The Keurig K-Mini is a single-serve pod coffee maker that brews coffee, tea, and other beverages in under a minute. As the smallest and most compact Keurig available, it's an ideal choice for smaller kitchens, offices, dorm rooms, or anywhere space is limited.

Despite its petite 6-inch width, the K-Mini doesn't compromise on features or functionality. With simple button controls, indicator lights, and auto-off, it makes brewing mess-free cups of your favorite beverages easy and convenient. The removable drip tray accommodates travel mugs up to 7 inches tall.

The K-Mini uses Keurig's K-Cup pods to brew 6-12 oz servings at the touch of a button. It includes a sample pack of different coffee and tea varieties to get you started. With over 400 pod varieties available, you'll always have plenty of options to satisfy any taste.

This compact yet powerful single cup brewer is perfect for solo coffee enthusiasts short on counter space. Its simplicity, speed, and size make the K-Mini an ideal choice for small living.

Design

The Keurig K-Mini coffee maker has a sleek and compact design perfect for small spaces. It measures just 4.5 inches wide, 12.1 inches tall, and 11.3 inches deep, making it one of the smallest single serve coffee makers on the market. Weighing only 2.79 pounds, the K-Mini won't take up much real estate on your kitchen counter or office space.

Despite its petite size, the K-Mini doesn't compromise on style. It comes in a variety of fun colors like Cardinal Red, Silver, Black, and Island Blue to match any decor. The coffee maker has a modern geometric shape with clean lines and a matte finish. Aesthetically, it looks like a high-end appliance with its metal details and neatly hidden water reservoir. For such a small machine, Keurig didn't skimp on looks.

The K-Mini is designed to save space without sacrificing the convenience of single serve brewing. Its compact footprint and stylish appearance make it an ideal option for tiny homes, apartments, dorm rooms, offices, or anywhere you want great coffee without a bulky machine.

Features

The Keurig K-Mini is packed with useful features for a single serve pod coffee maker.

• Single Serve - This is a single cup pod coffee maker, designed to brew one delicious cup at a time. No wasted coffee or pots sitting for hours. Perfect for households with different coffee preferences.

• Pod-Based - The K-Mini uses K-Cup pods from Keurig and third parties to brew coffee, tea, cocoa and more. Just pop in a pod and brew.

• Removable Water Reservoir - It has a 6-12 ounce removable water reservoir that's easy to fill and detach for cleaning. No need to fuss with plumbing or water lines.

• Auto Off - An auto off feature turns the coffee maker off 90 seconds after the last brew, helping to save energy.

The combination of single serve convenience, pod brewing, a removable reservoir and auto off provides a user-friendly experience.

Ease of Use

The Keurig K-Mini is designed to be incredibly easy to use. It features simple button controls with just one button to brew your coffee or tea.

Loading a pod is straightforward - simply lift the top lid and drop your pod into the pod holder. The pods drop right in and are held in place magnetically.

Filling the water reservoir is also very simple. The reservoir is located at the back of the machine and has a flip top lid that opens up widely for easy pouring. There are water line markers inside the reservoir so you can see the maximum fill line and fill to the number of cups you want to brew.

Overall, the one button operation, intuitive pod loading, and accessible water reservoir make the Keurig K-Mini one of the easiest single serve coffee machines to use. Even first time users will find it quick and convenient to make their morning cup of coffee.

Brew Quality

The Keurig K-Mini brews a high quality cup of coffee. The flavor is rich and bold, extracting the full aroma from coffee pods. The coffee comes out hot, around 180-190 F, which is the ideal temperature for drinking. The hot water is forced through the pod under pressure, producing a dark, creamy crema on top similar to an espresso.

The strength of the brew is highly adjustable thanks to multiple brew size options. You can brew anywhere from a 6 oz cup to a 12 oz travel mug. The smaller cup sizes produce a stronger, more concentrated coffee. When brewing a full 12 oz, the coffee is smooth and mellow without tasting watered down. No matter what size you select, the K-Mini evenly saturates the grounds in the pod to produce a balanced extraction.

Overall, the simplicity of popping in a pod combined with the optimized brewing pressure and temperature of the K-Mini results in a smooth, flavorful cup of coffee with deep, aromatic taste. The brew quality rivals your local coffee shop.

Pod Compatibility

The Keurig K-Mini is compatible with K-Cup pods, including the official Keurig K-Cups and licensed brands that partner with Keurig. This gives you access to hundreds of coffee, tea, cocoa, and other beverage varieties to choose from.

The K-Mini does not support refillable K-Cup filters or reusable pods, so you are limited to the officially licensed options. Some users have reported success using compatible third-party and off-brand pods, but Keurig advises against it as non-official pods may have issues with brewing or even damage the machine over time.

Overall, having official K-Cup compatibility gives you plenty of branded beverage options like Green Mountain Coffee, Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, Lipton, and more. But the lack of reusable pod support does lock you into constantly buying new pods. So the pod compatibility is decent if you plan to use the official K-Cups, but refillable pods would offer more flexibility and potential cost savings.

Capacity

The Keurig K-Mini has a reasonably sized water reservoir that holds enough water to brew multiple cups before needing a refill. The removable reservoir has a 32oz capacity, which translates to about 4-5 8oz cups of coffee depending on the K-Cup pod size and strength of brew selected.

The K-Mini can accommodate cup sizes up to 7.25 inches tall, allowing you to brew coffee directly into travel mugs for on-the-go convenience. Some users note the max cup height is a bit limiting compared to other Keurig models that accommodate taller mug sizes. But for average sized mugs and cups, the K-Mini offers just the right amount of capacity for brewing single serve coffees or teas.

Overall, the reservoir size and max cup height make the K-Mini well-suited for single users or couples who don't need to brew large batches at once. The capacity hits a nice sweet spot - large enough for brewing a few cups conveniently before refilling, but compact enough for small kitchen counters.

Cleaning

Keeping your Keurig K-Mini clean is important for maintaining optimal brew quality and extending the life of your machine. Here are some tips for cleaning the K-Mini:

Descaling

• Keurig recommends descaling your K-Mini every 3-6 months. Use Keurig's descaling solution, or a mix of equal parts white vinegar and water.
• The descaling process takes about 30 minutes. Follow the instructions in your owner's manual.
• Descale more frequently if you notice mineral buildup or slower brew times.

Pod Disposal

• The K-Mini does not have an internal pod storage bin. You'll need to remove and discard each pod after brewing.
• Let pods cool before removing to avoid burns. Lift the brewer handle and remove the pod.
• For convenience, you can purchase a separate pod disposal bin to place next to your machine.

Cleaning Parts

• Regularly wipe down the exterior of your machine to keep it looking new. Use a damp cloth with mild soap if needed.
• The drip tray and drip tray plate are removable and dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
• The water reservoir and lid can be washed with warm soapy water. Rinse thoroughly.
• Avoid submerging the brewer in water or using abrasive cleaners.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Compact size: The K-Mini is Keurig's smallest single-serve coffee maker, with a width of just 12cm. Its diminutive size makes it perfect for small kitchens or apartments where counter space is limited.

• Energy efficient: Despite its small size, the K-Mini delivers full-strength coffee fast. It has an auto-off feature that turns the machine off 90 seconds after your last brew, helping to conserve energy.

• Affordable: The K-Mini is one of Keurig's most affordable single-serve coffee makers. It provides delicious brewed coffee at a fraction of the cost of purchasing coffee drinks out.

Cons

• Limited features: As Keurig's most basic model, the K-Mini lacks some of the more advanced features of pricier Keurig machines. There are no strength or temperature controls.

• Pod waste: Like all Keurig single-serve machines, the K-Mini generates plastic waste from used coffee pods after each brew. There is no reusable pod option.

Conclusion

The Keurig K-Mini is one of the most popular single-serve coffee makers for good reason. It offers a compact design perfect for small kitchens while still delivering on convenient features. The simplicity of use and brewing process makes it easy for anyone to make a great cup of coffee.

The K-Mini brews a good cup of coffee that is comparable to more expensive Keurig models. While not as customizable as higher-end models, it gets the job done for basic coffee drinkers who want the convenience of single-serve. Pod compatibility is excellent and it works with both official Keurig pods and third-party options.

Overall, the Keurig K-Mini is easy to recommend for anyone looking for an affordable, compact single-serve coffee maker. It delivers convenience, simplicity, and a good cup of coffee. The lack of programmable features may be a drawback for some, but the K-Mini focuses on getting the basics right. For most households, it will satisfy their single-serve coffee needs.