Keurig K Select/K80 Single Cup Coffee Maker Review
Reviewed by: Jennifer
Jennifer’s Rating: 4.5 Stars
Well guys, you guessed it, Keurig has got a new kid in town and the name is the K-Select. Due to diligent research, this looks to be the most recent new arrival having been out on the market for under six months, but is making a good impression on consumers with some additional benefits and none of the bells and whistles.
With a slimmer design, a more generous water reservoir, and the addition of a 12 oz cup setting, and the opportunity to use any K-Cup brands you want, the K-Select is definitely worthy of consideration.
In this review I hope to fully highlight this return to classic Keurig styling and performance.. My research took me downtown, as this model is still relatively new, finding it locally was a breeze.
Name and Model Number
This is the Keurig K80 Single Serve Brewing System, also known as the “K-Select”…Model no 5000196974
It has only been out the last few years (2016-17)
Dimensions
The information on the Amazon sales page gives the K-Select measurements as 12.5″ in height, 9.2″ width and 11.6″ depth and 7.3 pounds for the weight. Always one to fact-check, I found through the manufacturer site cited, so yep, Amazon nailed it. Overall, it’s sleeker in its design and size than some of the older Keurig models.
- Measurements: 12.5″H x 9.2″W x 11.6″D
- Weight: 7.4 lbs.
- Height with brew chamber fully open:Â 17″
- Clearance for cups (drip tray in place) 6″
- Clearance (drip tray removed): 7″
- Power cord length: 27″
In addition to being a little slimmer, this baby can accommodate travel mugs much better .
What’s Included with the Keurig K-Select
In addition to the unit, there is a bonus K-Cup sampler pack with 6 different flavors, a water filter and cartridge. Also – a start guide and 1 year warranty. The included water filter is very reminiscent of the 2.0 styling.
The start guide is only about 6 pages long so you know already this Keurig may be a real walk in the park! A few consumers mentioned that the start guide was absent (could have been an oversight) in which case you may be able to retrieve it online:
Keurig K-Select Colors
Colors include Black, White, Vintage Red and Navy Blue. More recently, there has been the addition of a “designer color” the pretty mint green “Oasis”. And because it’s unique, that one tends to go fast.
Pretty similar to their Classic lineup colors; however they all have a fingerprint proof matte color finish.
The red and black version were on display at Krogers where I did some of my research. Up close, the red isn’t bad looking – it’s just not glossy looking red like the model I own.
The accents are matte looking too, rather than the chrome finish used on the handle in other models.
Features
Unlike all of the older Keurig models, the K-Select has a 12-oz cup setting, which is great for the option of using taller travel cups, especially good for those on the go a lot. Others include:
Smart Start – One distinctive feature in that you can select your desired brew size right before the water heating stage; which I perceived as a way to quicken the process by heating only the amount needed for certain cup sizes.
Strong setting – This is the other distinctive “biggie” …if you like bolder brews the Strong setting on the K-Select may be exactly what you’re after. Its brew time is a little longer in keeping with the nature of richer flavor.
Auto-Shutoff provides a worry-free experience for you the consumer, by going into effect after two hours of inactivity but it can also be disabled too.
Matte finish – Instead of the glossy outer appearance such as that of the K10 and the K15, the matte colors supposedly resist fingerprints and reduce the need for surface cleaning.
Buttons and Controls
The K-Select is designed with buttons very similar to the earlier versions such as the B40 and K45 Elite – the biggest difference is that it has four cup sizes as opposed to three -the respective buttons are arranged in the same way with coffee cup icons of varying sizes. The buttons each indicate the cup sizes of 6, 8, 10 and 12.6-oz looks like a little teacup, the 8 oz button is the second one up from the bottom, and so forth.
Above the cup size buttons is the indicator lights, the power button, and to the left is the “Strong” brew setting button. Altogether, very minimalist design with no touchscreens or menu windows.
The indicator lights show Descale, Add Water, and Auto-Off…The main one that is absent, is the heating light, which I believe is due to the SmartStart feature.
Like some of you, I had questions of my own too. One biggie was regarding the ability to pause a brew cycle. I ended up posting in the Q and A for this one – As it turns out, holding down the power button or gently raising the handle will permit this. If being able to make small beverage adjustments is important to you this is good to know.
The power button illuminates in green; the Strong brew setting button and all the cup sizes illuminate in blue when in operation mode.
Reservoir
The removable water reservoir holds 52 oz which should equate to about 5 uses before refilling. You can make full use of the included water filter housing and cartridge, which as with other models, change the cartridge on the same schedule of every two months or so, depending on water conditions where you live.
Or it can be removed if you prefer to make use of filtered water. The reservoir is designed pretty much like all of the older Keurigs, with a max fill line and side notches that need to be lined up into the side tabs.
Drip Tray and Plate
The drip tray is sturdy and has a metal plate you can remove. The tray will hold up to 8 oz of overflow. When the drip tray is removed to accommodate travel cups, there is a resting base under with a round depression to seat them securely.
Keurig K-Select Consumer Reviews and Ratings
Consumer ratings for the K-Select seemed to follow a consistent pattern across different platforms. With a high proportion going to favorable and happy reviews, comments cited tended to follow a pattern of enjoying the convenience, fast heatup time, not having to fool around with DRM restrictions and lastly, its more compact size, were all reasons given for the K-Select being ultimately a great buying decision.
Not to mention having to fill the reservoir less often, the boon of using a travel mug regularly with a hassle-free workflow, and enjoying the added benefit of a 12-oz setting.
As far as a few negatives or less satisfactory remarks, yes this was inevitable too. A few consumers (mainly who have owned older Keuirg models such as the B70) felt like its construction left something to be desired. Now, I won’t lie, I love the construction of that one and its appearance overall, so having that one as a reference point I could see where they were coming from.
I got to thinking a little bit about those “flimsy” remarks. Just out of curiosity I put my K10 Mini on the kitchen scale and it weighed in at 6.7 lbs. Now granted it’s smaller than the K-Select, being almost 11″ at its highest point, but it feels pretty sturdy to me. The K-Select weighs a pound more and is bigger all around by a slight margin.
That being said, remarks like that one above were in the minority.
This is not one of the Keurig brewers than will let you purge the internal water tank…One review mentions this. It may not be a total deal breaker for everyone but I feel it is worth mentioning.
How Does the Keurig K-Select Compare to Similar Models?
Well, honestly, the K-Select is the most reminiscent of the “Classic” series, to such a great degree that I compiled some basic info from these different models.If you’re on the fence about features, I hope to shed some light here. Inside the chart below I give you the skinny on the similarities:
[table id=9 /]Pros
- Quick heat time with SmartStart feature
- Accepts all Brands of K-Cups -no DRM annoyances to deal with
- Has a 12 oz setting
- Auto-Shutoff feature
- Accommodates taller travel cups easily
- More compact size and design than some earlier models
- You can pause the brew cycle as needed
- Strong brew setting
- Can use refillable K-Cups
- Fingerprint-resistant finish
Cons
- No programming options, other than the Auto-Shutoff feature
- Cannot purge internal water tank
- A few reviews felt construction could be better
Price
As far as the price goes….I think it’s fair. Not the best but not the worst either. You’re getting a Keurig without all the bells and whistles that pretty much does what it is supposed to, with some additional benefits and features, so I think the stated price is OK….And since you’re free to use whatever brand of K-Cup or use your own refillable K-Cups too, your coffee budget might not change much.
Normally I expect the black version to have the lowest price, but in this case, the red version does (that’s good news since red is a great color and it’s pretty popular) Funny thing though, at the time of writing, the prices bounced a little since the time of first doing research, and the black version actually was the cheapest (figure that one out, lol)
Sometimes the tricky part is not just getting a good price, but also finding it in the most preferred color. Naturally, a color like Oasis is pretty sought after, so naturally it tends to be higher priced that the black…I did some looking on eBay and found that you can grab a K-Select for under $80. You can check to see if that’s still the case:
Final Thoughts
So, if you’re looking for a single-cupper without all the fancy-schmancy stuff, this may be just the thing for you. Overall, I like it’s design and less girth, I do wish it had more of a glossy finish like my K10 and some chrome accents would be nice too (the cleaning issue doesn’t put me off) I also think a lighted reservoir would be nice, too, but, it is what it is. And with a majority of opinions, is good.
