Keurig K-Supreme Coffee Makers Review
Keurig’s top-tier brewers promise a better cup of coffee from the same old K-Cups
By Daniel Wroclawski
The Keurig K-Supreme line of single-serve pod coffee makers represents the K-Cup creator’s top-of-the-line brewers—showcasing the brand’s latest features before they inevitably trickle down to its lower-end models. Features like multi-stream technology, over-ice brew mode, and multiple brew sizes all come standard, but the success of the K-Supreme has led Keurig to create five different versions of the brewer: K-Supreme, K-Supreme Plus, K-Supreme Plus C, K-Supreme Smart, and K-Supreme Plus Smart.
Here’s how they stack up: The regular K-Supreme, $160, is the base model with four different brew sizes and an over-ice brew mode. The K-Supreme Plus, $200, adds a fifth brew size (4 ounces), temperature control, brew-strength control, and a larger water reservoir. The K-Supreme Plus C, $140, is a Costco exclusive (thus the “C”) bundle of the Supreme Plus with pods and accessories. The K-Supreme Smart, $200, adds WiFi connectivity and Brew ID (more on that below) but lacks the 4-ounce brew size and has a smaller reservoir. The K-Supreme Plus Smart, $230, adds back the 4-ounce brew size and a larger reservoir.
Keurig K-Supreme Plus Smart
Notable Features
Multi-stream technology: This is Keurig’s name for the new design of its brewing system, which punctures five holes into each pod (instead of one like on older Keurig brewers), sends hot water through each hole, and “extracts more flavor and aroma” from the pod (or so Keurig claims).
Over-ice brew mode: This feature allows all K-Supreme brewers to brew iced coffee. You simply fill a glass with ice, put it on the drip tray, and watch it brew. This mode brews coffee at a lower temperature than normal so that the ice doesn’t completely melt.
Brew-strength and temperature controls: Every model in the lineup, except for the base K-Supreme, features multiple brew-strength and temperature settings, allowing you to customize your coffee to your liking.
Brew ID: This feature is available only in the two smart models and relies on WiFi connectivity to work. When connected, the brewer will scan a tiny QR code that’s present on the top of every K-Cup and download a custom brewing recipe for that specific blend of coffee from Keurig’s online database.
WiFi connectivity: In addition to Brew ID, WiFi connectivity in the two smart models allows you to control them from the Keurig app, as well as with your voice via Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
How Well Do Keurig K-Supreme Coffee Makers Work?
CR ran the Keurig K-Supreme Plus Smart through its rigorous lab tests, while I tried out the K-Supreme Plus C in real-world situations at home. We evaluated the Plus Smart model without its WiFi connectivity to see how it compares with regular coffee makers in our ratings, and barring that, we expect all of the K-Supreme models to perform similarly. Here’s what we found in our lab tests:
Our engineers reported that it brewed very quickly, particularly for its first cup of the day. Subsequent cups, though, didn’t take much longer (good news if you’re brewing for a big family). It also offered superb brew-size consistency between cups, though its temperature consistency is middling at best. Finally, the K-Supreme Plus Smart has great brewing range, thanks to its brew-strength controls, and scores highly in our convenience tests, which evaluate how easily you can refill the water reservoir, operate the brewer, and clean it when you’re done.
At home, I used the Keurig K-Supreme Plus C for over a year. The brewer is very easy to set up, and the controls are quite intuitive, so much so that I barely consulted the manual. The various size, strength, and temperature settings made it easy to tweak the brew to my liking, but I also found that the over-ice brew mode yielded very watery iced coffee that more closely resembled iced tea.
Who Are the Keurig K-Supreme Coffee Makers For?
Keurig’s lineup of K-Supreme brewers are best for consumers who love pod coffee and want to be able to customize it exactly to their taste. These machines are also great for brewing for a crowd or big family, thanks to their quick repeat brewing speed.
How Consumer Reports Tests Pod Coffee Makers
Each single-serve pod coffee maker that enters Consumer Reports’ labs undergoes rigorous tests to make sure it brews a good-quality cup of coffee and will last for many mornings to come. Our engineers evaluate how easy it is to set timers, fill reservoirs, and generally use the machine, as well as the temperature and size consistency of individual cups of coffee and the brewing speed. Finally, we incorporate brand-level data on predicted reliability and owner satisfaction from our annual survey of CR members into each model’s Overall Score. You’ll find all this and more in our detailed coffee maker ratings.
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Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright © 2022, Consumer Reports, Inc.
