Keurig K55 K-Classic Review
The Keurig K55, also called the K-Classic, is an iconic Keurig single-serving coffee maker. It features a minimalist control panel, large water reservoir, and multiple brew sizes. The brewer comes in any color you want, as long as it’s black (or red). While it is on the larger side of single-serving coffee makers, it is the perfect brewer for any number of venues from an upscale office to a studio apartment. If you’re looking for a no-frills way to get into brewing single-serving coffee, look no further than the Keurig K55. In this review, you’ll find everything you’re looking for to help you decide if the K55 is for you.
Overall Score: 4.0/5
-
Quality: 4.2/5
The Keurig K55 is an excellent way to get into brewing coffee at home with little-to-no hassle. We find the quality of this machine rivals the other machines in the Keurig line, at a much more reasonable price point than the top-of-the-line Keurig Elite.
-
Value: 4.1/5
While we wouldn’t consider this machine inexpensive, it is very reasonably priced for the quality of the system. It doesn’t have the all the bells and whistles of higher-end Keurig machines, but still brews that delicious cup of joe you long for in the morning.
-
Style: 3.9/5
The style of this machine features the iconic Keurig look. It’s a bit bulky and doesn’t offer much of a choice of colors, but for the money, this Keurig is stylish enough for us. It comes in black and red, so you still have a small selection of color options.
-
Size: 3.8/5
This Keurig is on the larger size. If you’re looking for a smaller machine, you may want to consider the K55’s smaller sibling, the Keurig K200. If space is not a premium, the Keurig K55 is the perfect coffee maker for your coffee nook.
Pros
- Multiple brew sizes – With options to brew 6, 8, and 10 ounce cups of coffee, we’re certain you’ll find a size that’s just right for you
- 48 oz. water tank – This large water tank enables you to brew a 6 ounce cup of coffee every day for a week without refilling; this means less trips to the faucet and more time spent enjoying your coffee
- Minimalist user interface – Some people crave digital displays, but we find the K55’s minimalist interface a refreshing return to simple user interfaces
- Easy to clean – Keurig has kept cleanup quick and easy with the K55; simply empty the drip tray as it fills up and be sure to descale your machine regularly
- Accommodates travel mugs – Some mornings, you’re in a rush and can’t sit down to enjoy you’re cup of coffee. The K55 is capable of accommodating travel mugs up to 7.1″ tall
Cons
- On the large end – The K55 measures in at 13.3″ tall and takes up just under one square foot of counter space, making it a pretty large coffee maker
- Unsophisticated user interface – There aren’t many bells and whistles on the user interface, but we find the minimalism allows us to focus on getting to that first cup of coffee sooner
- No strong mode – Many Keurigs these days feature a “Strong” mode that makes a more concentrated brew, but this machine unfortunately lacks that feature
- Few color choices – If you’re looking to add a pop of color to your kitchen, you only have the choices of black or red
- A bit noisy – When the brewer begins to take in water, it is a bit noisy, but that is to be expected of most coffee makers on the market
Deep Dive
The Keurig K-Classic, also called the Kuerig K-55 is the perfect single-serving coffee maker for those looking to move away from drip coffee makers and toward K-cups.
When Keurig developed the K-cup, they unlocked a new coffee experience for the consumer. In less than 60 seconds, you can go from coffee-less to cup-in-hand. There are hundreds of coffee brands and varieties to choose from, enabling you to experiment and find your perfect cup of coffee.
The K55 is a staple in the current Keurig model lineup. It has a bunch of great features that make the K-Classic stand out against other single-serving coffee makers.
Features
Size
The size of the Keurig K-Classic is a bit bigger than the other Keurig models, taking up approximately 10.1 inches by 13.2 inches of counter space. You’ll want to make sure you have at least 17.6 inches of clearance under your cabinets so that you can fully open the brew head. When the brewer is closed, it’s around 13.3 inches tall.
Compatibility
The K-Classic is compatible all K-Cup brand coffee pods, allowing you to choose coffee blends from a variety of well-known names in coffee. Pick from Starbucks, Folgers, Gevalia, and even McCafe K-Cup pods. You’ll have endless coffee flavors to explore and can rest assured that your favorite coffee likely comes in a K-Cup.
Multiple brew sizes
The K55 is capable of brewing multiple different cup sizes. You can pick from 6, 8, or even 10 oz. cups of coffee. All you have to do is insert a K-cup, select the button corresponding to the size you want, and a delicious, freshly brewed coffee will be ready for you in under a minute.
Large water tank
The K-55 features a large, 48 oz. water reservoir, which allows you to brew at least 6 or more cups of coffee before needing to refill it. This will get you through your work week and then some. We find the size to be perfect for the person having a single, daily cup of coffee. If you drink more than one cup a day, you may find yourself at the faucet more than you’d like, but we’re certain the brewer will be worth the extra trips to the sink.
Easy user interface
The K-Classic offers an exceptionally simple user interface. There are only five buttons. Three are for selecting the size, one is for powering on the device, and the last one is for enabling the “Auto Off” feature. The control panel also has several LED indicators, making it easy to tell when it’s time to add water or descale the brewer.
Auto off
The “Auto Off” feature is one of our favorite and most-used functions. If you enable it, after the brewer has sat idle for two hours, it will turn itself off to save energy. This feature is great for those who seem to be in a perpetual hurry and have a habit of forgetting to turn off their kitchen appliances.
Travel mug capable
This Keurig brewer is capable of brewing into larger drinking vessels, like travel mugs. All you have to do is remove the drip tray at the base of the machine and you can brew into travel mugs up to 7.1 inches tall.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Cleaning the Keurig K55 is a breeze. You’ll want to be sure to keep it clean and follow all maintenance procedures from the manual to ensure your brewer performs at its best for years to come.
Drip tray
The drip tray on the brewer is removable, so you can easily dump it out in the sink when it gets full. Over time, you may find that some coffee residue builds up in the drip tray. Thankfully, the drip tray is top rack dishwasher safe.
Descaling
Descaling is an important part of maintaining any coffee maker. Through the years, your Keurig will build up calcium deposits on the internal components. To make sure your cup of coffee isn’t impacted by the buildup, you’ll want to descale your machine on a frequency outlined in the manual. It’s best to use Keurig’s descaling solution to make sure the internal components stay good as new.
Replacing filters
Another thing you’ll want to remember to change regularly on your new Keurig is the water filter. The Keurig K-55 comes with two water filters to get you started. They are easy to install in the water tank and should be changed every 60 days (or 120 tank refills) to ensure your Keurig continues brewing delicious coffee. We recommend stocking up on a supply of filters so you don’t have to worry about reordering for quite some time.
Summary
The Keurig K55 is the perfect addition to any kitchen, big or small. It’s a mid-sized machine that is capable of brewing any K-Cup brand on the market, opening up a wide range of coffee and tea options. It comes in only two colors: rhubarb and black, but both blend in with nearly any kitchen design. It’s a great machine for those looking to switch over from their old-fashioned Bunn drip coffee maker to a sleek, new way of brewing coffee. We highly recommend the Keurig Classic as an introductory machine for office or home use.
Perfect Pairings
To get the most out of your new Keurig, you’ll want to check out some accessories that will make your morning coffee routine that much better. We’ve outlined a few products that we think will take your coffee game to the next level.
Customizing Your Brew
K-Cup Coffee Lover’s Variety Sampler (40 Count)
If you’re new to the Keurig family of systems, we highly recommend picking up a sampler of K-Cups. There are countless coffee brands out there in a dozen different coffee styles, so it’s hard to know what to try first. The Coffee Lover’s Variety Sampler comes with 40 K-Cups from 20 popular brands. It’s our choice for best sampler for a Keurig newbie.
Keurig My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter
Sometimes, countless brands and types of coffee aren’t enough. With the seemingly endless supply of amazing coffee roasters cropping up every year, being locked into K-Cups seems like a disservice to your taste buds. Luckily, Keurig agrees and developed the My K-Cup Reusable Coffee Filter. The device can be filled with ground coffee of your choosing and inserted into your Keurig, just as you would an ordinary K-Cup. The filter has two fill lines that are optimized for cup and travel mug sizes, so you never end up with a coffee that is too strong or too weak. It is super easy to clean and is top rack dishwasher safe.
K-Cup Storage
One minor concern in Keurig ownership is where to store all of your favorite K-Cups. While the pantry works, it’s not nearly as accessible as having the coffee sitting on your counter right next to your brand new Keurig. Thankfully, some savvy entrepreneurs recognized this problem and created a variety of ways to store your K-Cups close to your brewer. Our favorite two storage solutions are broken out below.
K-Cup Carousel
The K-Cup Carousel is a new twist on the iconic carousel spice rack. This carousel is designed for K-Cups, specifically. It comes in chrome or powder-coated black, so you’ll be able to perfectly fit it into your kitchen decor. The carousel can hold up to 35 K-Cups and fluidly rotates so you can quickly select your desired K-Cup in the morning. We find the K-Cup Carousel to be our favorite carousel K-Cup storage solution.
Mind Reader Triple Drawer K-Cup Holder
If you don’t want yet another counter-top container, like the carousel, then we recommend the Mind Reader Triple Drawer K-Cup Holder. The device is essentially a set of drawers that doubles as a stand for your new Keurig. We enjoy this K-Cup holder because it has three independent drawers, which allows you to get creative in replenishing your stash. Perhaps one drawer could be for decaf, one drawer for regular, and one drawer for your highly-caffeinated Death Wish Coffee. Overall, we think the Mind Reader Triple Drawer K-Cup Holder solves our K-Cup storage problem, hands down.
Water Quality
The quality of the water going into your Keurig greatly affects the life and maintenance on your machine. We’ve picked our top two favorite products to improve the longevity of your brand new Keurig.
Keurig Charcoal Filters (12 count)
Water has a surprisingly huge impact on the flavor of the final cup of coffee coming out of your brewer. It shouldn’t be too surprising, since coffee is largely made up of water, but if you have nasty tasting water, your coffee isn’t going to taste much better. Keurig wants all of their customers to experience the joy of a delicious morning coffee, so they designed the Keurig K55 with an optional carbon filter location. We recommend using the filter, regardless of your water quality, as it will yield the best tasting cup of coffee. There are several carbon filter manufacturers out there, but our pick is the perfect blend of price and total count.
Keurig Descaling Solution
Even with high-quality, filtered water it is recommended that you descale your machine regularly with Keurig’s own descaling solution. This will drastically increase the life of your machine. By using the Keurig Descaling Solution instead of a vinegar-based concoction, you won’t have the terrible lingering vinegar smell or flavor in your coffee. Plus, Keurig bundles the solution with two extra carbon filters. We highly recommend the Keurig Descaling Solution for your Keurig; your coffee maker is an investment and you should take every measure to protect it.