Keurig K-Cafe vs Nespresso

Both Keurig and Nespresso are well-known names in the coffee maker market. Their automatic coffee machines are really practical to use, suitable for people who can’t afford the time and effort required for brewing coffee manually. Below, we will compare Keurig K-Café vs Nespresso Vertuo, two automatic coffee makers available in a similar price range.

This article will tell you further about:
– The size and weight of each coffee maker
– The water reservoir capacity of each coffee maker
– The compatible beverage pods usable on each coffee maker
– The features of Keurig K-Café and Nespresso Vertuo
– The coffee quality of Keurig K-Café vs Nespresso Vertuo
– Which automatic coffee maker that is generally better

We will start with the dimensions. Keurig K-Cafe is quite larger than Nespresso Vertuo. Which means, if your kitchen does not have much free space available, it is probably better to choose the Nespresso coffee machine. That said, let us see the exact dimensions of each model to find out whether they will actually fit in your room or not. See also: Nespresso Inissia vs Vertuoline.

Keurig K-Café is a bulky coffee machine. It measures 15.3 inches wide, 11.7 inches deep, and 12.5 inches tall. By the way, its weight is about 9.92 lbs. If you want to see the more detailed specifications, CNET has graciously listed them here.

The body of Keurig K-Café consists of several parts. On one side, you can find a large and removable water reservoir. On the other side, there is an integrated milk frother that has a pretty unique shape, with its own control buttons. On the front, there is a drip tray. The coffee maker’s controls are located on the top.

Nespresso Vertuo is relatively smaller. It is fairly slim, so it will require less space. It measures 8.3 inches wide, 11.9 inches deep, and 11.9 inches tall with a total weight of about 10.8 lbs. It should be easy to fit into most kitchens.

Unlike Keurig K-Café, Nespresso Vertuo does not have many parts. The water reservoir is also removable, but it slides neatly into the coffee machine. It also has an integrated drip tray, whereas the controls are on the top. However, note that Nespresso Vertuo does not have an integrated milk frother, hence the smaller size.

The next difference between Keurig K-Café vs Nespresso Vertuo is the water reservoir capacity. Indeed, a large reservoir is generally better than a small one. However, you should still consider whether the coffee machine is going to be used by you alone or several other people.

If the coffee machine will be used only by you, choosing a model with a smaller reservoir (which is usually cheaper, though the price also depends on other factors) may allow you to save some money. But, if the coffee machine will be used by several regular coffee drinkers, choosing a model with a larger reservoir is worth the money, simply because it does not need to be refilled too frequently.

Keurig K-Café comes with a larger water reservoir. It has a capacity of 60 oz. According to the company, this should be sufficient for brewing at least 6 cups of coffee. So, Keurig K-Café is great for both personal use and for a group of several coffee drinkers.

Nespresso Vertuo has a smaller water reservoir. The capacity is only about 40 oz. Note that this coffee machine has several brew sizes. If you brew in the standard “coffee” brew size (7.7 oz), you should be able to get at least 5 cups of coffee. However, if you brew in the “alto” brew size (14 oz), you can only get barely 3 cups of coffee. So, Nespresso Vertuo is ideal for serving 1 – 3 people.

Pod Compatibility
In choosing between Keurig K-Café vs Nespresso Vertuo, don’t forget that they work with different beverage pods. You should consider their compatible beverage pods so that you can purchase and re-stock your pods easily in the future.

Keurig K-Café works with the Keurig K-Cup pods. There are more than 200 beverage options available here, coming from renowned brands like Starbucks, Green Mountain, Folgers, and Dunkin’ Donuts. There are many beverage types, including dark roast, decaf, mocha, café latte, and special blends. So, Keurig K-Café is especially great for people who want to taste a variety of coffee-based drinks.

You can easily find and purchase K-Cup pods on the Keurig website. You can also find them in many online stores and local shops. Worth a note, K-Cup pods are generally cheaper than the capsules used by Nespresso Vertuo. But there are also some that are rather expensive.

Nespresso Vertuo, on the other hand, is quite more limited. It only works with capsules that are designed for this specific model. There are at least 26 Vertuo capsules available, consisting of 16 coffees and 10 espressos. However, there aren’t many varieties like the ones you find in the Keurig K-Cup collection, although there are several options with varying flavor profile and intensity. So, Nespresso Vertuo is more suitable for people who only want to drink ‘pure’ coffee.

Likewise, you can easily get Vertuo capsules on the Nespresso website. They are also sold in various online stores and local shops. Vertuo capsules are relatively more expensive than K-Cup pods.

Features and Capabilities
Keurig K-Café, as mentioned above, comes with an integrated frother. It is very useful for making various coffee drinks that require frothed milk. So, you can easily make cafe lattes and cappuccinos. The frother has pre-configured buttons for making lattes, cappuccinos, and iced coffee drinks, so you don’t need to worry about the real technicalities. The frother is dishwasher-safe.

On the top, you can find the brew size buttons for 2, 6, 8, 10, and 12 oz. In addition, there is a brew strength button which will allow you to adjust the intensity of the coffee. This is great for people who love bold coffee.

Keurig K-Café also has a programmable auto-off. By default, it will automatically turn off after 2 hours since the last brew. So, you don’t need to worry if you forget to turn off the machine.

Nespresso Vertuo is all about simplicity and practicality. The main feature of this coffee maker is the one-touch brewing. There is no need for you to manually adjust settings. Just insert the capsule, put the cup on the drip tray, and push the button. Every Vertuo capsule has a special barcode which contains information about the required brew settings, and the coffee machine automatically reads the barcode in every cycle.

That is definitely convenient. Unfortunately, without any way to adjust the brew strength, Nespresso Vertuo won’t be suitable if you prefer bold and intense coffee.

Nespresso Vertuo also has an automatic shut-off. It will shut off by itself after 9 minutes of inactivity since the last brew.

So, in terms of performance, which one is better? There are two things that we can measure to compare the performance of Keurig K-Café vs Nespresso Vertuo. First, how long each coffee maker takes to brew a cup of coffee. Second, how good the coffee quality from each coffee maker is.

In terms of brewing speed, Keurig K-Café is definitely behind. It usually takes about 2 – 3 minutes to brew a cup of coffee. This is especially true when you are making a drink that requires frothed milk. The average time needed by the frother to finish working is about 3 minutes as well.

However, it is worth noting that Keurig K-Café works very quietly. This is a huge advantage if you hate noisy coffee makers. Even the frother works quietly.

On the other hand, Nespresso Vertuo is much faster, thanks to the Centrifusion extraction technology. It only takes 15 seconds to pre-heat the water, and the entire brewing process can be finished within a minute. It is great for people who can’t wait for their coffee. However, Nespresso Vertuo is quite noisy when working.

Now, the coffee quality. Keurig K-Café is generally better here because it can actually make hot coffee. The coffee quality is fairly good for an automatic coffee machine. Some coffee enthusiasts may argue that it still doesn’t compare to professionally brewed coffee, but at the very least it can give you recognizable coffee flavors.

The frother of Keurig K-Café can be confusing sometimes. Some types of milk won’t produce much froth. According to the company, you need to use low-fat milks in order to create a significant amount of froth with this frother.

On the other hand, Nespresso Vertuo’s coffee quality is somehow inferior. One problem is that the coffee is not really hot. It is just warm. In addition, the produced coffee does not have much strength, so you will be disappointed if you are a fan of bold, intense coffee.

Keurig K-Cafe vs Nespresso

- STRONG BREW: Increase the strength and bold taste of your coffee.16.7 inches H (with handle open) 6.2 H inches mug clearance with drip tray (fits a 7.2 inches travel mug with drip tray removed)
- VERSATILE COFFEE AND ESPRESSO MAKER: Brew 5 different single serve coffee cup sizes at the touch of a button depending on your coffee needs - Espresso (1.35 oz.), Double Espresso (2.7 oz.), Gran Lungo (5 oz.), Coffee (7.7 oz.) and Alto (14 oz). Pour over ice to create your favorite iced coffee drinks.
- COMPLEMENTARY GIFT: Each machine includes a Nespresso Vertuo capusle welcome kit with a range of 12 single serve coffee capsules with unique aroma profiles.
- FEATURES: Includes 40 oz. water removable water tank for no hassle refilling. This machine also has a fast heat up time of only 15 seconds meaning you will never have to wait too long for your favorite coffee or espresso drink to be ready. There is an energy-saving automatic shut off at 9 minutes of inactivity.

Between these two coffee makers, Keurig K-Café is easily the winner. It has a larger water reservoir, and it works with K-Cup pods which offer a lot of beverage options. It has an integrated frother. The brew quality is generally better, as it can produce hotter and stronger coffee.

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