Before I graduated to my fancy espresso machine, I owned a small single-serve coffee maker. Ideal for home offices, small kitchens, and busy people, these machines are beloved for their speed, simplicity, and fun, flavored pods. Keurig is one of the most well-known brands, famous for its convenience and low price tags. But while Keurigs are cheap, they are far from the best single-serve coffee makers on the market – often lacking durability and falling short on flavor.
If you’re looking for the best Keurig alternatives, you’re in the right place. Our expert panel of professional baristas, appliance specialists, and passionate coffee geeks (myself included) has rigorously tested a range of coffee makers that deliver superior results.
While Keurig always offers competitive pricing, the alternatives on our list offer an equally quick and easy experience, just with enhanced performance, durability, and style. Our overall winner is the Nespresso Vertuo Next – a sleek, reliable machine that looks good on the countertop and pours a satisfying cup every single time.
The quick list
These are the best Keurig alternatives at a glance. Scroll down for more details, to help you find out which machine will suit you.
The Nespresso Vertuo Next makes richly flavored, reliable, and fuss-free coffee. It's quick to heat and easy to use, with one little button doing all the hard work.
This has a slot for your favorite Keurig pods, but it can also use fresh coffee, tea leaves, syrups, and other single-serve pods. It's great at making iced coffee, too.
This Cuisinart is a genius invention. It grinds fresh coffee into Keurig-style pods, delivering specialty coffee on a Keurig time frame.
Smaller than Keurig's K-mini, this alternative only makes espresso, but it's delicious. Small enough for desks, dorm rooms and tiny kitchens.
The Aeropress makes speedy, fresh coffee, and it is super lightweight, so you can take it anywhere – from the office to the airport. The technique is easy.
Simple and speedy with a small price tag. Vertuo offers over thirty different pods, spanning from the very basics to watermelon cold brew – so you really get bang for your buck.
Best Keurig Alternatives
From better value buys to more versatile brewers, here are the reviews on the best Keurig alternatives, tried and tested by our expert panel.
Best Keurig alternative overall
The Nespresso Vertuo Next is the best single-serve coffee maker on the market. This machine takes just 40 seconds to heat up and can brew anything from a single espresso shot to an 18-oz. carafe.
Like a convenient Keurig but much more premium, one button does all the work. All you need to do is pick your pod (there are over thirty Vertuo blends to choose from) and press go. The Nespresso Vertuo Next incorporates automatic blend recognition technology, which identifies the best brew size, pressure, and temperature for each capsule. This is hands-off coffee making.
When we compared Keurig vs Nespresso, we concluded that the latter simply makes better coffee than the Keurig. It tastes stronger and less bitter and unlike the Keurig, espresso shots have a crema (the little layer of cream on top of the coffee you get on an espresso). By comparison, the Keurig is weak and bitter.
With its matte black finish and rose gold detailing, this premium coffee maker should complement any kitchen color palette. It's small and slim, so it shouldn't take up much space on your counters or inside your cabinets. All that's missing is a milk frother, so you'll have to buy one separately if you want lattes or cappuccinos.
You can find more detail in our Nespresso Vertuo Next Coffee Maker review.
Most versatile Keurig alternative
If you have varied taste, you're a family of coffee-lovers, or you entertain guests, this is the model for you. The Ninja DualBrew Pro can handle grounds and pods alike to produce Classic, Rich, and Iced coffee in every size – from cup to carafe.
The Specialty Brew scored highly during my taste tests. You can incorporate this super-rich coffee concentrate into lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos, and even coffee-based cocktails. While the Classic brew left a little to be desired, the flavor was rich, robust and didn't diminish over time.
It's also compatible with Keurig pods, so you can make the most of the 40 brands that offer official K-cups, including Starbucks, McCafé, Dunkin', Cinnabon, and more.
This machine also comes with a built-in, fold-away milk frother that I found works particularly well with oat milk. You can also fit the water tank to the side or the rear of your coffee maker, so it suits a variety of spaces. Each of these parts is removable for quick and easy cleaning – top marks in my house.
You can find more detail in our Ninja DualBrew Pro review.
Best pod free Keurig alternative
The Cuisinart Grind and Brew is different from the rest of the machines on this list. Rather than use coffee that's been holed up in pods for months, the Cuisinart has a conical burr grinder integrated. You place a Keurig-style reusable pod inside and you get freshly ground coffee milled straight into it. The resulting flavors are bold and strong. It's seriously impressive.
The reusable pods are great for a number of reasons. The first is that you get to enjoy fresh coffee in a single-serve format. However, they also suit eco-conscious coffee drinkers, because you never have to dispose of more than coffee grounds. You'll also be able to slot your favorite Keurig pods in place of the Cuisinart, so if you're craving one of their holiday flavors, you don't need to miss out.
The only thing we missed from convenient Keurigs was some sort of steam wand or milk-frothing capacity. The Cuisinart only makes espressos and Americanos, which is fine if you only drink a latte on occasion, but might be a problem if you crave your morning cappuccinos.
You can find more detail in our Cuisinart Grind and Brew review.
Best mini Keurig alternative
If you’re looking for a small single-serve coffee maker, you might first consider the Keurig K-Mini. It’s the slimmest model available from the brand and it makes surprisingly good drinks, considering its low price point. However, our testers were frustrated by the slow brewing times and the splattered mess it made.
For a worthy alternative, consider the Illy Y3.3 Espresso Machine. Our Kitchen Appliances Editor, Lydia, praised its cute, retro design and compact size, along with its ability to brew delicious espresso. I recently tested Illy's ESE single-serve coffee maker too, which is slightly bigger and uses compostable capsules, and found it similarly impressive.
Illy is renowned for premium, high-quality coffee. Their machines are ideal for espresso lovers who want a rich, energizing brew on tap. The Illy Y3.3 is designed to be space-efficient – it's the height of a cookbook, so can easily slot into a shelf or desk set-up.
On the other hand, Illy's espresso capsules don't offer the same versatility as Keurig's collection, which includes flavors like hot chocolate and chai latte. If you're not an espresso fan, you might want to opt for an all-rounder, like the Ninja DualBrew above.
5. Best for travel
If you're looking for a simple coffee maker that you can move around easily or take on the go, you won't find better than the AeroPress Original. It's lightweight, easy to use and clean, and the coffee is delicious. Just remember to take a mug with you, too.
We were impressed with the taste tests. The coffee shots were remarkably delicious, with the syrupy texture and rich intensity of a proper espresso. The Americano also brought out the specialty notes of our beans. We could even see a light crema on top, which even the best drip coffee makers struggle to achieve. It really is worlds apart from a Keurig coffee.
It's BPA-free (one of our favorite non-toxic coffee makers) and very easy to wash, too. If you'll be brewing from the hotel, office, Airbnb, ski lodge, or tent, you'll want the Original AeroPress with you.
Read more details in our full AeroPress Original review.
Best value Keurig alternative
This easy-to-use, pod-based machine offers fantastic value without compromising on taste. The Nespresso Vertuo Pop delivers delicious depth and flavor – above and beyond its Keurig rivals. On testing, we noticed that the water tank is small and the drip tray only fits tiny cups, but only considered these as minor drawbacks.
The Vertuo Pop’s standout feature is its Automatic Blend Recognition, which scans the pod’s barcode to determine the correct water amount, so you get a perfectly brewed cup every time. With a variety of flavors, from rich double espressos to unique options like Vanilla Custard Pie, this machine delivers maximal options, for minimal cost.
The Vertuo Pop is the most affordable option in the Nespresso Vertuo range. If you're not price-conscious, you're better off with the Nespresso Vertuo Next coffee maker (the best overall in this guide). It offers the same features as the Vertuo Pop but adds an extra cup size for travel mugs and a taller design to accommodate standard mugs. A smart investment for coffee lovers.
You can find more detail in our Nespresso Vertuo Pop review.
How we test coffee makers
At Homes & Gardens, our team of experts is dedicated to finding the best single-serve coffee makers on the market. When there's one we think you'll like, we take it to our dedicated test kitchen. There, we put it through a series of standardized tests, which include:
Coffee Taste: We test every function and pod to ensure each coffee machine delivers a flavorful and satisfying cup. This involves brewing different types of coffee to assess consistency and quality.
Ease of Use: We assess how user-friendly the machine is, including its setup, controls, and daily operation. A good coffee machine should be intuitive and simple to use.
Versatility: We test the machine’s ability to brew different types of coffee and other beverages, like chai lattes and decaf drinks. We test any special features, like milk frothing and customizable settings, to help you choose the right machine for your personal preferences.
Value for Money: We weigh up whether the coffee machine offers good value. We consider its performance, features, customer reviews, and where it sits on the market landscape.
Maintenance & Clean-Up: We evaluate how easy it is to clean and maintain the machine. We love coffee makers that require little upkeep, with self-cleaning functions, dishwasher-safe parts and durable parts.
Design & Aesthetics: At Homes & Gardens, we're all about style and interior design so we also consider how the coffee machine looks on the countertop and which kinds of homes it would suit.
How to choose a coffee machine
When choosing a coffee machine, start by considering the type of coffee you prefer. If you enjoy a complex brew and have a passion for coffee, a bean-to-cup machine or pour-over coffee set might be ideal. For a quick, convenient cup of coffee, single-serve, pod-based machines are a practical choice.
Ease of use is essential, so look for a machine with an intuitive interface and straightforward controls. Versatility is also important, so choose a machine that matches your brewing preferences, such as an espresso maker for those who love strong shots or one with milk-frothing capabilities for lattes and flat whites.
Maintenance should be easy – removable and dishwasher-safe parts are ideal. Additionally, consider the overall value for money, including the long-term costs of coffee pods – Nespresso capsules, K-Cups and Illy pods are sold at varying price points.
Finally, consider the size and design: do you have a small coffee nook or a large, spacious kitchen island? You should also invest in a machine that complements your kitchen decor.
FAQs
Are Keurig coffee makers any good?
If you're looking for an inexpensive single-serve coffee maker Keurig makes some of the best options available. However, the plastic casing and cheaper build quality means that they tend not to last as long. Plus, the coffee pods don't taste quite as good as freshly ground coffee. That's why we've written this buying guide for the best Keurig alternatives, because you can still save money whilst making better coffee.
Are single-serve coffee makers good?
If you want simple, speedy, automated coffee, you can't go wrong with a single-serve coffee maker. Whilst these can make reasonably good quality coffee, they'll rarely deliver on the same rich flavor profile as a drip coffee maker or an automatic espresso machine. So, if you need convenience, single-serve coffee makers are great. If you want quality, you're better off looking at other options.
Final thoughts
If you’re seeking versatility and K-Cup compatibility, the Ninja DualBrew is a fantastic choice. For those who want a cute, compact machine to rival Keurig's mini models, the Illy machine stands out with its premium espresso pods and lightweight design. But, if you’re looking for an exceptional all-rounder, the Nespresso Vertuo Next is the best overall. With Nespresso's impressive array of over 30 Vertuo pod flavors, durable build, and luxurious feel, this is a truly premium upgrade from Keurig. You won't look back.
