The Best Keurig for Iced Coffee in 2022

We tested four of the ‘best’ Keurigs with iced coffee making capabilities to determine the ultimate winner for iced coffee. We looked at all the important factors: the price, the durability, the dimensions, the water reservoir capacity, the options for K-Cups, and so much more.

Our number one pick, which satisfied all our very strict criteria, was the K-Elite. The K-Elite has a huge water reservoir, multiple cup sizes, a stylish design, and loads of features such as quiet-brew technology and auto-off. This Keurig also has a super user-friendly LCD display. The K-Elite also comes with high altitude settings and is considered by many (including us!) to be Keurig’s most powerful and versatile machine.

Even though the K-Elite is our number one choice, we looked at four different Keurigs and you have to keep in mind that the best Keurig for you is the one that meets your particular needs. So have a look at our ultimate pros and cons list of four different Keurigs which can make iced coffee to find out which is the model for you.

Keurig Product Reviews (in depth)

Keurig K-Elite

The Keurig K-Elite is one of Keurig’s most popular coffee maker and currently retails at $129.99. It was the first Keurig that could brew both hot and cold coffee. The K-Elite has dimensions of 9.9”x12.7”x13.1” (w x d x h) and a weight of 8 lbs.

Pros

• The K-Elite has a 75 oz water reservoir – this is one of the largest water tanks out of all of Keurig’s coffee makers. This means that you won’t have to constantly be refilling the reservoir.
• The K-Elite offers five different cup sizes: 4 oz, 6 oz, 8 oz, 10 oz, and 12 oz. All these cup sizes will make sure that you’ll have a lot of variety in terms of the different brew sizes you can enjoy.
• The K-Elite’s exterior is made from metal and steel, so even though it’s a larger model, it’ll still look really great in your kitchen.
• This model doesn’t have any form of pod scanning technology. This means that the K-Elite is compatible with pods that are licensed from Keurig along with third-party pods as well. Due to this lack of scanning, you can be sure you’ll have a lot of variety in the different pod options available to you.
• A lot of Keurig machines have earned a reputation for being pretty loud. Not the K-Elite though, it has to be one of the quietest Keurigs out there. With its quiet brew technology, it’ll be a minimal disturbance.
• The K-Elite has a dedicated iced coffee feature that can be used on demand.

Cons

• Even though the K-Elite’s exterior has some metal on it, it’s still majorly composed of plastic, and this means it isn’t as durable as some other coffee machines.

Keurig K-Supreme

The Keurig K-Supreme currently retails at around $139 and is the original model in Keurig’s K-Supreme product line. With the water tank on its back, the dimensions are 6.4”x15.1”x 12.2” (w x d x h). It weighs around 8.1 lbs.

Pros

• The K-Supreme uses multi-stream technology. This means that it produces more than one stream of water in order to soak the coffee grounds in a more even way. This technique leads to a more aromatic, flavorful brew.
• The K-Supreme is super quick and will brew you a quality, rich cup of coffee in less than a minute.
• This model has a dedicated iced coffee feature: this makes sure that your coffee doesn’t lose its strong flavor after adding ice.
• The K-Supreme has four cup sizes to choose from – 6 oz, 8 oz, 10 oz, and 12 oz.
• The K-Supreme has an incredibly slim and minimalistic time. While it has a lot of height, it doesn’t have a lot of width so it won’t take up too much room on your counter.
• The K-Supreme has a pretty massive water reservoir of 66 oz. This means you won’t have to constantly be refilling the water tank, especially if you’re a frequent drinker.

Cons

• The K-Supreme doesn’t have a setting for specialty or milk based drinks, which means it isn’t exactly the most versatile of machines.

Keurig K-Café

The Keurig K-Café is priced at around $180 and is Keurig’s offering as a specialty drink maker. It has dimensions of 15.3″x 11.7″x12.5″ (w x d x h) and weighs 10 lbs.

Pros

• The K-Café, like most Keurigs, doesn’t have any problems in the water reservoir department. With a reservoir that has a capacity of 60 oz, this machine will be super convenient to use as you won’t constantly have to be refilling the water tank.
• The integrated frother in the K-Café has three settings which will let you have your pick of what type of drink you want. These settings include a latte setting, a cappuccino setting, and a cold setting.
• Compared to other Keurigs, this coffee maker is relatively quieter and you’ll be able to wait for your cup of joe without too much noise.
• The K-Café has four cup settings – 6 oz, 8 oz, 10 oz, and 12 oz – meaning you’ll have a lot of variety in terms of cup sizes to choose from.

Cons

• The K-Café is pretty large. Not just in bulk, but also in its dimensions. With a width of 15.3 inches, this machine will take up a fair bit of space on your countertop.
• This machine is relatively more expensive than a lot of Keurigs, so there are definitely more affordable options out there.

Keurig K-Duo Single Serve and Carafe Coffee Maker

The K-Duo Single Serve and Carafe Coffee Maker currently retails for $139.99. It has dimensions of 10.9″x 12.8″x 12.9” (w x d x h) and weighs approximately 10.7 lbs. This Keurig is famous for its flexibility and is part of the K-Duo line.

Pros

• The K-Duo doesn’t use any sort of pod scanning technology so you’ll have a lot of options in terms of pod choices.
• It has strong brew options for both single-serve beverages and 60 oz carafes.
• Considering how some Keurigs can be pretty loud, the K-Duo is definitely on the quieter side.

Cons

• The construction of the machine has come under criticism as some users have experienced leakage, especially while brewing carafes.
• The K-Duo uses a glass carafe which requires a heating plate. This has caused problems with some users as this consumes more energy and can also sometimes lead to the coffee having a burnt taste.
• The K-Duo isn’t the smallest of machines. With a width of 10.9 inches, it’ll take up a fair bit of space on your counter.

Common Keurig Features:

K-Cups

K-Cups are plastic-packed individual sized servings containing tea or coffee. K-Cups are now Keurig’s standard pod and are used by the machine by puncturing the K-Cup to release the flavor inside. While official Keurig K-Cups are manufactured by Keurig, the company has also partnered with other brands like Starbucks to produce special variants of K-Cups. While more expensive than ground coffee, these K-Cups provide a lot of variety to the on-the-go coffee drinker.

Pour-Over Water Tanks

A pour-over water tank is when a water tank has to manually be refilled by hand. Some of these water tanks can be massive like the K-Elite’s 75 oz tank while others are smaller like the K-Duo’s 60 oz water tank. You should look at the capacity of a water tank before deciding if you’re going to buy it as people who drink more frequently throughout the day may want larger tanks so they don’t have to constantly keep refilling them.

Single-serve Cups

Most Keurigs make use of single-serving cups. These are great for a lot of reasons. Firstly, it means you’ll have less waste. When portions larger than single-serve cups are used it can lead to excess coffee being left over and wasted. Moreover, if you’re buying your Keurig for a workspace, having single-serve portions means that every person can individually choose how exactly they like their coffee brewed and not have to conform to some overall standard.

Things to consider before buying a Keurig coffee maker for iced coffee

Iced Coffee Function

If you’re a fan of iced coffee, but also want your brew to be super strong then you have to know the importance of having a machine with a dedicated iced coffee function. When ice is added to a brew afterwards, it has a tendency to weaken the strength of the beverage. That’s why the iced coffee function is important: the machine anticipates the adding of ice and compensates for the loss of flavor by producing an extra strong brew.

Due to this fact, it’s vital to get a Keurig that has either a dedicated iced coffee feature or one that has a strong brew feature. With the strong brew feature, you can use it and add ice to get a moderately concentrated and rich drink. Some machines even have both these features, for example, the K-Elite and the K-Supreme are two Keurigs which each have these two functions.

Inbuilt Frother

Inbuilt frothers can be lifesavers both in terms of convenience and budget. If a machine already has a frother built in, you can brew milk-based drinks like lattes without having to pay up the extra cost of the frother.

The Available Space

With most coffee machines, but especially with Keurigs you have to be careful about the dimensions of the machines. Known to be bulky, Keurigs can be a huge burden on your counter. That’s why you need to take note of how much space you have in your kitchen for your machine.

A machine which tackles Keurig’s height issues is the K-Supreme. The K-Supreme is rather small in terms of width but you still have to be careful about its height and making sure it fits in your kitchen. Other ways to ensure you’ll always have enough space is by purchasing a Keurig with a movable water reservoir. Most Keurigs have huge reservoirs of 60 oz and these take up a lot of space on each machine. That’s why if you find a machine where the reservoir can be adjusted to either the back or the side (the K-Elite is one such machine) it’ll add flexibility to where you can put it.

Compatibility with K-cups and Reusable Coffee Filters

Ensuring compatibility with K-Cups in your machine is of the utmost importance. You want a machine which is as compatible with as many K-Cups as possible – that way you’ll have the most choices.

Getting a machine which can use reusable coffee filters can also be a great help, this way you can use your own coffee grounds in your Keurig machine.

Extra Features

Other important features that’ll make your Keurig experience much more convenient include: Auto-off and Auto-on options. These options are features of smart Keurigs which sense when the machine is or isn’t in use and turn on and off accordingly. The Auto-off feature is especially important because by shutting off when the machine isn’t active, your Keurig is saving you a lot of precious dollars.

 Some Keurigs also have travel mug compatibility – if you’re a drinker on the go, then this feature can really be a lifesaver and super convenient.

How Easy it is to Clean

Coffee makers can be hubs for bacteria and fungi when not cleaned properly. We know that cleaning can be such a chore, so you should try and look for a machine which makes the cleaning process as simple and convenient as possible.

Which Keurig machine should you buy for iced coffee?

After assessing the strengths and weaknesses of many different Keurigs, we’ve come to the conclusion that the K-Elite is the best choice for iced coffee. The K-Elite is affordable, it is stylish, and comes with a dedicated iced coffee button that makes sure you have a strong, flavorful cup every single time. It comes fitted with quiet brew technology which makes sure your coffee experience is as peaceful as possible.

The K-Elite has the greatest number of features and is the most versatile out of all the Keurigs we’ve tried. It has a massive 75 oz water reservoir and offers five different cup size options. Moreover, despite its flexibility and features, it’s pretty compact and won’t be taking up too much space on your counter. The K-Elite can also fit a travel mug and out of all the Keurigs we reviewed, it has the highest number of features and a lot of flexibility in comparison to the other models we looked at.

FAQs

Do you need iced coffee pods for Keurig?

No, you don’t need special iced coffee pods for Keurigs. All you need is a Keurig which has an iced coffee feature and then just add ice to the brew that it makes. The importance of having a Keurig with an iced coffee feature is that it’ll make an extra strong brew so your coffee isn’t watered down once you add ice.

What does the iced button on Keurig do?

The iced button on a Keurig is designed to make sure your coffee is extra strong and concentrated so that when you add ice to it, none of the flavor is lost or watered down.