The 10 Best Espresso K Cup That taste Like Espresso

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Keurig is to coffee what a microwave is to leftovers. They both give you instantaneous results with a push of a button. This is great for coffee lovers but what if you’re an espresso lover.

Do even the best espresso K cups match the flavor profile of a real shot of espresso?

Keurig, along with K-cups, provides hand-free operation, zero messy coffee containers or pucks, biodegradable sustainability, diverse flavor profile, and various brewing beverages, all contained within a concise capsule

The various flavor profiles and multiple brewing options allow you to brew different beverages with Keurig. You can brew french press, instant coffee, Moka pots, flavored coffee, decaf, tea, etc. 

In fact, Keurig even proffers dark-medium ground roast to brew a similar, concentrated, dark espresso but is it an equivalent to authentic espressos? We’ll discuss this shortly ahead in the article. 

Unlike other brewing methods, espresso demands a high-quality espresso machine to exert 9-Bars of pressure, absolute 195-200 degrees Fahrenheit, and a stable extraction period to pull accurate, delicious shots. 

However, suppose you own a Keurig or plan to purchase one. In that case, espresso K-cups will give diverse, medium-dark roasted espresso pods to brew instantly without having to grind, dose, tamp, or acknowledge the learning curve behind pulling shots. 

This article will review the top 10 Famous Espresso K-cups, their pros, cons, and main characteristics for you to choose which one fits your individual flavor profile.

Various Keurig varieties now develop all-organic k-cups with plant material to sustain along with nature! So, don’t worry; you are not harming nature at any cost. 

Best K cup espresso brands

These 10 K-cups will give you diverse, eco-friendly espresso variants. Although these might not have a similar taste to the espressos presented at cafes, these Keurig espresso pods will be dark, dense, and concentrated nonetheless. 

Depending on your Keurig machine’s cup size and the model you own, choose k-cups that adjust in your device for proper extraction. 

Those who are unaware of Keurig and its mechanisms, let’s know a little more about the mentioned machine. Keurig uses instant pre-ground coffee k-cups as a coffee source to brew different beverages. 

These k-cups are either made of plastic, paper, or plant material. K-cups are usually bigger than ESE pods and Nespresso capsules and have a similar appearance to cylindrical cups with sealed tops. 

There’s a designated spot in the Keurig machine to install these k-cups. Once the device is in position and hits the button ‘brew,’ it punches two holes in the cups—one at the center top and the second at the bottom.

The top hole allows hot water to soak in coffee, and the bottom allows brewed coffee to get out through the coffee spouts and directly in your mugs. 

Getting back, we’ll be discussing ten espresso K-cups for your Keurig coffee brewer. These will include some of the best and quality coffee exporters—Illy, Starbucks, Lavazza, etc. 

San Fran bay espresso

SF Bay Espresso K-cups are a prestigious addition to k-cups’ varieties. San Francisco Bay is an American-based company owned by Roger’s family. They believe in creating eco-friendly products to enhance the environment along with coffee. 

San Fran’s espresso is roasted dark-medium with bitterly sweet characteristics. The primary natural flavors include notes of dark chocolate and smoky brown spices. An average K-cups espresso would be highly concentrated with a similar ratio of 1:2 (1gm of coffee and 2ml of brewed beverage). 

Keurig’s espresso would be denser and darker than filtered coffee but lighter than authentic espresso. You may or may not witness any crema top because only freshly ground coffee can create creamy crema.

Despite being dark-medium, the taste and body would be milder but intense, nonetheless. 

Every San Fran Bay espresso K-cup comes in a small, U-shaped cup containing about 11gms of coffee ground. These Bay espresso cups can adjust to most of the single-serving Keurig, including Keurig 2.0. With every 11 grams of K-cup, you can brew 20-25ml of espresso shots. 

These SF bay k-cups are a specialty and novelty because they are 100% made of compostable material, including a U-shaped paper filter mesh that holds the coffee ground, plant-material ring to edge with the Keurig brewer, and compostable paper sealing.

Almost every part of these k-cups is compostable and is used to produce large quantities of manure every year!

A bag of 80 San Francisco k-cups (880grams of ground coffee) will cost you anywhere between $50-60. With San Francisco bay, you can try smaller bag sizes and various flavors because they produce quality and quantity at their best. 

• Flavor profile: Dark chocolate and spicy undernotes. 
• Shape, size, volume, quantity: Smaller than an average k-cup, U-shaped, and 11 grams quantity produces 22grams of brewed beverage. 
• The material used to manufacture: Paper and plant material. 
• Certification and biodegradable value: BPI certified 
• Money value: Expensive. 

Pros

• Multiple packaging quantities for different users
• Original packaging. The delivery is usually done in more oversized cardboard, and k-cups are divided and further sealed into poly bags as a group of 5-6 cups to preserve the flavors. 
• Dark-medium roast
• SF bay uses Arabica beans to produce pre-ground k-cups.
• The coffee smells and tastes great. 
• No PLASTIC!

Cons

• These cups have a smaller volume compared to other k-cups. 
• The bottom is made of paper filter mesh and can become damaged at the time of delivery, storage, etc. Store your k-cups with caution and in stable jars to not lose the content. 
• The smaller packaging is not resealable. 

Cafe Bustelo Espresso style K-cups

Cafe Bustelo is a Miami-based coffee company offering delicious, pre-ground k-cups to adjust to your Keurig with enhanced flavors and body.

Cafe Bustelo espresso has a dark flavor profile and is roasted to suit robust coffee drinkers. Its precise roast is dark to extract caffeine-rich content and oily crema. 

Cafe Bustelo has an intense dark flavor profile with bittersweet undernotes of blended coffee beans. Moreover, individuals are personally crazy about the aroma and density of these pre-ground k-cups. 

“I was afraid the k cups wouldn’t be strong enough… but I was wrong. It still has the great strong flavor I get from their ground coffee. Many different flavors I haven’t seen in their ground options either. I am a happy caffeinated camper.

• Flavor profile: Sweet chocolate. If it’s too dark for you, add creamer or foamy milk. 
• Shape, size, volume, quantity: LOng, cylindrical K-cups, 10.5 grams each, and brew 20-22 grams of coffee.  
• The material used to manufacture: Plastic.
• Certification and biodegradable value: None.
• Money value: Expensive. 

Cafe Bustelo has a long cylindrical shape with tapered bottoms. Every K-cup holds 10.5 grams of ground coffee inside the sealed container to produce 20-22 ml of brewed espressos. 

Unfortunately, Cafe Bustelo is made of plastic and leads to environmental hazards. It’s best to choose something more environmentally friendly if sustainability is one of the driving factors in your purchase.

Pros

• It’s sweet and resembles a dark chocolate beverage. It’s a solid combination of chocolate and coffee. 
• Multiple-sized packaging for different user and quantity demands 
• Various flavors other than espressos for you to enjoy
• Dark roast for dark coffee lovers 
• Recyclable
• These can be used with all the k-Cup Keurig brewers.

Cons

• Unfortunately, this coffee has many sweeteners and artificial flavors that degrade the overall taste of coffee. 
• For someone who enjoys darkest, robust coffee, this might be too sweet. 
• PLASTIC waste!

Illy Intense & Robust K-cups

These 100% Arabica coffee beans’ grounds have an intense and robust flavor profile with all-natural ingredients and pure coffee bean’s composition—Illy’s known for its classic whole coffee beans as well as pre-ground K-cups. 

For espressos, Illy produces and sells dark-roasted coffee to provide the ultimate bitter chocolate profile with robust aromas. These k-cups have deep cocoa flavors in their composition and no preservatives or sweeteners to dilute the natural taste of coffee. 

• Flavor profile: Dark cocoa an intense flavor profile
• Shape, size, volume, quantity: Long, cylindrical K-cups, 11.9 grams each, and brew 22-25 grams of coffee.  
• The material used to manufacture: Plastic.
• Certification and biodegradable value: None.
• Money value: Expensive. 

Illy’s K-cups have a generic cylindrical body with tapered bases, and plastic sealed top. Every k-cup from illy holds 11.9 grams of pre-ground coffee and will produce 23-25ml espresso shots every time. Illy’s quality and espresso taste are comparable with Starbucks! 

These k-cups are made of plastic for sustainable reasons but are 100% recyclable through the company. Moreover, Illy is famously known for prioritizing ethical business with the farmers. 

Pros

• Illy produces smaller batches; it benefits people who wish to purchase and try illy’s taste for the first time.
• It has a smooth body and mouthful taste without harsh bitterness. 
• It’s intense but easy on the palette. 
• As fresh as pre-ground coffee can be. 
• Made in Italy.

Cons

• The k-cups are made of plastic, but are recyclable
• Beware of the retailers and the packaging. Sometimes, the packaging damages these k-cups. 
• Some of the batches are difficult to puncture inside the Keurig machine.

Lavazza Espresso Italiano K-cups

Lavazza is known for roasting and selling the best whole coffee beans with various flavors and different characteristics.

Their K-cups aren’t different either. Coffee beans used for Espresso Italiano K-cups are sourced from South America and Africa, two very famous continents for coffee bean production.

Lavazza uses all-natural 100% Arabica beans to master their flavors and aromatic taste.

Unlike other pre-ground k-cups for espressos, Lavazza isn’t bitterly roasted to provide a harsher and unlikely robust taste.

Conversely, Lavazza is slow medium roasted, which helps bring out the flavors and oils for a more traditional tasting espresso.

The flavor profile of Lavazza espresso is fruity and floral, along with natural tannins.

Lavazza will introduce you to tangy and earthy aromas. However, Lavazza isn’t harsh either, and its intensity is close to 5 on a scale of 10(not more.)

• Flavor Profile: Fruits, flowers, aromatic earthiness, and tangy undertones. 
• Shape, size, volume, quantity: Long, cylindrical K-cups, 9.9 grams each, and brew 20-25 grams of coffee.  
• The material used to manufacture: Plastic.
• Certification and biodegradable value: None.
• Money value: Expensive. 

Lavazza k-cups have a similar shape and size to that of illy’s or Cafe Bustelo. It’s cylindrical and tapered with a plastic seal.

The container has approximately 9.9 grams of pre-ground coffee and will produce 20-22 grams of dense espresso shots with Keurig.   

Lavazza also provides fine enough ground for espressos. It’s not too refined and neither too coarse—a moderate fine grind to brew flavorful espressos without over-extraction. 

Pros

• It’s not bitter and neither mild. The flavor profile is balanced with natural undernotes of fruits and flowers. 
• Lavazza K-cups can be used with espresso machines because they are accurate about the roast and grinding when it comes to espresso shots. 
• 100% Arabica coffee beans.
• Majorly sourced from South America and Africa.
• Made in Italy with authentic Italian taste and Consistency. 

Cons

• It can be expensive unless you find Lavazza on sale but don’t doubt the quality. 
• It’s not as robust as some individuals prefer their espressos to be. 
• It has a diverse flavor profile, and some people don’t prefer that. 

GloryBrew K-cups

GloryBrew produces exclusively compostable, organic K-cups that are eco-friendly and mixes into the soil as a composite within eight weeks.

Not only this, glory brew promotes ethical farming practices that benefit farmers, the land, mother earth, and still produce tasteful coffees. 

These K-cups come in three varieties—Medium roast, dark roast, and ultimate dark roast. All three roasts are superior for brewing espressos.

These different roasts have diverse flavor profiles, aromas, and bodies. 

Medium is less intense with average acidity and mellow toasted notes. Dark roast has cocoa and chocolate notes that give you a robust taste. Extra-dark roast has minimal acidity with enhanced oils and dark chocolate notes. 

Furthermore, GloryBrew sources its beans from central and South America, these places produce the best Arabica coffee beans.

GloryBrew k-cups have a similar U-shaped body made of plant material, just like San Fran Bay’s k-cups. However, they are entirely made of compostable material and are smaller than generic k-cups. 

• Flavor profile: chocolate, bitterly sweet, mellow, slight-max acidic content for composure.  
• Shape, size, volume, quantity: Small, U-shaped, 10gm pre-ground coffee brews 20gm of espressos shots. 
• The material used to manufacture: Bio-based 100% compostable material 
• Certification and biodegradable value: BPI and rainforest alliance certified.
• Money value: Expensive. 

Every GloryBrew K-cup has 10grams of pre-ground coffee that brews 20-25ml of espresso shots. The three major parts that together make GloryBrew K-cups— paper lid, brown ring for adjustment made of coffee chaff, and bio-based material. 

GloryBrew has many proper certifications that guarantee farmer’s rights, quality products, and eco-friendly projection. They are BPI certified and Rainforest Alliance certified (no preservative farming). 

Pros

• The company is dedicated to creating eco-friendly coffee. The packaging does have plastic, but they urge users to wash and reuse it for environmental safety reasons. 
• The mesh allows more straightforward and better extraction than other plastic k-cups that only have a single hole. 
• The flavor profile is satisfactory. 
• It works with every Keurig coffee brewer. 

Cons

• The packaging for all the three flavor varieties is similar, and it confuses people as to which ones are which. 
• Prone to damage because the mesh is fragile. 
• Only three flavors. 
• The k-cups can only be composted in a commercial facility and not in your backyard. 

Double Donut Espresso Roast

Double donuts K-cups are made of recyclable components and believe in eco-friendly coffee.

Recyclable pods aren’t as good as compostable k-cups, but they still reduce the amount of trash by being recycled.

Double donut offers many flavor profiles, including nutty cocoa, burnt caramel with chocolate, double Caffeine, mocha, vanilla, hazelnut, and a complete espresso flavor profile.

Individuals who enjoy espressos will experience a robust flavor profile with notes of caramel sweetness, cocoa, and bitter chocolate. 

• Flavor profile: Caramel and bittersweet.
• Shape, size, volume, quantity: Long, round cylindrical. It has 11gm of coffee in every k-cups and can brew 22-25ml of espresso shot which is an optimal volume. 
• The material used to manufacture: Recyclable plastic
• Certification and biodegradable value: None.
• Money value: Affordable. 

These k-cups have a similar height and body compared to other generic pods. They are long, cylindrical, and have tapered bottoms, tightly sealed to preserve the freshness of the content.

You can use these double donut espresso k-cups in all the Keurig brewers, including 1.0 and 2.0. 

Each bag of double donuts has a funky packaging with colorful illustrations and a black cylindrical body. Furthermore, every k-cup has 11grams of pre-ground coffee that can brew 22-25 ml of espresso shots. 

Double donut espresso k-cups come in two packages—24 counts and a bigger 80 counts of the box.

You can try the smaller version as starters and then switch to more significant baggage. All different flavored k-cups have specialty names written for distinguishing different blends. 

These k-cups are 100% Arabica beans and are gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan certified kosher, and pareve. 

Pros

• Despite having sweet caramel content, these pre-ground coffee k-cups are dark and robust and have a rich coffee taste. 
• They offer double caffeine roast for dark coffee lovers.
• Smooth and bold with defined acidity and bittersweet flavors. 
• The k-cups are easily punchable inside the machine despite their unusual round middle body and hard plastic. 
• The robust flavor allows milk, creamer, and other flavoring agents nicely. 
• It’s one of the most affordable coffee k-cups for Keurig.

Cons

• Beware of the packaging and damaged k cups. 
• The thickness of the plastic sometimes makes it difficult for the machine to punch a hole. 
• Leakage issues
• The pods explode inside the machine occasionally.

Timothy’s Rainforest Espresso K-cups

Timothy’s K-cups are Keurig-certified. So, there’s no doubt about their compatibility, punch ability, and extraction in a Keurig coffee brewer. These timothy’s k-cups come in a 30+ flavor profile, and each has its own characteristics and tasting notes.

Timothy’s espresso blend is roasted dark for a robust flavor profile and morning dopamine punch.

Along with dark notes and a darker roast, the pre-ground coffee has sweet notes as well to balance the overall body with bittersweet tendency. Timothy’s flavors can be considered intense and bold with a smooth and less acidic body. 

• Flavor profile: Extra dark roast with natural sweetness. 
• Shape, size, volume, quantity: Medium-sized, made of plastic, 11gm of k-cups produce 22ml espresso. 
• The material used to manufacture: Recyclable plastic
• Certification and biodegradable value: Keurig certified and certified recyclable.
• Money value: expensive. 

Timothy’s k-cups come in two packaging, and every flavor has a different color for separation. The espresso k-cups come in a blue and white color combination, and every cup has ‘espresso/flavor’ written at the bottom to not confuse different blends. 

It has a medium-sized cylindrical body optimal with all Keurig coffee brewers. Every K-cup holds 11gm of pre-ground coffee and brews 22-25gm of espresso with Keurig. These k-cups are made of plastic but are 100% recyclable. 

Timothy’s espresso also comes in a decaffeinated version if you are limiting your Caffeine content. In addition, Timothy’s offers various flavor profiles in espresso—Rainforest espresso, Italiano, Espresso Superiore, and espresso Dolce crema. 

Timothy’s espresso comes in multiple-sized packaging, and you can purchase the size and quantity you prefer—12, 24, 30, and 96 counts. 

Pros

• Certified recyclable plastic. 
• Upgraded and better quality. 
• Extra-dark roast for espressos. 
• Keurig certified. Thus, compatible with most (all) of the machines. 
• The shipping is fast and fresh. 
• Larger packages offer bigger deals and discounts. 
• Full-bodied and smooth. 

Cons

• It’s expensive.

Brooklyn Beans Dark roast

Brooklyn dark roasts its coffee beans for espresso, grounds it, and packs in the exclusive Brooklyn cups.

Brooklyn offers many flavor profiles along with espressos—cinnamon, Columbian, vanilla, fudge, Coney island, hazelnut, french press, and many more. 

The espresso flavor has a dark, rich body with intense and robust flavors. Espresso blends are roasted slowly to extract most of the oils and flavors out. 

Its shape and size are similar to other generic k-cups and has a medium-sized, cylindrical body to hold 11gm of pre-ground coffee that further brews 22 ml espressos shots. It’s made of plastic, but it’s 100% recyclable. 

Also, the coffee is gluten-free, sugar-free, and peanut-free to offer natural coffee flavors rather than artificial sweeteners. 

Brooklyn uses 100% arabica coffee beans to produce high-quality pre-ground coffee k-cups. These are not Keurig certified but work best with Keurig 2.0 k-cups coffee brewer.

• Flavor profile: dark roast
• Shape, size, volume, quantity: It’s medium-sized and round cylindrical. It has 11gm of coffee in every k-cups and can brew 22-25ml of espresso shot which is an optimal volume. 
• The material used to manufacture: Recyclable plastic
• Certification and biodegradable value: preservatives and artificial sweeteners free. Kosher. NON-Gmo 
• Money value: Affordable. 

Brooklyn k-cups come in 24 counts of small packages to allow trial and error. Every k-cup has its flavor written on the top for easier access.

Pros

• Multiple flavor profiles to satisfy different users
• Arabica beans
• Keurig can easily punch a hole in Brooklyn k-cups. 
• There are multiple varieties of light, medium, and dark roast.
• The flavors are balanced and not overpowering the coffee’s taste. 
• It’s compatible with sboly brewers. 
• No added artificial flavors. 

Cons

• Choose the roast carefully if you like dark coffee. 
• Inconsistent flavor packaging sometimes. 

Starbucks’ Blonde roast

Starbucks is exclusive towards its roast, flavors, and grinding. It offers many flavors—2X dark roast, 2X Caffeine, 2X honey caramel, 2X medium roasts, etc. 

Most of these roasts and flavors are exclusive for espressos, but if you prefer something darker, we’d suggest 2X Caffeine. Unless you cannot consume Caffeine, then 2X dark roast will brew strong and robust shots of espressos. 

Starbucks 2X caffeine has a blend of blonde roast and coffee extracts. Blonde roasts are medium roasted and have rich, mellow, acidic characters.

Starbucks also adds natural coffee extracts, including coffee cherry and green coffee beans. The overall flavor profile would be savory, sweet, and slightly bitter. 

The 2X defines flavor’s double potential at extracting beverages compared to the previous single-pods of Starbucks. You will feel double the dopamine punch with this single-serving 2X Caffeine K-cup. 

Starbucks Blonde roast with 2X Caffeine now comes in a different packaging and recyclable plastic for an eco-friendly approach.

The k-cup size is medium but has 12.3g of pre-ground coffee per cup, which is more than any k-cup you will come across.

You can brew a highly concentrated espresso shot with Keurig and Starbucks cups. For example, 12.3g of k-cup will brew 20-24g of an espresso shot. 

• Flavor profile: dark roast/double Caffeine
• Shape, size, volume, quantity: Medium-sized, cylindrical. 12.3 g of coffee brews 22ml of espresso shots. 
• The material used to manufacture: Recyclable plastic
• Certification and biodegradable value: preservatives and artificial sweeteners free. Kosher. NON-Gmo 
• Money value: Affordable. 

Coffee with Caffeine comes in various flavor profiles, including—Madagascar vanilla, dark roast, Starbucks blonde roast, medium roast, and caramel roast.

The packaging Starbucks offers is very smooth and damage-free. You can either purchase 6 boxes with ten counts (60 counts) or 4bozes of 12 counts (48).

Pros

• Caffeine gives you heightened dopamine surge, speed, and wakefulness—something other brands can’t offer. Starbucks caffeine hits differently. 
• Higher quantity and quality. 
• Extracts denser espressos than the rest
• Flavorful, full-bodied, and mouthful taste

Cons

• It can be expensive. 
• Choose the flavors wisely. 

Gevalia Cappuccino K-cups

This one’s an exclusive specialty with added milk pouches for creating foamy milk espresso-based beverages.

Gevalia offers many milk-based bags to meet your demands—mocha latte, caramel macchiato, Vanilla latte, peppermint mocha latte, and pumpkin spiced latte. 

The box of Gevalia has equal numbers of k-cups and milk pouches. These milk pouches have powdered and articulated milk mixtures for cappuccino/others. It’s pretty simple to brew with Gevalia k-cups and pouches. 

• Unload the milk powder in the cappuccino glass
• Brew the k-cup pod for the volume of cappuccino (5-6oz) and not espresso shots(1-2 oz).
• Third, stir the brewed beverages to mix the flavors present inside the milk. 

Surprisingly enough, this milk powder results in a delicious cappuccino with a smooth body, not-to-dark flavors, and foamy milk top with flavorful aromas.

The beverage might seem weak because you allow more water in and less coffee. Milk beverages are meant to not be dark. 

• Flavor profile: Cappuccino flavors
• Shape, size, volume, quantity: Medium-sized, cylindrical. 10 g of coffee brews 5-6oz of Cappuccino mug
• The material used to manufacture: Recyclable plastic
• Certification and biodegradable value: Keurig certified. 
• Money value: Expensive. 

Gevalia uses 100% arabica coffee beans that are slow-roasted to extract flavorful profile and essential oils for the crema.

Gevalia k-cups have a more petite cut-conical body with a circular base and sealed plastic top. The plastic is recyclable and is compatible with Keurig 1.0 and 2.0. 

Pros

• It looks like cappuccino and tastes like cappuccino. 
• Multiple flavor profile 
• Every different flavor has a name tag for identification
• Compatible with Keurig 1.0 and 2.0
• Recyclable plastic stores the freshness for longer. 
• You don’t need to operate milk frother for milk-based beverages with Gevalia. 

Cons

• Gevalia is expensive given the added milk pouches. 
• Powdered froth results in lumps. 

Can a Keurig brew espressos?

Real espressos?

NO! Not even close If you want a true espresso but don’t have the budget for an expensive espresso machine these affordable espresso machines are perfect for you.

Can they brew something similarly dense to espresso? Yes! Espressos aren’t challenging to master, but they need specific technical characteristics—stable temperature, 9-Bars of pressure, correct brewing time, tamping, grind size, etc. 

Keurig cannot accomplish most of these criteria of high temperature (190-205 stable temperature), pressure, and neither the accurate extraction period. 

Espresso is a beverage brewed when piping hot water is introduced to tamped freshly-ground coffee with high pressure for 25 seconds. This results in a dense golden-brown flavor-rich fluid with golden oily crema at the top. 

People often confuse and consider espressos to be only dense drip coffees, but that’s not even close to what espressos are. Thick drip coffee will be robust but never espressos. 

Espressos extract the profound (complete) flavor profile of freshly-ground coffee beans under the given pressure and brewing time.

On the other hand, dense drip coffee will increase the soaking between grounds and water, preparing a rather muddy, bitter beverage. 

Keurig coffee brewers are specially designed for instant drip coffee, and that’s what they do best.

Now, Keurig does offer various espresso pods and a variety of different flavor profiles to brew.

The Keurig brewer usually runs for 25-30 seconds and concentrates the water with enough coffee. However, there’s no applied pressure for complete extraction.

The pressure allows water to soak in almost all the flavors inside the freshly-ground coffee in 25 seconds.

Unfortunately, Keurig devices don’t have a pressure pump for complete extraction. With Keurig, the machine will run for 25 seconds; it won’t be able to perform proper extraction without the pressure pump. 

How to brew espresso with a Keurig coffee maker? 

Keurig coffee brewers are innovative, time-saving, and pretty straightforward machines to brew instant coffee without technicality.

Furthermore, Keurig offers various flavored pre-ground coffee k-cups and decaf/caffeinated k-cup varieties to brew a different beverage every day. 

Keurig brewers have a k-cup slot for puncturing and watercollusion, big water reservoirs, and ample glass space above the drip tray.

You can either purchase single-serving Keurig or multi-serving Keurig; there’s a wide variety. In fact, Keurig also offers many programmable features, including the sizes of beverages, etc. 

• Turn on the machine and insert the espresso k-cup/pod inside the k-cup holder. 
• Once the machine is ready, click the brew size button (4oz-12oz) and press brew. 
• The espresso k-cup will take less time to brew and produce 1-2 ounces of dense coffee. 
• Enjoy your beverage!

The flavor profile of Keurig’s espresso

The majority of espresso’s taste depends on the coffee beans and their flavor profile. Arabica coffee beans will produce sweet coffee. Their various undernotes include chocolate, tangy fruits, caramel, nuts, etc. 

Robusta beans will produce dark, bitterly sweet coffee for dark coffee lovers. 

Keurig’s espresso will have a denser body and fullness. These will be denser than drip coffee but lighter than espressos.

Also, these Keurig’s espresso k-cups cannot result in crema production. Good crema can only be produced with freshly ground coffee beans with all the oils at the surface. 

Partially, pre-ground coffee doesn’t taste as good because it not freshly ground, and most of these flavors and oils dispense in the air upon contact with oxygen in a process called oxidation.

Two alternatives to brew instant espressos that actually taste good with balanced extraction and rich crema would be Keurig Rivo and Nespresso.

Both are pressurized espresso machines that accept pods to brew espressos and foam milk. We’ll be discussing Keurig Rivo ahead in this article. 

Pros and cons of espresso K-cups

With rapidly growing technology and faster lives, Keurig came with K-cups machines that use pre-measured, pre-ground coffee to brew beverages with the touch of a button at affordable costs.

Many individuals wish to brew at home but lack barista skills and time to perfect the skill. However, with Keurig, you don’t have to worry about that. 

Simply put in the k-cups in the Keurig outlet and press brew, the machine will automatically create the selected beverages. 

Similarly, Keurig and other K-cups companies (mentioned above) now produce espresso k-cups for better or worse?

These espresso k-cups are finely pre-ground coffee beans, pressed compactly inside the k-cups for better espresso-like extraction. 

Before enlisting the pros and cons of these k-cups, let’s learn the mechanism behind them. These k-cups can be identified as pods, ESE pods, or Nespresso pods. However, most of these are different and misunderstood by people. 

• Pods are flat circular sacks of pre-ground coffee beans to produce instant filtered coffee. 
• ESE pods are hard, flat, circular sacks of pre-ground coffee used in espresso machines to produce delicious shots. (ESE pods can go with pod baskets in the portafilter while brewing)
• Nespresso pods are made of aluminum and are usually smaller than k-cups. These capsules go inside Nespresso machines only and produce delicious espresso and espresso-based beverages. (Nespresso machines come with milk frother)

Lastly, K-cups are entirely different from that of the rest of the batch.

K-cups are longer, cylindrical plastic/plant material/hard paper cups with a sealed top and filter mesh holding the ground coffee. Inside the outer layer of k-cups, coffee is stored in a paper filter mesh for proper extraction. 

Once you insert the k-cup in the machine, one hole is punched at the top of the sealed lid to introduce water inside the coffee, and the second hole is punched at the base to extract brewed coffee. 

Pros

• Instant dense coffee without having to go through the learning curve of making espressos
• Espresso demands many manual actions before brewing—grinding the correct size coffee beans, dosing the right amount, tamping to create a compact coffee puck for pressurization and even extraction. With pre-ground k-cups, you don’t have to worry about any of these factors-K cups are pre-measured, pre-ground, pre-dosed, and pre-packed for espressos. 
• High-quality espresso machines can cost you thousands of dollars. But, on the other hand, Keurig will only cost you a couple of hundred dollars. 
• Keurig is convenient for busy individuals. 
• It’s easy to clean K-cups. Simply remove the plastic/paper baggage out from the machine and rinse once. 
• Standard companies like Starbucks, Gevalia, Illy, Lavazza produce some of the most delicious, pre-ground k-cups that taste like a fresh cup as much as possible. 
• Wide variety of flavors in espressos and other brewed beverages
• Less wastage of coffee because grinding coffee beans is difficult in itself and requires consistent and accurate coffee grind to brew. This results in a lot of dumped freshly ground coffee or beverage because the grind was not precise. 
• No additional expense for coffee grinders. 
• Decaf varieties and also highly caffeinated varieties
• Affordable and convenient. 

Cons

• These k-cups will never be as fresh as freshly ground coffee beans.
• K-cups don’t allow you any control over the beverage. So, you will have to adjust to the taste it offers, and nothing can really be changed. 
• Espresso k-cups will not offer enhanced taste profiles like the authentic espressos and won’t produce crema either. (Unless you are using Nespresso or Keurig rivo)
• It will be dense, but it won’t be real espresso. 
• Most of the k-cup companies still produce plastic k-cups that are hazardous to the environment. However, companies now make recyclable k-cups to reduce the amount of wastage and danger to nature. Moreover, some even took the initiative to build compostable espresso k-cups with plant and paper material to save the environment from plastic!
• K-cups are more expensive than whole coffee beans, loose ground coffee. 

Questions to ask before buying K-cups 

Suppose you are a busy individual who cannot afford the learning curve or invest time in the whole brewing process. In that case, these k-cups will be a life-saver and money-saver because they will eventually cut down your Starbucks/cafe expenses. 

However, purchasing k-cups in itself is challenging because there are various terms and conditions that you must acknowledge before purchasing them. 

These may include the quality of the pre-ground coffee and the brand you choose, the expense and charges of these k-cups, cost comparison, freshness, compatibility with Keurig brewers, etc. 

With so many K-cups brands affiliated with or without Keurig, it can get confusing as to which one will fit in your Keurig brewer and which ones will be more difficult. 

Every company that sells with or without Keurig’s affiliation will be compatible with the machine, nonetheless.

Some might be more difficult than the rest, and some might explode inside the machine or have difficulty getting punched. Thus, it’s necessary to choose wisely and question the quality of your purchase. 

If you are an environmentalist and are fearing the purchase of k-cups, there are eco-friendly varieties as well made of compostable material to sustain k-cups, coffee, and nature together. 

Price

Keurig isn’t an expensive purchase. The machine is as affordable as it can get. However, Keurig K-cups aren’t a cheap commodity; the overall cost exceeds double the price of whole coffee beans. 

In an interview, John Sylvan, the inventor of Keurig and K-cups, mentioned his disinterest in K-cups and how he feels terrible about his invention and called k-cups to be the cigarettes in the coffee world.

Single-serving coffee machines increased the consumption of coffee at a higher rate because it was easier to brew these k-cups. 

Plus, K-cups are a threat to nature, and their increased usage will inevitably increase the number of plastic in landfills with the current rate of use. There’s a little truth to it, though. 

Many high-quality companies (most of them) understand the value of sustainability and the hazardous effects of plastic and thus took the initiative to build recyclable and compostable k-cups. 

So, don’t worry, you can still consume instant coffee without hurting the environment!

This still doesn’t resolve the expensive costs of k-cups. K-cups are very expensive, and reports suggest they are three times more expensive than whole coffee beans

Filtered coffee’s cost vs. k-cups

Compared to traditional drip coffee machines (manual and automatic), k-cups are expensive because filtered coffee isn’t as expensive to brew as using k-cups and pods.

So it’s better to invest a little time while brewing rather than investing 3x the amount. 

However, some individuals say otherwise. Filtered coffee needs you to invest 5-10 minutes of your time.

These brewers also brew a large number of beverages. However, some individuals don’t wish to drink as much drip coffee as these coffee makers brew—single-serving k-cups save that unnecessary amount of coffee. 

Will you drink the whole beverage brewed by the french press, or will you drink the entire carafe throughout the day? Possible, but will it be tasty?

With time, the coffee loses more and more of its freshness, that extra brewed coffee is bound to get wasted. 

Also, sometimes 5-10 minutes is a lot of time to give to a brewing method. Keurig and k-cups really come in handy when running late for work or for individuals who usually have busy schedules every morning. 

Another option is to buy a 4 cup coffee maker that will suffice anyone that normally drinks 2 cups of coffee in the morning.

Espresso machines vs. Espresso k-cups

Espresso is an expensive habit; nothing about brewing espressos and being passionate about espresso is inexpensive.

From quality beans to a high-end coffee grinder, expensive high-quality machines—all scream class and expense. 

Purchasing whole beans will save you the cost of k-cups but is it enough?

Coffee grinders are expensive and demand a learning curve. That learning curve if not perfected will result in a lousy coffee grind and further wastage.

If you do learn how to brew an espresso, investing in a high-quality espresso machine will give you un comparable results to a keurig. 

A high-quality espresso machine will cost $500-$2000. But, of course, this is a one-time investment compared to K-cups that will cost 0.40- .80 cents every cup. 

In the end, it’s your choice! Can you invest in an expensive espresso machine, the learning curve, and spend time while brewing?

If so, I would recommend that path since it will yield the best-tasting coffee.

However, if you don’t have the time to invest in espresso K-cups, purchase compostable/recyclable k-cups. Espresso k-cups will brew instant authentic beverages with Keurig Rivo and Keurig K-cafe. 

Quantity

The quantity of each k-cup can depend on the beverage you choose to brew.

K-cup offers various coffee beverages ranging from filtered coffee to espressos to different caffeine/decaf options and multiple flavored shots and brews.

Most of these beverages will have a similar coffee quantity in every k-cup. 

It’s the coffee to water ratio that ultimately results in different volumes and flavors. Most of these single k-cups will have 10-15 grams of coffee. Espressos will have 10-12 grams of pre-ground coffee. 

Filtered coffee will have 12-15 grams of pre-ground coffee per cup. Starbucks k-cups now offers 2x the amount to double your coffee’s taste, flavor profile, concentrated extraction, caffeine volume, roastery volume, etc. 

Keurig brewers will emphasize different ratios for different coffee types.

Every other machine will have different options to choose the quantity of the beverage. Keurig 2.0 offers 4, 6, 8, 10oz volume options.

Most of the Keurig brewers provide 4-12 oz volume. Oppositely, espressos only have a volume of 1-2 ounces (30-60ml). 

Thus, choose a Keurig coffee brewer that allows you to brew latte/cappuccino shots to have a minor water collusion with coffee (1-2 ounces only).

Even better, if you haven’t bought a Keurig yet or are planning to invest in a new Keurig, purchase Keurig Rivo that brews authentic espresso at optimal temperature and pressure. 

Freshness of K-cups

Unfortunately, k-cups can never be as fresh as freshly ground coffee beans for all the obvious reasons.

However, they are better than loose ground coffee sold in big bags.

While whole coffee beans hold the coffee’s content inside and away from air, pre-ground coffee is wholly crushed and exposed to air and oxygen, which decreases its flavors and oils due to oxidation. 

Furthermore, it’s delusional to consider that k-cup producers roast, grind, instantly pack, and deliver it to you within weeks.

Pre-ground coffee cannot be immediately packed because it releases many gases for the first few weeks.

Packing pre-ground coffee that releases gases (CO2) will explode inside the Keurig coffee brewer. K-cup exploding can happen due to two solid reasons: 

• Packing freshly ground coffee beans in the k-cups too soon will release gas which increases the overall air inside the package. When water is punctured inside, there’s no space for the water to move through the ground coffee and pass through the bottom hole because CO2 consumes most of that free space. This builds up pressure inside the K cup, and water inevitably explodes through the upper lid for an exit. 
• Companies sometimes unintentionally add too much nitrogen to the k-cups that cost the free space. This again results in the same explosion. 

So, even if k-cup companies wished to deliver fresher pre-ground coffee to you, they cannot!

They will have to allow the gas to dissipate the pre-ground coffee beans. This air allowance introduces oxygen to the medium, resulting in oxidation.

The natural oils inside Coffee readily reacts with the air and disperses with it, leaving behind stale coffee to pack. 

It’s considered, k-cups are at least six months old or even more before being delivered to the store or your house.

They are still better than pre-ground loose coffee because their leftover freshness is stored in k-cups that directly open in the coffee brewer, unlike loose grounds exposed to air every time you brew or open the package, etc. 

What’s the shelf life of k-cups?

Despite their freshness dilemma, k-cups can last longer than pre-ground coffee and even whole coffee beans before going bad or crossing their best use before date.

Some claim—these pre-ground k-cups don’t expire even after the given date. The reason could be their preferred packaging. In addition, manufacturers seal their pre-ground coffee with nitrogen to keep the beans intact for longer. 

Furthermore, these plastic seals are impermeable to air, oxygen, moisture and contain their remaining freshness as long as possible unless there’s damage to the packaging.

Compostable k-cups are more fragile and prone to wear because they are made of paper and cannot stop moisture, water, and air from entering. Thus, manufacturers store these compostable k-cups in heavy plastic bags.

It’s best to reuse those heavy plastic bags rather than throwing them out to avoid environmental hazards. 

• Plastic k-cups protect the inside content pretty nicely and don’t need additional packaging apart from the storage box. Store them in cool areas to avoid UV radiation. 
• Paper k-cups must be sealed tight away from water, moisture, air, and sun. Store it in sealed boxes/zip bags and cool, dry areas! 

Flavor 

A variety of flavors is one of the biggest benefits of k-cups; there are great flavor profiles, tastes, a variety of notes, brewing methods that k-cups offer.

Every k-cup producing company has a wide range of flavor profiles, including some that we discussed above. 

These flavor profiles are wild with natural notes of earthy spices, dark chocolate, caramel, burnt cocoa, slight tannins, and other wild varieties. 

Unless you are a coffee connoisseur, you wouldn’t even consider some of these branded k-cups to be stale.

Of course, there’s a vast difference between fresh ground coffee beans and pre-ground coffee beans, but some manufacturers go to certain limits to serve you tasty instant k-cups. 

The difference stands, but with quality coffee k-cups, it’s negligible or slightly below your freshly ground coffee. 

Compatibility

It’s easy for 3rd party companies to produce k-cups because it’s not difficult to replicate the capsule size, weight, and coffee volume.

Keurig green mountain company has been producing multiple Keurig coffee makers with various new features in every machine. 

It has a single-serving feature, carafe brewing feature, espresso brewing, latte, cappuccino, etc.

With every modified/new Keurig company, there might be some change in the dynamics of the Keurig k-cup slots. Nonetheless, the shape and sizes are attainable and easily produced by other companies. 

Some companies producing k-cups affiliated with Keurig and are Keurig-certified.

Keurig certification means this particular company’s k-cups are the right choice for your Keurig coffee brewer. 

However, other companies produce k-cups without a Keurig certification.

These k-cups work beautifully in the k-cup slots of any Keurig machine but make sure you check before purchasing incompatible k-cups for your Keurig brewers. 

Every k-cup company mentions the type of Keurig machine that they go in—Keurig 2.0 and 1.0. They also note whichever devices these k-cups are not compatible with to inform buyers! 

Some non-certified k-cup producers may manufacture wrong-sized, incorrect-lid that might result in an explosion, difficulty while puncturing the cup or not puncturing at all, improper extraction due to additional gas, etc. 

Therefore, it’s recommended to choose high-quality, known k-cup products. We mentioned the ten best espresso k-cups for you to choose from with high-quality performance, accuracy, and compatibility. 

How much caffeine do k-cups have?

The caffeine content depends on the coffee beans you use and the roasting technique that follows by—

• Arabica coffee beans are naturally less caffeinated and carry half the amount of caffeine robusta beans have. Robusta beans have 2.7% caffeine content as compared to Arabica beans that only have 1.5%
• K-cups mostly use Arabica coffee beans to extract sweet, tangy flavors. On the other hand, some fellas out there enjoy dark, bitter cups of coffee and choose robusta. 

K-cup’s caffeine content can depend on the pre-ground coffee present inside the package. An average k-cup usually has 11 grams of pre-ground coffee with 130-140mg caffeine. This might slightly increase or decrease with the increase/decrease in the grams of coffee packed inside. 

However, the complete caffeine extraction depends on the brewing method. Whichever beverage sits longer in water has a higher caffeine extraction and a higher amount of caffeine. 

Thus, concentrated espressos still have a lesser amount of caffeine (64mg) than filtered coffee (110-210mg caffeine) because the pre-ground coffee sits longer with water for proper soaking and extraction. Oppositely, espresso-only spends 25 seconds at extraction. 

• Espresso caffeine content (one ounce): 64mg
• Filtered coffee (eight ounces): 145mg-200mg
• French press (eight ounces): 95mg

Some 2X caffeine k-cups (Starbucks) or other caffeinated k-cups will have 3% more caffeine in their content to provide an extra punch to coffee lovers. 

Decaf k-cups will barely have 2-3mg of caffeine!

Do K-cups have calories, sugar, and fat content?

No, high-quality k-cups produced by high-end companies will have natural pre-ground coffee beans with added natural flavors and, sometimes, artificial flavors as well.

Of course, the name given to these varieties of k-cups does sound like loads of sugar and fat content—double donut, caramel delight, oh fudge, dark chocolate, etc. 

Most of these naturally flavored k-cups will have zero calories, sugar content (carbs), and fat. Artificially sweetened k-cups might have a slight amount of carbohydrates, but the amount is close to negligible. 

Calories

It’s believed that every cup of coffee contains at least three calories with added artificial flavors but still no fat!

Hot beverages are a perfect blend of ground coffee and water. Both these account for zero calories or close to minimal. 

Unless you are adding and brewing a milk-based beverage—with milk, the calorie quantity of your drink increases at a high percentage. 

• One tablespoon of milk in your coffee will add nine calories to your beverage. 
• One packet of sugar will add 11 calories, and one tablespoon of heavy cream adds 30 calories. 

Sugar substitutes will not increase calories in your coffee, but milk will increase sugar, fat, as well as calories. 

On the other hand, natural coffee without milk—filtered coffee, espresso shots have zero-calorie, fat, and sugar value. 

• Latte—206 calories
• Cappuccino—130 calories
• Macchiato—13 calories. 

Depending on the milk content, these might differ. 

Fat

Similarly, k-cups and natural coffee have zero to a negligible amount of fat unless you add milk to the overall coffee. Coffee and water have zero fat content, but milk has a lot of fat to increase your overall fat consumption. 

1litre (approx) of whole milk has 9 grams of fat, and 100grams of milk has 1% fat (1g in every 100 grams) 

• Latte (500ml)—8grams of fat
• Cappuccino (500ml)—5grams of fat
• Macchiato (60ml)—0.5 grams 

Sugar

Natural coffee beans have zero sugar, but sugar level and carbohydrate level will increase in your drink when you add artificial sweeteners before brewing your beverage or after. 

Some companies add artificial sweeteners to the pre-ground coffee k-cups to give them a sweet, chocolatey taste to entice drinkers. However, it’s best to choose natural coffee with natural flavors and notes rather than artificial ingredients. 

Post-brewing sweeteners include milk, chocolate syrup, maple syrup, or other sources of sugar. If you are strict on avoiding sugar, read the ingredients and nutritional value before devouring artificial sweeteners. 

• One cup of milk has 12 grams of carbohydrates.
• One cup of heavy cream has only 2.8 grams of carb. If you are cutting down carbs from your diet, it’s best to switch from whole milk to heavy cream while brewing dairy coffee. Heavy whipping cream is ketogenic and promotes weight loss. 

Can you recycle them?

Yes, most of these k-cups are recyclable or made recyclable after the rising concern from consumers, environmentalists, and miles of landfills filled with unrecyclable plastic. 

Keurig and Keurig-certified k-cups are all recyclable and invest millions every year to making their products more sustainable.

In 2020, Keurig produced 100% recyclable k-cups out of polypropylene—it’s widely used plastic and very easily recyclable.

However, purchasing recyclable Keurig k-cups isn’t the only step to take. Keurig k-cups have many materials combined—plastic, aluminum, organic material, etc. You must separate them all for a more straightforward recycling process. 

• Remove the sealed lid after brewing. 
• Dispose of, decompose the organic material (used ground coffee) with or without the filter mesh. 

Other big brands like Starbucks, Illy, Lavazza took the initiative to produce 100% recyclable pods. Thus, it’s always recommended to purchase k-cups from standard manufacturers to receive quality products with sustainable features. 

The next best option would be choosing compostable k-cups—they are made of plant material and paper—both are 100% compostable.

However, keep in mind, you cannot simply compost it in the backyard. Most of these compostable k-cups are commercially compostable and would need a whole system and processing to turn them into manure. 

Also, note: compostable k-cups can damage easily because there’s no plastic to support their structure. Store them properly!

Are they cost-effective compared to whole coffee beans?

If you solely compare the price tag, quality, and quantity of the product between whole coffee beans and k-cups, yes, whole coffee beans might be cheaper.

The real reason for creating k-cups and Keurig was convenience.

Some individuals can not afford the time to brew for 5-10 minutes every morning and invest time in the learning curve of grinding, coffee to water ratio, brewing period, etc.

Keurig and K-cups make it easy for such individuals to brew instant coffee without any effort on their part.

Time is money. Some individuals would rather spend extra cash on k-cups than waste crucial minutes on a cup of coffee.

At the same time, other individuals who want a higher quality taste and enjoy the art of brewing coffee will always and forever choose the freshness and quality of coffee beans over pre-ground stale coffee k-cups. 

This isn’t an accurate comparison because k-cups and whole coffee beans are the primary essentials for brewing; there are other added expenses. 

For k-cups: 

• The average cost of a single k-cup can be anywhere between 0.40-0.80cents. Every 16 ounces of k-cups will cost $40-50. This amount is 3X the amount of 16 ounces of whole coffee beans. A study suggested, an average coffee drinker will spend $500 more per year on k-cups than average individuals who use whole coffee beans. 
• Keurig machine: $100-250
• Keurig can brew different types of beverages.

These are the only two investments needed to brew Keurig k-cups! 

For whole coffee beans: 

• Two pounds (32 ounces) of whole coffee beans will cost you $20-50. 
• A quality coffee grinder will cost you $150-200. 
• Different brewers for different beverages. A quality espresso machine will cost you $1000-$2000. A quality filtered coffee brewer will cost you $100-200; other manual coffee brewers may cost you somewhere between $50-100.
• Maintenance of these machines now and then.

Both can be equally costly. While k-cups give convenience, whole coffee beans will provide freshness and barista skills. Depending on your choice, there’d be a slight cost difference between the two. 

Can you make lattes and cappuccino with k-cups?

Yes, you can brew latte and cappuccino with k-cups and superior Keurig coffee brewer with milk-based beverages options. 

As mentioned, Gevalia offers espresso pods and powdered milk pouches to instantly brew cappuccinos, lattes, mocha without having to foam/steam the milk. 

Keurig K-cafe special edition comes with a latte, cappuccino, and shots option to brew espresso-based beverages.

The machine also offers a unique milk frothing device. To brew with this machine, insert an espresso k-cup and press latte/cappuccino or shot to brew espresso and froth milk. 

The milk frother is present at the right and has a traditional bowl shape with a long stainless steel handle fitted above.

There’s a center whisk inside the container that swirls and foams the milk for lattes and cappuccinos.

After the shot is pulled, you can add the foamed milk to your cappuccino glass and enjoy the beverage. The milk container even has latte and cappuccino markings. 

However, Keurig now also produces a separate espresso machine that accepts espresso k-cups and brews under the correct pressure, stable temperature, and accurate extraction period.

Keurig Rivo is equipped with a milk carafe with a whisk inside to foam and swirl the milk for lattes and espressos. 

Yes, you can brew espressos, lattes, and cappuccino with Keurig K-cafe and Keurig Rvo! 

Keurig Rivo—Espresso coffee maker

Keurig could brew dense espresso shots, but without the 9-Bars of pressure and temperature stability, it is impossible to taste authentic espressos with Keurig K-cafe. ( trust me we tried)

This led to the exclusive invention of the Keurig Rivo equipped with 15-Bars of pressure and better temperature stability. 

Keurig Rivo espresso maker is an adequate machine with a hefty 1.7 liters capacity water reservoir, capsule Lavazza system, milk carafe, simultaneous brewing and frothing, bigger space between the direct spout and drip tray, smaller footprint, etc. 

What separates this machine from the rest of the espresso machines is its unique k-cup system to brew espressos.

You don’t need freshly ground coffee to brew with this device; any espresso k-cup will brew the accurate pressured shot for you. 

You can insert these k-cups at the top. The large stainless steel lid opens and closes to use these k-cups. After brewing, you can open and close the lid again to dispense used k-cups in the dispenser (present right below) 

With simple, easy-to-use five buttons, you can brew short (1.4 oz) and lungo (2.8), cappuccino, latte, and cold froth milk beverage.

It’s a single spout machine that brews within minutes. Its unique milk carafe froths inside the jar and attaches to the device with a click. This milk carafe has a whisk and air channel to create microfoam milk. 

Pros

• Big drip tray and coffee dispenser
• Small footprint and yet a big milk carafe and extensive water reservoir
• An adjustable middle tray to accommodate smaller cups under the spout. 
• Easy to disassemble and easy to refill. 
• Auto shutoff every two minutes of no activity. 
• Every Rico R500 machine comes with 12 Keurig k-cups—with four different flavors. 
• The machine is easy to assemble and disassemble. 
• Affordable.

Cons

• The temperature this machine offers is below the average 190-205 Fahrenheit line. It can reach a max of 175 degrees. This might result in colder brews, and the drinking temperature might lead to a temperature below 150 degrees (the ideal drinking temperature is 160-180). It’s best to froth the milk first and then pull the shots to maintain temperature. 
• The model is made of plastics with some stainless steel accents. 
• The machine doesn’t come with a descaler unit solution. You will have to purchase it separately. 
• It can only use Rivo pods. 

Please remember: This machine is discontinued by Keurig, and it might be challenging to find spare parts or even Rivo capsule pods for the coming three years. However, you can find the machine on Keurig.com and Amazon!

Conclusion

Sometimes, convenience is better than quality; Keurig is one such example for individuals who love coffee but have a busy schedule.

Since anybody can manufacture k-cups, it’s essential to land on the suitable capsules that will accurately adjust in your Keurig machine nonetheless. 

The wide misconception of k-cups’ hazardous nature is poorly exaggerated. Although they result in a tremendous amount of plastic, k-cup manufacturers are taking the initiative to reduce the unhealthy amount of landfills by investing in recyclable plastics.

Do you have a Keurig machine, or are you planning to purchase one? If espresso is your preferred choice for a morning beverage, Keurig K-cafe specialty and Keurig Rivo will serve you delicious shots every morning. 

If you drink different beverages every day, it’s probably best to invest in Keurig K-cafe because it offers you filtered coffee along with espressos and foamed milk. Keurig Rivo will only produce espressos.

These espresso k-cups have a wide range of varieties, and you choose the one that suits your taste buds the best!