Keurig K Select Review: What the Keurig K-Select Reviews are saying

Keurig k select review

If you're looking for a coffee maker that's convenient, yet produces pour over quality coffee, then you're in luck! Brewing a cup of coffee in the morning doesn't have to be a hassle anymore, thanks to that new Keurig K Select in your kitchen. This Keurig K Select review guide should help you determine if this is the right appliance for you.

If you don't feel like reading our whole review, and just want a quick synopsis, then this device is a great little brewer. While it may lack some of the higher quality features, like the ones seen in our Keurig buyer's guide, it certainly out performs the original Keurig models. If you want our suggestion, buy the K Select if you are on a budget, otherwise you should upgrade and purchase the Keurig K Elite.

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Keurig K Select Overview

Keurig k select

Before we get into the specifics, here's a quick rundown of our review of the Keurig K Select coffee maker.

✅ Overall score: 8.5/10

✅ The K Select is easy to use and reliable in its performance.

✅ There's little that needs doing for repair and maintenance.

🚫 The K-Cups be a higher ongoing cost than buying coffee beans or grounds.

🚫 The Keurig K Select doesn't offer advanced controls for brewing, so don't expect much more than your single-serve cup of coffee.

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The Keurig Brand

Keurig wasn’t always the household coffee brewing system we think of now. They started as a company based out of Massachusetts in 1992. This company focused on single-serve coffee brewing for business offices where workers would be looking to make coffee for their desk, rather than the whole family or office floor. This was only after six years of raising startup money and designing the initial system, though. 

Eventually, the system got much more popular. By 2004, home units were designed and marketed. Their K-Cup pods became the dominant single-serve unit in the market, with other brands basing their designs off the K-Cup’s dimensions. 

According to one of Keurig’s founders, John Sylvan, the Keurig name comes from the Dutch word for “excellence.” Keurig has gone far and above to try and deliver on this namesake, including delivering a Keurig machine to businesses and generating profits off the K-Cups only.


Keurig K Select Review

Keurig k select reviews

The Keurig K Select system is a single-serve coffee system designed to be convenient and easy to use. But, just how well does it hold up to these design goals? While we believe that the Keurig K Select is a great include for your kitchen, let's break down how well the system does across a few different categories.

Design/Build Quality 4/5

The Keurig is designed to be a simple system for your single-serve needs. Its construction is 9.2 inches wide, 11.6 inches deep, and 12.5 inches tall. The entire system weighs 7.3 pounds and is intended to take up minimal space on your countertop.

It also comes in a myriad of different colors. Matte black, matte white, vintage red, and others are all available options so that the Keurig K Select matches your kitchen's decor in the closest way possible.

Because it's a simple design, that also means that it won't be a fashionable statement in your kitchen. The Keurig system is there to make fresh coffee for you, not spruce up the place!

Features 4/5

The Keurig K Select sports several convenient features that make it worthy of your kitchen.

For brewing options, the K Select offers volumes of six, eight, ten, and twelve ounces. Since these are the most popular brew sizes in the market, it's no surprise that they end up here as options. This is supported by the coffee maker's 52 oz water reservoir, meaning you can brew many large servings of coffee before refilling the water.

To brew your coffee, you place one of the K Cup pods inside the holder, close the holder, and select your serving size. The Keurig K Select also has a Strong Brew option, letting you make a strong serving of coffee with the push of the strong brew button.

The Keurig K Select also has the Keurig Quiet Brew Technology included with it. This means that your morning coffee won't make too much noise and wake other sleeping members of your household.

The removable drip tray means that you can fit mugs and thermoses in the Keurig K Select as well. With the drip tray removed, you can use containers up to 7.4 inches with the system with no problems.

However, those are all the options you get for making your morning brew. Any other brew sizes you may want aren't options here, meaning you'd have to mix and match sizes to get what you want. Also, you only have two options for the strength of your coffee: normal or strong. If you prefer something in between, that's not an option you have with this system.

Performance 4.5/5

The Keurig K Select is a reliable coffee brewer. The Quiet Brew Technology means that your morning coffee only takes 60 seconds to make, regardless of what serving size you select. If you use the same K-Cup pod or coffee beans in your reusable filter, you're almost guaranteed to get the same coffee every morning. The system also dispenses the same amount of coffee every time so you don't feel shorted on your coffee when you need it most.

Ease of Use 5/5

Unlike another single-serving brewer, the Keurig K Select is very easy to use. Placing the pod inside the holder and selecting one or two options means you're not far from your morning brew. All the options are clearly labeled and light up when the system has power to make sure there's no confusion on what you're getting.

Since there's no screen display or options to mess with, all you have to use are the buttons on the top of the K Select to choose your coffee preference.

Value for Money 3/5

While the Keurig K Select isn't an expensive system, the lower score we gave it here is for the K-Cups. Unless you're using a reusable filter cup, the K-Cups will be a recurring cost to make your coffee in the morning. These pods tend to be more expensive than buying coffee grounds or coffee beans. In fact, in 2010, Keurig sold over $880 million in pods, which has been a core part of Keurig's business model for decades.

If you elect to use your own grounds, you're missing out on the convenience factor of the pods. For the price you paid for the Keurig K Select, you could have bought a cheaper drip coffee maker and more coffee for you to make.

Maintenance Requirements 4.5/5

Overall, the Keurig K Select doesn't need much maintenance to work well. The user manual and Keurig's customer support recommend that you descale the system every three to six months. This way, you prevent any mineral buildup from your water from causing blockages.

Every now and again, a mechanical or internal computer part can malfunction. If that happens, Keurig's customer support can help get the unit replaced or repaired once the problem has been found.

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Don’t Buy The Keurig K Select If…

k select

While the Keurig K Select System is a great coffee maker, it's not perfect for everyone's needs. Here are some reasons why we believe this coffee maker may not be right for you.

You Prefer Brewing Milky Coffee

Although the Keurig K Select is great for single-serving coffee, it doesn't have the accessories it needs to make milky lattes or cappuccinos. There's no steamer wand to steam the milk for those drinks. So if you want something that can make these kinds of drinks for you, a cheaper espresso machine might be what you're looking for instead.

You Like Controlling the Brewing Process

Some people prefer a more hands-on approach to their morning coffee. Preloading a pod into your Keurig and pressing a button is appealing if you're on the go early. However, grinding up your coffee, tamping down the grounds, and extracting the coffee yourself can be a pleasant morning ritual.

Beginners to coffee brewing will get a good start with the Keurig coffee makers. Ultimately, the Keurig K Select will feel restrictive if you want to progress beyond just pressing a button in the morning to get coffee.

You Want to Learn More About Brewing Coffee

For beginners looking to advance their barista skills, a Keurig K Select won't offer any tools to progress beyond your basic cup of coffee. Keurig machines don't come with any steaming accessories or control over the extraction of the coffee from the grounds.

If you want to experiment with different extraction techniques, steaming, or latte art, an espresso machine with accessories will better suit your needs.

Keurig K Select Competitors/Alternatives

If our Keurig K Select review has convinced you of the convenience of the system, but you're looking for other options, Keurig has different models that might suit your needs.

The K-50 and K-55 models of Keurig coffee makers are smaller versions of the Keurig K Select and are available for a lower price. The K-200 model is a smaller model with a smaller water reservoir but offers a similar cup of coffee to the K Select model.

Finally, if you're looking for something bigger, the Keurig K Elite is a larger model with a bigger water reservoir. The K Elite also offers both hot water and iced coffee dispensing options, so it expands on what kinds of drinks and foods you can prepare for a higher price.

Keurig K Select FAQ

k select review

Here are a few of the most common questions people will have about the Keurig K Select system.

Can You Use Pods Other Than K-Cup Pods?

No, you can only use the K-Cup pods alongside the K Select system. The system does accept Keurig's reusable filter pods if you want a reusable option, though!

What The Best Way to Descale A Keurig K Select's Water Tank?

You have two options for getting rid of mineral deposits in the water tank. Keurig's descaling solution or white vinegar. Make sure you've got the system off and the water tank removed before starting. Add the entire bottle of descaling solution or fill the tank with pure white vinegar. The descaling solution will need an equal amount of water to work, but don't dilute the vinegar if you go that route!

Once that's done, power the Keurig back on and place a mug on the drip tray. Choose the biggest cup size, and run the solution through the system until the "Add Water" light comes on. Let everything sit for about half an hour, clean everything out, and run three to five cleaning cycles of just water.

Does the Keurig K Select Come With a Warranty?

Yes! This coffee maker comes with a one-year warranty.

Keurig K Select Troubleshooting

Sometimes problems can come up with the Keurig K Select system. Take a look at some of these common problems so that you're prepared in case you find these troubles yourself:

Resetting the Keurig K Select Coffee Maker

It's not difficult to reset this Keurig. If you're having issues with this process, it could mean that the Keurig is not assembled properly, it has damaged parts, or the internal computer parts are malfunctioning.

To reset your Keurig, first, unplug it from the outlet and wait a few minutes. Remove the water reservoir from the side of the machine, and then plug the Keurig back into the outlet. Reattach the water reservoir and hit the power button. Once everything is powered back on and registering, open and close the K-Cup holder.

If you're still having issues resetting the brewer at this point, you should contact Keurig's customer support.

My Keurig is Leaking Water 

Seeing water pooling on your countertop is frustrating. So is having a sludge of water and coffee grounds instead of a cup of coffee in the morning.

There are a few steps you can take to see if the leak is coming from your water reservoir. Detach the water reservoir from the Keurig and see if there is any water in the well where the reservoir attaches. You can also hold the water reservoir over your sink and look for any leaks or drips without making a bigger mess.

If you don't see any leaks coming from the reservoir, the gasket in the K-Cup holder could be leaking instead. This is a rubber seal around the puncture needle of the holder. If it isn't lined up correctly, it can cause water to leak when your K Select brewer is brewing coffee. If you can adjust this gasket yourself, then do so. Otherwise, this would also warrant a call to Keurig's customer support.

My Keurig Isn't Brewing the Right Amount of Coffee

When it seems like your Keurig isn't brewing the right amount of coffee, it could be a few different factors. Before you try any of the following fixes, try brewing a six or eight ounce water-only brew to see if you're getting a different amount out of the system than you're putting in.

If the amounts are different, first try cleaning up the entrance and exit needles for the brewing system. These needles are very sharp, so carefully clean out the opening for the needles to unblock them. Also, make sure that the water reservoir is connected correctly. If the connection is off, it might not be pulling as much water as it should through the system.

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Author Profile Picture

Parker Russell is a coffee professional and the founder of Black Ink Coffee. As an expert in the field of coffee roasting, cupping (professional Q-Grader) and brewing, Parker has established Black Ink as brand that fuels the grind of dreamers.