the
K-Cup pod in the pod holder until the bottom of the K-Cup pod is punctured by the exit needle.
2. Brew & Enjo
Press the OZ button. then select your brew size. The OZ button and brew size button will remain illuminated while brewing – about 1 minute. Brewing is complete when the brew size button is no longer illuminated. Lift the handle and dispose of the used K-Cup pod. The brewer will be ready to brew another cup in about a minute.
We recommend using a Keurig Rinse Pod or running a cleansing brew immediately after brewing hot cocoa or other sweetened pods to keep the needles clean.
NOTE: After 60 seconds. the brew buttons will be disabled. To reactivate. press OZ or CUPS.
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Can And Cant Do
The Keurig K-Duo Essentials has its pros and cons like every machine. Before making your final decision here is a rundown of things this machine can and cant do:
- It can be used easily
- It can make a good under-the-cabinet option.
- It can brew a full pot or a single cup.
- It can let you know when the water tank is running low.
- It can be compatible with a reusable K-cup, a gold-tone filter, and other pod brands.
- It can take up less counter space than 2 separate machines.
- It can pause your coffee stream while you grab a cup mid-brew.
- It cant time your brew to be ready in the morning with a preset option.
- It cant make you a strong brew.
- It cant brew a shot or steam milk.
- It cant always brew a fast cup or batch
- It can fit in well with a budget.
Key Selling Points Of Keurig K
With that being said, what are the specific features of the K-Duo Essentials ? What sets it apart from not only other Keurig models, but other coffee makers? And heres 3 key selling points of the K-Duo Essentials.
1. It can make a single serve cup and up to 12 cups carafe of coffee
Keurig K-Duo Essentials is a dual coffee maker. lt has two brewing options. You can make single cup of coffee using K-cup. You can also make a coffee pot of coffee using ground coffee.
The pot of coffee holds up to 12 cups of coffee. But you have 3 options to choose 8, 10, 12 cup depending on your needs. As for the single serve pod, you have the choice of 8, 10, or 12 ounces.
This Keurig with carafe makes it perfect for a family of coffee lovers with varied coffee habits. It gives options for those who enjoy either type of brewing system.
can make a carafe using ground coffee or single serve using K-pods
2. It use only 1 single HUGE water Reservoir
With two brewing choices available, it would be assumed there are 2 water tanks. However, this model has a single water reservoir that holds 60 oz of water.
This reservoir is shared between the two brewing options. Having 1 single water tank that is huge has 2 benefits. It can provides water for a longer period of time and yet saves time as there is only 1 unit to fill.
3. It has a smart start feature
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The Duo Series Vs Older Dual Brew Keruigs
A while back Keurig released the K-475. It was a 2.0 era machine that would brew different size cups of coffee with K-cups, as well as small carafe sizes using the K-Carafe, a small carafe made specially only for certain Keurig 2.0 systems.
None of the 2.0 machines ever got to be very popular and since then the K-Carafe and the K-475 have been replaced by the three versions of the new K-Duo which I want to review and compare in this article.
These new machines are fundamentally different from the older carafe-machines and they more closely resemble other dual brew coffee makers like the super affordable Hamilton Beach Flexbrew machines or the fancier Cuisinart machines like the SS-15.
I own each one of the three K-Duo machines and the side-by-side Flexbrew for the very purpose of this website so I hope youll find what I have to say useful.
Sidenote If you want a two-way coffee maker that brews both carafes and k-cups then consider the FlexBrew Trio. In my opinion its just as good as the K-Duo and it costs a lot less. Heres a link to check specs and pricing.
Before I get to the written review and comparison of the Keurig 2-way machines Id like to encourage you to first watch this comparison video I made of all three machines. This video covers much of what is written lower on this article complete with visuals.
Other Main Differences Are As Follows:
Basically if you want to pay less and dont care about the strong brew option or the lack of a small-cup or small-carafe size then the K-Duo Essentials is easily your best option.
If you need the Strong Brew button and/or want to make either 6-ounce cups of coffee or 6-cup carafes of coffee but dont care about the glass carafe, the flexible water reservoir placement, or the slim design of the K-Duo Plus then the plain-Jane K-Duo will do just fine.
You can see the sales page for the K-Duo Special Edition here. Its the newest version with the upgraded trim.
If you are like me however I only brew with the Strong Brew button. I absolutely love the water reservoir on the K-Duo Plus, and I really appreciate the smaller footprint of the Plus model on our kitchen counter so it is of course the model I would use daily if I werent always testing new products for the sake of this website.
For me I feel that the extra price I paid for the K-Duo Plus was well worth it!
You can see the sales page for the K-Duo Plus here.
Yes the cost was higher but it wasnt obscene and I LOVE the fact that the Duo Plus has a handle on the side of the water reservoir and that I can place that reservoir on the side of the machine that is most convenient for my counter.
I also can easily operate this entire machine with it located under my cabinets.
For pricing the K-Duo and K-Duo Plus are frequently sold out so Ive put together a where to buy page for these brewers for your convenience.
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Why Choose The Keurig K
While the selling point of the Keurig K-Duo Essentials is that it offers both a single cup and large batch brewing option, this machine also has some other nice features.
- Endless K-Cup Options
- Compatible with the Gold Tone Reusable Filter for Waste Saving
- Space Saving Small Footprint
Since Keurig is one of the most widely used pod-machines, they have the corner on the market with their K-cup flavor and brand varieties.
Also, the K-Duo Essentials model doesnt use barcode technology to scan its pods. This means that you will be able to brew your favorite licensed and non-licensed brews in this machine.
One of my favorite options on this machine is its auto pause and pour option. This feature allows you to get a cup fresh off the pot without having to wait for it to finish its cycle.
Lets face it, I have been known to sneak cups of coffee off brewing pots even without this option, but with the pause and pour I wont need to clean up a mess after.
A nice feature of this machine is its swing filter basket on the coffee pot side. This allows you to keep your coffee maker in place while filling it up with your favorite grounds.
The only tricky bit is that the water tank is in the back for this design. Some customers solved this problem by placing their machine on a lazy susan to easily refill the water tank without moving the coffee maker out of its place.
Should I Buy Keurig K
Personally, I have always like the Keurig coffee maker as I can avoid dealing with coffee powder. But having to use ground coffee for the carafe side defeats the purpose. If you ask me, I would recommend the Keurig K575 coffee maker if you have the need to make a carafe of coffee.
On the other hand, some may like the freedom to use their preferred ground coffee brands. If you prefer to use ground coffee, then both Keurig K-Duo models are good options.
But I would prefer K-Duo over K-Duo Essentials for the ability of automatic carafe brew as well as the extra smaller brew size options.
Keurig K-Duo
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How To Use The Keurig K
The Keurig K-Duo Essentials is a pretty straightforward machine which allows you to brew coffee in two ways. You can use the usual drip coffee pot method or brew a K-cup just for one.
- Step 1: Fill the water tank
For either the pot option or single-serve, you want to make sure the water tank is full for the first step. Many customers noted that the water tank seems to run out fast with this machine. Somtimes it even uses more water than what you programed it for.
The water reservoir is 60 oz, so it should be able to make several single serve cups. The smallest size cup possible with this machine is 8 oz, though, so it will run through water quicker than the Keurigs that allow you to brew 6 oz cups and shots.
You also need to install a water filter for your Keurig K-Duo. It doesnt come with it, so you will need to purchase one seperately.
If you choose to brew a pot, it is pretty similar to a regular drip machine, and brews the amount of water you add to the machine. So, if you are planning to brew the full 12 cup pot, you will need to fill the reservoir to the full 60 oz.
If having to fill the water reservoir over and over sounds like a pain, then it may be possible plumb your machine to a water line.
- Step 2: Add coffee grounds or pod
On the single-serve side, just pop in your favorite pod.
For the pot option, you can open the swing basket to add your favorite grounds. Of course, we always recommend grinding your own coffee beans to get the best flavor and aroma.
The Differences Between The K
Contrary to the norm these days on the internet I can review each of these units from actual personal experience. I bought all three and own all three. I have even brewed hundreds of k-cups in the machines collectively so I know a few things that arent apparent from the various sales pages found online.
For one I can say that the stated water reservoir is not 60oz as advertised!
In the K-Duo Essentials machine I was able to pour 73-ounces of water into the reservoir before hitting the max-line.
Then after brewing the first cup of coffee a full 11-ounces is pulled into an internal water holding tank/reservoir for heating. Like older model Keurig removable reservoir brewers this secondary chamber cant easily be drained either.
Basically, both of the K-Duo and K-Duo Essentials machines can hold 11-ounces internally plus an additional 73-ounces in the removable water tank.
The only caveat is that you cant use all 84-ounces of water without refilling the reservoir well before its empty.
When the water gets down to the Minimum line there is still approximately 25-ounces of water left in the removable reservoir in addition to the extra 10-11oz of water still inside the machine in the internal heating tank and tubing.
Once the machine gets to the Minimum line it wont cycle a new cup of coffee of any size effectively resulting in a real reservoir size of only 48-ounces because the machine isnt ever actually emptied all the way.
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