Keurig K-Duo Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker review: get the best of both worlds each morning

As a coffee enthusiast, I know how important it is to have an easy-to-use, quality coffee machine at home. Yes, I do like a cold brew from Starbucks every once in a while, however, that can quickly add up. That said, there are coffee makers out there suitable for in-home use like the Keurig. I’ve been using a Keurig for as long as I can remember, but they’ve come a long way and are now considered a household name. I love my Keurig K-Select, but I decided it was time to try something new. Enter: Keurig K-Duo.

The Keurig K-Duo is exactly what it sounds like — it has the ability to brew both ground coffee and coffee cups in its two-in-one system. Without spilling too much, this coffee machine can be programmed to brew at the same time everyday and has options available for different sized cups depending on your caffeine needs for the day.

Without further ado, keep on reading to see our full review of the Keurig K-Duo as it may just be one of the best coffee makers out there. Want the machine like, now? You can find it on Amazon amongst some of the best Keurig Black Friday deals, where it has close to a 18,000 five-star ratings, so you know you're going to be on to a winner already.

Keurig K-Duo Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker: First impressions

Upon opening the coffee machine from the packaging, I immediately noticed how lightweight, sleek and polished it was. It’s not super fancy, however, it is more elevated than my K-Select. In terms of size, it is a bit larger than a standard Keurig because of the additional carafe, but it’s still small enough to keep on my kitchen counter in my tiny apartment.

Each part of the Keurig K-Duo was individually packed. As a Type A person, this was ideal for me to keep track of everything during the initial setup process. It came with the machine, a water filter, reservoir, and a separate carafe all of which was super easy to put together using the instructional booklet.

It didn’t come with K-Cups (these can be bought from Amazon) or ground coffee beans so I had to supply that myself. I first went through the process of setting it up which involved setting up the time and doing a “cleansing brew.”

I set the LCD digital clock using two buttons labeled “H” and “M” and selected the brew button to solidify. Next, the cleansing brew involved running water through the filter as if you were making a cup of coffee. I filled up the 60 oz reservoir stopping at the MAX fill line, waited for the water to heat up, and then selected the 8 ounce button as instructed in the directions. The “cleansing brew” was a pretty seamless process that lasted less than five minutes. I followed the same process for the carafe just to make sure it was thoroughly rinsed and ready for use.

What really stood out to me was the LCD screen and buttons. They were easy-to-read and set up in an intuitive way that you could figure out how to use the machine even without directions. I appreciated how they lit up for easy indication to let you know when it was time to brew and to highlight how many ounces and the type of brew selected.

I was a bit bummed that it only was available in one color, but black is always a solid choice for a kitchen appliance as it blends right in.

Keurig K-Duo Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker: Key specifications

Keurig K-Duo Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker: Price & availability

At the time of writing, you’ll find the Keurig K-Duo on the Keurig website for $98.99 - it’s on sale from its standard price of $189.99 and you can choose/add on other options - and on Amazon for $78.14.

Score: 4.5/5

Keurig K-Duo Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker: Design

The Keurig K-Duo Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker features a 60 ounce reservoir to hold water, a glass carafe, and a heating plate. Its sleek and contemporary design makes it suitable for any modern kitchen while remaining functional. The buttons are big enough to see from far away and they illuminate with light when selected for ease of use.

Score: 5/5

Keurig K-Duo Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker: User experience

Similar to other Keurig machines I’ve used in the past, I’ve found the K-Duo to be easy to use. It’s slightly more complicated since there’s both a carafe and a single-serve option, but at the end of the day that just gives you more variety than hassle.

To start the testing process, I started off by using the single-serve option. I filled up the reservoir, put in the pod, selected 6 ounces and let it work its magic. I followed the same process with different pods over the course of the week for 8, 10, and 12 ounces too. It was a pretty seamless experience. My only note is that I needed to use a bit of force to get down the handle to get the K-Cup into place — think about it – it has to puncture the cup for the water to go through. I also brewed a cup once and clicked the ‘strong’ button to see if I could get a strong, darker cup.

Over the course of the two weeks, I also played around with the different program settings like the brew and pour and pause and pour. Since I like my coffee hot, I appreciated the pause and pour setting because it dispensed hot water mid-brew without having to wait longer. As someone who is forgetful, I also thoroughly appreciated the Auto-Off button because it let me leave the house worry-free in the morning without second guessing whether or not I unplugged the coffee machine. There was a bit of excess dripping after the brew (1-3 drops max), but nothing too noticeable.

As for the carafe, I used one tablespoon of my favorite ground coffee beans (as noted in the instructions) and put a filter into the designated area. I put the carafe on the heating plate and in less than five minutes I had a nice, hot, fresh cup of joe. I appreciated how the heating plate stays on for two hours after brewing so if I wanted to go back for a second cup it wouldn’t be cold.

My favorite part about this coffee machine was not just the coffee, but also the reservoir. I didn’t find myself having to refill it constantly. I was able to get a solid 2-3 days worth of coffee out of it before needing to refill it. If I drank less than two cups a day, then it would last more like 5-6 days.

The only setting I couldn’t use was the high-altitude button since I don’t live about 5,000 feet. However, in order to enable it, you have to hold down the pod and carafe buttons and then select the mountain icon.

That said, both the pod and the carafe settings made a bit of a squeaking noise when heating up, but nothing too extreme — 52 dB to be exact. Also I found both sides very easy to clean. I’d put the reservoir in the washing machine and then would do a hot water brew to clean out the inside of the pod and filter holder. It was also easy to clean the drip tray with a damp cloth. You’ll of course want to do this after the machine has cooled down a bit so don’t injure yourself. Check out our guide on how to clean a Keurig for more top tips.

Score: 4.5/5

Keurig K-Duo Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker: Taste Test

Now that you know how to use the coffee machine and all of its features, let’s talk about arguably the most important part: the taste.

As I mentioned above, I like my coffee bittersweet and nutty. This machine was able to brew me a cup that was up to par and coffee shop quality — not too bitter and not too acidic. I will say that I preferred the flavor of the carafe over the pod. I think it was a bit more flavorful and aromatic which enhanced the overall experience. The pod was still a really good option, but if I had to choose a favorite it would be the carafe.

If you like a stronger cup, then I’d definitely suggest selecting the ‘strong’ button before brewing. This will give you a more earthy and strong taste than a regular brew.

Score: 5/5

The Keurig K-Duo Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker: How Does it Compare?

I’ve tried the Keurig K-Select before and it’s similar to the K-Duo, however, the latter is definitely a step up from the former with the addition of the carafe. In terms of taste, both machines make a high-quality, tasty cup of coffee in less than five minutes. That said, the K-Select is slightly cheaper, but that makes sense given its size and functions.

If you’re looking for a slightly more elevated version minus the carafe, you’ll want to check out the Keurig K-Supreme Smart Coffee Maker. It’s very close in price when the K-Duo is not in sale and you get a few more features.

Should you buy the Keurig K-Duo Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy It if…

How I tested the Keurig K-Duo Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker

• Used the machine to make a cup of coffee (or two) every day for two weeks

• Brewed cups with both the pods and coffee beans 

• Followed the instructions carefully for set up and assembly

I reviewed the Keurig K-Duo Single Serve & Carafe Coffee Maker at my apartment in Florida. I also had other people (friends and family) taste the coffee to see what they thought for third-party credibility.

Read more about how we test