The Keurig K-Mini is a compact yet powerful single-serve coffee maker that packs exceptional functionality into a small 6- to 12-ounce brewer. Perfect for small spaces, college dorms, offices, or RVs, the K-Mini still allows you to brew a cup of delicious coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or iced beverage in under a minute.

In this review of the Keurig K-Mini, we'll take an in-depth look at the features, brew performance, ease of use, energy efficiency, and cleaning/maintenance. We'll also summarize the pros and cons to help you determine if the K-Mini is the right single-serve coffee maker for your needs. Whether you're looking to downsize your coffee station or make barista-quality beverages in a tiny footprint, read on for a complete overview of this petite yet powerful brewer.

Design

The Keurig K-Mini coffee maker has a sleek and compact design that makes it perfect for small kitchens or offices. Measuring just 4.5 inches wide, 12.1 inches high, and 11.3 inches deep, the K-Mini has a small footprint that takes up minimal counter space. Weighing only 5.2 pounds, it's also one of the lightest single serve coffee makers on the market.

The K-Mini comes in a variety of fun colors like black, oasis, cardinal red, slate, pink, aqua, and white. The durable plastic housing has a matte finish that resists fingerprints and scratches. The water reservoir and drip tray are removable for easy cleaning and filling. Overall, the K-Mini has a simple, no-frills aesthetic that looks great in any decor. Its portable size and range of color options make this single cup brewer ideal for college dorm rooms, offices, RVs, or small apartments where counter space is limited.

Features

The Keurig K-Mini coffee maker has several notable features that make it a compact yet powerful single serve brewer.

Single Serve

The Keurig K-Mini is designed for single serve brewing, making it perfect for brewing a fresh cup just for you. It uses K-Cup pods which contain pre-portioned amounts of coffee, tea, or other beverages. Simply insert a pod and brew. No need to measure grounds or make a whole pot.

Compact Size

This Keurig stands just 4.5 inches wide, allowing it to fit nearly anywhere. The slim 12 inch height means it can slide under cabinets easily. Weighing less than 5 pounds, it's incredibly lightweight and portable. The small footprint makes it an ideal option for small kitchens, offices, dorm rooms, or other tight spaces.

Removable Drip Tray

The K-Mini features a removable drip tray to accommodate travel mugs up to 7 inches tall. Just remove the drip tray and you can brew directly into your own cup or mug.

Auto Off

An auto off feature turns the coffee maker off automatically 2 hours after the last brew, helping to save energy.

Brew Sizes

The Keurig K-Mini offers three brew size options - 6, 8, and 10 oz. This allows you to brew a single cup of coffee, travel mug, or larger mug size to suit your needs.

The 6 oz brew size is great for making a standard single serve cup of coffee. It's the perfect amount for a small coffee mug. The 8 oz size will fill most travel mugs and is a nice mid-size option. For a bolder, larger cup, the 10 oz brew size will fill most regular sized mugs. All three sizes use Keurig K-Cup pods to brew a fresh cup of coffee in under a minute.

The brew sizes are selected using simple button controls on the front of the machine. Just press the 6 oz, 8 oz, or 10 oz button to choose your desired size. The Keurig K-Mini will automatically adjust the amount of water used based on the brew size selected. This makes it easy to customize the strength and volume for the perfect single cup.

Ease of Use

The K-Mini is designed to be incredibly easy to use. It features simple button controls with indicator lights that let you know when the machine is heating up or ready to brew.

To operate it, you simply add water to the reservoir, pop in a K-cup pod, press the brew button, and you're good to go. The water reservoir is easy to access and can hold up to 6-12 oz of water at a time, enough for 1-2 cups before needing a refill.

The one-touch operation couldn't get much simpler. Just insert your preferred K-cup, press the brew button, and watch the indicator light as it heats up in seconds. Once the light stops blinking, your coffee will start brewing immediately.

There are no complex settings or programming involved. The K-Mini handles the entire brewing process for you with the touch of a button. It's an incredibly straightforward and user-friendly single-serve coffee maker.

Brew Performance

The K-Mini brews coffee at an optimal temperature between 192°F-197°F, which helps extract the best flavor from coffee grounds. The brew time is quite fast at under one minute for a 6 oz cup and around 1 minute 30 seconds for a 12 oz travel mug.

The coffee produced tastes smooth and flavorful, without any bitterness or watery notes. The K-Mini evenly saturates and extracts the grounds to maximize flavor. Many reviewers mention the coffee has a rich, bold taste similar to what you would get from a premium coffee shop. The adjustable strength control lets you customize the brew for bolder or milder coffee based on your preferences.

Overall, the brew performance is excellent. The K-Mini brews a piping hot cup of coffee quickly, while achieving the right balance of richness, aroma, and flavor nuance in the final result. For such a compact single-serve machine, the quality of the brew is impressive.

Energy Efficiency

The K-Mini coffee maker has some excellent energy-saving features. One is the auto off capability. After brewing coffee, the machine will automatically turn off within 2 hours. This prevents energy waste from the unit continuing to stay on.

The K-Mini is also Energy Star certified. Products with the Energy Star rating meet stringent energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA. This certification verifies that the K-Mini brewer uses less power than standard coffee machines. Between the auto off function and Energy Star rating, you can brew coffee guilt-free knowing this unit saves energy.

Cleaning and Maintenance

The K-Mini has helpful features that make cleaning and maintenance simple.

• It has an automatic descale notification that alerts you when it's time to descale your coffee maker. Descaling helps remove mineral buildup and ensure great tasting coffee.

• The K-Mini has removable parts including the water reservoir, drip tray, and pod holder which make cleaning easy. The parts can be hand washed or placed in the dishwasher.

• To clean the K-Mini, start by descaling if needed. Then remove the pod holder, water reservoir, and drip tray. Wash the parts in warm soapy water or place in the dishwasher. Wipe down the exterior of the coffee maker with a damp cloth. Refer to manufacturer's instructions for full cleaning recommendations.

• Overall, the descale alert, dishwasher-safe parts, and wipeable exterior help keep cleaning and maintenance simple with the K-Mini. Just follow the recommended cleaning process as needed and the coffee maker will last for years.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Compact and slim design takes up little counter space
• Fast brew time of under a minute
• Multiple brew size options from 6-12 oz
• Easy to use control panel with push buttons
• Removable water reservoir for easy filling
• Energy efficient auto-off feature

Cons

• Small water reservoir capacity of 28 oz
• Only works with K-Cup pods, limiting variety
• Pod-based system generates more waste
• Cannot customize temperature or strength
• Lower height may not fit full-size travel mugs

Conclusion

The Keurig K-Mini is a great option for those looking for a compact, simple to use single serve coffee maker. It offers 6-12 oz brew sizes, suitable for everything from espresso to travel mugs. The brewer is very easy to use with simple button controls and is compatible with hundreds of K-Cup pod varieties.

While it lacks some of the programmable features of higher end Keurig models, its simplicity is a benefit for many users. It heats up and brews quickly, taking under 5 minutes start to finish. The removable drip tray accommodates travel mugs up to 7 inches tall.

Overall, the K-Mini delivers solid single serve brewing performance in a compact package. It's an excellent choice for small kitchens, offices, dorm rooms or anywhere space is limited. The ease of use and wide pod compatibility make it a great option for coffee lovers who want a convenient single cup brewer. Its reasonable price tag makes it one of the most affordable Keurig models as well.

If you're looking for a compact, simple to operate single serve coffee maker with K-Cup pod compatibility, the Keurig K-Mini is definitely worth considering.