Brew 
Thinking About the K-Café?
This coffee maker review covers the Keurig K-Café: how it makes your drinks, what you need alongside it, and the tradeoffs to consider before buying.
Its concentrated coffee setting isn’t traditional espresso. Buy it for convenient coffee-based lattes and cappuccinos rather than a pump espresso experience.
Full Amazon Product Name: Keurig K-Cafe Single-Serve K-Cup Coffee Maker, Dark Charcoal
What’s It Like to Use the K-Café Every Day?
The Keurig K-Café keeps single-cup coffee easy and adds a way to prepare milk. Make your coffee using the format the machine accepts, froth the milk, and put the two together. It’s a handy approach if you want a milk drink without learning to grind and tamp espresso.
The coffee and milk are separate steps. That’s often perfectly fine for an occasional latte. If you want the whole drink made with very little input, compare a machine with more automatic preparation.
What About Lattes and Cappuccinos?
The K-Café includes a frother, so you can make the coffee and prepare the milk separately. Brew your coffee, use the frother as directed, then pour the milk and coffee together.
That’s an easy enough extra step if you enjoy the occasional latte or cappuccino. Just stay below the frother’s fill mark and rinse or wash it after use. Check the included frother’s heating options if you want both hot and cold milk drinks.
The coffee base here is brewed coffee, not traditional espresso. You can still make a tasty milk drink, but it’s worth knowing the difference if you want the same style of cappuccino you order at a café.
What Else Will You Need?
You won’t need a grinder for the Keurig K-Café coffee maker. Your main repeat purchase is coffee in the format this model accepts. Check the coffees you want to drink and work out what a normal week would cost.
A low machine price can look less attractive if you don’t like the coffee choices or find each serving expensive.
A Few Details Worth Knowing
| What to Check | K-Café |
|---|---|
| Pot Size | 4 cups |
What’s Good, and What Should You Think About?
What You Might Like
- Skip grinding and measuring with the compatible coffee format.
- Add frothed milk without a traditional manual-steam routine.
Before You Buy
- Its concentrated coffee setting isn’t traditional espresso. Buy it for convenient coffee-based lattes and cappuccinos rather than a pump espresso experience.
- Check the price and choice of compatible coffee before you buy.
How Easy Is the K-Café to Clean?
Wash the frother after you use it, following the directions for its removable parts. Milk residue is easier to deal with before it dries.
Descaling takes care of minerals inside the water path; washing the removable coffee parts is a different job. Use the products and cleaning steps recommended for this machine.
Leave room to refill and clean it. Before putting the Keurig K-Café under a cabinet, check that you can open the lids and remove the tank or tray. A machine that fits on paper can still be awkward when you use it.
What Could You Buy Instead of the K-Café?
Not quite sure this is the one? These machines give you a few other options to weigh up. Look at how they make coffee, what you do with the milk, and whether a grinder is included.
| Machine | How It Makes Coffee | How You Make the Milk | Built-In Grinder | Who It May Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tastyle Single Serve with Milk Frother | Pod milk drinks | Milk frother | No | One Coffee and Some Frothed Milk |
| Amazon Basics 5-Cup Drip Coffee Maker | Drip coffee | No frother included | No | A Smaller Pot for Two |
| OXO Single Serve Pour-Over with Water Tank | Manual pour-over | No frother included | No | A Fresh Cup by Hand |
You can also browse all our coffee makers, or answer a few questions in Help Me Choose to get a smaller list that suits your drinks and budget.
A Few More Questions About the K-Café
Does the Keurig K-Café Grind Coffee Beans?
No, the K-Café doesn’t include a grinder. You don’t need one for its compatible pods or capsules.
Can You Make Lattes and Cappuccinos with the K-Café?
Yes. Use the included frother and combine the milk with your brewed coffee. The coffee base is concentrated brewed coffee rather than traditional pump espresso.
What Should You Know Before Buying the K-Café?
Its concentrated coffee setting isn’t traditional espresso. Buy it for convenient coffee-based lattes and cappuccinos rather than a pump espresso experience.
What Else Should You Compare with the Keurig K-Café?
Start with the Tastyle Single Serve with Milk Frother and Amazon Basics 5-Cup Drip Coffee Maker. Compare the coffee format, milk steps, and whether you need a separate grinder. The links above take you to each full review.
Is the Keurig K-Café Right for You?
The best choice comes down to what you drink and how much you want to do before that first sip. If the coffee and milk steps above sound comfortable, the K-Café is worth comparing with the other machines on your list.
Compare the whole cost before you decide. Include the coffee you’ll keep buying and any grinder or milk accessories you need. Then check the current offer and what comes in the box.
