Making a cup of iced coffee at home is as simple as adding ice to a cup of hot coffee. Iced coffee is not only refreshing but is also an excellent way to hydrate during hot weather.
Shopping for a Keurig for iced coffee can be overwhelming considering that there are over 50 models of Keurig coffee makers. With the help of our partners, we have tested dozens of Keurigs and whittled the list down to the six best Keurig coffee makers for iced coffee.
Quick Summary: The Best Keurig For Iced Coffee
| Keurig Model | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Keurig K-Elite | Iced coffee function Strong brew function 5 cup sizes option Quiet brew technology. The machine brews quietly 75 oz water tank brews up to 8 cups without refilling |
| Keurig K-Supreme | Iced coffee function Strong brew function Multistream technology for a richer flavor and aroma Fast brew and back to back brewing capability 66 oz water tank with dual (rear or side) positioning |
| Keurig K-Cafe | Automatic milk frother for a cold and hot froth Strong brew function SHOT function for latte and cappuccino Smart start capability. No waiting for the brewer to preheat Water tank capacity is 60 oz |
| Keurig K-Select | Strong brew feature 52 oz capacity for the water tank Quiet brew technology Fast brew capability. Brews coffee in less than a minute |
| Keurig K-Duo Plus | Dual function; single-serve and carafe brewer Strong brew feature Thermal carafe Programmable auto-brew for the carafe Multi-positional 60 ounces water reservoir Pause and pour carafe technology |
| Keurig K-Duo Single Serve and Carafe Coffee Maker | Brews both single cups and carafes Strong brew function for both the carafe and the single-serve Glass carafe with a heating plate Programmable automatic carafe brewing Pause and pour technology for the carafe A 60 oz water tank |
You want to pair your Keurig coffee maker with the best K-Cups that make superb iced coffee. Let’s look at the best Keurig coffee makers for ice coffee in more detail.
1. Keurig K-Elite
The Keurig K-Elite ranks at the top of our list as it has a dedicated iced coffee function for a rich and flavorful coffee that is not weakened when you add ice. The iced coffee feature brews about 5.75 fl oz (170ml) of bold coffee at a slightly lower temperature that is perfect for iced coffee.
The K-Elite also features a strong brew function that is ideal for bold hot coffee. It is compatible with Keurig’s reusable coffee filter. It has a 75 oz water tank so you can brew up to eight cups of coffee without refilling the water tank
Keurig K-Elite has a quiet brew technology and unlike the other Keurig coffee makers, the K-Elite is surprisingly quiet. Some coffee makers sound like a freight plane that’s taking off.
The auto-on feature enables you to program the K-Elite to switch itself on and make coffee at a particular time, for example, in the morning. Auto-off saves energy by turning the brewer off two hours after brewing.
It also has temperature control so you can change the brewing temperature between 187°F to 192°F. The high altitude setting is suitable for people living at altitudes above 5000 feet. The drip tray can hold a full mug just in case you accidentally brew without placing a mug on the drip tray. The brewer can fit a 7.2″ travel mug when you detach the drip tray.
Pros
- A dedicated iced coffee feature
- Strong brew function
- Auto-on function
- Quiet brew technology
- Provides 5 cup size options (4,6,8,10,and 12 oz)
- A large 75 oz water tank
- Fits a 7.2″ travel mug
- Energy-saving auto-off feature
2. Keurig K-Supreme
Second on our ranking for the best Keurig for iced coffee is the Keurig K-Supreme that, like the K-Elite, features an iced coffee function that brews 5.75 ounces of coffee that is bold and full of flavor.
The K-Supreme uses multistream technology that produces multiple streams of water to saturate the coffee grounds more evenly. This yields coffee that has more aroma and flavor.
Read more about Keurig’s multistream technology here.
You can use a special reusable coffee filter with this Keurig and it also fits a 7.0″ travel mug when you remove the drip tray.
The Keurig K-Supreme brews coffee pretty quickly and has the capability to brew back to back without waiting for the coffee maker to reheat. The water tank’s capacity is 66 ounces and you can position it to the side or on the back of the brewer.
This allows you to use the available space more efficiently and to position the tank at the most convenient side for easy refilling
Pros
- A dedicated iced coffee function
- Strong brew feature
- Fast brew capability
- Multistream technology
- Dual-position water tank
Cons
- Requires a special reusable filter due to the multi-stream feature
3. The Keurig K-Cafe
The Keurig K-Cafe makes your house look like a mini coffee shop with an inbuilt milk frother for both cold and hot froth. Whereas the K-Elite and the K-Supreme make great black iced coffee, the K-Cafe is head and shoulders above them when it comes to iced coffee with milk.
Adding cold-frothed milk to iced coffee makes a delectable cup of iced latte. The K-Cafe features a SHOT function for an espresso-style shot of coffee so that your coffee is still strong enough when you add milk.
If you just want iced black coffee, brew a regular cup or use the strong brew function and add ice to the brewed coffee. It is compatible with the reusable filter for Keurig.
The extra features of the K-Cafe include the smart start capability, high altitude setting, auto-off, and compatibility with a 7.2″ travel mug without the drip tray.
Pros
- Milk frother for cold and hot froth
- Strong brew function
- SHOT brew capability
- Compatible with reusable filters
Cons
- The milk frother tends to develop a constant beeping problem. See the troubleshooting tips for the K-Cafe milk frother
- This brewer is too wide (15.3″ wide) and requires more space
4. Keurig K-Select For Iced Coffee
The Keurig K-Select has a sleek design with a fingerprint-resistant surface. It is similar to the K-Classis except that the K-Select has a bigger 52 ounces water tank, a strong brew button for intense coffee, and a quiet brew technology feature that is absent in the K-Classic.
The K-Select also has an auto-off feature and high altitude setting. Keurig K-Select brews coffee in less than a minute due to its fast brew capability. See this coffee maker in all matte white.
You can brew regular coffee in the Keurig K-Select using a reusable filter. The drip tray is removable to fit a 7.4″ tall travel mug.
5. Keurig K-Duo Plus Single Serve and Carafe Coffee Maker
The Keurig K-Duo Plus is an upgrade to the K-Duo. It features a 60 oz removable water tank that can go to either side or to the back of the coffee maker to utilize the available space better. It has a 12-cup thermal carafe that keeps the coffee toasty for two hours, unlike the K-Duo which uses a glass carafe with a heating plate.
The K-Duo Plus can make both single cups and a carafe. You can make different sizes of single cups (6,8,10,12 ounces) and carafes (6,8,10,12 cups). The strong brew feature makes bold coffee whether you are making individual cups or a carafe size.
The carafe brewer is programmable to auto-brew up to 24 hours ahead so that your coffee is ready in the thermal carafe when you wake up in the morning. The advanced “pause and brew “capability pauses the carafe brewer mid-brew for you to pour the coffee.
K-Duo Plus comes with a gold-tone carafe filter and the coffee maker is also compatible with reusable K-Cups. To save energy, the brewer automatically shuts down after five minutes of sitting idle.
It is simple to use with simple button control. Coffee makers can make you feel overwhelmed with numerous functionalities and buttons, the K-Duo Plus is quite the opposite; it has a simple buttons control that is easy to use.
The smart start technology enhances the user experience as you do not have to wait for the water to heat up before selecting the size of cup that you desire.
Pros
- Dual function; single cups and carafe
- Multipositional water tank to optimize space
- Strong brew feature
- A thermal carafe that keeps the coffee warm for up to 2 hours
- Pause and pour capability
- Up to 24 hours programmable carafe brewer
- Simple buttons control
- Auto-off feature
- Smart start
- Multiple sizes for both cups and carafes
Cons
- No over-ice feature
6. Keurig K-Duo Single Serve and Carafe Coffee Maker
The Keurig K-Duo single-serve and carafe coffee maker brews both single cups and carafes enabling you to make ice coffee for several people in one brew. The strong brew feature works for both single cups and the carafe.
To brew a carafe of iced coffee, just add ice to the carafe and brew the carafe size that you desire. The Keurig K-Duo single-serve and carafe brewer is compatible with reusable filters for both the carafe and the single-serve brewers.
The carafe brewer is programmable to auto-brew up to 24 hours ahead. The carafe is made of glass and there is a heating plate that keeps the coffee warm.
If you prefer a stainless steel thermal carafe to a glass carafe, go for the K-Duo Plus which has the same functions except for the carafe. The carafe brewer also features a pause and pour technology so that you can pour the carafe coffee into a cup mid-brew and put the carafe back to resume brewing.
The carafe measures 12 cups of coffee and the water tank has a 60 ounces capacity. The smart start technology brews coffee in one smooth process without waiting for preheating.
This coffee maker has two auto-off features: the auto-off feature for the brewer turns it off five minutes after brewing a single cup whereas the auto-off for the heating plate turns the plate off two hours after the last brew.
The K-Duo can accommodate a 7.0″ with the drip tray and an 8.0″ travel mug when the drip tray is detached.
Pros
- Brews both single cups and carafes
- Pause and pour carafe technology
- Strong brew function for single cups and the carafe
- Auto-brew carafe capability
- Compatibility with reusable filters
- Smart Start technology
- Auto-off feature for the hot plate and coffee maker
Cons
- Some users have complained that the coffee maker sometimes leaks when brewing with a carafe
- Uses a glass carafe that requires a heating plate. This consumes more energy and can also cause burnt flavors
Key Things to Consider When Buying a Keurig Coffee Maker for Iced Coffee
1. Iced Coffee Function
Adding ice to a weak cup of coffee makes the coffee even more runny and just bad. Only a few coffee makers have the iced coffee function. When the iced coffee mode is activated, the coffee maker brews a rich cup of coffee that retains its strength and flavors even after adding ice.
If a coffee maker for iced coffee does not have the iced coffee function but has a strong brew feature, you can make a strong brew for a stronger iced coffee.
Therefore, you are better off going for a coffee maker that has either the iced coffee feature or a strong brew function, and even better if the coffee maker has both functions such as the Keurig K-Elite and the Keurig K-Supreme.
2. The Number of People Drinking the Coffee
Go for a bigger coffee maker or a carafe brewer if you have a bigger number of people drinking the coffee. For example, the K-Duo single serve and carafe coffee maker is ideal when you have more than 5 people drinking the coffee. See the best Keurig coffee makers with a coffee pot.
The K-Elite has a large water tank and can brew 8 cups of coffee back to back without refilling. Compact-size coffee makers such as the Keurig K-Classic and the K-Select are ideal for 1-4 people.
3. Inbuilt Frother
A coffee maker with an inbuilt frother is a great choice when you want to froth milk at home for milk coffee without spending money on a separate frother. The automatic frother should be able to make both hot and cold foam.
4. The Available Space
Look for a coffee maker that fits in the space that is available whether it is the height clearance or the width. Coffee makers with multiple functions such as frothing and brewing and single-serve and carafe brewers are generally wider than single-function coffee makers.
Both the Keurig K-Supreme and K-Duo Plus offer dual positioning for the water reservoir.
5. Compatibility with K-cups and Reusable Coffee Filters
Go for a coffee maker that is compatible with a variety of K-cups and with reusable filters for regular coffee. Regular filters enable you to use coffee grounds in your Keurig coffee maker.
I recommend that you read this article about how to use regular ground coffee in Keurig.
6. Extra Features
Extra features such as smart start, auto-off, auto-on, high altitude, and travel mug compatibility enhance the overall user experience of a coffee maker.
See how to reset the high altitude in Keurig and what it does here
If you usually carry a cup of coffee with you, then a coffee maker that fits the size of your travel mug is an excellent choice. The auto-on feature is ideal when you prefer the coffee maker to brew your coffee at a certain time, for example, every morning.
The auto-off shuts off the coffee maker to save energy so it can provide a saving on your electricity bills when you are in the habit of forgetting to turn your home appliances off.
7. How Easy it is to Clean the Coffee Maker
Coffee makers easily harbor bacteria and molds when they are not cleaned properly. See how to deal with the molds in Keurig coffee makers.
