Nespresso vs Keurig | Which Single-Serve Coffee Maker is Best?
Shopping for a new single-serve coffee maker?
If you’re a coffee or tea drinker, you’ve likely seen the popular single-serve coffee makers that have been on the market since the early 1990s. But, it’s definitely a battle of the brands between Nespresso vs Keurig. Which machine makes the best coffee? Which coffee maker has the most features? How much will it cost to restock the coffee pods or capsules?
Keep in mind, the end result from both machines is different—the Nespresso brews espresso and the Keurig brews coffee.
Espresso is stronger and bolder, which is why in its purest form, it traditionally onlinees in a small cup. Anytime you go beyond for a larger size, water is added for an Americano style or steamed milk is added for a latte.
Meanwhile, coffee is what many Americans are accustomed to drinking. Because of the size variations that can be selected on a Keurig, the brew will be its strongest in the smallest size, while the large sizes may be very slightly diluted. However, certain machines have a “Strong” brew button to offset this.
Let’s take a deep dive into both machines below!
Let’s start with Keurig.
Keurig is a part of the third-largest beverage onlinepany in North America, Keurig Dr. Pepper (formerly Green Mountain Coffee Roasters). This conglomerate began by marketing its products for office use but eventually expanded into the household sector where they’re a popular choice for coffee drinkers today.
Keurig machines onlinee in over 60 different models, so whatever your coffee-brewing needs are, there is basically something for everyone. Let’s look at 5 of the top Keurig Brewer models available on the market!
Check out the top 5 Keurig machines.
Note that the prices mentioned in this post were accurate at the time of posting.
1. Keurig K-Duo Plus
Keurig’s newest model, the K-Duo Plus Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker, retails for $229.99 and is the perfect brewer for any occasion. This versatile brewer is the best of both worlds, using both K-Cup pods and ground coffee to brew a cup and a carafe of your favorite varieties!
Features:
-
- Brews a 6, 8, 10, or 12-cup thermal carafe or 6, 8, 10, or 12oz single cup
- 60oz multi-position water reservoir
- Can use ground coffee or K-Cup pods
- Strong brew for a bolder, more intense single cup
- Programmable
- Pause & Pour feature
- Gold-tone mesh filter included
Where to buy:
-
- Amazon | $199.99
- Bed Bath & Beyond | $183.99 (if you have a 20% off MyOffers coupon)
- Costco | $199.99 (includes 12ct K-Cups & 2 water filters with handle)
- Best Buy | $229.99
- Keurig | $229.99
- Target | $229.99
- Walmart | $229.99
2. Keurig K-Elite
One of the newest Keurig single-serve coffee makers, the Keurig K-Elite Single-Serve Brewer, blends a premium finish and programmable features to deliver both modern design and the ultimate in beverage customization.
Features:
-
- Brews 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12oz of your favorite coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or iced beverage
- 75oz removable water reservoir
- Features Strong Brew for a bolder cup of coffee and an Iced button to brew hot over ice
- Provides hot water on demand for instant soups and oatmeal
- Less than one minute brew time for freshly brewed coffee
- Programmable on/off feature as an energy saver
Where to buy:
-
- Amazon | $144
- Bed Bath & Beyond | $135.99 (if you have a 20% off MyOffers coupon)
- Costco | $124.99 (K-Elite C model; includes 15ct K-Cups & My K-Cup reusable coffee filter)
- Best Buy | $169.99
- Keurig | $169.99
- Target | $169.99
- Walmart | $143.95-$169.99
3. Keurig K-Select
The Keurig K-Select Single-Serve Brewer onlinebines sleek design and simple button controls to help you brew your perfect cup every time. With not a lot of bells and whistles, this model is simple and easy to use.
Features:
-
- Brews 6, 8, 10, or 12 ounces of your favorite beverage
- 52oz water reservoir
- Features Strong Brew for a bolder cup of coffee
- Less than one minute brew time for freshly brewed coffee
- Quiet Brew Technology feature minimizes noise during use
Where to buy:
-
- Amazon | $122
- Bed Bath & Beyond | $103.99 (if you have a 20% off MyOffers coupon)
- Best Buy | $129.99
- Keurig | $129.99
- Target | $129.99
- Walmart | $129.99
4. Keurig K-Classic
The K-Classic Single Serve Coffee Maker is the simplest, most affordable Keurig model. It brews a perfect cup of coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or iced beverage in under one minute. With the choice of several cup sizes, the K50 brewer offers a removable drip tray to aconlinemodate travel mugs.
Features:
-
- Brews 6, 8, and 10 ounces of your favorite coffee, tea, hot cocoa, specialty, and iced beverage
- Removable 48oz water reservoir
- Always ready and brews in under a minute
- Programmable Auto-Off feature
- Indicator lights
- Removable drip tray
Where to buy:
5. Keurig K-Café
With the new K-Café Special Edition Single Serve Coffee, Latte, Cappuccino Maker, every house can be a coffeehouse. Brew your favorite coffee or make creamy lattes and frothy cappuccinos using any K-Cup pod – all from one effortlessly simple-to-use brewer.
Features:
-
- Brews 6, 8, 10, or 12 ounces of your favorite beverage
- 60oz water reservoir
- Use any K-Cup pod to brew coffee, or make delicious lattes and cappuccinos
- Press the SHOT button to brew a concentrated shot of coffee from your favorite K-Cup pod
- Froth fresh milk with the dishwasher-safe frother, including skim, soy, and almond
- Features Strong Brew option for a bolder cup of coffee
Where to buy:
-
- Amazon | $129.99
- Bed Bath & Beyond | $175.99 (if you have a 20% off MyOffers coupon)
- Best Buy | $219.99
- Keurig | $219.99
- Target | $219.99
What about the Pods?
Keurig’s K-Cup pods are fairly inexpensive and go on sale often at retailers like Amazon, Costco, Sam’s Club, Target, and Walmart – with prices as low as 20¢ per serving!
There are so many choices, too! Keurig partners with many different brands to produce their K-Cup pods and there are also many other brands that sell their own K-Cup pods that work in any Keurig machine. This variety gives coffee drinkers an expansive number of brewing options!
Here are just a few brands of K-Cup pods:
-
- Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (Keurig brand)
- The Original Donut Shop (Keurig brand)
- Peet’s Coffee (Keurig brand)
- Caribou Coffee (Keurig brand)
- Tully’s Coffee (Keurig brand)
- Starbucks
- Dunkin’ Donuts
- Folgers
- Amazon’s Solimo
- Newman’s Own
- and so many others!
Can K-Cup pods be recycled?
Yes! At this time, select K-Cup pods can be recycled. You can find recyclable K-Cup #5 Plastic Pods by looking for the green recyclable symbol on the box at the store. Keurig plans to have all pods be recyclable by the end of 2020. Head on over to Keurig.online for all the details.
What do Hip2Save team members think of their Keurig?
I have a small Keurig and I love it! I’m the only one in my house that drinks coffee so it just made sense to go with something smaller and free up some counter space. I buy ground coffee and fill these handy reusable k-cups. After use, I give them a rinse or a run through the dishwasher and they’re good to go! I can’t drink more than a cup of coffee so the single-serve brewer situation just made sense for me. -Cass
I have the Keurig K-Café and LOVE it! It is very easy to use and it makes awesome foam in just 30 about seconds. I love latte’s and my husband loves coffee and this has both! -Jessica
I own a Keurig and LOVE it. I drink one cup a day and it prevents any waste and additional costs. I purchase coffee beans, grind them, and put in the reusable pods. They rinse and wash easily. I purchased my Keurig from Walmart during a sale for around $50 (regularly $129)…well worth the investment! I also drink tea using the hot water from it all of the time. -Irene
Now, let’s look at Nespresso!
Nespresso is a Switzerland-based line of the Nestlé onlinepany that brings luxury coffee and espresso machines straight from the café and into your kitchen. They produce their own line of pod espresso machines and also partner with other onlinepanies like De’Longhi and Breville.
A Nespresso machine can make barista-quality espresso at home. But which model is right for you? Read on.
Wondering which Nespresso model is right for you?
When shopping for a Nespresso machine, you will onlinee across two “lines” of brewers – the OriginalLine and the VertuoLine. The Original line machines use a 19 bar high-performance pump that brews a hotter beverage for a lower cost per pod – so you get barista-style coffee every time.
However, the newer Vertuo line machines extract your beverage through their unique Centrifusion technology. When activated, the capsule spins up to 7,000 rotations per minute, blending ground coffee with water and producing the perfect crema to enjoy quality coffee in larger cup sizes.
Note that while this technology produces more cream, it may result in an espresso that isn’t as hot.
Check out 5 of the top Nespresso machines:
Note that the prices mentioned in this post were accurate at the time of posting.
1. Nespresso Vertuo
The Nespresso Vertuo Coffee and Espresso Maker lets you make coffee, crema, espresso, lattes, or cappuccinos with the push of a button. It is a great option for someone who wants to enjoy a variety of coffee shop beverages at home. This machine includes a 40-ounce water reservoir and a clever auto-shutoff feature. Plus, it can eject capsules after brewing, making clean-up a breeze.
Features:
-
- From the VertuoLine
- Features dual capsules for brewing either espresso or coffee with Centrifusion technology
- Brews 1.35oz espresso, 2.7oz double espresso, 5oz Gran Lungo, 8oz coffee, and 14oz Alto
- Movable cup support to aconlinemodate tall recipe glasses
- Automatic ejection of capsules for easy disposal
- 40oz capacity water tank
- Heat-up time as fast as 15 seconds
- Energy-saving automatic off after 9 minutes
Where to buy:
-
- Amazon | $159.89
- Bed Bath & Beyond | $139.99 (if you have a 20% off MyOffers coupon; bundle includes Aeroccino milk frother)
- Nespresso | $199
- Target | $199.99
2. Nespresso VertuoPlus
The Nespresso VertuoPlus is Nespresso’s newest design for the ultimate brewing experience. Offering five cup sizes at the touch of a button, the VertuoPlus is a versatile brewing machine to satisfy all your coffee needs. It conveniently brews five different sizes using Centrifusion technology, a patented extraction technology developed by Nespresso.
Plus, the machine delivers optimal in-cup results for each blend using capsule-specific brewing with barcode reading. You can be assured that Nespresso didn’t leave anything out of this machine!
Features:
-
- From the VertuoLine
- Features dual capsules for brewing either espresso or coffee with Centrifusion technology
- Brews 1.35oz espresso, 2.7oz double espresso, 5oz Gran Lungo, 8oz coffee, and 14oz Alto
- Movable cup support to aconlinemodate tall recipe glasses
- Automatic ejection of capsules for easy disposal
- 37.1oz removable water tank
- Heat-up time as fast as 20 seconds
- Energy-saving automatic shut-off after 9 minutes
Where to buy:
-
- Amazon | $137.81
- Bed Bath & Beyond | $100.79 (if you have a 20% off MyOffers coupon; red model)
- Best Buy | $166.99
- Nespresso | $179
- Target | $199
3. Nespresso CitiZ
The Nespresso CitiZ single-serve espresso system provides convenience and simplicity and pleases both coffee drinkers and design lovers with its premium finish. The CitiZ machine’s small profile fits into any kitchen space!
Features:
-
- From the Original line (only uses original Nespresso capsules)
- Two programmable buttons with automatic flow-stop for Espresso and Lungo coffee preparations
- 33oz removable water tank
- Energy-saving automatic shut-off after 9 minutes
- Manual Capsule insertion and ejection
- Fast heat-up system reaches the ideal temperature in 25 seconds
- 19 bar high-performance pump system
- Used capsule container capacity: 9
Where to buy:
-
- Amazon | $174.99 (red model)
- Bed Bath & Beyond | $201.99 (includes Aeroccino milk frother; coupons not applicable)
- Bed Bath & Beyond | $199.99 (machine only; price if you have a 20% off MyOffers coupon)
- Best Buy | $249.99
- Nespresso | $249
- Walmart | $214.99
4. Nespresso Latissima Pro
The Nespresso Latissima Pro is a premium, high-end choice, but onlinebines all the features of a great espresso machine and milk frother with its one-touch system. Its advanced technology and intuitive touchscreen allow you to enjoy amazing cappuccinos or lattes at the touch of a button.
Features:
-
- From the Original line
- Brew ristretto, espresso, lungo, cappuccino, and latte macchiatos
- 44oz removable water tank
- Built-in milk frother
- Cable storage
- Automatic off mode after 9 minutes
- Folding drip tray for Latte Macchiato glass
- Descaling alert
- 19 bar high-performance pump system
- 7 programmable buttons
- Programmable water hardness setting – Soft, Medium, Hard
Where to buy:
-
- Amazon | $408.58
- Bed Bath & Beyond | $479.99 (if you have a 20% off MyOffers coupon)
- Best Buy | $599
- Nespresso | $599
5. Nespresso Creatista Plus
Like to be creative with your coffee? The high-end Nespresso Creatista Plus allows you to easily create an authentic, top-quality Latte Art coffee at home. You can texture milk to the selected temperature and style for unique coffee creations and milk-based recipes – from silky smooth latte to creamy cappuccino.
Features:
-
- From the Original line
- Steampipe for milk frothing
- 50.7oz removable water tank
- Descaling alert and alarm
- Electronic setting of milk foam
- Option to program cup sizes
- 3-second heat-up time
- Sliding drip tray allowing any size of cup including mugs
- 19 bar high-performance pump system
Where to buy:
-
- Amazon | $498
- Bed Bath & Beyond | $479.99 (if you have a 20% off MyOffers coupon)
- Best Buy | $508.99
- Nespresso | $599
What about the Capsules?
Purchasing a Nespresso machine from the OrignalLine or the VertuoLine will determine the size and type of capsule or pod that you must purchase for your machine. The OriginalLine uses the smaller capsules whereas the newer VertuoLine uses the larger, pricier capsules, yielding in a bigger cup of coffee.
Nespresso’s capsules cost quite a bit more than K-Cups (as much as $1.35/serving for the VertuoLine pods), but they’re still cheaper than going to a coffee shop. Depending on the machine you buy, you can even get the new Starbucks by Nespresso capsules for as low as $0.72 per serving.
One of the best places to save on Nespresso capsules is on Amazon, but you can also find them at Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, and other retailers. You can also purchase onlinepatible pods like Gourmesso, Bestpresso, Peet’s, and others. Or, save money by using reusable capsules, like the SealPod, that allows you to fill it with your favorite coffee.
Can Nespresso capsules be recycled?
Yes! ALL Nespresso capsules are made from aluminum and can be recycled. Just bring your used capsules to any one of their collection points, drop them off at your nearest Nespresso store or waste collection center, or fill your recycling bag with used capsules and give it to the post person when they next deliver your order. Head on over to Nespresso.online for all the details.
What does Hip2Save sidekick Lina think of her Nespresso?
I got the Breville Nespresso Vertuo for Christmas and love it! Having a simple one-button pod-based espresso maker is a plus for me. My machine is so easy to use! The results I get from the Nespresso is a super frothy and creamy cup of Joe – similar to a coffee shop Americano espresso drink that I like to order. You can take things even further with the heated frother my machine came with to make lattes, or just add a bit of cream…and then it’s like, Starbuck’s who?!
Even though the pods are pricey, I feel like I am spending much less than at a coffee shop. In fact, I haven’t been to Starbucks since I started using my Nespresso! I’m basically obsessed with my Nespresso, with how easy it is to operate, and the frothy coffee goodness it puts out! I only drink 1 or 2 cups a day – but I look forward to it so much now! -Lina
SO, Nespresso vs Keurig… who wins?
You may not like this answer to who wins the battle between Nespresso vs Keurig, but it really depends on your preference and coffee needs. Keurig’s single-serve coffee makers offer a huge variety of beverages to choose from while Nespresso’s machines make barista-quality coffees that are rich and frothy.
If you’re looking to take your coffee to the next level and don’t necessarily have a coffee budget or care if your coffee is always piping hot, a Nespresso may be for you!
However, if you live in a larger household or just need a coffee maker for the office and don’t really care about crafting fancy coffees, a Keurig may be better at fulfilling everyone’s coffee demands.
So there you have it! Which do you prefer- Nespresso or Keurig?
Looking for cheaper single-serve alternatives?
While it is a little harder to find a onlineparable single-serve coffee machine to Nespresso, there are a few out there. Check out these alternatives to Keurig or Nespresso that you can find on Amazon.
Nespresso alternatives:
-
- Best Choice Products | $73
- Mixpresso | $66
- Sparkn Pro Espresso Machine | $92 (when you clip the 5% off coupon)
Keurig alternatives:
-
- Hamilton Beach | starting at $40
- Mueller | $75 (when you clip the 5% off coupon)
- Sboly | $49.95 (when you clip the $10 coupon)
Happy brewing! ☕️