If you’re looking for a compact and convenient coffee maker, you can consider the Keurig K-Mini Plus and Keurig K-Express. While they share some similarities, like a compact size and easy-to-use button controls, there are also some key differences between the two models, including water reservoir capacity and brew sizes. Right here, we compare K-Mini Plus and K-Express to help you decide which to choose.
Keurig K-Mini Plus
The K-Mini Plus is a small and stylish coffee maker that is less than 5 inches wide, making it ideal for small spaces like apartments, dorm rooms, and offices. It features a 12-ounce water reservoir, which can brew up to four cups of coffee before needing a refill, and has three brew sizes to choose from (6, 8, or 10 ounces). The K-Mini Plus also has a removable drip tray to accommodate larger travel mugs, and a simple button control interface.
Keurig K-Express
The K-Express is an ultra-compact coffee maker that is less than 5 inches wide, making it ideal for even the smallest of spaces. It features a 36-ounce water reservoir, which can brew up to 12 cups of coffee before needing a refill, and has two brew sizes to choose from (6 or 10 ounces). The K-Express also has a simple button control interface, and a fast preheating time, allowing you to brew your coffee quickly.
Compare Keurig K-Mini Plus and Keurig K-Express
Here’s a brief comparison between the Keurig K-Mini Plus and Keurig K-Express:
- Size: Both the Keurig K-Mini Plus and K-Express are designed for small spaces, but the K-Express is more compact with a width of less than 5 inches, while the K-Mini Plus is 5 inches wide.
- Water Reservoir: The Keurig K-Mini Plus has a 12-ounce water reservoir, while the K-Express has a larger 36-ounce reservoir, which means you can brew more cups of coffee before needing to refill the water.
- Brew Sizes: The Keurig K-Mini Plus has three brew sizes (6, 8, or 10 ounces), while the K-Express has only two brew sizes (6 or 10 ounces).
- Price: The Keurig K-Mini Plus is usually more expensive than the K-Express.
Cup Sizes
One of the first things you’ll want to consider is what kind of cups these brewers can accommodate. The Keurig K-Mini Plus has a maximum capacity of 10 oz while the K-Express can hold up to 12 oz. This may not be an important feature for some people but if you have small hands or have trouble holding large mugs, this could be critical information for you.
The K-Mini Plus has a brewing speed of one minute while the K-Express takes only 50 seconds!
Single Serve
The Keurig Mini Plus and the Keurig Express are single serve coffee makers that allow you to brew your favorite beverage at home. Both of these single serve coffee makers brew delicious cups of coffee in as little as 60 seconds. The Keurig Mini Plus uses K-Cup pods and is compatible with all types of K-Cups, including those from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and Starbucks.
The Keurig Express uses K-Cup pods but can also be used with My K-Cup reusable filters if you prefer not to use disposable plastic cups.
Auto off/on
Both the Keurig K-Mini Plus and K-Express have an auto-off feature that automatically turns off the machine after a certain period of inactivity. However, the K-Mini Plus allows you to customize the auto-off time, while the K-Express has a default auto-off time of 90 seconds.
Pods or Grounds
Both the Keurig K-Mini Plus and K-Express use Keurig’s K-Cup pods to brew coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and other beverages. However, neither machine is designed to be used with ground coffee.
Removable Water Reservoirs
The most significant difference between these two coffee makers is that the Keurig Mini Plus has a removable water reservoir, while the Keurig Express does not. This means that you can take out the reservoir on the Mini Plus and fill it up with water before you start brewing your coffee, so that you don’t need to stop in between to refill it.
The reservoir on the Express is non-removable and can only be filled up when there are no coffee pods inside the machine or if there aren’t any more pods left in the machine at all.
Pod and Cord Storage
The Keurig K-Mini Plus has a cord storage feature that allows you to neatly store the power cord when not in use, while the K-Express does not have this feature. However, the K-Express has a built-in pod storage compartment that can hold up to nine K-Cup pods, while the K-Mini Plus does not have a built-in storage compartment.
Travel Mug Friendly
K-Mini Plus has a travel mug friendly lid, while the K-Express does not. In addition to the travel mug friendly lid, the K-Mini Plus also comes with its own My K-Cup accessory so you can brew your own coffee or tea in it. The K-Express on the other hand does not have any of these features.
The Keurig K-Mini Plus and the Keurig K-Express are both compact enough to fit on your countertop, but they differ in terms of their travel mug adaptability. The Keurig K-Express has a removable drip tray that can be filled with water for travel mugs.
Indicator Lights
The Keurig Mini Plus has a blue indicator light that tells you when it’s ready to brew and when it’s heating up water. The K-Express has no indicator lights at all. This could be a problem if you’re in a hurry in the morning and need to know when your coffee will be done.
Which one should you buy?
Overall, the Keurig K-Mini Plus and K-Express are both great choices for those who want a compact and convenient coffee maker that uses K-Cup pods. The K-Mini Plus has a more customizable auto-off feature and a cord storage feature, while the K-Express has a built-in pod storage compartment to keep your pods organized. When it comes to pods or grounds, both machines are designed to use K-Cup pods only. The choice between the two will depend on your budget, brewing preferences, and storage needs.
Keurig K-Mini Plus Vs K-Express Summary
The Keurig K-mini Plus and the Keurig K-Express look very similar, but there are several key differences between them. Mainly, the K-mini Plus is a more cost-effective option. For less than $177, you will get the machine, a water filter handle and two carafe sizes. A regular cup costs only $0.27, while a 4 oz refill cup costs $0.24. The Keurig K-express is much pricier: it costs around $79.95, plus another $3.99 for one carafe size. Its price total is, therefore, close to that of the Mini Plus ($183).