Tasting Table Picks the Ninja DualBrew Over the Keurig K-Duo

Tasting Table has lined up the two best-known pod-plus-carafe brewers, the Keurig K-Duo and the Ninja DualBrew, and picked the Ninja. Writer Amy Bell based the comparison on each company’s specs and on owner reviews rather than hands-on testing, so read it as a summary of what buyers report.

Both take K-Cups and ground coffee, and both brew pods at 6, 8, 10 or 12 ounces. The difference is layout. The K-Duo is effectively two machines side by side, pods on one side and a carafe on the other, while the Ninja brews everything from one spot. According to Tasting Table, that lets the Ninja make single cups from grounds too, with 10 sizes up to a full 12-cup carafe, and its rich, over-ice and rapid cold brew settings work for the carafe as well. The K-Duo’s strong, iced and extra-hot buttons only apply to pods; the carafe side has no strength or temperature options.

The K-Duo does win a few. Tasting Table says owners rate its pod coffee stronger and faster (around a minute for 12 ounces), its 72-ounce tank beats the Ninja’s 60, and at 12.7 inches it’s shorter, though it takes more counter space. Reliability goes the other way: per the outlet, nearly a quarter of the K-Duo’s Amazon reviews were under four stars at the time of writing, against a bit over 15 percent for the Ninja. List prices were $219.99 for the K-Duo and $179.99 for the DualBrew, with the Keurig sometimes dropping to $129.99.

Our take: if you mostly brew pods and only make a pot on weekends, a K-Duo on sale is the cheaper buy. If you brew pots from grounds most days, the Ninja’s carafe settings make the case. Either way, descaling keeps a combo brewer going longer; our Keurig descaling guide covers the K-Duo.

Check the K-Duo’s price on Amazon