Trying to decide between the Keurig K Elite and the K Classic?
Then you’ve found the right page. We wrote this guide to compare the two machines to find the right one for you.
By the end of this guide, you’ll know:
- Features these Keurigs have in common
- Differences between these coffee makers
- How to decide which one is better for you
Quick Summary
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Attribute | Keurig K-Elite | Keurig K-Classic |
|---|---|---|
Image |
|
|
Water Tank Capacity | 75 oz | 48 oz |
Iced Coffee Brew Option | Yes | No |
Short Brew Time | <60 seconds | <60 seconds |
Removable Drip Tray | Yes | Yes |
Adjustable Coffee Strength | Yes | No |
Ground Coffee Compatibility | Yes | Yes |
Ideal Uses | Home | Home |
Pricing |
The Keurig K Elite was designed to bring convenience and control together. Choose this machine if you’re a home user that wants to provide a greater number of choices for more than one person.
Just as its name implies, the Keurig K Classic was a machine that became a staple in many households. This is the Keurig for you if you’re just searching for a straightforward coffee maker to brew the basics at home.
Similarities
K-cup Or Ground Coffee Compatibility
The Elite and Classic are each capable of using K-cups or freshly ground coffee.
This flexibility means they are both usable by novices and experts alike. Those who just want to quickly brew a cup of coffee without having to fuss over settings can pick a K-cup of their preferred flavor, place it in the Keurig, and wait.
More adventurous or experienced coffee lovers can provide their own pre-ground coffee or even achieve the ultimate level of freshness by grinding their own right before brewing.
No matter what your experience level is at, you’ll be able to enjoy a tasty drink from these Keurigs.
Dimensions
Either the Elite or the Classic are fairly condensed in size.
This can be a must-have requirement for kitchens at home that are filled with other appliances.
The K Elite is 13.1 inches tall, 9.9 inches wide, and 12.7 inches deep. The K Classic, almost identical in size, measures at 13.3 inches tall, 10.1 inches wide, and 13.2 inches deep.
Because of their modest stature, you won’t need to struggle to find a place for either Keurig model.
Removable Drip Tray
Do you like to take coffee on the go? If you’re not getting a paper cup from a coffee shop, then you’re probably using a travel mug for portable drinks.
Some coffee makers can’t fit a travel mug beneath, but that’s no sweat for these Keurigs. Both of them have removable drip trays, which make more room for travel mugs once taken out of place.
Single-serve Sizes
For many, dumping uneaten food into the garbage or undrunk beverages down a drain is a nuisance.
As both these Keurigs are single-serve machines, this unnecessary waste is drastically cut down. Each user makes only as much as they want at that time, rather than brewing whole pots meant to serve several people.
Single servings also permit a higher level of customization. When you brew one communal pot of coffee, there will likely be a few people who won’t want to drink it because they prefer a different kind.
Using these Keurigs, however, everyone can make their own personal cup tailored to their own unique tastes.
Fast Brew Time
It’s safe to say that most people don’t like waiting in front of a coffee machine for long while it brews – especially if you’re trying to grab a quick cup as you get ready for work in the morning.
That’s why the K Elite and the K Classic both have brew times of under one minute. In less than 60 seconds, you’ll have a delicious drink in hand so you can spend time focusing on other tasks or on savoring your cup.
Differences
Drink Size Options
Walk into just about any coffee shop in the world, and you’ll see various sizes of drinks to choose from. Generally, the more options there are, the better, because not everyone will be satisfied with the same size.
While both the K Elite and the K Classic offer size options to their users, the K Elite has one extra option. On the K Elite, you can brew 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12-ounce cups.
In comparison, the K Classic can brew 6, 8, or 10-ounce cups. Those at home may find this to be more than enough, and if it isn’t, then they can make more cups whenever necessary.
At work, where you may be sharing the Keurig with several other people, you may not have the opportunity to return for more cups if you need a larger size. That’s when that extra-large option becomes particularly useful.
Water Tank Capacity
The larger the water tank, the more cups of coffee or other drinks you can get out of it.
In the Keurig K Classic, you’ll find a 48-ounce reservoir. This is pretty substantial already, and you’ll be able to brew about 6 cups before you need to refill it.
At 75 ounces, the K Elite’s is approximately 50% larger. That’s an incredibly ample size, which means it’s capable of brewing 8 cups before the tank runs low.
Keurig K Elite Temperature Control
Some like their drinks a little cooler, and others prefer them to be as hot as possible.
This variation in personal preference is why the Keurig K Elite gives its users temperature control. You can adjust your drinks to be anywhere from 187 to 192 degrees Fahrenheit.
That way, if you’re craving something extra hot to warm you up on a cold morning, you can make a simple tweak to the temperature at your leisure.
Keurig K Classic Descale Light
Scale buildup occurs naturally over time as you use your coffee maker, and it’s vital to descale your machine to keep it functioning at its best.
Although both of these Keurigs will notify you when maintenance is necessary, only the Keurig K Classic has a bright descale light right on top. When it’s time to descale, the K Classic will let you know with a light-up red ring on the head of the machine.
No more guessing games about when to clean up your coffee maker, because the K Classic will tell you itself what it needs.
Keurig K Elite Iced Coffee
On hot days, most people want something cold and refreshing as opposed to sipping on a scalding drink.
That’s why coffee shops have added more and more iced drinks to their menus. You’ve probably heard of everything being iced, from lattes to tea.
With the Keurig K Elite, you can bring these tempting cool drinks to your home. It comes with an iced coffee option that allows you to brew your drink over ice.
Keurig K Classic Energy-saving Auto-off
When you’re busy at home, it can be easy to forget to turn an appliance off once you’re finished using it, only to be surprised by the utility bill later.
The Keurig K Classic solves this problem with its energy-saving auto-off function. After two hours of inactivity, it will turn itself off for you, cutting down on its energy consumption.
On top of keeping electricity bills at manageable levels, this feature is also environmentally friendly.
Keurig K Elite Strength Adjustability
When you’re craving a stronger coffee flavor, the Keurig K Elite has the solution.
Simply select the Strong Brew option, and the coffee maker will brew a cup with a more aromatic coffee flavor.
This is perfect for those mornings where you just need a little extra to get yourself going.
Which One Should You Buy?
In quite a few ways, these models are more similar than they are alike. But there are a handful of reasons why each may be better-suited for specific applications.
If you’re a coffee novice who just wants an easy machine to use at home, the Keurig K Classic is likely the better choice. It doesn’t have as many variations available as the Elite, but some may find these extra features unnecessary.
Plus, if you don’t foresee yourself needing to make iced drinks or play with temperature, there isn’t a reason to purchase a machine with those features. For this reason, the Classic may also be a particularly apt pick for situations where only a few people will be using it.
The K Classic’s bright red descale light will be particularly nice for those who don’t know much about coffee maker maintenance. It’s like the Keurig itself telling you when it needs cleaning.
Households with a handful of coffee lovers will potentially get more use of the extra choices in the Keurig K Elite.
The ability to tweak the temperatures of hot drinks, choose from a larger group of sizes, and to make iced drinks on demand means it’s great at meeting the needs of many people at once.
Here’s the bottom line:
Situations where several people will use the coffee maker will benefit more from the Keurig K Elite, with its expanded drink and size menu.
Those looking for a coffee maker for their own personal use will discover that the Keurig K Classic more than meets their needs.
To learn more about these Keurig coffee makers, check out their listings on Amazon here:
