Keurig 2.0 vs 1.0: How to Choose the Best Coffee Maker for You

If you’re planning to get a new Keurig coffee maker, you should know the difference between the two product lines developed by the company: Keurig 1.0 and Keurig 2.0.

Each product line contains brewers with different features, designs, and prices, so determining the best fit for you will depend on your coffee needs, tech preferences, and budget.

Ready to find out more about the battle between Keurig 2.0 vs 1.0? You can go through our guide below for an in-depth discussion on both product lines and our top pick from each one!

About Keurig 1.0

As the brand’s original product line, Keurig 1.0 is known for its classic and reliable single-serve coffee appliances.

Although Keurig 1.0 models have older technology and more dated designs, they’re trusted by many people to make a good cup of coffee at an affordable price.

User Interface

Keurig 1.0 coffee machines usually feature manual push buttons instead of a touch screen. They also come with fewer settings, so you’ll be able to customize cup sizes but not much else.

However, because its controls are so straightforward, you won’t have difficulty setting up and operating this coffee machine.

If you’re the type to want a simple and hassle-free brewing process, the original Keurig brewers are for you.

Features

Again, since the Keurig 1.0 models are meant to be cost-efficient and easy to use, they don’t come with the more advanced features that newer coffee brewers have.

What’s nice about this product line, though, is that it’s compatible with hundreds of different K-cup pods, so you’ll have plenty of flavors to choose from.

If you purchase a separate Keurig attachment (My K-Cup), you can even make filtered coffee using your own coffee grounds.

Our Pick: Keurig K-Classic

Key Features

• 48 oz water reservoir
• Auto-off feature
• Works with K-cups and ground coffee (My K-Cup)
• Makes 3 brew sizes (6, 8, or 10 oz)
• Manual button controls
• Removable drip tray
• Indicator lights
• Charcoal water filter compatibility

In our opinion, the Keurig K-Classic—also known as the Keurig K55—is the best out of all the coffee makers in the Keurig 1.0 line.

Although it’s also one of the most basic options, it offers great value for money and efficient at brewing coffee.

Quick and Convenient

First of all, despite being a single-serve coffee machine, the Keurig K-classic has a large water reservoir. This means that it can produce around 6 cups of coffee at a time without needing a water refill.

Now, if you’re in a rush, know that you won’t have to wait long for your morning cup of coffee either; the Keurig single-serve K-Classic brews in under a minute, so you can quickly drink and go.

Simply insert your K-cup pod of choice, select the desired brew size, and press start. There are no other complicated settings you have to take care of.

Easy to Maintain

When the water reservoir level starts running low, or if it’s time for regular descaling, the Keurig K-Classic will light up to remind you to take action.

Since this is easily seen on the machine, you won’t have to keep track of these important dates yourself.

Makes Good Coffee

Lastly, most importantly, the Keurig single-serve K-Classic can be depended on to make good coffee.

Since you’re using K-cups, the brew’s quality generally stays consistent no matter what coffee maker you choose. Still, we like that this one utilizes a charcoal filter to minimize the impurities in your water.

As a result, this coffee maker will produce a cleaner and more flavorful brew. Sounds great, right?

Pros

• Affordable
• Compatible with all K-cups
• Quick brewing time
• Large water reservoir for a single-serve coffee maker
• Simple controls

Cons

• Basic features
• Limited brew sizes
• No strength control or water temperature feature

About Keurig 2.0

Since the Keurig 2.0 line is a more recent development, it also comes with useful updates for brew customization purposes.

These Keurig 2.0 brewers are priced higher than the Keurig 1.0 coffee makers, but if convenience is a priority for you, we think the extra cost is worth it.

User Interface

Unlike the older models, 2.0 Keurig coffee brewers are more high-tech.

They often have touch screen displays, multiple brew sizes, and strength control settings, auto on-off functionality, as well as an improved design.

In fact, some of these coffee makers even have customizable wallpapers and a handy nightlight for 24/7 visibility.

Of course, with the Keurig 2.0 line, you’ll have to fiddle around with the controls a bit more, but we still find the coffee maker very simple to use once you get the hang of it!

Features

Both the 1.0 and 2.0 coffee machines are compatible with various K-cups, but the Keurig 2.0 takes it a step further, as it also works with K-mug pods and K-carafe pods.

K-carafe pods make bigger brew sizes, so this coffee maker is perfect when you need larger caffeine volumes at a time.

If you live with many coffee drinkers, or if you drink multiple cups at a time, the Keurig 2.0 line is a great choice for you.

Our Pick: Keurig K250

Key Features

• 40 oz water reservoir
• Auto-off feature
• Removable drip tray
• Works with K-cups, K-mug pods, K-carafe pods, and ground coffee (My K-Cup)
• Makes 10 brew sizes
• Black and white touch screen display
• Removable drip tray
• Strength and high-altitude controls
• Comes with a descaling solution, K-cup pods, charcoal filters, and water filters

Our top pick from the 2.0 line is the Keurig K250; it’s practical, functional, and convenient, so you’ll definitely get a lot of use out of it if you’re an avid fan of Keurig coffee pods.

However, because the company has discontinued this, you’ll have to purchase it from online resellers such as Amazon.

Make sure to read reviews first before purchasing to ensure it’s legitimate!

User-Friendly

Right off the bat, this Keurig 2.0 coffee maker impresses with its responsive touch screen display.

Although manual button controls do the job equally well, we like the modern and prestigious feel of this more high-tech set-up.

Some of its advanced features include auto-off functionality and K-carafe compatibility, so you can easily make larger carafe sizes.

Just make sure to switch your cup to a larger vessel such as a mug or a carafe to accommodate the volume of the coffee.

However, because this one has a smaller water reservoir, you may need to refill it more frequently, especially when making carafe sizes.

Great for Coffee Customization

Besides brew size, the K250 coffee maker also has additional controls for adjusting strength levels. If you’re more particular about the intensity of your coffee, you’ll definitely appreciate this extra feature.

Do you live in a high-altitude area? Did you know that this could affect the taste of your coffee?

Well, this Keurig 2.0 coffee maker also has a setting for that. Just turn it on to optimally calibrate the coffee brewing process for your area.

Contains Useful Accessories

Lastly, we love that the K250 comes in a bundle with many different accessories. Because you get a descaling solution, water filters, and extra K-cup pods, you won’t have to purchase additional items to maintain the coffee maker.

These aren’t necessary for coffee makers to function at the end of the day. Still, they’re useful add-ons that contribute to improved coffee quality, flavor, and ease of cleaning.

Pros

• User-friendly
• Compatible with K-cup pods, K-mug pods, and K-carafe pods
• Has strength control and high-altitude settings
• Easy to clean and maintain

Cons

• Quite expensive
• Only available from online resellers
• No water temperature controls
• Smaller water reservoir

Difference Between Keurig 1.0 and 2.0

Are you still confused between the company’s two product lines after reading their pros & cons?

Let’s compare the Keurig 1.0 and Keurig 2.0 line in terms of aesthetics, ease of use, brew customization, and cleaning and maintenance to see which wins in each aspect.

Keurig 1.0 vs 2.0: Aesthetics

In general, the Keurig 1.0 line features coffee makers that are slightly bulkier and heavier, while the Keurig 2.0 line has lighter and more compact machines.

The Keurig 1.0 has a more classic look and feel because of its rounded corners and manual push buttons in terms of design.

On the other hand, the Keurig 2.0, with its sharper edges and LCD touch screen display, has a sleek aesthetic that’s fit for more modern kitchens.

Note that the exact dimensions, color options, and other specific design elements vary among the models within the product lines, so you should still research the one you’re eyeing to make sure it matches your expectations.

Overall, while we prefer the look of the Keurig 2.0 machines, the classic Keurig 1.0 line will never go out of style.

Keurig 1.0 vs 2.0: Ease of Use

Because the Keurig 2.0 has the option to brew large amounts at a time, we’re inclined to pick it over the 1.0.

However, the specific model we chose (the K250) does have a smaller capacity than the Keurig K-Classic, so it gets a few points docked off for that.

If both capacity and K-carafe compatibility are important to you, you can consider other 2.0 Keurig machines, as some of their water reservoirs go up to 80 oz! That’s around 10 whole cups of coffee!

Ultimately, though, both Keurig 1.0 and 2.0 are straightforward to use. It’s just up to you if you prefer simple push buttons or touch screen controls.

Keurig 1.0 vs 2.0: Brew Customization

If you’re a budding barista, being able to customize your coffee is probably one of your priorities.

While the basic 1.0 is compatible with many K-cup pods, it can only make up to a 10 oz cup, and you have little to no control over intensity, temperature, and other brewing factors.

The 2.0 can work with all pods, and you have the freedom to choose among multiple sizes and strengths while brewing.

In this aspect, the Keurig 2.0 definitely wins because of its multiple strength control, brew size, and K-cup options.

Keurig 1.0 vs 2.0: Cleaning and Maintenance

All Keurig coffee machines have removable drip trays and water reservoirs to make cleaning more convenient for you.

The 2.0 model we picked, the K250, has a descaling solution included with every purchase!

We appreciate the auto-off functionality and the low-level indicator lights in both lines. Your coffee machine will definitely last a lot longer because of these features.

It seems both models are straightforward to maintain in terms of upkeep.

Additional Information

Keurig 1.0 Models

Besides the K-Classic/K55, other 1.0 models include the Keurig K15, the Keurig K50, the Keurig K100, the Keurig K-Select, and the Keurig K66.

These 1.0 machines are special because they’re compatible with all pods and very affordable to boot!

Keurig 2.0 Models

Besides the K250, you can also consider the Keurig K200, the Keurig 2.0 K350, the Keurig K575, and the Keurig 2.0 K450.

Sometimes, people confuse the Keurig K-Select with the 2.0 models, but it actually belongs to the classic line.

These 2.0 machines were made to be more functional and advanced than their 1.0 counterparts, so they’re also priced higher by the company.

Pod Compatibility

One issue with earlier 2.0 models is that they weren’t compatible with all coffee pods—just ones made by the company.

These were equipped with a pod scanner that locked out third-party pods, rendering them useless.

However, due to consumer backlash, the company reverted to the technology used in its classic line, so it’s safe to say that the pods are compatible again with the machines.

Keep in mind, though, that some special types (such as K-carafe and K-mug) will not work with 1.0 coffee makers. Older 1.0 coffee pods may not fit in 2.0 machines either.

Verdict: Keurig 2.0 vs 1.0

While both machines will produce a good cup of joe, we are partial to the 2.0 (K250) because of its convenience, functionality, and modern design. We also love that it comes with the accessories you need for a hassle-free and enjoyable brewing experience.

However, if you are on a tight budget, or if it’s hard to find the K250 online, we’d still recommend getting the 1.0 (K55). Though it lacks some extras, it has all the important features in a coffee maker, and it comes at a great price. It has also been tried and tested by many consumers.

Final Thoughts

It may not seem like it, but all you need is a reliable and high-quality machine to make a great cup of coffee. Just choose the right one, and you can depend on it to do the work for you.

Now, all that’s left to do is to sit back, relax, and drink up!