A Keurig Can’t Pull Espresso, but Its Shot Button Gets Close

A Keurig can’t make real espresso, The Daily Meal says, but the shot button on some models gets you closer than you’d think. The explainer, first published last October, is circulating again on MSN this week.

The reason is pressure. According to the article, true espresso needs 7 to 9 bars forcing water through the grounds, and a Keurig doesn’t produce anything like that. What the shot setting does instead is run less water through the pod, more slowly. The Daily Meal’s method: press the shot button, then the blinking brew button, and wait a little longer than usual for 2 to 4 ounces of much stronger coffee.

On pods, the piece is refreshingly blunt. It calls the “espresso roast” label mostly marketing, since nearly any roast can make a shot. Pick a dark roast if you want the classic bitter, roasty taste, or a light-medium blend for something closer to a modern café shot.

From there it treats the shot as a base. For a latte without a frother, shake the milk until it foams and warm it in the microwave. For iced coffee, brew the shot straight over ice in a heat-proof cup so it chills and dilutes as it lands.

Our take: the shot button is mostly a K-Café and K-Latte feature, so check your brewer before you go hunting for it. If yours doesn’t have one, the smallest cup size plus the Strong button (if you’ve got it) is the next best thing. It still won’t be espresso, but it holds up under milk and ice, and our iced vanilla latte recipe is a good place to start. If even that tastes thin, our weak or bitter Keurig guide covers the usual causes.