In this article, we’re going to be pitting two coffee brewers against each other: the Keurig K55 vs K50. These Keurig single serve coffee makers are both from the K-Classic Series.
The two machines look exactly alike and even share a lot of the same specs. That’s why it’s so hard to choose between them.
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The K55 is actually the successor to the K50. So it’s got a couple of new features that were absent on the K50. This includes things like the descaling feature and compatibility with the ‘My K-Cup’ reusable coffee filter. But is this enough to make the K55 a better brewer?
In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at the pros and cons, and the similarities and differences between the K50 and K55. This way, you’ll be able to figure out which coffee maker is better suited for you.
Quick Comparison
| Keurig K55 | Keurig K50 | |
| Aqua Tank | 48 oz, removable | 48 oz, removable |
| Display | Control buttons | Control buttons |
| Weight | 12 pounds | 7.6 pounds |
| Height | 15 inches approximately | 14 inches approximately |
| Speed | Below 1 minute | Below 1 minute |
| Brewing Dimensions | 10 oz, 80 oz, and 60 oz | 80 oz, 60 oz, and 10 oz |
| Descale Feature | Available | Available |
| Drip Tray | Removable | Removable |
| Price | View at Amazon | View at Amazon |
| Auto-off Programme | Available | Available |
Keurig K50 vs K55: Reviews
Here’s a brief review of each coffee machine:
Keurig K50 Review
The Keurig K50 comes with a removable 48-ounce water reservoir. This is a much smaller tank than what some other models like the K575 carry. However, the K50 is much cheaper so it makes sense. Plus you’ll get about six cups of coffee with each refill.
This product comes with a removable tray, which makes it easier to clean spills. Its Auto Off feature helps you save energy by turning off the coffee maker when it’s idle for 90 seconds. Furthermore, it’s compatible with 3 cup sizes (6 oz., 8 oz., and 10 oz.). This makes the K50 more suited for singles and smaller families.
There are two big downsides to buying the K50:
- It comes with a few performance bugs
- It takes longer than a minute to brew.
Keurig K55 Review
The Keurig K55 is the newer model and comes with a few improvements over the K50:
First and foremost, it keeps its promise about brewing coffee in under a minute.
Secondly, you’ll find none of the performance bugs that were reported in the K55. This makes the K55 a more reliable option.
Last but not least, the descaling feature makes cleaning a breeze!
The Pros and Cons: Keurig K50 vs K55
Here’s a brief overview of the pros and cons of each coffee maker:
Keurig K50
The Pros
- It’s less expensive when compared to some of Keurig’s other offerings like the K425
- Works completely on K-cups so no planning is required when you’re brewing a cup of coffee
- It’s a pretty small machine so you can store it easily and travel with it
- Comes with a removable plastic tray
- Has an Auto Off feature.
The Cons
- Takes more than a minute to brew
- Has a few performance issues
- It can get quite noisy.
Keurig K55
The Pros
- The descaling option makes cleaning very easy
- Comes with a removable drip tray
- Actually brews coffee in under one minute
- K-cup compatibility.
The Cons
- It can get a bit noisy as well
- Does not have strength control
A More Detailed Comparison
In this section, we’re going to be taking a closer look at the similarities and differences between the Keurig K50 and K55. We’ll be covering design, ease of use, features and performance.
Design
Both the Keurig K50 and K55 are considered medium-sized, so they’ll easily fit between your countertop and the overhead kitchen. There’s no difference between them in terms of physical dimensions. However, the K50 does weigh a little bit more.
The K50 and K55 both lack the touchscreen found on other Keurig models like the K475 and K575. Still, the buttons are quite nice and keep the operation simple. Plus each button lights up so you can even use these brewers in the dark.
Both coffee makers are made of plastic and they feature a sleek aesthetic, meaning they’ll look right at home in any modern kitchen.
Lastly, the K55 is available in a couple of additional colours: coconut white and patriot blue. But don’t worry, because you can also get it in traditional colours like black and red.
Features and Performance
The K55 has a few features which its predecessor lacks. The most popular of these is the descaling feature. This helps with the removal of calcium deposits inside the machine.
Why is this important? When calcium and other minerals deposit on the interior of a coffee brewer, it begins to restrict the flow of water into the brewer. It also cuts down the brewer’s lifespan. With the K50, you’ll have to do the descaling completely manually.
The filters used by each coffee brewer are quite different. The Keurig K50 has those mesh filters that you’ll find in a lot of older coffee makers. Honestly, they’re not high quality and you’ll find yourself having to replace them rather often. On the other hand, the Keurig K55 has an ‘activated charcoal’ filter which is designed to be much better at trapping impurities.
Something that the K55 has in common with its predecessor is the lack of a touchscreen. Both brewers are meant to be simple and streamlined. We think the absence of an LCD touchscreen is quite in keeping with that.
Another thing they both lack is temperature control. The brewing temperature is set at 89 Degrees Celsius so you really don’t have much room to experiment there.
What Is The Difference Between The K50 And K55, Performance-Wise?
When it comes to performance, the K55 has a bit of an edge over its predecessor. For one, it does keep its promise of brewing a cup of coffee in under 60 seconds. The K50 will take about 30 seconds more to do this.
Taste
The coffee brewed from each machine tastes pretty much identical. However, some claim that the Keurig K50 sometimes gives a bit of a ‘plastic’ taste.
With a wide variety of pods available from Keurig, you’ll no doubt find something that you can enjoy with either brewer.
Ease of Use
It’s pretty easy to set up either the K50 or the K55. Plus the simple control layout allows even the first time owners to brew a cup of coffee without a single hassle. If you’re alright with not having a touchscreen, either model is sure to please you with just how easy it is to get things done.
Cleaning and maintenance procedures are quite identical for both brewers. You’ll need to clean both the water tank and removable drip tray regularly. You’ll also need to descale every once in a while. As mentioned before, descaling is automatic on the K55.
The manuals have all you need to know about how to clean the funnel, pod holder, entrance needle and more.
Support
Keurig customer service is top notch and you’ll have no trouble with returns or repairs. However, the warranty is only one year for either model. This isn’t ideal seeing as you’re spending close to $100 with either model.
Prices
You can buy both the K50 and K55 for $90 in Amazon. Hence, price is definitely not a factor when you’re trying to decide between the two brewers.
Keurig K50 Vs K55 Differences: A Brief Summary
Here is a sum up of the main key differences between the Keurig K50 and the K55:
- The K55 weighs a bit less and comes in more colour options
- The K55 has a descaling feature which the K50 lacks
- The K50 has a mesh coffee filter while the K55 has an activated charcoal filter
- The K55 is faster at brewing coffee
- K50 has a few performance issues while the K55 does not share these
Our Verdict: Keurig K50 vs K55
Both the K50 and K55 are simple, no-nonsense coffee brewers. While coffee purists may want something more advanced (most likely with temperature and strength controls), these machines are sure to please the average drinker. As you can deduce from our review, both coffee makers are pretty similar to each other with only a few differences.
If we had to pick our favourite out of the two, we’d definitely choose the K55. Being the newer model, it does improve on some of the shortcomings that its predecessor has. Most importantly, Keurig took care of the bugs that were affecting the K50’s performance. In addition, the K50 has:
- A much better coffee filter
- A convenient descaling feature to get rid of those pesky mineral deposits
- The ability to brew a cup of coffee in less than a minute
Final Thoughts: Which Coffee Brewer Should You Buy?
If you’re still on the fence about which coffee brewer you should get, we’ll make this easier for you: get the K55.
While the K50 is objectively a great coffee maker, it’s too identical to the K55 to really recommend. All of its greatest features, including the Auto Off, removable tray and 48-ounce water tank, are present in the K50 as well. There’s really nothing unique to the K50.
Furthermore there quite a few reports of the brewer malfunctioning even without heavy usage. So we think the K55 is by far the more reliable choice. If the K50 was much cheaper than the K55, then we’d recommend it to those on a tight budget. However, as we’ve mentioned before, they’re even priced the same.
