The Keurig K-Plus Duo marks a departure from the single-serve coffee makers of the past. In previous reviews in the category, much of our coverage exclusively dealt with brewers that deliver a single hot cup of coffee. With the flexibility of a full-size carafe and multiple cup sizes, the K-Duo Plus provides more value than many other brewers in the single-serve coffee category.

Included in the K-Plus Duo is the brewing machine, a 12 cup thermal carafe, mesh reusable coffee filter and 12 cup capacity water reservoir with water filter. Absent from this machine is a milk frother, coffee grinder and single-serve mug, but these are not givens in this category. There is no replacement water filter or reusable single-serve cup (i.e. my K-CUP®). The brewer itself measures ‎40.34 x 19.51 x 37.85 cm and weighs in (empty) at 7.3 kilograms. This machine supports programmed and on-demand brewing in addition to brews of sizes of 6, 8, 10, or 12-cups (carafe) or 6, 8, 10, or 12 oz. (single serve).

Setup

Setting up the K-Plus Duo for first use only takes a few minutes. It would take a layperson not much more than five minutes to get everything out of the box and ready to brew from unboxing to set up.

The multi-positional water reservoir can be easily manipulated to one of three positions (right side, rear or left side) and easily adjusted depending on your setup location. This makes it much more convenient to adjust the device to fit tight kitchen areas where space could be premium.

Preparing for a first brew is just like every other brew with the machine. Unless you use the included water filter, there are no special functions or requirements to undertake prior to first use. If you use the included water filter, it must be soaked then rinsed a few times to clear any packaging particles. But then you’re ready to brew.

Design and Build Quality

One of the things that we pay attention to with single-serve brewers is the choice of materials in the machine’s construction. This machine is primarily constructed with durable plastic components, but these components, particularly with heavier usage, begin to show signs of wear. Of note was the K-Cup basket insert, whose clips began to soften. That being said, despite the device being almost entirely built from plastic, it held up remarkably well, but we would prefer higher quality materials in a machine entering into this price range.

Operation and Use

To make a single-serve cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate is very simple. You begin by turning on the machine, selecting the brew type (pod or carafe), selecting the cup size, inserting the pod and pressing the brew button. Honestly, the operation could get much simpler. The programmed brewing options allows you to pre-program the brew cycle up to 24hrs in advance and

Brew Quality

The K-Plus Duo will not win awards from aficionados but will brew you a hot cup of coffee quickly. For several years, other outlets and we have reported that coffee from this brewer is consistently under-extracted, leading to sometimes overly bland/flat coffee. While this doesn’t lead to the coffee being unpalatable, it does leave a lot to be desired when it comes to depth of flavour.

In our reviews of brewers like the Nespresso Vertuo Line series, we experienced much more full-flavoured coffees and were able to distinguish blends of coffee more readily. Compared with this machine, Nespresso machines generally take longer to brew but are much more thoroughly extracted and full of flavour.

Features

This machine does not have many extra frills, but the basics are all there. There is no Wifi, no Bluetooth and has no custom brew settings. There is no milk frother, no milk attachment, but you can purchase a Keurig milk frother separately. The machine does offer timed brewing but only allows you to schedule brewing within 24 hours.

There is a button labelled as “strong” on the top of the brewer to intensify the brew strength. We strongly recommend using this feature at all times to improve extraction and coffee flavour.

As mentioned previously, this brewer does do both single-serve cups and full-size carafes. Brewing full-size carafes is a pleasurable experience, and the thermal insulated carafe keeps coffee warm for more than 2 hours after brewing.

Brand Reputation

Keurig has been manufacturing brewers since 1992. The company has changed hands a few times and is owned by Keurig Dr. Pepper. The brand is the third-largest beverage company in North America and boasts an unlisted A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. The company has had its share of public follies, most notably with its K2.0 brewers, which were inevitably axed. As a whole, the company is a well-established and generally well like company with a good reputation.

Verdict

We recommend this machine to current Keurig customers and loyalists because it opens more flexibility where other models have lacked. Coffee aficionados should give all Keurig machines a miss, but less decerning customers will find this machine does just well. This is the most viable brewer from Keurig at this time.