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Choosing a Keurig used to be simple when there was only one option. But times have changed! Now, with over 50 different Keurig models launched in recent years, picking one has become a real adventure.
In this post, we’ll dive into the world of compact coffee machines, starting with the tiniest Keurig (it’s called “Mini” for a reason!). Plus, I’ll guide you through the top small Keurig models and introduce you to other amazing little coffee makers perfect for pods and travel. Stay tuned!
Why Should You Get a Small Coffee Maker?
In many homes, there’s not a lot of room on the kitchen counter. If you’re a coffee lover, you know how important that space can be. But you also need room for other kitchen activities, like cooking. Having more counter space means you can try out different coffee machines or fun gadgets like milk frothers to make your coffee even better.
Small coffee makers are perfect for travel and camping. They’re easy to carry, though you’ll need a power source for most. Imagine packing a compact Keurig and some pods instead of a bulky 12-cup machine and ground coffee. It’s a game-changer for coffee lovers on the move!
What Is the Smallest Keurig Coffee Maker?
Discover the K-Mini and K-Mini Plus: Keurig’s tiniest coffee makers and among the smallest pod brewers you can find!
Keurig K-Mini coffee maker
Dimensions: 12.1” H x 4.5” W x 11.3” D
Using a new Keurig? You’ll quickly see it’s missing many buttons compared to older models.
The K-Mini makes brewing coffee super simple, letting you whip up anywhere from 6 to 12 ounces in a single go. You might not see a button to pick the size of your brew, and that’s because it’s designed to use exactly the amount of water you pour into its tank – enough for just one mug. No more guessing, just easy, perfect cups every time.
The K-Mini, at under 5 inches wide, is super slim—taking up less than half the space of the K-Select and K-Elite. Its compact size and handy cord storage mean you can easily tuck it away or take it on the go. Perfect for small spaces!
The Keurig Mini makes your coffee quickly, in just a few minutes, just like other Keurigs. It’s perfect for your everyday mug or even a taller travel cup.
The K-Mini stands out with its vibrant colors, even available as a pink coffee maker for a fun twist!
Keurig K-Mini Plus coffee maker
Dimensions: 12.1” H x 4.5” W x 11.3” D
The K-Mini Plus adds key extras to the K-Mini, making it even better.
The detachable water tank simplifies cleaning and refilling, even though it fits just one cup of water. Plus, with room for up to 9 pods, the Plus model lets you enjoy more coffee before needing to empty the pod storage. Say goodbye to frequent trash runs!
The K-Mini Plus has a game-changer: a strong brew button. A big issue with Keurigs is they often make coffee that’s not as strong as regular drip coffee. But with the strong brew feature, you get a richer, bolder cup. It works by slowing down the brewing time slightly, allowing it to pull more flavor from the coffee grounds. This feature alone makes it worth the extra cost.
Are There Other Small Keurig Coffee Makers?
The K-Mini and K-Mini Plus top the list as the tiniest Keurig machines, perfect for small spaces. However, they have fewer features. For those okay with a slightly bigger size, consider the K-Slim, K-Supreme, K-Supreme Plus, or K-Duo for more options.
Smallest Keurig Coffee Maker with a multi-cup reservoir: Keurig K-Slim
Dimensions: 12.14″ H x 4.76″ W x 15.2″ D
The K-Slim is slightly bigger than the K-Mini, but it uses that extra space wisely with a huge 46-ounce water tank. This means you can choose from 3 different cup sizes: 8, 10, and 12 ounces. So, you can enjoy between 3 to 5 cups of your favorite coffee before needing a refill, making the K-Slim a super handy choice over the Mini.
Sadly, the K-Slim lacks the K-Mini Plus’s brew-strength control and has a fixed water tank.
Best small Keurig coffee maker: Keurig K-Supreme
Side Reservoir Size: 12.15″ tall, 7.85″ wide, 12.02″ deep
Back Reservoir Size: 12.15″ tall, 6.36″ wide, 15.11″ deep
The K-Supreme is slightly wider and a tad deeper than the K-Mini, but it’s what it does with that extra space that’s truly impressive.
The Keurig Supreme makes life simple with a big 66-ounce water tank you can take out. Choose from 4 cup sizes – 6, 8, 10, or 12 ounces. Even if you pick the biggest size, you can brew 5 cups before needing a refill. Plus, its flexible reservoir moves to fit easily, even on busy countertops. Perfect for coffee lovers!
What I love most about the supreme is its awesome brew choices. You get two powerful options: strong and iced, making three strength levels in total. The iced setting creates an even richer coffee, perfect for iced drinks without the worry of ice watering it down.
Keurig stepped up their game by fixing a big issue: the way water flows through the coffee pod. Older Keurig machines used just one stream of water, which sometimes missed soaking all the coffee grounds properly. This meant your coffee could taste off. The new K-Supreme model changes that with its multistream technology. It uses 5 streams of water instead of just one, making even a regular cup of coffee taste way better than before with older models.
If you’re exploring more options, take a look at the K-Supreme Plus. It’s a bit bigger, with a fixed water tank. But, it shines with an additional 4-ounce cup size, a generous 78-ounce reservoir, and the ability to control the temperature. Perfect for those who love customization!
Smallest Keurig coffee maker with carafe: Keurig K-Duo Plus
Size with Side Tank: 14.19″ tall, 8.20″ wide, 11.70″ deep.
Size with Back Tank: 14.19″ tall, 7.68″ wide, 15.88″ deep.
The K-Duo Plus stands 2 inches higher and nearly 4 inches broader than the mini version. Despite its size, it earns a spot on this list as the tiniest Keurig capable of brewing a whole carafe of coffee. Perfect for when you need more than a cup!
The K-Duo Plus comes with a shiny stainless-steel carafe that keeps your coffee hot for hours, way longer than the usual glass ones. Whether you’re making coffee for yourself or the whole crew, you can choose to brew 6, 8, 10, or 12 cups. If you’re in the mood for just a cup, pick from 6, 8, 10, or 12 ounces. Plus, it’s versatile – use k-cups or the permanent mesh filter for your favorite coffee grounds.
The Keurig Duo Plus features a large 60-ounce water tank that you can easily remove. Plus, it’s super flexible – you can pivot the tank to the back, left, or right, making it a perfect fit for any kitchen space.
What About Other Small Pod Coffee Makers?
Keurig isn’t the only brand with coffee pods or capsules. While there are alternatives to K-cup machines, none match the K-Mini and K-Slim in quality and compact size. Perfect for small spaces!
If you’re ready to explore beyond k-cups, consider trying Nespresso machines. They’re great for small kitchens or if you love coffee on the go. These machines work with Nespresso OriginalLine capsules to make delicious espresso, not regular drip coffee. Interested? These choices could be exactly what you’re looking for.
Nespresso Essenza Mini Original Espresso Machine
Dimensions: 12.9″ H x 3.3″ W x 8.0″ D
Meet the tiniest star of the Nespresso family. It’s so compact, it makes the K-Mini seem big! Imagine: it’s 1 inch slimmer and 3 inches shorter, yet it’s barely taller by less than an inch. Perfect for small spaces!
Despite its small size, this machine packs a punch with 19 bars of pressure, ensuring your espresso is top-notch. Plus, it heats up in under 30 seconds, so you’ll be sipping your espresso in about a minute.
This machine works with Nespresso OriginalLine capsules, letting you brew either a small, strong 1.35-ounce espresso or a larger, 5-ounce lungo. Plus, it stores 5-6 used capsules, cutting down your trips to the trash can.
Easily take out the water tank; it fits 20.29 ounces for 4 big lungo shots.
Wacaco Nanopresso Portable Espresso Maker
Dimensions: 6.14″ H x 2.8″ W x 2.44″ D
The Nanopresso isn’t a Nespresso machine. It uses ground coffee, but you can get a Nespresso capsule adapter from Wacaco to switch it up.
With this handy adapter, you can enjoy espresso from capsules anywhere you go! Ideal for travel, hiking, camping, or whenever you prefer a manual brew over electric. Just remember, you’ll need hot water, but that’s a small ask for a great cup of coffee on the move.
At first glance, you might think this machine runs on batteries, but it’s actually powered by a good squeeze! While it requires a bit of muscle, it’s not too hard to manage. Its clever design uses this squeezing action to create enough pressure for a tasty espresso. Sure, it might not match up to a high-end Nespresso machine, but it’s perfect for those moments when you’re craving a quick coffee fix (and yes, pun intended).
Other Compact Coffee Makers (Good for Travel)
If you’re okay with ground coffee over pods, consider these options. They’re fantastic for brewing at home and perfect for taking on the go. Great coffee is just a brew away!
AeroPress Go
Dimensions (excluding mug): 5.26″ H x 4.22″ W x 4.22″ D
I absolutely love the AeroPress! It’s small and easy to use, perfect for trips or even as your main coffee machine at home. You can quickly make up to 3 cups of delicious coffee in just about 2 minutes. It’s a game-changer for coffee fans!
Espresso is a strong coffee that you can water down to taste like regular drip coffee. Plus, with a few tweaks, you can even make a drink that’s close to espresso using your AeroPress. Check it out here.
Just like the Nanopresso, all you need for the AeroPress is coffee and hot water. No need for electricity or batteries! And if you’re really in a bind, you can even use cold water, though it’ll take a bit longer to brew.
Using the AeroPress is a breeze! You simply push a plunger through its chamber, which is even simpler than the Nanopresso’s squeeze method. So, no stress about figuring out how to use it.
The AeroPress was a game-changer, but the AeroPress Go took it up a notch. Now, it’s not just a coffee maker; it comes with its very own custom mug!
Stanley Classic Travel Press
Dimensions: 9.6″ H x 3.5″ W x 3.5″ D
Meet your new camping buddy: a travel mug that doubles as a French press! Perfect for outdoor adventures, it’s designed to brew your coffee on-the-go and snugly fits in your car’s cup holder.
This sleek, stainless steel coffee maker is not only durable but also super compact. Thanks to its double-wall vacuum insulation, your coffee stays hot for hours. Plus, you can sip directly from it!
This travel coffee maker is a game-changer and now even better, upgraded to hold 16 ounces of your favorite brew. Perfect for coffee lovers on the go!
Final Answer
Jumped to the end? Here’s the quick answer again:
The tiniest Keurig brewers are the K-Mini and K-Mini Plus models.
Searching for a compact coffee maker or one perfect for travel? I’ve explored some great alternatives to the Keurig K-Mini and K-Mini Plus. These options might just be the space-saving or travel-friendly solution you need!
For the tiniest Keurig, choose the Keurig K-Mini Plus.
Got a little extra counter room? The Keurig K-Supreme is your go-to small coffee maker. Perfect for beginners!
Discover the perfect travel buddy for coffee lovers: the AeroPress Go. Ideal for on-the-go sips!