The Best Coffee Keurig: A Guide to the Top Pods on the Market

Are you tired of starting your day with a mediocre cup of coffee? Well, look no further! In this article, we will unveil the best coffee Keurig has to offer. From the rich and bold flavors of Starbucks to the smooth and aromatic brews from Dunkin', we have curated a list of the most exceptional coffee pods that will undoubtedly revolutionize your morning routine. Get ready to embark on a journey of delectable aromas and mouthwatering tastes as we dive into the world of the best coffee Keurig has in store for you.

Dunkin' Original Blend Medium Roast K-Cup Pods

1

Best Overall

Walmart Great Value house blend

While it's easy to dismiss value brands, Walmart's in-house offerings have performed surprisingly well in previous tests. However, Great Value's "House Blend" K-cups are a disappointment, with an overpowering over-roasted coffee flavor and a watery aftertaste. The inconsistency in the grounds used adds to the disappointment. It's not the worst, but definitely not recommended when there are better options available.

Green Mountain Breakfast Blend

Green Mountain Breakfast Blend K-Cups are popular, but reviews suggest that they are lackluster compared to expectations. While some find the coffee to be acceptable for daily use, others complain about the lack of body and a watery taste. It's a middle-ground option, not terrible but not exceptional either.

Green Mountain Dark Magic

Green Mountain Dark Magic K-Cups are a decent choice for those who enjoy a dark roast. Reviews often mention the bold flavor without the typical burnt taste associated with dark roasts. While some find it to be the perfect blend for strong coffee lovers, others think it falls slightly short compared to the in-store experience. Overall, a worthwhile option for dark roast enthusiasts.

Starbucks Pike Place K-Cup Coffee Pods

4

Best Medium Roast

Starbucks Caramel

Starbucks Caramel-flavored K-Cups do not live up to the in-store experience. Reviews often mention an artificial caramel flavor and a lack of depth. It's not a recommended option, even for loyal Starbucks customers. There are better alternatives available.

Starbucks French Roast

Starbucks French Roast K-Cups are a convenient and cost-effective alternative to visiting an actual Starbucks store. While not the absolute best K-Cups available, they offer a good, consistent dark roast with a strong flavor and a smooth bite. Some reviewers note that it falls slightly short compared to the in-store version, but overall, a decent option for dark roast enthusiasts.

McCafe Premium Medium Roast

McCafe Premium Medium Roast K-Cups don't live up to the quality of the coffee served at McDonald's. Reviews often mention a weak and slightly acidic aftertaste, and it's generally not considered an enjoyable cup of coffee. If you're a fan of McDonald's coffee, it's best to stick to the in-store experience and avoid these K-Cups.

Tim Hortons Original Medium Roast

Tim Hortons Original Medium Roast K-Cups offer a close approximation of the in-person Tim Hortons experience. Reviews often mention that while it's not exactly the same, it is a tasty option. Some find it to be milder than expected, but others note manufacturing issues that can affect the coffee drinking experience. Despite the minor flaws, it's a good option for Tim Hortons fans.

Peet's Coffee

Peet's House Dark Roast Coffee K-Cups offer a bold and flavorful coffee experience. Reviews often describe it as a favorite with a rich and smooth taste. Some note a slight artificial flavor, but overall, it's a highly recommended option. It's a great choice for those who prefer a strong cup of coffee.

Eight O-Clock Coffee The Original

Eight O-Clock Coffee The Original K-Cups are disappointingly bland and unpleasant in taste. Reviews often mention a bitter flavor and a cardboard-like aroma. There's little to enjoy about these K-Cups, and it's best to avoid them.

McCafé Premium Roast

McCafé Premium Roast K-Cups offer a great way to enjoy the flavor of a McDonald's coffee without leaving home. These K-Cups capture the rich, delightful experience of coffee from McDonald's, and the dark roast has a deep, savory aftertaste. They provide a high-quality brewed coffee experience.

Cafe Escapes Chai Latte

Cafe Escapes Chai Latte K-Cups offer a quick and easy way to enjoy a delicious chai latte. Reviews often mention that it's hot, creamy, and sweet, ticking all the boxes for a chai latte flavor. It's a great option for those looking to reduce their caffeine intake, as chai contains less caffeine than coffee. Overall, it provides a sweet and satisfying pick-me-up.

Caribou Coffee

Caribou Coffee K-Cups capture the rich and delightful coffee drinking experience of the popular chain. It offers one of the best K-cup options available, with a strong but balanced flavor that lingers on the palate. It's a highly recommended choice for black coffee enthusiasts.

Crazy Cups Flavored Coffee Pods Variety Pack

7

Best Flavored Variety Pack

Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll

Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll K-Cups offer a delicious artificial cinnamon flavor with added sweetness. While some flavor notes from the coffee itself are present, it strikes a good balance without being overly sweet. It's a well-rounded alternative to standard black coffee.

Cinnabon Caramel Pecan

Cinnabon Caramel Pecan K-Cups emit a sweet caramel aroma while brewing. The caramel flavor is prominent, providing a pleasant and sweet taste. However, the pecan flavor is not discernible. This K-Cup is a good choice if you want a sweet caffeine source without an overpowering coffee taste.

The Original Donut Shop Regular K-Cup Pods

2

Best Runner-Up

Original Donut Shop Cinnamon Toast Crunch Latte

Original Donut Shop Cinnamon Toast Crunch Latte adds texture and flavor to the drink, making it an enjoyable option. The initial burst of hot, milky flavor is followed by an intense sweetness and a distinctive cinnamon flavor. While there is a slight artificial flavor, it's a great choice for those seeking a sweet coffee.

Original Donut Shop Twix

Original Donut Shop Twix K-Cups offer a disappointing experience, with no discernible coffee flavor and a chemical aftertaste. It falls short in delivering a satisfying coffee experience. It's best to avoid this option.

Hannaford Colombian Blend

Hannaford's Colombian Blend is surprisingly rich and satisfying. It is one of the best black coffees we tried and is the top choice among supermarket-owned-brand K-cups. It is a medium roast, but it lacks noticeable acidity. This is a huge advantage for heavy coffee drinkers because, in addition to the better flavor, it means you can enjoy several cups without feeling uncomfortable.

Consistency can often be an issue with other value K-cups. However, Hannaford seems to have solved the problems encountered by Great Value and Bowl & Basket, consistently delivering a superb cup every time. If you're on a budget and enjoy black coffee, this should be your daily go-to.

Newman's Own Original Special Blend

As with many Newman's Own products, its K-cups are built on an idea. The company's profits are dedicated to charity, and the coffee itself is organic. This means that customers not only benefit from the product but also know that their money is going towards a good cause. However, all of this doesn't matter much if the coffee itself is of poor quality.

Thankfully, the K-cups produced by the late Paul Newman's food and beverage company are far from bad. The "special blend" leans towards the darker side of medium, offering a robust flavor and a smooth finish with minimal acidity and no strange aftertaste. While it may not be the absolute best coffee, it is above average and quite versatile.

Café Bustelo Espresso Style Dark Roast K-Cup Pods

6

Best Espresso Style

Newman's Own Special Extra Bold Blend

If you are new to Keurig and have a favorite coffee brand that you used to brew in your old coffee maker, you might be disappointed to find that not every coffee tastes the same once it becomes a K-Cup. This seems to be the case with Newman's Own Special Extra Bold Blend. While people love the coffee itself, many have noted that it doesn't taste the same in a K-Cup.

Many reviewers claim that Newman's Own K-Cups are quite bad. One reviewer even described it as "so bitter I can't even drink it," while another said that "My coffee has been tasting like burned popcorn." If that wasn't enough, another user pointed out an unexpected flavor note that may not be to everyone's liking. They stated, "There's a bit too much chocolate notes for my taste." Clearly, the Newman's Own Special Extra Bold Blend doesn't live up to its reputation in K-Cup form.

Barrie House

While Barrie House coffee may not be well-known to everyone, the brand is becoming increasingly popular and is definitely worth a try, even though it can only be ordered online. The brand is certified organic, fair trade, and was even a finalist for the 2021 Roaster of the Year from Roast Magazine.

Reviews of the Barrie House Bold K-Cup praise the brand's delicious brew. One person wrote, "It's the best coffee I have ever had in my 58 years of existence. And it has saved me a lot since I've stopped buying coffee from coffee shops." Another reviewer gave it possibly the best review a K-Cup could receive, stating, "Ever since I started ordering these K-cups, I can't drink any other coffee. Simply the best!!" So, if you enjoy bold coffee, you should definitely give these K-Cups a try. While they may not suit everyone's taste, they are still quite good and may become your new favorite.

Pics Colombian Blend

Oddly enough, this unassuming, brown-foiled K-cup was probably the most difficult to evaluate and write about. There's nothing inherently bad about Pics' Colombian Blend K-cups, but there's also nothing impressive about them. They were among the most challenging to rate due to their sheer mediocrity. The only positives that can be listed are essentially the absence of negatives. It isn't bitter. It isn't acidic. It doesn't have an odd aftertaste.

If you drink coffee but don't have a strong preference for flavor, this might be the right choice for you. It's not entirely bland, but it can be described as an unremarkable option. On the positive side, it is one of the more affordable alternatives on the market. A pack of 12 can be purchased for a little over $5 at Price Chopper supermarkets.

IHOP Signature Blend

This one is very bad and easily the worst regular coffee option on this list. The coffee produced by these pods is quite watery, but that seems like a blessing once you taste the flavors provided by IHOP's K-cup. The aroma gives off some vague tobacco notes, and it only gets worse from there. After the initial burst of warm wateriness, you'll be greeted by a flavor that will make you question whether your Keurig is harboring mold and prompt you to change the water just in case. We actually did this, poured the initial 12 oz serving down the sink, and tried again — only to get the same disappointing results.

We have had the coffee IHOP serves at its locations, and thankfully that is far more enjoyable than this. The flavored offering may mask the shortcomings of the "Signature Blend" with an added burst of flavor, but please don't subject yourself to this particular variant. It's like drinking liquid extracted from the foul-smelling seat cushion of a chain smoker's 1992 Ford Sierra.

Tully's Hawaiian Blend

Tully's Hawaiian blend offers a bold, rich flavor that is perfect for kickstarting your morning and versatile enough to pair with almost anything. However, it is important to note that, as the name suggests, this is a "blend" and not pure Hawaiian coffee. So while you may experience hints of the floral and slightly acidic flavors that beans grown in Hawaii's volcanic soil are known for, those characteristics will be overshadowed by the generous amount of Arabica used in this blend.

If you are specifically a fan of Hawaiian coffee, it would be better to bypass this and opt for a pod made by Kauai instead. However, Tully's does an excellent job with its K-cups, and the Hawaiian Blend stands out among most other single-serve options on the market.

Bowl & Basket Donut Shop

A single-serve coffee machine like Keurig can fill your kitchen with the delightful aroma of fresh coffee. However, if you are a true coffee lover, you should probably avoid Shoprite's "Bowl & Basket Donut Shop" pods. The aroma produced by these pods is not what you would expect and is closer to the smell of burning bicycle tires.

Fortunately, the taste is somewhat better than the smell. It is bland and unremarkable, with hints of over roasting and acidity cutting through the watery taste. It is not the worst option on the list, but we wouldn't recommend seeking it out either. Like many other supermarket brands, Shoprite's effort retails for around $5.

Krispy Kreme Classic Medium Roast

The Krispy Kreme Classic Medium Roast K-Cup sounds like a coffee that most people would enjoy. However, despite its popularity, there are still some who find it lacking in certain areas.

According to some reviews, the blend is not very deep or strong. One reviewer even describes it as "a really weak coffee." Another reviewer suggests that it may be suitable for those who don't typically consume a lot of coffee, as it lacks flavor. However, this is not a glowing endorsement, as most coffee enthusiasts prefer a brew with more body and flavor. While the Krispy Kreme Classic Medium Roast may not leave a lasting impression, it is by no means the worst cup of coffee you'll ever have, making it a decent option when no other K-Cups are available.

Peet's Coffee Big Bang

According to the Peet's website, Big Bang is their most popular bean. It is a medium roast that offers hints of "Fruit Cup, Milk Chocolate, and Graham Crust." You can purchase a bag of whole roasted beans and meticulously brew the coffee yourself, or you can simply grab a box of Peet's K-cups for a quick and easy cup of coffee.

When we tried Peet's "Big Bang" K-cups, we didn't exactly taste the flavors that the website advertised, so perhaps it doesn't translate perfectly to single-serve brewing. However, we did find it to be a refreshing and vibrant drink with a natural sweetness. Moreover, the aroma that filled the kitchen was stronger and more pleasant than that of any other brand we tested. So at the very least, consider using one of these K-cups as an air freshener.

Dunkin' Donuts

An unspoken competition is happening between two of the biggest coffee chains in the United States. If you're a coffee drinker, chances are you fall into one of two categories: either a loyal customer of Starbucks or a dedicated fan of Dunkin' Donuts. And while Starbucks may seem more popular overall, when it comes to K-Cups, Dunkin' Donuts Original Blend takes the lead.

The K-Cups are widely available in stores or online, and people truly enjoy the flavor. One reviewer wrote, "I always keep my stock of Dunkin' K-Cups! It's my absolute favorite brand." Another reviewer added, "Favorite coffee! [...] Good flavor and strength without the overpowering taste that some coffees have."

In summary, it is clear that Dunkin' Donuts offers the best K-Cups on the market. They are guaranteed to satisfy any coffee lover, thanks to their balanced texture and flavor. If you're looking for the best coffee to brew in your Keurig, this is the one for you.

In a world overflowing with coffee options, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the vast array of choices. But fear not, coffee lovers, as we've compiled a list of the best coffee Keurig options to satisfy your caffeine cravings. From the bold and robust Dunkin' Original Blend to the smooth and flavorful Green Mountain Breakfast Blend, there's a coffee pod for every palate. Whether you're a fan of classics like Starbucks Pike Place or enjoy exploring unique flavors like Cinnabon Caramel Pecan, these Keurig pods will transport you to coffee heaven with each brew. So grab your favorite mug and get ready to elevate your coffee game with these delightful and convenient options. Cheers to a perfectly brewed cup of Joe!