Last updated on October 30th, 2023 by Jules Winnfield
Keurig stands alone as one of the most popular ways to get a convenient hot cup of fresh coffee to start your day.
Amongst all of Keurig’s variations of coffee brewers, lies their line of compact single cup coffee makers, including the newest, the Keurig K Supreme.
Keurig K-Supreme
Overall
-
Performance - 9.6/10
9.6/10
-
Ease of Use/Maintenance - 9/10
9/10
-
Build & Quality - 7.9/10
7.9/10
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Design & Features - 9.4/10
9.4/10
-
User Satisfaction - 7.8/10
7.8/10
Final Verdict
The K-Supreme is single cup coffee maker with all the features you want: hot coffee fast, convenient, easy to use and easy to maintain; compact space saving, a customized brew from strong intense to iced and cool in a sizable water reservoir that can be repositioned. While the K-Supreme has durability and reliability issues to consider for a coffee maker at this price point, it may be a good fit for you.
But if you’re looking for a new brewer, should you consider the K-Supreme? Well it depends on your needs of course.
So in this quick Keurig K-Supreme review, we will help you decide the answer to that question. We will also break down the matchup and differences between the Keurig K-Supreme vs K-Supreme Plus vs SMART.
Want the quick summary?
We like the Keurig K Supreme as a great option for the coffee drinker who wants the flavor and performance of a full sized coffee machine but doesn’t want to give up the space for it. With this compact space saving single cup brewer you get a customized brew from strong intense to iced and cool, in a sizable water reservoir that can be positioned from side or the back.
And while the K-Supreme is a little pricier and still experiences durability issues like most Keurigs, the convenient tasty hot or cold cup of coffee it makes fast in the morning may very well be worth it.
Last update on 2024-04-26
What’s so special about the Keurig K-Supreme?
1. Multistream technology
Keurig has started rolling out their latest tech, the multistream technology to their most popular machines, including the K-Supreme. This is supposed to extract more flavor and aroma from each K-cup pod you brew.
Basically, it’s a set of five pins rather than just one, that pierce the K cup pod. This allows the water to flow for a more even saturation of the coffee grounds and thus a better extraction. Kind of like something you would get out of an automatic pour over coffee maker.
Even though it may sound like a gimmick, a lot of people have said the flavor improvement is very noticeable.
2. Strong brew and iced coffee option
Another cool feature is the K-Supreme can brew up a nice iced coffee. Sometimes you just need a cool refreshing iced caffeinated beverage in the middle of the day.
If so, the K-Supreme can handle it by first lowering the temperature of your brew as its dispensed into your cup of ice. Then secondly, brewing a more concentrated stronger coffee that can handle the dilution of the ice.
But upon further review, it looks like this is something you could probably replicate with any Keurig if you wanted. But it is a nice feature.
3. 66 oz. Dual position removable water reservoir
One of the coolest things about the K-Supreme is the increased capacity of the water reservoir. At 66 oz. not only can you make more coffee before having to refill, but it can be positioned either in the back or on the side. This gives you options for how you want to store it on your kitchen counter.
Pros and Cons to Consider
Ok let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the Keurig K-Supreme so you can easily determine if it’s the right coffee machine for you.
| Things We Like |
|---|
| Can make 6, 8, 10, or 12 oz. of coffee fast (2-4 minutes) |
| Uses K cup pods (lots of flavors to choose from!) |
| Multistream technology for more aromatic tasty brew |
| Can dispense hot water fast |
| Will work with My K cup universal reusable coffee filter (so you can use coffee grounds too!) |
| Strong brew option |
| Iced coffee option |
| 66 oz. dual position removable water reservoir |
| Lightweight (<5 lbs.) |
| Compact, space saving (6-8 in. wide, 12 in. tall, 12-15 in. deep) |
| Fairly quiet |
| Will fit taller mugs (up to 7 in.) |
| Maintenance reminders |
| Things We Don’t Like |
|---|
| Brews only a single serving at a time |
| May not brew the exact cup amount you specify |
| No auto off safety feature |
| May require more needle maintenance as coffee grounds get lodged in needles |
| Made of mostly plastic |
| May splash as it brews |
| Warranty only good for a year, and may only last that long |
| Doesn’t make specialty drinks |
| A little pricier than other single cup coffee makers |
| No special tech feature like programmable option or display screen |
What about the Keurig K-Supreme Plus?
Everything we mentioned above applies to the base K-Supreme and all the other versions. But whats the difference and should you consider the K-Supreme Plus? Here are its added benefits:
- More cup sizes: you have the option of making 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 oz. cups
- More customization of your brew: You get 3 strength settings for your coffee as well as 3 temperature settings to choose from.
- Programmable favorites: More than one person in your household with differing coffee palates? Then this feature lets you have 3 different flavor profiles automatically saved and ready to go.
- 78 oz. removable water reservoir: more tank space means less time filling your machine
- More user friendly: Comes with a digital display screen
- Better build: wrapped with a sheet of stainless steel covering, instead of plastic
What about the Keurig K-Supreme Plus SMART?
The K-Supreme Plus SMART includes all the features of the first 2 but stands out with these additional features:
- Brew ID
- Each K-Cup pod comes with a special ID code that your K-Supreme picks up to brew a specialized brew for optimum flavor and taste. The programed settings are based on the original roaster recommendations. It actually reminds us of a similar technology Nespresso uses for their espresso pods.
- Specialized app for custom settings
- The SMART app lets you virtually connect to your K-Supreme and customize settings like your brew style and when you want to brew. You can even order more K-cup pods before you run out via their Smart Auto Delivery feature. Your whole coffee life on your phone!
- Even MORE programmable favorites: save up to 10 different profiles!
- Even MORE customization of your brew: the SMART gives you a total of 5 different strength settings and 6 different water temperature settings. Over kill maybe?
- Auto shut off: Nice that the SMART has it, but would have preferred to see this in the base K-Supreme.
How to use it
The K-Supreme operates pretty much the same as any Keurig. We’ve talked about the specifics of operating a Keurig before.
But in general:
- Fill or top off the water reservoir (filtered water preferably)
- Place your favorite pod in to the receptacle and close
- Wait for lights to come on
- Place your mug in position
- Choose your cup size
- Choose if you want a strong brew or iced brew
- Press the center K button
- Wait a few minutes for your coffee to brew
- Enjoy!
Because of the multiple needles needed for the multistream technology, you may have to do more needle maintenance than you would for single needle Keurig machines.
This is in addition to regular descaling as needed. Descaling helps to minimize the mineral buildup which can affect the heating element and other internal parts. Consider running vinegar every couple of weeks and descaling solution every few months to keep your K-Supreme running smoother longer.
What customers are saying
For the most part, based on thousands of reviews, most people really love their Keurig K-Supreme for its hot fast delicious coffee, slim sleek design, and ease of use and maintenance.
However, some customers complained of exploding coffee pods and coffee grounds spilling out of the coffee maker. If this happens, then it may mean you need to clean out the needles.
Also some experienced splashing of coffee as the K-Supreme brews. And the durability issues are a common familiar complaint about Keurig coffee makers in general. The infamous descale light that comes on and never goes away seems to be related to a design flaw that locks up the system.
Final Verdict
The K-Supreme looks like a modern wonder on the countertop. And makes wonderful coffee too! It’s a single cup coffee maker with all the features you want: hot coffee fast, convenient, easy to use and easy to maintain. With this compact space saving single cup brewer you get a customized brew from strong intense to iced and cool, in a sizable water reservoir that can be positioned from side or the back.
But on the other hand, K-Supreme isn’t as durable and reliable as you would like for a coffee maker at this price point, and we really don’t like the lack of an auto shut off feature. We would have expected such an advanced coffee maker to come automatically with this basic feature.
Last update on 2024-04-26
So which K-Supreme should you buy?
If you’re the sole person in your household who drinks coffee and want to choose between hot and cold beverages, go with the K-Supreme.
If you’re very particular about your coffee and have more than one person who drinks coffee at home but you still like the space saving compact design of the K-Supreme, then go with the K-Supreme Plus. It’ll cost you an extra $40 or so but it may be worth it for the extra customization it brings to the table.
Last update on 2024-04-26
If you are a very nuanced coffee drinker and want the ultimate barista like control of your coffee drinking experience, then go with the K-Supreme Plus SMART. The various temperatures and brew strengths will make for exciting mornings as you experiment and discover the right balance of flavor and notes you are looking for. Or you can just rely on the roasters recommended brew settings and go from there.
Plus, the phone app will give you more control and customization then you are used to. So if you are a smart homes techy kind of person, and like having your coffee brewing in the palm of your hand, the $220 for this modern wonder may be worth it to you.
Last update on 2024-04-26
If neither of these work for you then consider other options from Keurig’s list of best single cup coffee makers.
Until then, hopefully this report helped you make a decision!
For more Keurig coffee makers to consider, check out our reviews on the
FAQ
Is the Keurig K-Supreme better?
When the Keurig K-Supreme is working, it is probably one of the best coffee makers you can find in terms of convenience, flavor, user friendliness, customization and tech features.
But personally, it seems that you will get the most bang for your buck by going with a classic sized Keurig, like the K-Select or K-Elite. For some reason the full size machines appear to perform better and last longer than the slimmer, space saving compact Keurigs. But if you don’t have the space then you may not have a choice.
Why did my Keurig K Supreme stop working?
The Keurig K-Supreme has been struggling as of late with many complaints of the machine dying suddenly and not working after only a few months. It seems to be related to a possible design flaw in the descaling process that causes the system to lock up. If your K-Supreme stops working, try calling Keurigs customer service for help. Hopefully you’re still in the warranty period.
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- About the Author
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“Jules” is a pharmacist by day and investor, writer, and health nut by night. When he’s not sipping on some coffee laced with MCT oil during an 18 hour fast, he is writing about how to get your coffee grind on or playing Monopoly with his 2 boys and wife. Ahh…life is good!