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We are going to review the Keurig K-Duo vs. K-Duo essentials just in case you are on the market for a carafe brewer.
Finding a suitable coffee maker for your home and your family can be tricky as you don’t want to buy what you don’t need, nor do you want to purchase something inadequate.
These two coffee makers have some similarities and a few differences. Let’s take a closer look.
The question of which one of these coffee makers is the best is not as straightforward as it seems. Let us explain.
The Keurig K Duo has additional features such as a strong brew option, carafe auto brew option, and brews more cup sizes than the Keurig K Duo Essentials.
With all of these additional features, one would think it is easily the best buy, but let’s talk about price. The Keurig K Duo Essentials still has all the features that you need to brew a decent cup of coffee or carafe and it is cheaper than the Keurig K Duo.
With this significant price difference, you now have to ask yourself if the price difference is worth the difference in features.
Your answer to that question should determine for you which one is the best. For us, the Keurig K Duo is the better brewer, however, the Keurig K Duo Essentials is the better buy.
Table of Contents
Quick Comparison: Keurig K- Duo vs K- Duo Essentials
Keurig K-Duo
- 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 oz. cup
- Programmable
- 60 oz. Reservoir
Keurig K-Duo Essentials
- 8, 10, or 12 oz. cup
- No Programmable feature
- 60 oz. Reservoir
What is the difference between the Keurig K Duo and K-Duo Essentials?
Programmable Carafe Auto-brew
The Keurig K Duo has a feature that allows you to program the machine to brew to its carafe from up to 24 hours in advance. The Keurig K Duo Essentials does not have this feature, unfortunately.
Brew sizes
The Keurig K Duo can brew more cup sizes than the Keurig K Duo Essentials. They both can brew to 8, 10, and 12 oz cups, but the Keurig K Duo can also brew to an additional 6 oz.
Strong Brew
If you are in the mood for a stronger cup of coffee, you can select the strong brew option on the Keurig K Duo. Unfortunately, this option is not available on the Keurig K Duo Essentials.
Size and Weight
The Keurig K Duo Essentials is slightly bulkier than the Keurig K Duo. On the other hand, the Keurig K Duo is a little heavier than the Keurig K Duo Essentials.
Price
Due to the added features included in the Keurig K Duo, it is priced more than the Keurig K Duo Essentials.
Design
The Keurig K Duo Essentials, in our opinion, is not as clean-cut as the Keurig K Duo. The Keurig K Duo Essentials has its button controls to the machine’s right side, while the Keurig K Duo has its buttons right above the pod holder.
What are the similarities?
Carafe
Both the Keurig K Duo and the Keurig K Duo Essentials can brew directly to a 12-cup carafe.
Color
Unfortunately, if you want to get the devices in colors other than the black, you are out of luck. Both of these coffee makers are only available in black.
Pause and Pour
Not Everyone likes to wait for the full carafe to finish brewing, so Keurig designed these machines with a pause and pour feature. This feature allows you to pause carafe brewing for up to 20 seconds and then pour directly from the carafe.
Reservoir
The Keurig K Duo and K Duo Essentials both have a 60 oz removable water reservoir that services both the carafe and the single-serve brewer.
Simple Controls
You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure these devices out. Both of these Keurig machines have simple controls that you will use to brew the perfect cup.
Travel Mug
If you need to brew to a travel mug directly, do not worry. You can brew to a travel mug up to 7″ high from both the Keurig K Duo and K Duo Essentials.
Energy Efficient
These coffee makers were designed to help save energy. They will turn off the brewer shortly after your last cup, and your heating plate will turn off 2 hours after your last carafe brew.
Smart Start
The Keurig K Duo and the Keurig K Duo Essentials will both eat and brew in one process, so you don’t have to wait before selecting your cup size.
The K Duo Essentials is basically a scaled-down version of the K Duo. The K Duo Essentials is a dual-purpose coffee maker that can brew to both a carafe and cups.
With the Keurig K Duo Essentials, you can brew from K-Cup pods or ground coffee.
This Keurig coffee maker comes with a single 60 oz water reservoir is that is shared between the single-serve brewer and the carafe.
While brewing your coffee to the carafe, if you wish to pour a cup, you can use the pause and pour feature.
If you have ingredients for a beverage that isn’t included in a K cup, the Keurig K Duo Essentials is compatible with the My K-cup Universal reusable coffee filter. This energy-efficient device is also travel mug friendly, so you can brew directly to your travel mug if the mug is 7″ or shorter.
PROS
- Much cheaper than the Keurig K Duo.
- Brews to both carafe and cups
- Energy-efficient coffee maker
CONS
- No strong brew option
- Cannot be programmed to start brewing in advance
FAQ
How often should I clean my Keurig K Duo Essentials
It is recommended that you do this every three to six months
Can I brew tea in the Keurig K Duo Essentials?
Sure, you can use any K-Cup with the machine
What colors is the Keurig K Duo available in?
It is available in black.
The Keurig K Duo is a single-serve coffee maker that also brews to a carafe. This means that it is perfect if you want to brew a single cup for yourself or if you’re going to brew multiple cups for friends and family.
The Keurig K Duo is equipped with a 60 oz water reservoir so you can brew multiple times before needing to refill.
Its carafe sits on top of a hot plate that can keep your coffee warm up to 2 hours. If you wish to pour a cup before the carafe is finished brewing, you can use the pause and pour feature to do so.
This Keurig machine also comes with a strong brew feature that makes a stronger cup of coffee than normal.
You can program the device up to 24 hours in advance to brew to the carafe so you can get your coffee when you need it without waiting.
Because of its compatibility with the universal reusable my K-Cup coffee filter, you can brew from your own coffee grounds.
In addition to this, it is also compatible with a Gold Tone Mesh Filter that can be used for brewing to the carafe.
PROS
- Strong brew option available, unlike the Keurig K Duo Essentials
- Unlike the Keurig K Duo Essentials, it can be programmed in advance
- Can brew to more cup sizes than the Keurig K Duo Essentials
CONS
- A lot more expensive than the Keurig K Duo Essentials
- No cold brew option
- Limited color options
FAQ
Can I only brew from the Keurig K Cup pods?
You can brew from any K Cup pod, but Keurig recommends that you use theirs for the best tase.
Can I use the My K-Cup Universal Reusable Coffee Filter with the Keurig K-Duo?
Yes, it is compatible.
Conclusion
We have the Keurig K Duo as the better device of the two. Even though the Keurig K Duo is more expensive than the Keurig K Duo Essentials, it has more features.
The Keurig K Duo is basically an upscaled version of the Keurig K Duo Essentials. It has additional features such as a strong brew option, and you can program it to brew in advance. On top of all of this, the Keurig K Duo is more aesthetically appealing.
