Keurig K Cups have overwhelmingly dominated the coffee market. Most of the time we only need a single cup so brewing a whole pot is a waste. But that doesn’t mean we don’t need to brew a pot of coffee from time to time. Having 2 coffee makers seems ridiculous. Fortunately there are some manufacturers that have brought to market the solution, a coffee maker with K cup option. We’ve researched this new category of coffee maker and found the Hamilton Beach 49976 to be the best coffee maker for most people who also want to take advantage of K cup pods. Continue reading to learn why we believe it’s the coffee maker you should pick.
Our Number One Pick:
Hamilton Beach 49976 K Cup and Coffee Pot Brewer
The Hamilton Beach 49976 is an excellent coffee maker and ideal for someone looking for a solid quality coffee maker with K cup option in addition to being able to brew an 12 cup pot of coffee.
Of the coffee makers in this category, this one is by for the most popular and that is for good reason. It has a very good price point but isn’t cheap and unreliable. It has a very low return rate proving that it is a good quality product and gets glowing reviews from the majority of customers and reviewers.
It can not just brew a pot of coffee or a K cup, it can also brew a single serving of ground coffee as well which is a feature I personally appreciate. Especially when I’ve run out of K cups.
Upgrade Pick:
Cuisinart SS-15 12-Cup Coffee Maker and K Cup Brewer
The Cuisinart SS-15 is a reasonable upgrade pick but it is significantly more expensive. For extra expense you get a few extra benefits:
- The thermal carafe is probably the biggest additional feature. The thermal carafe does an excellent job of keeping your coffee piping hot for hours. For some this could be a big enough benefit to justify the additional cost alone.
- Another nice feature is the included metal mesh filter. This is great if you’d like to avoid using paper filters. A metal mesh filter will allow the essential oils from the coffee grounds to make their way into your brewed coffee as opposed to paper filters. The natural oils will enhance the flavor of your coffee.
- The water reservoir is removable which can be preferable to trying to pour water down the back of the coffee maker. Just remove the reservoir and fill it at your sink or filtered water outlet.
- Last, this coffee maker includes its own water filter. If you don’t have access to filtered water and prefer to remove chlorine and other chemicals from your coffee to have as true of a coffee flavor as possible, this is the coffee maker for you.
Additional Information:
Things To Keep In Mind
What is K cup coffee?
If you somehow managed to not hear about the Keurig K cup the last decade or so then I’m shocked. But for those that may not know, Keurig is the company that patented a small plastic cup sealed with coffee beans that fits into K cup compatible coffee makers to brew a single serving of coffee. A genius solution to a problem that has existed for quite some time.
Do all K cups work in Keurig?
If they are true K cups then yes. Be sure that your K cups are labeled as real K cups or Keurig compatible.
Will Starbucks Verismo Pods work in Keurig?
No. Unfortunately they won’t. Keurig is a patented format and Verismo is a competitor and they are specifically designed to not be interchangeable so you’ll be forced to stick with one brand and all the machines that work with that brand.
How do I make stronger coffee with my Keurig?
The simplest way is to brew one pod with the smallest volume and then brew a second on the smallest volume.
Can you use regular coffee in a Keurig coffee maker?
With these two coffee makers you can brew any coffee you like as a single serving, not just Keurig K Cups. They both come with a single serve basket that fits in the same location as the K Cup holder that allows you to just regular coffee beans. This is a great feature for those times you may have run out of K Cups but have some ground coffee available.
How much coffee is in a Keurig K cup?
There is approximately 2 tablespoons of ground coffee in a K cup. Some K cups marked Bold may have closer to 3 tablespoons of ground coffee beans to beef up the strength. If you’re using the single serving portion of one of these coffee makers follow the manufacturers instructions for how much coffee to use for best results.
Other Resources:
Helpful Links
Wrapping Up:
Coffee Makers That Also Use K Cups
Most of us are limited on the amount of counter space we have in our kitchens. Having 2 coffee makers is a bit unrealistic for most of us to have without giving up an unreasonable amount of counter space. Having a coffee maker with K cup option solves this problem nicely. Coffee makers are appliances that have been well sorted out over the years and you don’t have to spend a large amount of money to get one that does the job well. The Hamilton Beach 49976 is our pick for the best coffee maker that also has the ability to brew with a K cup. If you want a few more bells and whistles, the Cuisinart SS-15 is a great upgrade pick. Either of these coffee makers will do a great job for you without taking up too much of that precious counter top Realestate.
Photo Credit: m01229 via Flickr
