KEURIG K-CAFE COFFEE MAKER: CAN IT REALLY MAKE A GOOD LATTE?

The Keurig K-Cafe is unique among Keurig machines.

It promises milk-and-espresso drinks just like the machines at your local cafe. While I love the idea of a fuss-free latte from a coffee pod, I had my doubts as to whether Keurig could pull this off. The brand is known for convenience, not brewing strong coffee – let alone espresso. So I picked one up for a test drive.

In my Keurig K-Cafe review, I’ll give you my honest opinion on whether this all-in-one coffee machine delivers on its promises and whether I think it’s worth your money.

The Full Keurig K Cafe Review

The Keurig K-Cafe is the only Keurig model that claims to make cafe-style coffee drinks like cappuccinos and lattes with the convenience of a pod coffee maker. I had my doubts about whether it could live up to this claim.

For this K-Cafe coffee maker review, I evaluated all aspects of this machine, from the quality of the coffee and espresso to its user-friendly features and design. Keep reading to find out if its the best Keurig coffee maker for you.

How We Rated It

• Design And Build
• Features
• Ease Of Use
• Coffee Quality
• Value For Money

3.8

• See On Amazon

What Is The Difference Between the K-Cafe and K-Cafe Smart?

This review is focused on the original Keurig K-Cafe Latte and Cappuccino Maker, but it’s worth mentioning that there are currently four versions of this machine.

The Keurig K-Cafe Smart Coffee Maker is substantially more expensive than the original model, but it has some significant advantages if your budget allows. Most obviously, it is WiFi-enabled, allowing you to program it by downloading the Keurig app. This also provides recipes, brewing suggestions, and automatic re-ordering of coffee capsules.

The Keurig K-Café Smart offers the most options to customize your drink. It has five coffee strength settings, six temperature options, two shot sizes, and four cup sizes. It also includes Keurig’s new Multistream Technology for improved extraction.

• The K-Cafe Essentials is a more compact and affordable edition. It has a smaller water tank, one less drink size option (no 6-oz cup), and lacks the Bold coffee setting. However, it has the advantage of including the new Multistream Technology.

• The K-Cafe Special Edition single serve brewer is just a more expensive version of the standard model with a nickel-colored finish and some metal accents. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re a die-hard fan of the color gray.

Features And Customizable Options

The Keurig K-Cafe single-serve coffee maker doesn’t have a lot of brewing options, despite being one of the more expensive models. You can choose between Regular and Strong coffee and select one of four cup sizes (6, 8, 10, and 12 ounces of coffee). It works with any K-Cup pod and is compatible with the refillable My K-Cup filter.

This model can’t brew on a timer, which makes sense for a single-serve machine, but it does feature Keurig’s Smart Start. You can insert your pod and choose the cup size before the machine is ready, and it will make coffee as soon as it’s heated up. In my tests, it took less than a minute for the machine to heat up, so this isn’t a huge time saver, but it’s something.

An Auto-Off shuts the machine down automatically after two hours. You can disable this feature, but I wish you could reprogram it for a shorter time. There’s no reason for a coffee machine without a hot plate to stay on for two hours. I think Keurig has recognized this because the newer K-Cafe Smart shuts off after 5 minutes—much smarter.

The Defining Features

The two defining features of this machine are the “Shot” button and the built-in milk frother. The shot button brews a concentrated 2-ounce cup of coffee designed to mimic espresso. The frother can froth hot or cold and is compatible with both dairy and non-dairy milk.

Any serious coffee drinker knows that a latte requires smoother, silkier milk foam, while a traditional cappuccino demands lighter, airier froth.

The Missing Features

My biggest gripes about this machine are that it doesn’t include the new Multistream Technology and that you can’t adjust the brew temperature. I understand that these are Keurig’s more advanced features, but I think the price tag of the K-Cafe warrants their inclusion. 

It also lacks a dedicated hot water option, which is a little surprising for something that calls itself a cafe. Americanos and tea should be on the menu.

Does The Keurig K Cafe Make Espresso?

The K-Cafe does not make espresso – not even close. It simply brews a smaller, more concentrated drip coffee by using a higher coffee-to-water ratio. A shot of espresso is extracted rapidly using high pressure, which gives its characteristic sweet flavor profile, heavy body, and crema layer (1). The K-Cafe achieves none of that. A Moka pot or Aeropress gets closer to a real espresso shot.

I wouldn’t recommend this machine for anyone who wants to drink straight “shots” of espresso. K-Cup coffee is rarely praised for its great flavor, and brewing a more concentrated version doesn’t help matters. The coffee shot function was designed to be paired with the milk frother.

The best results I achieved pulling a “shot” with the K-Cafe were using the My K-Cup refillable filter. I packed it as full as possible with freshly ground espresso roast coffee, which I ground slightly finer than I would for standard Keurig brews. 

Drip Coffee Flavor

If you are brewing one of the traditional cup sizes (6 to 12 ounces), the coffee is identical to any other Keurig machine, which is to say just fine. The coffee is very smooth and mild but doesn’t have a punchy or complex flavor. The Bold setting boosts the flavor a little, but I still wouldn’t call it a strong cup of coffee. 

In my experience, brewing with a K-cup always limits coffee quality (2). Plastic K-cups aren’t airtight, so unless you’re buying specialty pods straight from a roaster, the coffee grounds inside are likely stale. Plus, pods generally contain a low amount of coffee, so it’s hard to brew a flavorful cup, especially if you opt for the larger brew sizes. My 12-ounce coffees were noticeably weak and unsatisfying.

The solution to these problems is to use a refillable filter. I was able to pack nearly 12 grams of freshly ground coffee into a reusable pod, which yielded better results than any K-Cup I tried – not to mention being better for the planet.

The final problem with Keurig brewers is they tend to underheat the brew water. I tested the K-Cafe and found an average temperature of 187 ℉. This is actually better than other Keurigs I’ve tried, but still below the recommended range of 200 +/- 5 ℉ to brew a cup of coffee (3).

Does Keurig K Cafe make iced coffee?

Yes, you can make iced coffee with the K-Cafe, despite the fact that it doesn’t have the “Over Ice” button found on many Keurig machines. Instead, just use the Shot button to pull a concentrated coffee directly into a mug of ice cubes. The melting ice dilutes it perfectly.

Does the Keurig K Cafe make cold foam?

Yes, the K-Cafe can froth both hot and cold milk, which is a nice advantage of using a milk frother instead of a traditional steam wand.

Iced drinks turned out to be one of my favorite uses of this machine during testing, particularly with the special “Iced” K-Cups. The small shot of coffee combined with ice and cold foam yielded a drink that came pretty close to an iced latte I would enjoy at a coffee shop.

How To Use The Keurig K-Cafe

Using the K-Cafe is no different than any other Keurig machine:

1. Turn the machine on.
2. Place your cup below the coffee spout and ensure there is sufficient water in the reservoir.
3. Insert your K-Cup and close the lid.
4. Press the button for the drink size you want.

Depending on the drink size, it took me about a minute to heat up and another 30 to 60 seconds to make my coffee.

How To Froth Milk With The K-Cafe?

The K-Cafe’s built-in milk frother works like any standalone milk frother. First, add cold milk of your choosing, either dairy or plant-based. Press the Latte button for creamy and smooth foam or the Cappuccino button for lighter froth. For cold frothing, press the Cold button first. 

Keep in mind that not every milk behaves the same way when frothed. For the most traditional results, stick with whole or 2% dairy milk.

Cleaning Made Easy

The Keurig K-Café has many practical features that make cleaning easy. This is definitely an advantage over a traditional espresso machine. 

The milk frother, drip tray, and K-Cup holder are all removable and dishwasher safe. A light turns on to warn you if the water tank needs refilling, and a handy maintenance reminder alerts you when it’s time to descale.

Build Quality And Design

The Keurig K-Cafe is one of the largest Keurig brewers, measuring 14.17 x 17.32 x 14.41 inches, so make sure you like its look and have space on your counter. I didn’t find it practical to slide under my upper cupboards. 

The design is attractive and classy, with smooth curves and rounded edges. The matching handles on the brew chamber and water reservoir give it a cohesive look.

Note that the new Smart and Essentials versions are much more angular and compact. They look like a standard Keurig brewer with an attached frother. So the original K-Cafe might be in line for a design overhaul.

It’s compatible with Keurig’s charcoal filters, and I’d definitely recommend that add-on, especially if you live in a region with poor water quality. Filtered water improves the final taste of your coffee and helps with the longevity of your coffee maker (4).

The build quality is similar to that of all Keurig machines. Everything is plastic and feels a little cheap, except for the milk frother. Keurig offers a one-year warranty on the K-Cafe, and I’d expect about three to five years of performance.

Should You Buy The Keurig K-Cafe?

The K-Cafe is one of the more expensive Keurig models, at close to $200, and it doesn’t have many of the advanced features of the other premium machines. But I think the value for money is there if you plan to use all its brewing options. After all, you should think of it as three products bundled in one: a coffee maker, an “espresso” machine, and a milk frother. 

Don’t Buy The K-Café Single Serve Coffee Maker If…

• You aren’t interesting in frothy milk drinks: You’re wasting your money if you don’t plan to take advantage of the milk frother. If you just want regular coffee, another single-serve brewer like the Keurig K-Elite or K-Supreme will offer better value. Or if you prefer an espresso-style brew with the convenience of a pod coffee machine, check out the Nespresso Pixie. 

• You don’t want to use K-Cups: The Ninja Hot and Cold Brewed System offers the versatility of the K-Cafe and then some – always using ground coffee. You can brew single cups of coffee, espresso-like shots, full carafes of coffee, and even cold brew coffee at home. The only downside is that its frothing arm doesn’t heat the milk.

• You want to make real espresso: Real espresso requires an espresso machine that uses pressure to brew coffee. For some quality coffee options around the same price as the K-Cafe, check out our full list of the best espresso machines under $200. I recommend the DeLonghi Stilosa as a nice pick for beginners.

The Verdict

The K-Café is the most versatile Keurig brewer, so it’s the perfect single serve coffee maker for anyone who wants to enjoy a full cafe’s worth of drink options. The unique “Shot” setting and built-in frother open up the possibility for hot and cold milk-based drinks like lattes or cappuccinos.

Don’t confuse the K-Cafe for an espresso machine. It can’t make a latte on par with your local professional barista. But it provides a quick and convenient way to enjoy a tasty frothed milk drink in the comfort of your own home. If you’re willing to forgo a little bit of that convenience, using a refillable filter with freshly ground beans greatly improves the quality of your brew.

See on Amazon