13 of the Best Coffee Grounds for Keurig 2022 (Comprehensive Buyer’s Guide)
There are so many variations for coffee grounds on the market that it can be difficult to know which ones will be right for you. It can get even more challenging when you are trying to identify which grounds will be perfect for your Keurig.
This post will give you the inside scoop on the 13 best coffee grounds for Keurig. Read through our buyer’s guide below to help identify which grind, roast, and beans are best for your coffee machine.
The 13 Best Coffee Grounds for Keurig Coffee Maker
We love caffeine, and so it just makes sense that we would have an opinion on which grounds are the best for your Keurig. Here, we cover the top 13 coffee grounds for your coffee brewers, give you the key features and some of our favorite picks to choose from for the next time you shop for coffee.
The following chart breaks down the differences between 13 stellar options.
| Name of the Coffee | Key Features | Some of Our Favorite Ground Picks |
| Lifeboost Organic Coffee | – Free of mycotoxins and low acidity – Wide variety of single-origin flavors – Certified organic, chemical-free, fair trade, and shade-grown | – Medium Roast – Light Roast – Midnight Dark Roast |
| Peet’s Coffee | – Grown and sourced responsibly – Multiple roasts available for mild, aromatic, and smoky flavors – Single-origin and blends available | – Big Bang, Medium Roast – Major Dickason’s Blend, Dark Roast – Organic Alma de la Tierra, Dark Roast – Single Origin Brazil, Medium Roast |
| Caribou Coffee | – Blends for all tastes – Rainforest Alliance Certified – Single-origin and blends available – Sustainable and ethical production | – Assorted Sampler, Light, Medium, and Dark Roasts – Caribou Blend, Medium Roast – Daybreak, Light Roast – Mahogany, Dark Roast of El Salvador |
| Newman’s Own Organics Coffee | – Fair Trade Certified – Smooth and sweet – USDA Organic – Vibrant flavors | – Breakfast Blend, Medium Roast – French Roast, Dark Roast – Special Blend (Green Mountain Coffee), Medium Roast |
| Café Bustelo Coffee | – Authentic Hispanic coffee – Known for their dark roasts with chocolatey undertones | – Brazil Dark Roast |
| Java House Coffee | – ISO Certified – Made in small batches only – Organic, high altitude coffee – Premium beans selected for every batch – Roasted by hand – Single-origin | – Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Region Ground Coffee, Medium Roast – Kenya AA, Medium Roast |
| Intelligentsia Coffee | – Direct trade sourcing – Fresh and high-quality beans and grounds – Roasted with thoughtfulness and intentionality | – House Blend, Medium Roast |
| Starbucks Coffee | – Developed a long-term supply of premium beans supporting local farmers and their communities – Ethically sourced beans – Sourcing beans from Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, and Africa – Well balanced flavor profiles | – Café Verona, Dark Roast – Holiday Blend, Medium Roast – House Blend, Medium Roast – Pike Place Roast, Medium Roast – Veranda Blend, Blonde Roast |
| Eight O’clock Coffee | – Balanced taste – Been in the business since 1859 – Full-bodied flavors and rich aromas – Kosher certified – Roasted in Maryland, United States – Uses 100 percent Arabica beans – Working to support the coffee farming communities and improve quality of life for everyone involved in the supply chain | – Caramel Macchiato, Medium Roast – Donut Shop, Light Roast – French Roast, Dark Roast – The Original, Medium Roast |
| Bulletproof Keto Coffee | – 100 percent Arabica beans – Approved for the Keto diet – Certified Clean Coffee – High-quality beans from organic farms – Rainforest Alliance Certified – Rich, nutty, and smooth flavors – Sourced from Guatemala, Colombia, and Brazil – Supports farm and forest communities and families | – Breakfast Blend, Light Roast – French Kick, Dark Roast – The Mentalist, Medium to Dark Roast – The Original Decaf, Medium Roast |
| Guru Coffee Company | – Bold and smooth flavors – Expert roasters who roast in small batches – High altitude premium beans – Nitrogen-flushing used to keep coffee fresh longer – Responsibly sourced – Using only high-quality specialty beans | – French Vanilla Velvet, Light Roast – High Caffeine, Medium Roast – Single Origin Colombia, Premium Medium Roast |
| Death Wish Coffee | – A bold and intense roast that is unlike any other – Fair Trade Certified – Has a cherry and chocolate flavor profile – USDA Certified Organic – Uses premium Arabica and Robusta beans | – The World’s Strongest Coffee, Dark Roast |
| Cameron’s Coffee | – Handcrafted for a high-quality brew – Never bitter flavor due to over-roasting – Only use the top ten percent of coffee beans in the world – Sustainably sourced – They give back to the farmers and the environment – Uses small-batch roasting practices | – Cinnamon Sugar Cookie, Light Roast – French Roast, Dark Roast – Hawaiian Blend, Light Roast |
These 13 types of coffee will be great for your machine. All the options above are ground coffee, and we will get into why it is the grind that matters next. If you prefer whole beans to the pre-ground options, we will provide you with the pertinent information.
Best Coffee Grind for Your Keurig
If you are looking to use regular coffee grounds, you will want to make sure you follow our steps below and check out our reviews on the different reusable cups available on the market. But do you know what matters in a Keurig coffee? It is the grind size!
So, you are probably wondering, do you need fine or coarse grounds for your machine? There are two different ways to look at this. You can either purchase pre-ground coffee or whole beans. We will discuss both in detail below.
Buying Pre-Ground Coffee
You will need a coarser grind to work best for the Keurig brewer. A finer ground, usually for an espresso, can clog up the sieve in your reusable coffee filter, and you will not end up with a flavorful cup of joe.
When buying pre-ground coffee, you want to make sure you select a medium to coarse grind. Alternatively, you can choose to select whole beans and grind them yourself.
Buying Whole Beans
You can buy whole beans from coffee roasters and grind them, either in the local roaster, supermarket, coffee shop, or at home yourself. The grinder at the roaster or supermarket is most likely a burr grinder, which is the best grinder for an even ground.
The other type of grinder popular in homes is the blade grinder. If at all possible, you want to avoid using a blade grinder because you will get some grounds that are larger than others.
We cover the best grinders later in this post if you prefer to purchase whole beans to pre-ground. But for now, let us discuss the suitable roast options for your Keurig.
Does the Coffee Roast Matter When Using A Keurig?
In our 13 top coffee picks, we give you some of our favorites with various types of roasts available. But does the roast matter?
There are three different types of roasts available to choose from:
- Dark Roast – A dark roast is perfect because it provides the most flavor with the same number of grounds.
- Light, Mild, or Blonde Roast – This roast is generally reserved for flavored coffees or specialty coffees. However, the light roast is great for those who love the flavor to pop without a strong bitterness or nuttiness.
- Medium Roast – The medium roast is a go-to, middle-of-the-road option. Most caffeine drinkers probably gravitate towards the medium roast without even knowing it! This is a common roast, and it can have both flavored and non-flavored variations.
Basically, it is difficult to go wrong with a K-Cup brewing system for the roast you choose. Most of the time, the roast is chosen based on personal and taste preference. For a bolder and robust flavor, go with the dark or medium roast.
The 11 Best Coffee Beans for Keurig Coffee Maker
As it goes, there are many more whole bean coffees available than pre-ground options. As a coffee lover myself, I prefer whole beans. Buying whole beans is great for many reasons, including the following:
- Your coffee’s flavor and aroma will last longer
- You will have more control over the flavor and grind
For more detailed benefits of grinding whole beans, you can refer to our other post.
The following chart shows some of the best whole beans for your machine that you can choose to grind yourself. We have left out the key features section for each brand because we have covered them all earlier:
The market for whole beans is much larger because the coffee stays freshest as a whole bean. As soon as the coffee is ground, it begins to lose flavor and aroma. The list above is by no means comprehensive of all the whole bean coffee on the market, but these are the best for use with your reusable filter and your machine.
My personal favorite is the Lifeboost Organic Coffee. Yes, it is quite pricey, but you pay for high-quality organic beans. You’re also paying for the certification, ethical practice, chemical-free composition, and a flavor that’s beneficial for coffee lovers with stomach sensitivity issues.
Since there are so many options for whole beans on the market, we should cover the best ways to grind these beans. As we briefly mentioned, the grind is essential for getting great-tasting java.
The Nine Best Coffee Grinders For Keurig Coffee Makers
You can purchase two types of coffee grinders: burr or blade grinders. The main difference between the two types is the consistency of the grind.
Because of this, we recommend you use a burr grinder to grind your whole beans. Most grinders also come with settings that can change to accommodate the grind size.
There are also two types of burr grinders that you can purchase:
- Manually operated versus power-operated
- Flat burr versus conical burr
Whether you select a manual or power burr coffee grinder is up to you. Keep in mind a manual grinder will be much quieter and allow you to grind coffee early in the morning without disturbing anyone who may still be sleeping. However, it will take some time to grind your beans, and this will not bode well if you are in a rush in the morning.
As for the type of burr, flat or conical, the grinding is different, so we have put together a comparison chart below:
| Flat Burr | Conical Burr |
| – Uses two rings sitting flat on top of one another to grind the beans – Beans are ground horizontally – Homogeneous grind size – Heats up faster than a conical burr grinder | – Uses a set of burrs where one sits inside the other – Beans are ground in a vertical manner – Can lead to a lack of uniformity in the grind size, but only in minuscule amounts – Stays cooler than flat burr grinders |
So, depending on what matters more to you and how much money you are willing to spend, either the flat or conical burr will work for you.
You need to know that because flat burr grinders are known to heat up if the proper mechanisms are not in place, this can diminish the bean quality. You may need to pay more for the better flat burr grinder with all the proper mechanisms.
Both types of burr grinders, flat or conical, are not without heat. But because a conical grinder is less likely to heat the grounds as much as a flat grinder, it is preferred by many coffee connoisseurs.
That all being said, we have a mix of flat and conical burr grinders below. In the table, we break down quite a few different options of burr grinders you can choose from:
| Low Budget Grinders | Mid-Range Grinders | High-Quality Grinders |
| JavaPresse Manual Coffee Grinder – Adjustable grind size selector – No batteries or power required – Simple hand crank mechanism | SHARDOR Electric BurrCoffee Grinder 2.0 – 16 adjustable settings – Can grind between two and 14 cups of beans at a time – Comes with a two-in-one spoon and brush for easy cleaning – Equipped with a metallic flat burr – Grinds as much or as little coffee as you need | OXO Brew Conical Burr Coffee Grinder – 15 grind settings40 mm stainless steel conical burr – Can hold up to 110 grams of coffee, enough for 12 cups of joe – Equipped with a one-touch smart timer |
| PARACITY Manual Coffee Bean Grinder – Adjustable controls to get coarse, medium-coarse, medium, and fine sizes – Hand Coffee Mill – Includes two glass jars and stainless steel handle – Uses a ceramic burr – Will not overheat your grounds | Boly Conical Burr Coffee Grinder with Adjustable Burr – 19 settings – Can grind between one and 12 cups of coffee at a time – Compact design – Electric coffee grinder – Equipped with stainless steel conical burr | Bodum BISTRO Burr Coffee Grinder – 12 different settings for ground size – Can hold up to 7.75 ounces of whole beans – Dishwasher safe glass grounds catcher – Pre-set timer for a perfect grind every time – Push to start button |
| T-mark Manual Coffee Grinder – Adjustable grind size selector – Easily remove the hand crank – No batteries or power required – Portable and compact design – Quieter than an electric grinder | Cuisinart DBM-8CRM Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill – 18 adjustable grind size options – Chamber holds enough whole beans for 32 cups of coffee (between 4 and 18 measuring cups) – Uses a block burr grinder | ChefWave Conical Burr Coffee Grinder – 1-year warranty included – 16 adjustable grind settings – Aluminum housing – Comes with scoop and cleaning brush for easy upkeep – Electric coffee grinder – Holds two to ten cups of whole beans at a time – Includes a quick grind option – Timer included |
As you can see, both electric and manual burr grinders have their advantages and drawbacks. So at the end of the day, it comes down to personal preference and how sophisticated a coffee drinker you are.
Many cannot tell the difference between beans overheating during the grinding process and those that were not. If you have a distinguishing palate, you’ll want to spend more on a grinding machine. Otherwise, you can use this as a gauge for how much you want to shell out on a burr coffee grinder.
The Best Reusable Keurig K-Cups
Now that you know all there is to know about which grounds to use, let us discuss which reusable K-cups (some call it coffee pods) would be best for you. We have three options that will be great for you!
First, though, let’s talk about why a reusable K-cup filter is a good idea.
Reasons to Choose A Reusable Keurig K-Cup
There are quite a few reasons to choose reusable K-cups, and it is likely that you already considered these reasons for switching. However, maybe there is one you did not consider and will make the switch an even better choice for you!
The following are reasons to choose reusable K-cups:
- You can brew what you want – The possibilities are endless. You can load up any coffee you want and enjoy it!
- You can control the flavor – Because you get to choose what coffee, what grind and what settings you brew with, you get a lot more control over the java you brew than if you were to use a non-refill.
- You will reduce plastic waste – K-cups are single-use plastic products and cannot easily be recycled. You can easily switch to reusable cups to reduce your plastic waste.
- You will save money – Because the single-use ones can be quite expensive, using a reusable refill can save you money in the long run since grounds are much cheaper than K-cups.
As you can see, the advantages of reusable K-cups are outstanding, and the only real drawback to using a reusable K-cup filter is that it is more time-consuming and slightly messier than popping a single-use K-cup into your machine.
A Break Down: The Top Three Reusable Keurig K-Cups
And if you agree with any of the above reasons, the following is a table of three different reusable Keurig K-cup options:
| Type of Reusable K-Cup | Key Features |
| Perfect Pod Café Fill Value Pack | – Always brew with the perfect amount of coffee – Includes two reusable K-cups – Includes a scoop with a built-in funnel for easy filling |
| Keurig My K Cup Universal Reusable K-Cup Coffee Filter Pod | – BPA free – Compatible with all Keurig brewers, even the Plus editions – Dishwasher safe – Has multiple fill lines to help guide your brew – Not recommended for tea leaves or other powdered drinks – Perfect for the coffee cup and travel size brews |
| LivingAid Solo K-Cup Stainless Steel Coffee Filter | – BPA free – Dishwasher safe – Durable design – Leakproof – Only compatible with Keurig 2.0, Keurig 1.0, Office Pro, and K-series machines – Stainless steel mesh |
The Best Reusable K-Cup Filter In Our Opinion: My K Cup
In our opinion, the Keurig My K Cup is the best option. We have chosen it for the following reasons:
- It allows for ultimate flexibility in flavor with multiple fill lines
- It is compatible with all Keurig machines
- Keurig specifically designed it
How To Use Your Own Grounds In Your Keurig
Now, this is the best part. You are finally ready to brew your hot java! Let us walk you through the steps to using your freshly ground coffee.
The following is a list of seven simple steps to brew a cup of joe using grounds:
- Clean and prepare your Keurig. The machine should be clean, and the water reservoir should be full. This ensures you get a good brew with no residue or residual flavors from a previous cup. The easiest way to do this is to run the clean cycle or set the size to four ounces without a K-cup to rinse the housing.
- Add your reusable K-cup filter. We listed some of our favorite reusable K-cups above, so all you have to do is follow the instructions on the package. Usually, this includes opening and filling the refill with grounds. Most cups have a max fill line, do not go over this line, or you risk a poor tasting cup of joe. Also, make sure the lid snaps shut properly to avoid getting any grounds in your cup of java.
- Place your mug under the housing. Do not forget to set your mug under the spout. You do not want to end up with coffee everywhere!
- Set your machine to brew. Close the machine, choose the proper cup size, and press the start button. An average cup of coffee is about six ounces. If you decide to brew a larger cup, you will lose some of the flavors. One way to get around this is to repeat the process with new grounds, six ounces at a time, until your cup is full.
- Let it cool. After your coffee is brewed, let it sit for about a minute because it will be scorching.
- Clean the reusable K-cup. As you are waiting for your mug to cool off, you can clean out the reusable coffee filter. Simply dump the used grounds into the trash or your compost bin. Rinse the K-cup as needed to remove any leftover grounds. Wash as directed to on the package.
- Enjoy! It is time to add your cream and sugar, if you like, and enjoy!
It is as simple as that! Seven steps to getting the perfect brew from your machine. Now you have your environmentally-friendly cup of joe, and you can brag to all your friends about how perfect your cup of coffee is now that you switched to using your own freshly ground coffee.
Final Thoughts
Now you are equipped with all you need to know about buying coffee grounds for your machine. Next time you are shopping for coffee, you will already have the best list discussed in the first table. You know you are good!
And do not forget that just as the grind is important, choosing the right grinder and reusable refill filter can make a real difference in your brewing process experience.
