Consumer Reports Puts a Keurig on Top, With a Reliability Asterisk

Tasting Table has a rundown of Consumer Reports’ single-serve coffee maker ratings, and the top spot goes to a Keurig: the K-Café Smart. It finished ahead of the Nespresso CitiZ in second and the Lavazza Classy Plus in third.

CR scores these machines on six things: how fast the first cup brews, how fast the next ones come, how steady the temperature is, whether you get the same amount in the cup every time, the range of sizes, and overall convenience. The K-Café Smart did best on speed and consistency, and it’s loaded: six temperature settings, five strength levels, Wi-Fi control through the app, and a built-in frother that does hot or cold foam. According to the article, it also comes in close to $200 cheaper than the second-place Nespresso.

The catch, and it’s a real one: CR flagged Keurig’s reliability. The brand has a reputation for machines that don’t last as long as they should. So the best-scoring brewer in the test comes with an asterisk about how long it will keep scoring.

Our take: that tracks with what we see. Most “dead” Keurigs we hear about aren’t dead at all. They’re clogged needles, scale, or an airlocked pump, and they come back with ten minutes of maintenance. If you buy one (or already have one), the two habits that buy you the most years are descaling every three months and keeping the needles clear. Consumer Reports’ full ratings are behind its paywall; the Tasting Table piece covers the highlights.