Keurig and Cuisinart are two of the hottest brands when people look for a new coffee maker with the latest features and potential smart technology to make brewing easier. But which one is actually the best for your situation? Which brand is better to look at for your home versus an office? Which can help you save money? Let’s dig into some details so you have an idea about where to begin.
When you’re done, be sure to stop by our list of the best smart coffee makers for more ideas, and take a look at what to look for when buying a coffee maker.
Selection
Cuisinart is a master of variety, with something for everyone no matter what you’re looking for. Need a built-in grinder? No problem. Looking for high-capacity options? There are plenty. Need a fully automatic option, or do you just want to control something specific like temperature? Cuisinart has an answer. Like Keurig, it has single-serve options, but there are many, many other choices to consider, too.
Keurig, meanwhile, is primarily focused on single-serve coffee makers and its famous K-Cups products. There are a couple of models that include carafes with traditional brewing options, as well as some models for iced coffee, etc., but most are built around the single-serve design, so there isn’t as much variety here.
Winner: Cuisinart
Design and durability
Cuisnart’s variety means there’s also a lot of variety in design, too. However, its coffee makers tend to take up more space and have more traditional, blocky designs, even on the smaller models.
Keurig, on the other hand, favors a compact design in its coffee makers, aided by the single-serve focus. These slim models are excellent at fitting anywhere, perfect if you’re short on counter space and want to make the most of it. That compact design also helps them avoid accidents, so with periodic maintenance, they can last a long time.
Winner: Keurig
Smart features
Just how smart can these coffee makers get? Cuisinart offers models that allow you to control temperature, strength, cups made, or automatic-everything entirely. As usual, programming options allow you to set timers for grinding (where available) and brewing. However, there isn’t much focus on apps and no compatibility with smart platforms here.
Not all of Keurig’s models are smart, but options like the K-Supreme Plus Smart coffee maker really hit it out of the park. This coffee maker can recognize the brand and roast by reading K-Cup pods and then customize settings for the best results. It can also connect with an app that allows you to change the strength, temperature, cups, and more from a distance. It’s even compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant for voice commands.
Winner: Keurig
Serving sizes
What if you are planning to serve a lot of people at once? You’ll want a model that can hold plenty of coffee with serving size options, especially for things like team meetings or break rooms. Cuisinart’s models can go up to 12 cups, and that includes some of our favorite coffee makers with high brewing capacity, like the Cuisinart SS-15P1.
Keurig’s coffee makers, however, top out at 60 ounces when they offer carafes, which is about 7 to 8 cups. They aren’t as suitable if you need as much capacity as possible.
Winner: Cuisinart
General costs
Cuisinart’s coffee makers start at around $60 and end at around $230 to $300 for multifunction models. Keurig’s smallest models start at around $70 to $80, and the coffee makers go up to nearly $300 for options like the OfficePRO Premium Brewing System. That makes Cuisinart the better bet to save some money, although there’s not a lot of difference here.
Winner: Cuisinart
What about lattes?
Cuisinart has dedicated espresso machines for drinks like lattes and cappuccinos but doesn’t offer many latte functions on its coffee makers. Keurig has a few models, like the K-Café, that add features like a milk frother to its single-serve designs so you can make lattes, etc. There’s no real winner here, just different approaches depending on what you’re looking for.
Conclusion
Cuisinart is the best option for variety, large capacity, and working with traditional beans, ground or whole. Keurig remains the single-serve master with a more compact, friendly design, and has far better options for smart features if you’re interested. There’s no true winner since your needs may vary, but that should help you figure out which brand to look at first.
FAQ
What do smart coffee makers do?
The simple versions give you more customization options for temperature, strength, grinding beans beforehand, and so on. But fully-fledged smart coffee makers typically connect to an app for settings and scheduling, and often work with platforms like Alexa and Google Assistant, too.
What coffee maker can I use with a smart plug?
Technically, you can plug almost any coffee maker into a smart plug. However, smart plugs can only control power to the coffee maker, so you really need a model that will immediately start brewing once it is turned on, without the need to push any buttons. Otherwise, there isn’t much point other than monitoring energy use.
Is there a coffee maker you can turn on with your phone?
If a coffee maker is powered down, it can’t usually connect to your phone at all. However, smart coffee makers can go into stasis and wait for voice commands or phone apps to stir them into action. Just make sure they aren’t turned completely off.
Do K-Cups fit into a Cuisinart coffee maker?
The Cuisinart models that offer single-serve capabilities are typically compatible with K-Cups, yes.
What’s better than Keurig if I want an alternative for single-serve?
Take a look at Nespresso.
Does Cuisinart own Keurig?
No. Keurig is owned by JAB Holding, which also owns Stumptown, Peets, and other coffee chains.
