Are you looking for the best coffee for Keurig? This article explores what to look for and how to find the best K-cups coffees for your Keurig brewer.
Single-serve coffee machines, like Keurig brewers, are everywhere these days, with 27% of American coffee drinkers using them in 2020. Since they brew fantastic coffee with little effort, what’s not to love?
The best coffee for Keurig brewers balances price and quality, and once you know what to look out for, you can enjoy a great cup of coffee every time you load up your machine. Read on to find out more!
Once you master how to use a Keurig, you can brew the perfect cup of coffee with no waste or hassle. You can also create different beverages, from a latte to hot chocolate and even tea, depending on your K-cups of choice. If you experience any issues, check out our Keurig troubleshooting guide.
How To Buy the Best Keurig K-Cup Coffee
K-cups are more expensive than bags of coffee beans or ground coffee. Still, the popularity of Keurig machines means most coffee fans can find some within budget.
First, consider what kind of coffee you like. Several brands offer a variety of packs with coffee from different regions and with different roasts alongside packs of single blends or even single-origin coffees. You can find Keurig pods for:
- Dark and espresso roast
- Medium roast
- Light roast
- Decaf
- Iced coffee
While price isn’t necessarily a predictor of quality, don’t opt for the cheapest K-cup. Instead, spend a little more so it tastes good.
1. The Original Donut Shop Coffee Pods
This Original Donut Shop blend is a solid medium roast: bold enough to be satisfying, with light acidity and enough sweetness to drink black. The cups are recyclable, which is definitely a plus in my book.
While the price point is somewhat higher than other brands, it’s still very reasonable overall. You might also be wondering, who owns Keurig?
2. Starbucks Pike Palace Roast
Starbucks K-cups are pricier than other options, but it’s still cheaper than having a barista brew your coffee for you every day. The company offers a range of famous blends, including decaf Pike Place, Caffè Verona, the Breakfast Blend, Sumatra, and the House Blend.
The classic Pike Place blend is smooth and well-rounded, with hints of toasted nuts and chocolate.
3. The Original Donut Shop Medium Roast Coffee
The Original Donut Shop’s medium roast is reasonably affordable and tastes good too. We found it smooth but by no means weak, with just a hint of sweetness, making it a perfect beverage to have with a donut or pastry. You can buy them in a variety of sizes from 12 to 400.
4. Peet’s Coffee Major Dickason’s Blend K Cups
While pricier than other brands, Peet’s iconic Major Dickason’s blend is a must-have for dark roast fans. I’m a fan of this blend in general, so this was an easy sell for me. I was surprised it tastes good even in K-cup form because some darker roasts tend to lose flavor when brewed this way.
The cups are recyclable and are compatible with all Keurig brewers.
5. Green Mountain Breakfast Blend
The Green Mountain Breakfast Blend is one of the most popular K-Cups of all time, but it’s an acquired taste. It tastes less like a traditional cup of coffee and more like a nutty milkshake. It’s hard to find on the Amazon store, so check out the official Keurig site instead.
The Dark Magic version is also good.
6. Green Mountain Half-Caff Coffee
Let’s face it: some of us can’t drink coffee all day without experiencing jitters or insomnia. If you love to drink coffee well into the evening, this option is for you. The Half-Caff is a medium roast; it’s still full-flavored with Green Mountain’s signature nutty taste.
Read our guide to Half-Caffe Keurig coffees
7. Dunkin’ Original Blend
You can’t go wrong with the Dunkin’ Original Blend. It’s a smooth medium roast made from 100% Arabica beans. This is a silky coffee with hints of citrus and a clean finish.
If you’re on the fence, you can go for the 22-pod box, but if you’re already sold on that famous Dunkin’ flavor, save money with the 144-pod box option.
8. Tully’s Coffee Hawaiian Blend
Who doesn’t wish they were sipping on a cup of Joe, watching the sunset on a Hawaiian beach? Tully’s Coffee has the next best thing to replicate that feeling at home.
The Hawaiian Blend is a budget-friendly alternative to Kona coffee; it contains 10% Hawaiian coffee beans, with the remainder sourced from elsewhere. It’s still a 100% Arabica blend to maintain the sweet, smooth profile of this java.
For a medium roast, it packs a punch, and the beans have been slow-roasted to extract as much flavor as possible. You might also be interested in our round-up of the best Kona coffee.
9. Folger’s Classic Roast
Folger’s is one of the most trusted and affordable coffee brands; it’s still the largest seller of ground coffee in the US. If Folger’s was a staple in your home, then you know the comforting taste is irreplaceable.
This medium roast is made from mountain-grown beans; the higher elevation allows more complex flavor notes and aromas to develop in the coffee. The Classic Roast is bold and sweet with a hint of fruit.
10. McCafé Premium Roast
McDonald’s has proven that it knows more than a thing or two about coffee with the McCafé range. While affordable, it can contend with established coffee brands. The Premium Roast is the best McCafé offering.
This blend is full-bodied and is just a little darker than a standard medium roast to ensure a robust flavor profile. It goes down smoothly with notes of fruit and chocolate.
11. Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll
If you fancy a sweet treat, you can never go wrong with flavored coffee. Cinnabon’s Classic Cinnamon Roll blend is a fruity light roast with toasty hints of cinnamon sticks and brown sugar.
It’s made from 100% Arabica coffee, so the flavoring is by no means an attempt to hide low-quality coffee. Instead, the coffee and cinnamon roll flavors shine as it’s not overly sweet. Plus, it will leave your kitchen smelling like your favorite bakery. Check out our guide on the best-flavored coffee for more.
