Owly Rating
61/100
| Appearance | 15 |
| Features | 12 |
| Performance | 15 |
| Health & safety | 7 |
| Price to value | 12 |
Bottom line
This Keurig Duo review comes for a fairly new coffee maker, available on Amazon with free shipping (a programmable version) and at Walmart (K-Duo Essentials is not programmable). Keurig Duo is an innovative machine in the Keurig portfolio, though Hamilton Beach has been selling a similar machine for a couple of years now. Keurig K-Duo incorporates a single cup (k-cup) and a carafe (ground coffee). Made with plastic, comes in a fashionable black design. It’s super easy and convenient to use, with only 5 buttons to control the machine. When I bought the Keurig Duo, I also received two boxes of K-cups to help me get started on my Keurig journey. However, we feel that the price-to-value is very low. The coffee maker is very expensive for fairly basic features.
This product can be perfect for
Keurig fans who enjoy using K-cups but who like the idea of being able to use coffee grounds to brew larger quantities of coffee for their family or guests.
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Why choose Keurig Duo over others?
This is an innovative product that brings two coffee makers in one. I can use both K-cups and coffee grounds, and I can choose between brewing one cup of coffee and a whole carafe.
Here are some distinct features of Keurig Duo coffee machine:
- Multi-functional coffee maker allowing to brew a single cup (k-cup) and a carafe (coffee grounds)
- Easy and convenient to use (very few buttons to push)
- Fairly customizable volume
- Strong brand behind this coffee maker
Who is Keurig Duo perfect for?
As I was testing the product for this Keurig Duo review, I really wanted to understand who would most likely fall in love with this product.
I feel that Keurig Duo can be a compelling choice for those who are looking for:
✓ BRAND NEW Keurig coffee maker
✓ Multi-functional coffee maker that allows flexibility to brew a single cup or a full carafe
✓ Families and individuals who value a prominent brand in the coffee maker space
✓ K-cup compatibility
Who is Keurig Duo NOT perfect for?
Just like with other coffee maker reviews, I would love to remain honest in this Keurig Duo review. I think that there are a couple of examples where where Keurig Duo might not be a perfect choice:
✗ Low budget
✗ An advanced coffee machine with sophisticated features
✗ Plastic-free machine
Keurig Duo Review and Evaluation 🕵️
→ Appearance
Owly Rating
15/20
Keurig Duo is made primarily of plastic. It comes in one fashionable black color option. Though bulky and hefty, the unit itself is quite lightweight (about 8 lbs) and fits on my countertop alright.
I was really excited when I got my own model for this Keurig Duo review. My coffee machine was made mainly of plastic and had a minimalist, but very fashionable black design. The front of the machine featured two ways of brewing coffee: single serve and drip coffee maker.
On the left side, there was a drip coffee maker. I was able to brew coffee using coffee grounds. On the right side, there was a single serve portion, which I used to brew coffee with the use of k-cups.
The control panel was fairly straightforward and featured only 5 buttons:
- 2 buttons to choose either a single cup or a carafe, and
- 3 buttons to choose size. I was able to choose between 8, 10 or 12 cups for a carafe, or 8 oz, 10 oz, or 12 oz for a single cup. The Cup and Carafe buttons also had ON/OFF functions (if pressed for several seconds).
This coffee maker came with a sizable 60oz removable water reservoir, which was affixed to the back of the machine.
→ Features and technical specs
Owly Rating
12/20
The primary advantage of Keurig Duo is the ability to brew a single cup and a carafe. Comes with some basic features such as strength control, but lacked in more sophisticated features to brew coffee to my liking. Keurig K-Duo is very similar to the Hamilton Beach FlexBrew, which has been in the market for several years now. It also offers a carafe and single cup brewing, but appears to be at a better price.
Voltage: Keurig K-Duo is made for 120V, and can be used in Canada and the US only.
Basket size: This machine is compatible with k-cups and coffee grounds to brew coffee. It does not come with a permanent filter for the coffee grounds basket, but it can fit a flat-bottom, paper filter that is compatible with a 12-cup coffee maker. Keurig recommended that I should use one tablespoon of ground coffee per cup and that I shouldn’t put in the basket more than 15 tablespoons of ground coffee at a time. Exceeding this amount may cause an overflow.
Beverage size: A single serve part allowed me to choose between 8 oz, 10 oz and 12 oz of coffee. The drip coffee maker brewed 8 cups, 10 cups or 12 cups at once.
Weight: When I was preparing this Keurig K-Duo review, I was expecting a super heavy and bulky coffee maker. I was pleasantly surprised that it weighted only about 8 pounds. This was much lighter than expected, given the size of the coffee maker.
Unit size: The unit itself is indeed bulky, and fairly similar to other coffee makers that incorporate both a single serve (k-cup) and a drip coffee maker (a carafe). It was about 12 inches in width, 13 inches in depth and about 13 inches in height. Unlike other coffee machines, this one seemed to be well design. The k-cup portion only slightly opened up, thus taking up another 2 inches of space. This was really convenient under my top cabinet.
Water reservoir: I loved the design of the water reservoir. When I filled it up with water, I was able to use it for both a single cup and a carafe. It saved me time and energy. The reservoir was about 60oz. I was able to remove it by pulling up, though it was quite difficult due to its heftiness.
Additional perks: I was so excited for this Keurig Duo Review. This is the first model in Keurig’s history that incorporates single serve (k-cups) and a carafe.
✓ Keurig Duo allows to brew a cup and a carafe. The coffee machine comes with two ways of brewing coffee: with k-cups (for a single cup), and with coffee grounds (for a carafe).
✓ The machine had an auto-off feature. This coffee maker shuts itself off automatically 1 minute after brewing a single cup of coffee. The heating plate shuts itself off 2 hours after brewing a carafe.
✓ Pause and pour feature allowed me to get a cup before the entire carafe has finished brewing. I feel like it can be a useful feature, but not super necessary. When I was using coffee grounds to brew my carafe, I was able to pause brewing for about 20 seconds to pour coffee into my cup.
In addition, there’s some other perks of this coffee maker. It comes with a 60oz water reservoir. My machine came with 2 boxes of k-pod cups, and a bag of Green Mountain ground coffee. Quite delicious!
However, the feature set was somewhat disappointing. Throughout the entire Keurig Duo review, I was bummed about the following:
- the K-Duo Essentials (Walmart version) was not fully programmable (but a more expensive Amazon’s K-Duo is fully programmable)
- there did not seem to be a water filter
- the carafe was made with thin glass
I feel like Keurig could have done better.
→ Performance
Owly Rating
15/20
Keurig Duo was on par with some other single serve coffee makers, though took a while to brew a single cup.
Brewing time: I was surprised about the brewing time. It took about 2-3 minutes to brew one cup of coffee (in the single serve portion). This is slightly longer than other Keurig and non-Keurig single serve coffee makers compatible with k-cups. The carafe took about 10 minutes to fill up, which is on par with other machines.
Flavor: I felt that coffee brewed in Keurig Duo was quite good. I felt that K-Elite or K-Cafe brewed better, but Keurig Duo did its job fine. Interestingly, I felt that 12-cup carafe AND a 12-oz cup were typically weaker than smaller volumes.
Temperature: Keurig Duo did not allow me to control the temperature of the brew. In my tests, the water reached about 180 F degrees, which is slightly below the perfect brewing temperature. Keurig recommends that the mug and the brewer should go through a cleansing-brew process prior to brewing. This way, the coffee is supposed to reach higher temperatures and might stay hot for longer.
Noise levels: There were no remarkable noises coming from the machine. It performed similarly to others. There was a small winding noise, but this was nothing unusual.
Cleaning: Keurig recommends that the machine is descaled every 3 to 6 months. I personally found the machine to be OK to clean. Assembling and disassembling different parts was a little challenging (especially to put it together afterwards).
Customer-reported technical issues
After publishing this Keurig Duo review, we have received a lot of feedback from Keurig Duo users. Our readers reported a plethora of problems with the coffee maker. You can read their opinions on Keurig Duo coffee maker underneath. Here is the snapshot of issues they have reported:
- Cheap plastic
- Very basic coffee maker at a high price
- Stops working after 2-3 months
- Not brewing a desired amount of coffee
- Shuts off for no reason
- Single serve side not working correctly
I have not experienced any major breakdowns while testing and using the product. There are a couple of challenges with the product though:
- The add-water indicator comes on way too early, when water reservoir is still 1/3rd full
- Made with cheap-looking plastic
→ Health and safety
Owly Rating
7/20
I appreciate Keurig’s efforts in the BPA-free area. However, I am disappointed that Keurig puts so much plastic in their coffee makers.
I was disappointed in Keurig Duo. As I was preparing the review, I tried to research what the product is made of.
On one hand, Keurig claims that all the plastic its coffee machines and K-pods are made of, is FDA approved and BPA free, and hence, safe to use.
On the other, the practice showed me that Keurig Duo is made mostly with plastic (and, unfortunately cheaply-made plastic). Whether it is BPA-free or not, this plastic comes into direct contact with scorching hot water. As you may know by now, I am personally very concerned about using products in which boiling water touches plastic.
The BPA-free status is helpful to know, but it typically does not guarantee that there are no other potentially dangerous substitutes used in the production process.
Reports show that many manufacturers replace BPA with other types of plastic. These types include but are not limited to BHPF (fluorene-9-bisphenol), TPP (triphenyl phosphate), and bisphenol S (BPS). The exact health effects of the BPA substitutes, such as BHPF, TPP and BPS, are unknown at this point.
Keurig does not publish information what kind of materials or chemicals are used, so I am not able to verify.
Further, I strongly recommend that anyone who thinks about purchasing a machine that uses K-cups should first do a thorough research on the health and environmental concerns that have been associated with the use of K-cup brewers and coffee pods over the years.
→ Price to value: is Keurig Duo worth the money?
Owly Rating
12/20
Selling in a $$-$$$ price range, Keurig Duo is a bit more expensive than its competitors. I liked the coffee maker, but felt that the price was a bit too high. This is especially given that features were not super advanced. A very similar coffee maker, Hamilton Beach FlexBrew, tends to appear at a more competitive price.
At present, Keurig Duo sells at a couple of stores, including Amazon and Walmart. The price tag is at $$ for a non-programmable version of K-Duo Essentials at Walmart. Amazon carries a very similar product, K-Duo, which sells in a $$$-$$$$ price point, but is programmable.
Overall, the cost seems a bit higher than other coffee makers featuring a single serve and a drip coffee in one unit. The retail price might be reasonable for individuals like using K-cups but would also like to have the flexibility of coffee grounds.
However, the retail price seems a bit high given that the product does not have some of the more standard features such as programmability or temperature control. In my opinion, price-to-value ratio is neat, but not great.
Should I buy Keurig Duo? Owly’s verdict! 🔨
As I attempted to show in this Keurig Duo review, this is an innovative coffee machine that may look attractive to Keurig lovers. It might be nice to have the flexibility of both k-cups and coffee grounds in one machine. It can also a great option for those who want to be able to brew not only a whole carafe, but also a single cup of coffee.
Personally, I am a bit put off by what I perceive to be lacking features. For such an innovative product like Keurig Duo, I was expecting an advanced appliance with full programmability and temperature control. Sadly, for $$, Keurig did not show off.
Nevertheless, I still think that Keurig lovers may really enjoy this machine for its functionality and convenience.
Will you get Keurig Duo? What was your experience with Keurig Duo? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, under this Keurig Duo review!
Well ad us to the list of DISAPPOINTED. We purchased a K Duo Essentials March 2020 . It worked well until July 2020 when it would take forever to brew the Carafe (12) and most time it would be only 6 cup even though we were brewing 12. We called Keurig and after going through trouble shooting they sent a replacement. The replacement brewer started to act the same in November another call to Keurig more trouble shooting and another replacement sent.In March the new replacement brew started to act up. It seemed about 4 months before they started to ail. The failures started with brew time getting longer and longer, the quantity getting less and less, the heat plate working or not working, brew water temped or hot with no pattern all the while the single cup working properly. Another call to Keurig in March and another replacement. Now 3/4 weeks with the new one here we go again. The Customer Service agent I spoke with today has put us in Q for Corporate to call us tomorrow. We are done trying to use this Brew-cup machine hopefully we can exchange it for a more reliable Model of equal value. We will see.
Hi, Brynn,
We are certainly sad and disappointed to hear about your experience with a Keurig K Duo coffee machine. We have heard a lot of similar feedback from our readers 🙁
We hope that you will be able to resolve this to your satisfaction. Let us know if we can help in any way, Brynn!
– Team Owly
My daughter bought me the duo in August for my birthday & it isn’t working properly when brewing an entire pot it ends up having grounds in the pot. When I do individual cup it doesn’t make a full cup. I have bought the cleaner for Kure gas & it doesn’t work still.
Purchased the Keurig K-Duo Programmable unit 4 days ago. Woke up this morning to water all over the counter, machine won’t work, all lights flashing, and error code 66. I have made 3 pots of coffee with this machine, no issues and then this. This is not the highest priced machine, but still pricey for a machine that doesn’t work. My son called Keurig for me, there’s nothing to do but return it as they want me to wait to send out a new unit. No thanks, I want a refund. Will not be buying another Keurig. Answers online are almost non-existent. Buyer beware!
I got my Duo as a gift earlier this year and was extremely excited about it. For the most part, we like it but there are some issues with it. As I’ve seen others state, the 12-cup carafe has stopped brewing a full pot. It maxes out at about 9 cups now. If I put it on the 8-cup feature, it will only make 6 cups. It’s very frustrating and I can’t find a solution to it no matter how much research I do.
Also, I have descaled multiple times (more about that in a second) and it still tells me to descale. I follow the direction to a T, even doubling up at times and it still tells me to descale.
Speaking of Descaling, even though this was a gift, owning one of these machines can begin to get expensive compared to owning a regular Mr. Coffee coffee pot so be prepare to pay for maintenance if you are planning on buying one of these.
Hey… I purchased K-Duo today and it is not what I thought it would be … Mine is extremely noisy … and it takes forever to brew … and makes you add watch even when there is 16oz in it … it was bday gift to myself and will be returning it and use my original keurig and a 12oz hamilton pot both I’ve had for years and was just trying to safe space. Geez back to the drawing board!
I don’t want to make 8 cups of coffee! 4/6 cups would be great but I am force to waste coffee.
Same case here, wondering if filling the reserve to just 6 cups will damage the unit, does anybody know?
I purchased the Keurig Duo Essential and find it to be made of cheap plastic, no timer to have coffee when you wake up, and the carafe spills when you are pouring no matter how slowly you pour, it just makes a mess of your counter. After a couple of uses, the carafe stopped filling after 4 cups, although the tank was still full of water.
Love the K-cup concept and ease of use, but the Duo is definitely not worth the $179 price tag. I will go back to Mr. Coffee for a carafe of coffee (timer and drip free carafe), and back to the standard K cup method, don’t waste your money.
Hi, Nadine,
Thank you so much for leaving your feedback! Welcome to Owly Choice! We are so happy to have you on our site.
We agree with you. The price tag is definitely quite high for a coffee maker with pretty basic features. And, as reported by our readers, there appear to be problems with at least some of the units.
Which Mr. Coffee coffee maker do you use? We are curious which coffee maker has earned your trust.
-Owl
Got a Keurig Duo as a christmas gift, it stopped working within 2 months, Keurig sent me a replacement, same unit… Again, It just died in less than 3 months. The lights are all on, but it doesn’t brew and then it shuts off… So disappointed….
Hi, Connie,
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback with us. I am really very sorry to hear that this happened to you. I can imagine that it was a special gift for Christmas.
Unfortunately, we heard from many shoppers who have suffered from similar problems. Their Keurig Duos were breaking, not brewing, sometimes leaking.
Are you able to get a full refund for the purchase? I think it would be only fair. Those machines should come with 1 year guarantee.
If you are looking for a machine that brews a single cup and a drip coffee, this Hamilton Beach FlexBrew might be a better choice. It’s less expensive and it appears to be more reliable.
There’s also a version with stainless steel accents and a glass carafe (we like glass carafes better).
We also heard good things about the Cuisinart machine that also comes with a single cup and drip coffee. We have not reviewed it yet though!
Let us know if you manage to secure a refund for the Keurig Duo! And, thank you again for sharing your feedback!
-Owl
I am working on getting a refund…. I had a Hamilton Beach Flex , It was very reliable, I gave it away to someone who needed a coffee maker. I have been a loyal Keurig client and have several of the older single brew, no problem… Just feel that Keurig should do a manufacturer’s recall on this model.. and refund all the clients…I will post how I make out..
Hi everyone. I’m in need of Help with my KDuo I got the Essential for Christmas ( 2019) and started using it , after the first pot , which brewed perfect the Second pot only brewed 4 cups when it was set for 12 . The water tank was full. Spoke to Keurig and they replaced it #2 did the same thing but the heat plate wouldn’t come on after brew , again spoke to Keurig was replaced again for the next model up K Duo .
Set it up as instructions say : 1st pot no problem Pod side works 2nd Pot set for 12 cups brewed 4 and heat plate didn’t come on 😡😡
I am so confused as to what’s going on I can’t be that unlucky with 3 machines all of which were Brand new Help Help Please
Hi, Barb,
Thank you so much for reaching out! I am really very sorry to hear about your problems with the K-Duo. It appears to be a recurring problem with the K-Duo machines. In fact, we are seeing that Keurig temporarily stopped selling K-Duo on Amazon. It’s possible that they are reviewing their units for defects.
Here are a couple of things to try:
– Plug off the machine from the outlet
– Ensure that there’s plenty of water in the water reservoir (but below the maximum line)
– Do you by any chance live an area where tap water is very hard? It is possible that the valve has clogged up (even after a couple of uses). This does not allow water to pass through. In that instance, you may want to consider running some vinegar mixed with water through the machine. Here’s a brief guide how to clean a coffee maker.
In case you decide to return this coffee maker and ask for a refund, there are a couple of coffee makers that have a single serve portion and a glass carafe. Here are a couple of examples: Hamilton Beach FlexBrew, Cuisinart coffee center or a Ninja Hot and Cold Brew system (with a glass carafe).
Thank you for leaving your feedback with us and let us know how we can help!
-Owl
What happens if we only want 4cups.do we fill the pot to 4 and then place it in the reservoir.is this okthanks
After purchasing the k-duo, the single serve side would sometimes not brew anything at all. Beyond that, the carafe side take 30 minutes to only brew 4 cups on a 12 cup cycle and then shut off. I contacted keurig and they gladly replaced the machine, however, we’re having the same issue with the replacement machine. The carafe side doesn’t brew an entire cycle and then shuts off. The hot plate never comes on in the cycle. This is a very frustrating machine!
Hi, Jessica,
I am deeply sorry to hear about your troubles with the K-Duo. We are hearing this feedback from customers over and over. Can we post parts of your comment in the product review? Your feedback is extremely valuable.
In case you decide to return the item and ask for a refund, there still are a couple of awesome coffee makers available for you. They offer a single serve and a carafe functionality: Hamilton Beach FlexBrew, Cuisinart coffee center or a Ninja Hot and Cold Brew system (with a glass carafe).
Keurig’s phone number:
1-866-901-BREW (2739)
Toll-free, 7 days a week
7 am – 10 pm EST
Thank you for leaving your feedback with us and let us know how we can help!
-Owl
I bought the Keurig duo, 6 weeks ago, very upset, first everytime I pour it, from the carafe it leaks all over the counter, now, I have some error message, 1-. And i cant turn the unit off without unplugging it, and when I plug it back in, same thing, not able to do anything, no clock, not programmable, not able to use it at all….
Hi, Ivy,
Thank you for sharing your feedback on the Keurig Duo. It does sound like the unit might be flawed. Just a thought: have you tried reaching out to Keurig customer service? You may want to ask for a replacement.
Their phone number is 1-866-901-BREW (2739)
Toll-free, 7 days a week
7 am – 10 pm EST
Let us know if they manage to do anything for you. Your feedback and opinion are extremely valuable!
-Owl
Very disappointed
We received a Keurig Duo Essential 2 weeks ago. We had been using the Hamilton Beach version but the single serve side never did work correctly.
After 2 weeks of use the Keurig Duo will not complete the brewing of a carafe of coffee.
I set it for 8 cups and after 15 minutes it shut off and the carafe contained less than 4 cups.
I will try cleaning the unit (recommended every 3months) but should not have to do that yet.
We are very disappointed. We will see what Keurig does with the guarantee.
Hi, Helen,
Thank you so much for reaching out and for leaving your feedback. It indeed is very disappointing that your Keurig Duo fails to complete the brewing process.
Please keep us posted if you manage to have this covered by the guarantee.
We have prepared a guide . Depending on how hard your water is, you may want to consider de-calcifying every 3-4 months
-Owl
Keurig says they will replace the unit- have not received it yet
Hi, Helen,
Let us know when they replace. I am curious how long it’s going to take them! Fingers crossed the next unit is going to be more durable and reliable!
Happy coffee drinking!
-Owl
Does it come in any different colors?
Hi, Carlene,
Thank you for reaching out! We have only seen a black version. Depending on a demand, Keurig may or may not come out with different colors. Are there any colors that you are particularly interested in?
If you are looking for a coffee maker that brews both a single cup and a carafe, Hamilton Beach began to sell a similar model in white (in addition to black). It’s also a bit more affordable than Keurig.
-Owl
We seem to be having an issue with the water spray running down the side of the nozzle and the grinds backing up over the filter in the new k duo. Plastic does seem to be cheap. Not sure if we are going to keep it.
Hi, Karen,
So sorry to hear about the problems with your K-duo. If the problem persists and you are within a return window, we totally agree it might make sense to return it for a refund.
Do you mind if I incorporate your feedback in the post? Voices like yours are extremely valuable.
Let us know!
-Owl
It’s such a thorough and comprehensive keurig k-duo review! So many useful things. It’s surprising how Keurig did not make K-duo fully programmable. Is this available on Amazon?
Hi, Tyler!
Thanks for reaching out! Yes! I will soon update the content to reflect that Keurig K-Duo is now (finally) available on Amazon!
Let us know if you have any questions!
Owl
That’s a great and comprehensive review of Keurig duo coffee maker. Thank you.
Is this model available online? There’s no Wal-Mart in my area in Montana, but my family would enjoy this Keurig coffee maker.
Please advise,
Caroline
Hi, Caroline,
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed reading about this Keurig Duo coffee maker in the review! This product was exclusively launched on Walmart. However, starting September 2, Keurig K-Duo will also be launched on Amazon.
Be aware: Keurig Duo looks like it’s going to be more expensive on Amazon than at Walmart.
-Owl