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Keurig K50 vs. K55

Keurig K50 vs the Keurig K55

Hello coffee fans! We are back with another Keurig coffee breakdown where we compare and help you decide between the Keurig K50 vs the Keurig K55. We know how important the decision of your home brewing system is. There is a significant financial investment - but also an emotional decision involved. Your daily coffee ritual is not something to be taken lightly. The culture that surrounds coffee has such a special place is so many peoples hearts and schedules. That being said, when you are investing into a home brewing system we want to make sure you have all the information possible to make the most informed decision. We are going to talk through some of the similarities and differences between these two machine, and help you decide what the better option is for you.

The first things to consider: what are you looking for in a home brewing system? Do you drink coffee black, cold brew year round, coffee with milk or even a daily latte? How do you and your roommates, significant others and fellow coffee consumers like their brew? Next, you want to dive into the different brands and all of their models. Keurig machines have so many different bells and whistles now-a-days including, sporting larger water reservoir's, milk frothers, custom temperatures and even custom brewing preferences. This classic coffee maker has come a long, long way since the first model!

Keurig is a great place to start and today we are comparing the Keurig K50 vs the Keurig K55. Check out our breakdown below to help make your decision a little easier. If you have any questions, shoot us an email and let us know! We are fellow coffee fans who would absolutely love to point you in the right direction.

SIMILARTIES

When it comes to the Keurig K50 vs the Keurig K55 they are both excellent entry level coffee machines. Both models are popular across the country and even globe. As single k-cup pod brewing systems, you'll need to buy the pods separately and note that they are one-time use. Bed Bath & Beyond sells a stainless steel, reusable pod (for our eco-conscious followers out there). This improves any environmental issues you may have with using a plastic pod and allows you to blend & brew your own flavors. Winning! When you're brewing with a reusable pod, you're also able to customize your coffee with limitless possibilities.

Neither the Keurig K50 vs the Keurig K55 have LCD displays. The pro in this scenario is that they are easy to use. If you are trying to just pop a pod in, click brew and be on your way, either of these machines are good for you. The con being that there is way less customization, which isn't ideal if you are fussy about your coffee and exactly how it is brewed. But if you're not as picky about customization, the Keurig K50 and the Keurig K55 may be right for you!

Now onto brewing temps. Both the Keurig K50 vs the Keurig K55 brew at 89°C. The positive here is consistency. Your coffee will taste hot, fresh and tasty with every brew. That being said, again there is no customization. So, if you're craving a more intense flavor of say a french press or a drip coffee, these machines might not be the best choice.

  • Side note - what is drip coffee? Drip coffee describes a technique where hot water covers the coffee grounds in an even process, extracting a bold, full-bodied flavor. A rich multitude of notes and flavors of the beans come out and stand strong.

When it comes to saving time, both Keurig machines are popular options. The brew time is between one and one and a half minutes. French press, pour over and drip coffee makers take a lot longer (closer to 20 minutes by the time the water heats, clean up etc). So, a Keurig is ideal for people who need a quick, efficient morning routine. The only thing you'll have to think about is which coffee you're going to make and which mug to brew it in.

Both the Keurig K50 and the Keurig K55 have 6 oz, 8oz, 10oz options. What does that even mean? We're so glad you asked! A standard coffee mug will hold about 8oz of coffee with room for milk, cream and/or sugar. If you have a larger coffee mug, the 10oz setting will still leave room to add milk and sugar too. The 6oz setting will brew about the same amount as your average tea cup. So, for example you might like to start your day with a 10oz coffee and enjoy a 6oz coffee in the afternoon.

Now - a total bonus function! Both machines brew coffee (of course) but now have the capability to brew tea, hot cocoa, other specialty drinks and even iced beverages! These features are available on many Keurig models and not limited to the K50 and K55. And, in case you're wondering, all of the bonus drinks are just as easy to make as the k-cup coffee pods. Simply pop in a pod, select your beverage size and let it brew! The water comes from the same reservoir and brews your tea, cocoa and other specialties to perfection!

A lot of old school coffee machines and even older Keurig models did not have the same large water reservoirs that they do today. Both the Keurig K50 and the Keurig K55 have a removable 48 oz. water reservoir. This allows you to carefully fill up the reservoir at your sink rather than filling up the machine and spilling all over your counter. You should also note that having a larger reservoir saves quite a bit of time throughout the course of the week. Meaning that depending on how many ounces you brew daily, you may only need to fill it up once a week!

When it comes to cleaning either machine, it's pretty simple. You can read about how to de-scale a Keurig machine here.

Lastly, in terms of similarities between the Keurig K50 vs the Keurig K55, they both have a programmable auto off feature as well as a removable drip tray. Although both of these features are very common in k-cup brewing machines, we wanted to mention it to you again for your notes.

WHERE THEY DIFFER 

If (smaller) size matters, the Keurig K50 is for you. All kidding aside - it is lighter by a few pounds and ever so slightly shorter in height making it the more compact machine of the two. So for those of you that are living in an apartment or smaller home and your kitchen lacks counter space, the K50 is for you. Since the overall function of both machines is so similar, the smaller size of the Keurig K50 may be the biggest differentiator.

When you are comparing the Keurig K50 vs the Keurig K55 from customer reviews, it seems like the Keurig K50 does breakdown more. We did a little reading on Amazon and from what we were able to find, it seems like the Keurig K55 had better reviews and less complaints. That said, make sure to do your own research ahead of time to understand the ins and outs of this investment.

Okay, let's move on. The Keurig K55 has it's own pros and cons along with bells and whistles. 

If (larger) size matters, the Keurig K55 might be better? Kidding, kidding! This machine is a few pounds heavier and a bit taller in height. Does this height and weight difference have an impact on the quality of coffee brewed? Nope, it's more or less just a personal preference. If you're living in a smaller apartment (like most of us are in NYC), the K50 might be slightly better. If you have a kitchen with some room to spare, then the K55 might work for you (not that you'll be moving the machine around on a daily basis but you get the idea here).

The Keurig K55 is an Amazon #1 best seller for this level of single serve brewer. Bonus feature - the K55 also clocks in a few dollars cheaper on Amazon and other sites that sell the brand! We're not sure why this model is cheaper than similar models, but being the #1 seller on Amazon, this screams credibility!  

For our design forward customers the Keurig K55 comes in a multitude of colors––thank goodness! It's sold in black, blue, red, white. The Keurig K50 only comes in black, which was a common complaint in the customer reviews. Customers like to have options for their kitchen appliances and who can blame them? The K55 has four colors choices to compliment any kitchen aesthetic from classic, contemporary, country or modern chic!

The Keurig K55 also has one more major advantage when it comes to home brewing systems: a descaling feature. This is an important part of cleaning your Keurig brewer. Naturally, with any coffee machine use, calcium deposits will build up and potentially effect the machine's ability to brew properly. The descaling feature works to remove calcium deposits (or scale the machine) and remove anything that can build up inside the Keurig K55 over time. For more information about this, please feel free to email us anytime or checkout this video!

In summary, if we were to decide between the K50 vs K55, we'd probably have to go with the Keurig K55. This machine has better overall customer reviews and demonstrates higher satisfaction ratings. We also love that the K55 comes in a bunch of fun colors and not to mention - the awesome descaling feature. It's a win, win.

Also, if you ever run into a problem with your Keurig machine, check out Troubleshooting Ideas and Keurig Coffee Maker Problems.