Keurig K Duo Review

Keurig K-Duo Review

Welcome to my Keurig K-Duo review…Well done Keurig!! Finally, they’ve brought out their first dual-function brewer.You are now officially able to go to your Keurig for not just a single cup but a full pot just in time if company is coming, or it’s the weekend and you want to take it easy and sip slowly.

Although it hasn’t been out very long, it appears to be making a great dent in kitchens. I realize that the day is young and we need more time to see what the future holds. But for now, let’s take a look!

Features

• 12-cup carafe capability in addition to single-serve
• 6,8,10, and 12-oz brew sizes (on both sides)
• Programmable Auto-Brew
• “Pause and Pour” for the carafe side
• Smart Start produces expedient operation
• Auto-off sets in after 5 minutes of inactivity

Dimensions

I found “16.4” by 15.2″ by 14″ on the sales page, but this refers to “package dimensions” which is only semi-accurate. A look at the multiple images on the sales page clearly shows images that are identical to what’s shown on the Keurig site (I recognize the style) also includes the dimensions as well as their respective sides – 12.92″ height, 10.94″ width, 12.76″ depth are all presented clearly.

Mug Clearance

Although the picture demos that an 8-oz travel mug can fit, a few respondents said a 7″-er was the tallest height allowed when the drip tray was removed. When the drip tray is in place, a mug up to 6.25″ would be permitted.

As you can see from the image above the proprietary tumbler mug fits perfectly on the base with the drip tray removed.

What’s Included?

There’s a few goodies you get extra with the K-Duo, two sampler packs of K-cup pods and a bag of grounds too, very nice. One year warranty., pretty much Keurig’s de rigeuer, and user guide. One thing I remember finding in the manual that was unusual, was that it stated that the accessory parts (reservoir, drip tray, k-cup holder, etc.) “were not dishwasher safe”

Huh – I wonder why that is? Most people have said that if you stick to using the top rack they do just fine.

Reservoir

The reservoir, which is shared on both sides, holds 60 oz of water and is a nice flat rectangle with a removable lid and back locking tabs. You can see the max fill line on the side.

Drip Tray

The drip tray which is square in appearance with one side corner rounded off, holds 8 oz of overflow and like all the others the tray moves off to let a 8 oz tumbler take its rightful spot on the drip tray base.

Buttons and Controls

All of the operational controls of the Keurig K-Duo are located right over the K-cup side chamber. It’s a little bit similar to that of the K-Cafe, so I’m guessing that all these related models will get the same redesign. The round dial with buttons – each shows the different brew sizes; completing the circle are two additional buttons with icons that represent their respective functions – (carafe and single-serve.).

 

The top right shows the power button and the “strong” setting, in the middle is the window which shows the time in a digital readout. To the left are the buttons “Auto” (to set the auto-brew function) and “H” and “M” buttons (hour, minute) to set the time. The h/m, Strong, Auto and size buttons look kind of faint to me. Last but not least, in the middle of the round dial, is the big “K” “brew” button.

The Keurig K-Duo Carafe Operation

You get some nice extras here…The carafe side has a heating plate, which can be turned off manually, although the Auto-Off feature kicks in around the two-hour mark to turn it off to prevent or minimize that “burned” taste. Inside is a filter basket; the use of paper filters in the standard “cupcake” style is encouraged.

 

The Auto-Brew can be programmed to start at a certain time up to 24 hours in advance, using the h/m buttons. “Pause and pour” lets you “steal” a cup before it’s finished working its magic within a 20-second window.  IT will, however, only let you use the single-serve side while the set time is in place (if you change your mind, you can disable it.

Clock Setting

You must set the clock before you can program the Auto-Brew function, by pushing the h/m buttons accordingly. When Auto-Brew is enabled a little teeny clock icon will show in the window.

High Altitude

If you live in a high-altitude environment you can push the pod and carafe icon buttons together until you see a mountain icon in the window.

Single-Serve Side

Of course, this one won’t disappoint either….since that’s what Keurig is famous for! This part contains a k-cup holder assembly so you can use pods or your own grounds alternatively with the reusable filter of your choice. No proprietary restrictions to worry about…also the “strong” button will let you kick the flavor up a notch.

You have another good advantage of being able to have few limits on cup height. Remove the drip tray and you can get the proprietary tumbler segued in nicely. No splashback reports have been heard from regarding “normal” sized mugs. Just as with the carafe side, you have brew size settings of 6, 8, 10 and 12.

Compatible Accessories

• For the carafe side, the cupcake-shape filters are recommended.
• Keurig Gold Tone Mesh Filter Accessory

Keurig K-Duo Consumer Reviews and Ratings

Hard to evaluate this one for certain due to its not having been out long, so the overwhelming amount of reviews are positive or satisfactory. That tends to be common when a model is newer -everyone is more swept up more or less in the enjoyment of having a brand new maker – for that reason older models tend to be easier to evaluate for performance.

Only one negative remark that I could see regarding the carafe…didn’t like it as much as another one owned previously. But nothing at the moment that raised red flags.  Most people were pleased with the function, the look, the efficiency, and yes the freebie/included coffee (as who wouldn’t enjoy that?)

Is There More Than One K-Duo?

Chances are if you were visiting Walmart or another retailer you may have seen the K-Duo on display, liked it and wondered if it was the same one being discussed here? After a little closeup inspection, I found out that these are actually TWO different models. What you probably saw was the K-Duo “Essentials” which is very similar and from the looks up close and to the side, it does:

However-big difference is that the “Essentials” model – which I checked to see if Amazon carries; I did not see it by the way…it has the buttons on the right side, instead of on top of the chamber, and not able to be programmed.

Pros

• Dual function design
• Does well accommodating taller tumblers
• No k-cup brand limitations
• Auto-off function to save energy
• Auto-Brew lets you program a carafe

Cons

• Doesn’t come in any other colors besides black
• Does not include a water filter assembly

Price

The price seems good since you get those extra bonus coffees and a dual-decker….If you were a little confused regarding the model I saw over at Walmart one evening and selling for $99 there it’s not programmable (which explains the lower price tag).

A few others kind of had the same experience, so…moving on. The price is a little higher than similar dual-type models like the Hamilton Beach. For under $200 at the time of writing, you get a very good model and the very first dual-model Keurig has released. Not too shabby.

Verdict

I love it! I wish it did come in a few additional colors (hardly a real negative, I guess) or maybe a more glossy look.As time goes by and it has a few more months on the market, I’ll keep everyone posted.