Say hello to the Keurig 2.0. I'll show you all of the features of the Keurig 2.0 K550 in this detailed review.
A few weeks ago, I had the most amazing time with the Keurig team in Los Angeles. As a sponsor of the 66th EMMYs, Keurig was able to attend the Red Carpet event and I was able to go with them! It was fantastic, and if you haven't checked out my EMMYs experience recap, you must! It just so happened that while we were there, Keurig unveiled their newest brewing system, the Keurig 2.0.
You're probably already familiar with Keurig, the world-wide industry leader in single-cup coffee brewing technology. Their brewers and K-cups are ideal for those wanting a perfect cup of coffee each and every time. There's no measuring and no guess work. You just fill your machine with water, pop in your K-cup, and press the button. That's it! A single serving of coffee (or tea, cocoa, or lemonade) is ready for you to enjoy in under a minute. Another fabulous thing about the Keurig system is that it allows for you and your spouse or houseguests to enjoy a variety of beverages. If you like flavored coffee, but your spouse doesn't, then you can each brew your favorite blend.
I had the opportunity to review the Keurig K45 Elite earlier this year, and although I loved it (and still do!), there are times when I want to brew more than just one cup of coffee. My husband and I each drink 2 cups of coffee every morning and that means we go through 4 K-cups a day. That's why I was overjoyed to learn about the Keurig 2.0.
Keurig 2.0 Review
I was sent a Keurig 2.0 K550 Brewing System (at no cost to facilitate this review) from the lovely people at Keurig and was thrilled when it arrived! I love, love, love coffee and couldn't wait to really try this machine out.
With the K550, you'll receive the Keurig brewer, a water filter kit (already installed in the water reservoir in this photo above), a carafe, and a sampling of K-Cups and K-Carafe packs. The Keurig 2.0 was designed to be simple and smart. It employs revolutionary technology that allows it to read the lid of each K-Cup or K-Carafe to brew the perfect beverage every time.
Let's take a look at this innovative new brewer first, since it has a lot of awesome new features. The Keurig 2.0 system comes in 3 models: the K350, the K450, and the K550. There are differences in their water reservoir sizes, the displays, and of course their prices. It's available in sleek black and with silver accents. There are also lovely decals you can add to customize your machine; they're available in Metallic Colors (that are gorgeous - hello, Cherry and Lagoon!) and Urban Textures.
The K550 has an impressive 80 ounce water reservoir. This is perfect for brewing multiple single serving cups of coffee or for brewing a full carafe or two. The K550's water reservoir can be filled by removing it from the side of the machine and filling it directly from your sink, or you can use the flip-top reservoir lid (LOVE this feature). As I mentioned before, the brewer also comes with a water filter that you should replace every two months for the best tasting coffee possible. New to this brewer is a customizable night light in the water reservoir. You can choose the color you prefer (blue is featured in the above photo, but you can pick blue, red, green, or white) and you can even set the time you want the light to turn on and off! Another fabulous feature of this brewer is that you can simply hold the Keurig 2.0 button down to get hot water on demand.
The Keurig 2.0 K550 comes with a 2.8 inch color, touch-screen display that's loaded with features. You can toggle through several screens to program the clock, set the timer for brewing coffee, change the nightlight color, and even customize the display screen wallpaper. I was in a "red mood", so that's the color I chose for my brewer's wallpaper. From the display screen you'll be able to select which single cup size you'd like to brew if there's a K-Cup in place, or how many ounces you'd like to brew if there's a K-Carafe in place; there are 10 brew sizes that range from 4 to 3o ounces. There's even a strength control setting for brewing bolder coffee if you prefer. There's also a "high altitude" setting if you live above 6,000 feet to lower the brew temperature for you. You can also choose your "favorite" settings so you don't have to reprogram the machine each time.
If you want to brew a single cup, you'll simply place your mug on the drip tray and get brewing. To brew a carafe, you'll just remove the drip tray and set it aside. You'll see that the carafe just fits into place. It's super easy and intuitive. One great thing to note is that you can brew your carafe with or without the carafe lid in place (just a handy FYI).
So how does your machine know whether to brew a single serving of coffee versus an entire carafe? I'm glad you asked!
This machine is so smart it can tell the difference between a K-Cup and a K-Carafe automatically. There's no settings to modify or fear that you'll forget to flip a switch and accidentally brew 4 cups of coffee into your small coffee mug. All you have to do is place the K-Cup or K-Carafe into the machine and it will adjust itself accordingly. The receptacle opening will adjust all on it's own to accommodate your K-Cup or K-Carafe.
Which K-Cups for the Keurig 2.0?
I mentioned before that the brewer reads the top of the lid in order to tell if it's a K-Cup or K-Carafe. This means that the cups need to be compatible with this machine in order for that to happen. You'll need to select Keurig brand K-Cups with the white ring around the edges and the black Keurig seal (older K-Cups just won't work unfortunately). Since K-Carafes are brand new, you won't have to worry about selecting certain ones, but you'll note that they have a colored dot around the black edge of their packaging.
UPDATE: You can now order a reusable K-cup for the Keurig 2.0! That means you can use your own coffee and simply refill them. I just ordered this 4-pack of reusable K-cups and they're working great!
Now, let's look at the K-Cups and K-Carafes. You'll notice the size difference. Of course, the K-Carafes needs to be larger because they hold enough grounds to brew up to 4 cups of coffee. One really cool feature of the K-Carafe is that the outer portion is recyclable! Just pull the filter and grounds away from the outer plastic shell and you can recycle it (and compost the filter/grounds). As a person who recycles every single shred of scrap paper and piece of plastic she can find, I'm totally thrilled about this.
With the Keurig 2.0 you'll be able to enjoy over 250 varieties of coffee, tea and specialty beverages from 40 different brands. Just be sure to look for that Keurig Brewed® seal on your favorite K-Cup pack (and the white ring along the outer edge) and K-Carafe pack varieties.
I've really been enjoying our new K550! I've brewed quite a few cups and have played around with all of the settings and can't believe how easy this machine is to use. It truly is so smart and so simple! We get an excellent cup or carafe of coffee every time - great tasting and at the perfect temperature. If you've been resistant to purchase a Keurig brewer because you drink multiple cups of coffee per day or want to be able to brew a carafe for entertaining, now is the time, thanks to the 4-cup carafe. You can brew one cup or multiples cups, all with just the touch of a button.
Check out my video review of the Keurig 2.0 here:
Buy it: You can purchase the Keurig 2.0 Brewing System for $149.99 t0 $199.99 on the Keurig website. You can also purchase on Amazon.com (see more coordinating products below)
Keurig K350 2.0 Brewing SystemKeurig K450 Brewing System, BlackKeurig K460 2.0 Brewing System, BlackKeurig 2.0 K-Carafe Reusable Replacement Coffee Filter for Keurig 2.0 Brewers2 Reusable KCups, 1 Reusable Carafe KCup and 3 Replacement Charcoal Water FiltersFill N Save 4 Pack Reusable K Cups
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Disclosure: I received the Keurig 2.0 K550 at no cost to facilitate this review. No compensation was received. Amazon links are affiliate links.
Rose Reeder says
I would like one for the convenience factor and easy to use.
Elia says
Oh my goodness!!! I want one!! That is so neat! I am putting this on my Christmas list for Santa because seriously I am in love. Thanks for the review!
Lindsey G says
I want, I mean NEED the Keurig 2.0! I love the all around look and really love the fact that I could make my single cup on most days, but still have the option of making more than 1 when we have family over!
Allie says
My father in law would love this! He likes to drink a couple cups in the morning so he doesn't use his single serve Keurig that often. This may be his Christmas gift now 🙂
Lisa Konieczke says
Love it! This is one I am very interested in. Sometimes its just me having a cup of coffee and sometimes my Mother and Sister in Laws come over and the K-carafe would be great for all of us. Great review!
Mare W says
I'm thrilled to read this review you just did for the new Keuring K550. We have the single cup brewer and really love it but have company often (a table of 6 to 10) and I'd love to be able to brew a whole carafe for those 4 who want coffee and then do the 2 cups of hot water for tea at the same machine! We've tried taking out the coffee cup part, rinsing it and then just brewing hot water but it still gets tainted with coffee taste for those who are wanting tea. We have an electric water pot so I use that instead. This looks like an awesome machine and will be on my Christmas list!
zackmann says
I can't comprehend why anyone would buy a 2.0 model that doesn't seem to give you the option of making you own fresh ground coffee or by other brands k-cup some of wich have both less waste and a reasonable price. I am glad I read some of the Costco reviews before buying a new product that doesn't let me make my own coffee.
Ruth V. says
I think that's definitely a valid concern for a lot of people. I really like the convenience and flavors of the Keurig branded K-cups so that's not a huge issue for me.
Irene @ FindAuPair says
This machine has so many features. It's very useful that you can set a timer for brewing coffee.
Tim Goyer says
DRM on a coffeemaker? Are you kidding me? This "version" is ridiculous.