Trying to decide whether you should bring the Keurig K Mini or Keurig K Compact home?
We’ll make the choice easier. In this guide, we’re analyzing the Keurig K Mini vs K Compact.
We’ll discuss the details of both these coffee makers so you’ll have a better understanding of which one is right for you.
This is what we’ll cover:
- Common features shared by the K Mini and K Compact
- Differences between these Keurigs
- How to choose one or the other
Quick Summary
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Attribute | Keurig K-Mini | Keurig K-Compact |
|---|---|---|
Image |
|
|
Water Tank Capacity | 12 oz | 36 oz |
Drink Sizes | 6-12 oz | 6, 8 &10 |
Removable Drip Tray | Yes | Yes |
Auto-Off | Yes | Yes |
Cord Storage | Yes | No |
Ideal Uses | Home | Home |
Pricing |
A newly designed ultra-small water reservoir and frame makes the Keurig K Mini as easy as can be to fit into even the most densely packed countertops. Pick this Keurig if you just like having a simple cup or two of coffee a day or need a coffee maker that can go with you wherever.
As its name implies, the Keurig K Compact is designed to be more spatially economical without sacrificing speed. This is the coffee maker for your home if you’re limited on space, but need a fast machine that can deliver cups to you or your family in under a minute.
Similarities
Drink Sizes
Want a larger or smaller cup of coffee?
Fortunately, either one of these Keurigs can brew you cups in a range of sizes.
The K Compact can make 6, 8, or 10-ounce cups. At the same time, the K Mini can brew any cup from 6 to 12 ounces in size.
Each of these machines works to help limit the amount of waste by making exactly as much coffee as you want at once.
Removable Drip Tray
Removable drip trays on the K Mini and K Compact make cleaning a snap.
Just slide out the drip trays to empty and clean them wherever is comfortable, instead of having to move the entire coffee maker.
An extra benefit to the removable drip tray design is that it makes more space beneath the brewer. This means you can pour into larger travel mugs for whenever you need to take a comforting hot drink to-go.
Automatic Switch-off
We’ve all been there: rushing out the door in a hurry, forgetting to turn something off, whether it’s a light, TV, or some other appliance.
These Keurigs are designed to make energy waste from forgetfulness nonexistent with their automatic switch-off.
With the K Mini, the machine will turn itself off 90 seconds after your last cup. The K Compact will switch off after 2 hours of inactivity.
On either Keurig, energy consumption is reduced because of this thoughtful feature.
K-cup Compatibility
Keurig coffee makers are famously easy to use, and these models both demonstrate that quality.
Both of these machines use Keurig’s K-cups, which are disposable pre-ground coffee pods. These pods come in hundreds of flavors, so all you need to do is decide which one you want and put it in the K Mini or K Compact.
After that, you’re just a short minutes-long wait from your toasty cup of coffee or cocoa.
Differences
Dimensions
The names of both these Keurigs are synonyms for small, but there’s still a bit of a difference in their sizes.
If your search is for the smallest possible coffee maker, look no further than the K Mini. It’s a jaw-dropping 12.1 inches high, 4.5 inches wide, and 11.3 inches deep.
You can fit it just about anywhere. You could even comfortably take it on the go with you and use it wherever there’s an outlet.
For comparison, the K Compact is 12.5 inches high, 8.2 inches wide, and 13.2 inches deep. It’s still a small machine that just about any countertop can accommodate.
K Mini Cord Storage
With a built-in cord storage compartment on the back of the K Mini, you can easily pack this little coffee maker for the road.
Just unplug the cord from the wall and carefully bundle it into the compartment. Your K Mini is then ready to go.
Even if you don’t take the K Mini on a trip with you, this feature makes packing it up quick and painless. You can store the cord and tuck the K Mini away when you need a little extra space in your kitchen.
K Compact Smart Start
The K Compact’s Smart Start condenses the drink-making process into one simple step.
Instead of having to turn your coffee maker on and wait for it to heat up before preparing a cup, you can put your K-cup in and then turn the K Compact on. The coffee maker will heat itself up and brew whichever size cup you chose for you.
This saves you a little bit of time in the long run, as there will be no need to hover over the K Compact, checking to see if it’s up to temperature yet.
K Mini One-cup Reservoir
The K Mini is specifically designed to make one cup at a time, reducing waste and energy consumption.
Because of this, it has a unique one-cup reservoir. The water tank can hold anywhere from 6-12 ounces of water, and the amount you pour in is the size of the drink you’ll get in your cup at the end.
The neat thing about this setup is that you can measure out the exact amount you’d like in your cup beforehand, and add that to the K Mini’s reservoir. You’ll get a drink that’s the perfect size when the K Mini is done brewing.
The K Compact’s reservoir is about three times larger than the K Mini’s at 36 ounces. Compared with other coffee makers, it’s a smaller tank that allows it to fit in where others can’t while also being able to brew more than one cup in a row before a refill is needed.
K Compact Fast Brewing
When you’re in need of a quick drink before you head out for the day, you hope your coffee maker can brew fast.
The K Compact has that base covered. It can brew any of its drink sizes in 60 seconds or less.
That bring makes your wait time incredibly brief. You’ll never be late to any important event from having to stand around waiting for the K Compact.
Which One Should You Pick?
Now that you know a little more about these Keurigs, you’re probably still wondering:
Which one should you pick?
Although they have a lot in common, there’s enough that’s different between them to make one better for certain situations than the other.
For instance, the Keurig K Mini is best for crowded kitchens. If you’re worried that you couldn’t possibly fit a coffee maker into your house, this is the one for you.
The Keurig K Mini is also best when it comes to portability. Its remarkably tiny size and cord storage means it’s so easy to pack up and transport.
When you’ve got to make drinks for more people, such as family members or guests, the Keurig K Compact will be the winner. Depending on what size drink you choose to make, you’ll get at least three whole mugs out of the water tank before you need to stop and pour water in.
It also has an amazingly short brew time. When everyone’s up for breakfast in the morning, no one will need to wait long before they’ve got their wake-up drink of choice.
This is the bottom line:
The Keurig K Mini is a solid pick if you just need a coffee maker for an occasional cup or for strictly personal use.
However, if you plan on sharing the coffee maker with other people, or need one that can brew as fast as possible, the Keurig K Compact will be better for you.
Want to learn more about these Keurigs? Read a little further about them here:
