Keurig K145 (OfficePro) Review

Keurig K145 Review

Reviewed by: Jennifer

Jennifer’s Rating: 4.3 Stars 

In this indepth Keurig K145 review I take a good look at an industrial-grade single cup brewer worthy of consideration – it’s also known as the OfficePro so it is made with public venues in mind. In appearance it is very similar to its home-front “relatives’ but it works harder and has the added advantage of an inner-tank drain function which is great if you are someone who needs to transport that office essential safely. Aside from that, it produces good, hot coffee, of course it’s not without its sticky spots, too like the more industrial-strength sounds.

This is a no-frills approach brewer made for the workplace. A big thank you to my sister in law who works in an office administration setting and whose main office shares ownership of the Keurig K145. This helped provide me with a good live testimonial to go on. Later on (2018 update) I got an opportunity to test out this model at a family event, so I will be providing my findings as well.

Model Name and Number

This is the Keurig K145 OfficePRO Single Serve Brewing System (sometimes the model may also be referred to as the “B145” – it’s the same)

Dimensions

Amazon lists the dimensions of the Keurig K145 as 16.7 x 15 x 12.6 inches and the weight as 14.9 lbs (it’s a little bit of a heavyweight); when cross-checking the manufacturer’s site stated dimensions read: 13.25″ h by 12.25″ d by 9.5″ w.

I’m unsure of what led to this rift in the dimensions, but I got confirmation that when the lever is raised in the front as the process of starting a cycle, this puts the height at about 17.5″ This is good info if you’re concerned with cabinet to counterpart clearance.

With regard to clearance between the dispensing area and the drip plate base (when the tray and plate are removed) there is 8″ of space that should allow for travel cups fairly easily.

The Keurig K145 has a 66″ power cord, which is pretty impressive. I’m about 5 foot six and that’s exactly how long this cord is LOL 🙂

What’s Included?

In addition to the brewer is a sampler bonus pack of Kcups – however take this with a grain of salt as some consumers claimed they did not receive the bonus, which I felt was more a case of oversight than misleading. There is also a start guide and one year warranty.

I’m also pleased to report that because this is a commercially listed coffee maker, it is eligible to be serviced. Most home-use keurigs are not serviceable. The manual explains the in’s and out’s of it:

Manual available here: Keurig K145 User Manual

Features

All of the major features…

• 3 brew sizes (6, 8 and 10)
• Brew/Drain selector switch
• Auto-Off
• Commercial-grade performance
• 48-oz reservoir
• Internal water tank can be purged
• Serviceable

 

 

Buttons and Controls

All of the control parts are located on the left side and include a rotary knob with which you use to set the desired brew size (6, 8, or 10 oz.) They also show icons with the size on them so it’s easy to read. The brew button is located right in the middle of the knob with its respective words,

Above the knob is the “drain ” function, To the right is the power button and the Auto-Off. The indicator lights include: Add Water, Descale, and Heating, and each respective command has a different color light associated with it (e.g. “Descale” is amber, “add water” is blue.)

   

How to Drain the Keurig K145?

The most unique feature of the Keurig K145 is the drain setting which will enable you to “purge” the inner tank – and it’s exclusive to this model. In the back is a Brew/Drain selector switch, which is only vaguely visible from a front parallel view. My first impression it was hard to tell what the heck that thing was but as I dug deeper I made this discovery and what it was for…it’s much more visible from a top or back view.

On the side of the brewer that faces the water reservoir, there is a small tube near the top . When you detach the reservoir, you’ll notice it, as it’s hard to see. This is the vent nozzle where internal tank buildup will flow out of.

The dial selector at the back needs to be set to the correct procedure – switch it to “drain” before getting ready to perform a purging of the hot water tank, just remember that for the next time you’ll want to set it back to Brew.

Personally I think this tank drain feature is great….I wish all Keurigs had them. I kind of wish this little knob thingy could have gone in a less obvious location, though, maybe a little further down in the back.

Descaling

The descale procedure is pretty cut and dried – it’s very much the same method used on all Keurig models. The built-in sensors will alert you on the control panel if you aren’t on the up-and-up here. Only difference is that you are encouraged to perform a de-scale every 6 months as opposed to the usual 3. I’m unsure why that is, but it’s nice to know.

Reservoir and Drip tray

The Keurig K145 has a 48-oz side-mounted reservoir.  You can refill the reservoir by removing the lid on top and pouring from there, or pulling out the reservoir to fill at the sink; of which I would prefer the former since you have to line up the tabs on the side when replacing it.

Even though it is not included with the package it will accommodate a water filter assembly which is optional and will improve the taste if you’re not using filtered/bottled water. You will need to choose the kit that is compatible with the 1.0 first generation models and install it accordingly.

The drip tray and plate (metal) can catch up to 8 oz of overflow. Both are top-rack dishwasher safe. And of course, removal of them will give you some leeway for taller cups.

Ease of Use

Basic operation of the K145 should not be much of a head-scratcher. You’re looking at plug-and-play operation, pretty much, just that you’ll find yourself setting the dial instead of pushing the buttons more; the indicators have different colors which is kind of interesting.

The Auto Off feature is optional and you’ll know it’s activated if you see the green light showing next to the button. If you hit the button the light will go out and Auto Off will be disabled.The Auto-Off function, when punched in the brewer is set to go off in about 2 hours.

The most you will notice regarding the noise, is the water pre-fill stage that happens shortly after a complete brew cycle. This is to be expected and nothing to worry about. In general it will take about 20 seconds to reheat/refill.

Here I am making an 8 oz cup. It was pretty expedient; of course a part of that could have been the chance that it was used by another person five minutes before I did, which means the next cup would brew faster since it is already in that “warm” stage. When I retrieved my cup, I noticed the blue light on the dial blinked a little before the power-off mode kicked in.

Average preheating time is about 4 minutes if it is a a “break in” session, or the first  brew of the day, subsequent brews will be much more expedient, around 20-30 seconds for preheating afterward. If you have a busy work environment this should bode well.

There will be slight drips from the vent nozzle (you may or may not notice it) which is a normal occurrence and indication that the water is heating.

Keurig K145 Reviews and Ratings

Well, if there’s anything I discovered in consumer reviews that was spoken frequently almost to the point of being redundant, it was all the comments about the volume of this machine. Some were rather vociferous about it while others took it in stride, seeing the industrial-level inner equipment of greater strength as par for the course.

Other than that, what I saw overwhelmingly in the positive comments included a pattern of “sturdy” “fast heatup” and “love the drain tank feature”

Comments on resulting coffee temperature has some variation; of which some basis could be formed, the default factory setting is to a range of 187-192 degrees. This is not one of those Keurigs with the brew temp adjustment. A consensus was going on that 6 and 8 oz brews turned out “stronger”.

There seemed to be some confusion about the question of using refillables, since the proprietary My K-Cup is deemed not a fit for the K145. However, people were finding other brands of reusable K-cups that were working out just fine; one in particular was the Solofill K3 Gold and Chrome. Several mentions of this led me to deduce that was the preferred choice due to fit and performance, as I understand the K-cup holder assembly is a little different in the inside.

There seemed to be as many people who had bought this for home use as there were getting it for their workplace, which was kind of telling; they were seeking a more powerful upgrade.

The “noisy” part…again this is a subjective issue here; but since so many people commented on it, I thought I would include a video of the K145 in action so you can judge for yourself.

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Video Courtesy of Laly Flores

I would have made a video myself…..Not exactly the best setup for it, though…There were other people in the lounge room and the din of them talking would have been too much of a distraction. I didn’t think it was all that bad, personally, regarding the operation noise level.

Pros

• You can drain the inner tank
• Built stronger to withstand heavy use
• The ability to interrupt or halt brew cycles
• Auto-off feature that can be set at will
• Fast reheat time between brew cycles
• Can be serviced (check owner manual for info)
• You can use any brand of Kcups you want

Cons

• Some comments on operational noise
• Cannot use the My K-Cup brand refillable K-cups
• Warranty may not be honored for home use
• A few “extra” accessories are absent

Price

Well, first, the bad news. When I did this review about 5 years ago, it was priced in the below $200 range…but like most Keurigs that have aged, maintained a good rep, and getting harder to find, the price has taken a jump. Don’t shoot the messenger – it’s still a very good coffeemaker.

I would get one, but I would act quickly, too, as the stock seems to be getting limited. Although you might be able to land it for a lower price if you are willing to nab one that is pre-owned (of course, you might get lucky and find one in the “like new” category, just because the box was scuffed up…)

You’d probably spend in the ballpark of about $20 more for the K145…and in terms of the coffee Kcups themselves, since you are not limited by type or proprietary brand you’d have no difference in your coffee budget with the Elite over the K145. So basically what you’re paying extra for is a stronger machine that can take more frequent reheating and brewing and with a drain tank setting, not to mention eligible for service, so when you look at it, that sounds like a pretty fair deal, dollar wise.

 

Keurig K145 Summary

My overall rating: 4.3 Stars – Excellent

In short, I think it’s fair to say that the Keurig K145 is a more heavy-duty version of the K45 Elite. Appearance and design is pretty similar, but esthetics aside you may find greater advantages with the K145 Office Pro. And yes it kind of depends on whether it is more important to have a quieter machine or a more rugged one!