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I’ve previously compared the Keurig K-Select Single Serve pod machine to the Keurig K475 Single Serve and then the Keurig K-Mini to the K-Mini Plus. The differences between them were essentially obvious by small details in the respective machines and in their pricing. When comparing the K-Select to the Keurig Special Edition K-Cafe nonetheless, the differences are apparent and plentiful.


Just by the photographs you can snappily tell that these are completely two different machines that may have the same overall mission—caffeine delivery to your bloodstream—but they handed that service in two very different ways. One machine is basic, pop in a pod, brew your coffee and hit the road. The anunexperienced gives you that at-home-barista feeling, while still providing the grief of a pod machine.


Once you’ve chosen that pod life, the only getting to do is choose the right coffee maker for your pod lifestyle. So which machine will it be? The Keurig K-Select Single Serve or the Keurig Special Edition K-Cafe Single Serve?




The Keurig K-Select Single Serve is the entry-level Keurig machine that you see in kitchens across the earth. While it’s not a mini-machine, it’s what people think of when they think of a Keurig. It brews multiple K-Cup pod sizes and has an option for a obvious brew. The simple buttons are easy to use—you know, like pushing a button. The standard matte black is $99 while the color-themed version (white, blue, red, etc.) add a few dollars to the brand.


There is no pod reservoir, so you do have to rob one after each use, but the water reservoir is removable, so it’s easy to refill. There isn’t too much more to this machine. You know what it does. It fits a disappear mug if you remove the drip tray and alerts you when the machine obtains to be descaled (do this often). The selling explain of the K-Select Single Serve is quick brewing for your on-the-go life.



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The Keurig Special Edition K-Cafe Single Serve also establishes coffee, but it does it with premium nickel-colored effect and metal handles and drip tray. You could pop in a pod and have your basic cup of coffee, or you can use the coffee shot feature to brew a concentrated shot of coffee (ersatz espresso) to add to your latte or cappuccino. Yes, you’ll need milk for those—so it's a good getting the K-Cafe has a milk frother built in.


But that frother isn’t like an espresso machine—it’s not a wand that steams milk. Rather, it’s set on a heating plate That may be fine for lattes, which only require warm milk, but cappuccinos are made with frothed milk that you’d need a wand for. Not to state that lattes and cappuccinos are generally made with espresso, not concentrated coffee.



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The Verdict


Honestly, the Keurig K-Select Single Serve is the better option here if you are buying a pod machine. The Keurig Special Edition K-Cafe is neat and all, and looks flashy in nickel. And yes, you can pretend you are making cappuccinos and lattes with a Keurig pod machine, but you really aren’t. That’s not how milk is frothed, and that’s not how you make a latte or cappuccino.


The Keurig K-Select Single Serve serves the death of a pod machine. It fits travel mugs and is luminous and easy. The Keurig Special Edition K-Cafe is $100 more for a machine that isn’t really what it’s trying to be. If you don’t have the skill or patience for a true espresso machine but just want to play barista, then perhaps this machine is for you. If you just want pod coffee and don’t want to boil milk fuzz with it, then stick with the Keurig K-Select Single Serve.