Are all Keurig coffee machines the same? Probably not, hence your dilemma: Keurig k50 vs k55, what’s the difference between the K50 and K55? Many people have been wondering about this Keurig k50 and k55 coffee maker and all its bells and whistles, including myself. Before you just pick either one and hope it works for you, I’ve decided to do an in-depth review to answer this question.
Many articles claim that there’s a difference between these coffee makers Keurig k50 and k55 models. There’s not a lot of research on these.
Is there a difference between Keurig k50 and k55?
Keurig K50 vs K55: Pros & Cons and Differences
You might be a little bummed since you were looking for a better machine, but this doesn’t mean that the Keurig K50 and K55 aren’t good coffee makers. They’re actually so popular that Keurig just slapped a new name on the next model and kept remaking it.
There are other reasons why they kept the same model with two names too k50 and k55, such as:
Branding and marketing
Well, they have to sell the coffee makers after all. To keep selling them, Keurig came up with a new way to keep all of their customers interested, and that was by re-releasing the K50 Keurig under the new name of K55.
Understandably, you might be a little suspicious, wondering if they really are the exact same coffee maker. Take a look to see them side-by-side:
They do have the same specs. I will say, however, that you might get better shipping and deals on the Keurig K55. This is because the newer model is usually the preferred model, and has more or less replaced the K50 on the market.
So, now you know that each Keurig is about the same. The real question is whether one of these models will actually work for you. Let’s take a look to see if this coffee machine will really work with your needs.
Specifications
The K50/K55 brewers is an original classic under the Keurig coffee maker brand. Think of them as the Keurig 1.0, as they’re often referred to as the K-Classic line. They’re still just as fancy as other Keurig machines though, using the pod-style of brewing. You take your coffee pod, scoot it into the machine, and in a few minutes, your hot cup of coffee is all ready to be served.
Do keep in mind that these coffee makers are known as the classic style for a reason. The early Keurig coffee makers are missing some of the upgraded features you might like on newer models, like the touch screen on the K250. Another huge feature is the temperature control on the Keurig Elite. If you’re okay with paying a higher price, both of these models have more features for you to try out.
No matter what machine you get though, the Keurig company does recommend regular maintenance. Generally, this means periodic de-scaling. Basically, de-scale every 3-6 months. You can do this more or less often depending on how pure your water is, but regular maintenance is what will help your Keurig last even longer, regardless of which model you end up buying.
Coffee Pods
If there’s one thing Keurig is known for, it’s their single-served K Cup. There are so many flavors and options that you can try, without having to buy a full bag or a flavor that you might not like enough to drink every day.
You can try a new flavor whenever you’d like, without having to drive anywhere. You can even get those holiday flavors whenever the mood strikes you, something which all Keurig coffee machines offer.
But, wait: there’s more!
Cheesy one-liners aside. There really is more to look forward to with a Keurig. You aren’t limited by the flavors of K Cup if there’s a 3rd party coffee pod that has a flavor you prefer. Most of these off-brand pods will work with your Keurig.
You’re not even limited to coffee. Either of these two models will let you switch to tea, hot chocolate, or iced tea at your convenience.
Design and Look
Your coffee maker sits out on your counter every day. You see it every morning. Your guests see it when they want coffee.
The design is important. The K50/K55 models really do look quite classy. You can get one in k55 model and k50 black or red, and won’t have to struggle with using it either. The controls are simple to use, and there are also indicator lights on it. As you make your coffee, there will be lights that illuminate your countertop. Talk about fancy.
You already know that both of these k50 keurig k55 machines first glance very much alike, and both k50 and k55 entry-level coffee machines. That being said, the K50 is very slightly smaller, which may make a difference if you’re working with a very small counter space and really need to squeeze your coffee maker in.
That being said, the size really isn’t that different between k55 model and k50. The K55 is legitimately heavier though, clocking in at 12 pounds in contrast with the 7.6 pounds of the Keurig K50. Again, if you’re not carrying your coffee maker around with you, this may not matter much.
You also do have a few more options with the K55 colors, where you can choose from black, white, and red. If you are looking for white or red, you’ll want the Keurig K55, but if black is your color, you can choose between Keurig K50 vs k55.
Flavor and Taste
The flavor is the most important part of your coffee maker. It doesn’t matter if it only takes a minute to brew if the coffee is terrible.
Lucky for you, the k55 brews good coffee. You’ll get the best taste if you brew a 6-ounce cup. Larger cups of coffee will dilute your cup of coffee more. If you’re a fan of stronger coffee then, smaller cups single serve coffee makers coffee are best.
You can also try the more expensive Keurig K-Elite. This model Keurig has a strong brew and brew sizes, and includes iced coffee settings and cup size.
Really, the taste will depend on which cup of coffee or pod of coffee you use to brew, and how diluted you want your coffee tea.
Ease of Use
Speaking of convenience, the K50 and K55 are both very easy to use. K50 and K55 comes with a button controls board instead of a touch screen, but this control board should be simple for you to learn. Both of these coffee machines are easy to operate and follow the same steps when it comes to making your cup of coffee. You can make your cup with a few simple button presses.
Beyond the control board, it also provide a means of removable drip tray included, along with the drip tray is a huge water reservoir of 48 oz. Scoot whatever sized mug you own right underneath it and your machine will fill it. You could fill even large k cups around six times with K55 & K50, but hopefully, you don’t need six cups all to yourself in the morning. The removable drip tray of k55 and k50 is really useful.
Don’t forget that your coffee is brewed quickly. So when you’re rushing out the door, you can use a travel mug and run. Your morning single serve coffee makers cup will be done in only a minute. With one of this Keurig coffee maker, you don’t have to wait 5-10 minutes for your morning cup. Just push a button controls and you’re already almost done.
You can also rest assured that your coffee machine will use its auto-off feature to deactivate itself after 90 seconds of inactivity. Auto-off feature means that if you’re rushing out the door and trying to get out with your coffee tea, you don’t need to worry about accidentally leaving your coffee maker on. You don’t need to worry about accidentally forgetting your coffee brewers either, so just make your coffee and run out the door.
The only real difference in k50 usage between the two is the “Quiet Coffee Tech” that you get with the K55 and not on k50. This means that if you’re trying to stay quiet in the mornings, the K55 may be better for you than k50. Granted, the noise levels of both of k50 and k55 are still too loud for some people.
Installation
Both of these coffee machines are made to be easy to install right out of the box. All you need to do is unbox your coffee maker and assemble the coffee brewers before you turn the power button on.
From there, it’s just like making coffee as you would any other time. Pour your water into the cold water reservoir, lift the handle so that the water goes into the brewer, and insert your k cup pods to get your favorite flavor of coffee. From inserting your k cup pods, all you have to do is press brew and you’ll be able to take a drink of your delicious coffee in just a few minutes.
The whole machine is very intuitive, so there’s really no chance of you messing up. There’s even a user’s manual if you’re having trouble figuring it out on your own. The customer support team are all very kind and professional as well if you do need to call in.
Subtle Differences
Yes, these two coffee makers are more or less the same thing. If you buy one, you can rest assured that you’re getting a good product and that you aren’t missing out on some big features that comes with one over the other.
That being said, we would be remiss if we didn’t go over some of the very subtle differences between the K50 and K55. The Keurig K55 comes for the purpose of fixing performance glitches that people complained about in the K50, after all, so even if the changes are extremely subtle, there are small differences.
Brewing
You know that both of these k50 keurig k55 machines brew time using the k cup method, and can use other forms of coffee if you would prefer something aside from k cup method. There is a difference with brew time though.
The K55 Keurig actually brews slightly faster: you can have a hot cup of in one minute. Granted, it only takes maybe 30 seconds longer for the Keurig K50 vs k55, and both k50 and k55 two models require 4-5 minutes for the water to boil. You really won’t see much of a difference, although some people note the coffee in the Keurig K55 is somewhat smoother and tastier, thanks to the charcoal-based water filters. You may not notice this difference, but if you have a sensitive taste, you may prefer the Keurig K55.
Breaking Down
Both of these machines are fairly durable, and are made to keep working for years to come. That being said, part of the reason why the Keurig K55 was introduced was because the Keurig K50 is well-known for breaking down unexpectedly. Whatever caused the breakdowns was fixed in the K55 Keurig so the K55 does not break down like the Keurig K50 is known to.
Any break downs in the Keurig K50 are often not permanent though. They can be fixed with little hacks, which may not be a big deal, but which might be especially annoying when you just want your cup of coffee and don’t want to deal with needing to fix your coffee machine in the morning.
Cleaning
Remember how I talked about de-scaling? This is something that you need to do with both k50 and k55 machines, but the difference is that the Keurig K55 model has an auto-descaling feature. The machine will alert you when you should descale it, which means that it will be much easier for you to maintain your coffee machine without needing to guess about the cleaning.
Of course, you will still need to do the cleaning yourself, even if your Keurig K55 tells you when it’s time to get started. You might like the simple fact that you don’t need to remember to descale on your own though.
Does Keurig K50 need a water filter?
You need to know that not all the K50 range of brewers use the exact similar filter holders. So the answer is, no it is not compulsory. But for the sake of coffee that tastes really good, you could choose to use it just for that extra water filter filtration.
Is K50/K55 Coffee Maker Worth It?
The K55 Keurig is the K50 coffee maker, just with a new name. Keurig machines wanted to get an increase in sales and added a new name. You may sigh at the marketing technique, but the K-Classic series of coffee makers work well, are priced affordably, and do make a good k cup of coffee right from home too.
That being said between k50 and k55, the K55 Keurig was made to fix differences between the Keurig K50. They are extremely similar to each other and have only subtle differences, but there are subtle differences that may matter to you. Yes, k55 and k50 more or less the same machine, but you might prefer one over the other based on color or tiny extra features that the K55 has over the Keurig K50.
Do you have a preferred choice between the Keurig K50 and K55 coffee maker?
Comment below about k50 and k55 model to let me know your thoughts of Keurig k50 vs k55!