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When it comes to making the perfect cup of coffee in a Keurig coffee maker, everyone likely has their own cup size preference. Fortunately, Keurig doesn’t make you sacrifice variety for convenience.
In this guide, you’ll learn all about Keurig cup sizes, including how to pick your perfect cup and how the cup sizes impact the strength and flavor of your coffee.
What Are the Keurig Cup Sizes?
Depending on the specific Keurig machine you’re using, you’ll be given up to five options for cup sizes.
- 4 ounces
- 6 ounces
- 8 ounces
- 10 ounces
- 12 ounces
Older and lower-end Keurigs typically have just the 6, 8, and 10-ounce options. Keurig has only recently added the 4-ounce and 12-ounce sizes. That’s fine for most people, though, as the 6–10 ounce cups most closely match standard coffee cup sizes.
Beyond those five sizes, there are a few brewing options specific to Keurig’s more unique product lines. The K-Duo Essentials, K-Duo, and K-Duo Plus offer 6, 8, and 10-cup brewing options in their carafe.
The K-Mini brews 6–12 ounces. Unlike other models, though, it doesn’t have the Keurig size buttons. Instead, it brews exactly as much water as you add to the reservoir each time.
Keurig Cup Sizes and Brew Strength
The amount of coffee in a K-Cup is roughly the same, regardless of what brand or style you choose. Thus, using more water will produce a weaker-tasting coffee. Each cup will have roughly the same amount of caffeine, but the smaller coffee cups will provide that caffeine in a less diluted form.
If you’re interested in making a very potent and strong cup of coffee in your Keurig coffee maker, then you should choose the 4-ounce option. Four ounces is very small compared to the typical mug size of 6–10 ounces. Some Keurig models even come with a special feature called the Keurig strong button that enables you to make your coffee even more potent.
The 6–10 ounce cups of coffee are probably the most preferred brew strengths. If you’re looking to make a cup of coffee that isn’t too strong or too weak, stick to this range. Personally, I find the 10-ounce size to be too watery, but I like a strong cup of coffee. Since most Keurigs have this entire range, you can always try it for yourself.
The 12-ounce size is too weak for anything except the strongest coffee k-cups or espresso k-cups. But if you can’t stand the taste of black coffee—and really just want caffeinated water—you might find it tolerable.
Cup Sizes for All Keurig Models
The following table shows the available cup sizes for every current Keurig model. I’ve also included the size of the water reservoir, which will give you an idea of how frequently you’ll be running to get refills, depending on what cup size you choose.
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Keurig K-Classic Machine—This coffee maker comes with a large, removable 48-ounce water reservoir and offers three popular cup sizes (6 ounces, 8 ounces, or 10 ounces). Of course, the 6-ounce cup will make you the strongest cup of coffee, while the 10-ounce cup will make you the weakest cup of coffee.
Keurig K-Slim Coffee Maker—this coffee maker includes a 46-ounce removable water reservoir and gives you the option of 8, 10, and 12-ounce cup sizes. The Keurig K-Slim is also so small and “slim” that it can easily fit just about anywhere, enabling you to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee just about anywhere. You can travel with the Keurig K-Slim and use it while staying in hotels, in your camper, or anyplace else that has an electrical outlet.
Keurig K-Elite — Not only does this Keurig have hot water on demand, making it perfect for making hot chocolate, soup, and hot cereal, but it is also one of the few Keurigs with all 5 cup sizes. This specific model also has the ability to brew iced coffee, unlike some of the other Keurig models that are currently on the market.
What’s Next?
Keurig machines have come a long way in recent years. The extra cup sizes help, but the biggest changes have been in brew quality and convenience features.
They recently took the K-Supreme line, already my favorite Keurigs, and turned it into a smart coffee machine! The K-Supreme Plus Smart (yes, it’s a mouthful) is well worth a look if you want all the Keurig cup sizes, the improved flavor from their multistream technology, and the smart brewing features that optimize for every coffee k-cup.
