Keurig K-Classic Single Serve Coffee Maker - K-Cup Pod Compatible, Programmable with 6 to 10 oz Brew Sizes, Black - Perfect for Home, Office & Small Spaces

***Updates are located at the bottom of this review.******Original Review***Up until recently, I had never been much of a coffee drinker except for the occasional seasonal flavored latte drinks but I was having trouble keeping up with my very active twin toddlers. We already had a standard coffee maker but I didn't want to brew a whole pot of coffee at once and single-serve coffee makers seem to be very popular so I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a try. I had seen several different Keurigs from the basic ones to very fancy ones but wanted to purchase one that both fulfilled my needs to brew a single cup of coffee and wasn't too expensive so I opted to buy the Keurig K55 Coffee Maker in black.When the Keurig arrived, I eagerly opened up the box to get it set up and start using it! I found it fairly simple to set up since there is a Use and Care Guide included and it's easy to follow the step-by-step instructions. I'd say the setup only takes a few minutes and then you are ready to brew your first cup of coffee. There are lights on the brewer that illuminate and walk you through the brewing process but once you are used to it, it becomes second nature and now, I don't even have to think about it, which is good in the early morning when I'm not thinking straight and need my coffee!Brewing: To brew a cup of coffee is very simple. You'll need to turn on the brewer by pushing the power button. The power button and heating lights will illuminate and the Keurig will make some noises while it heats up. When the three cup sizes illuminate in blue, you know it's time to brew your coffee. Set your coffee mug on top of the drip tray and lift the handle for the K-cup pod holder. Place a K-cup pod in the holder and lower the handle completely until the three cup sizes are blinking. The three sizes are: small cup (5.25 ounces), small mug (7.25 ounces) and large mug (9.25 ounces). Select your size and the coffee will be ready in about a minute. If the water reservoir is low on water, the "add water" light will illuminate and the process won't continue until you've filled the reservoir. Once it's stopped dripping, you may remove your mug and enjoy your coffee! If someone else wants to brew a cup of coffee right after yours is done, all they have to do is remove your K-cup pod since they are single-use pods, add theirs and repeat the process.Water Reservoir: The reservoir holds 48 ounces of water so you don't have to fill it up every time you want to brew a new cup of coffee, which is one of the reasons I selected this model. I make about two cups of coffee every day so I end up refilling the reservoir every few days. There are filters to use with the water but I purchase bottled water so I haven't used the filters at this point. When the reservoir needs to be filled, I remove the reservoir, take off the lid, fill it up with water, place the reservoir back in the Keurig and replace the top.Cleaning: I feel this Keurig is fairly simple to clean. The drip tray is removable and I usually wipe it down with a damp paper towel a couple times a week and wash it in water, soapy water occasionally. I also like to wipe down the exterior since the front part of the Keurig gets splatters of coffee on it. You can also clean the pod holder, funnel, needles and water reservoir and lid. Be careful as the two needles used to puncture holes in the K-cup pods are very sharp.Coffee Pods (the best part!): The Keurig K55 Coffee Maker uses the K-cup pods, which you can purchase nearly everywhere and there are many brands and flavors to choose from. You don't need to buy any specific brand with this coffee maker. As long as they are K-cups, they should work and I haven't come across any pods that don't work. I've been having a lot of fun purchasing different flavors and brands since I have several friends and family members who also have Keurigs so it's a lot of fun to swap coffees! I prefer flavored coffees and there are so many out there to try but my favorites are the Green Mountain flavors in Caramel Vanilla Creme and Wild Mountain Blueberry. There are K-cup pods in different price ranges and it's nice to have that option since everyone has a different budget. The nice thing with this brewer is that the flavors don't tend to blend from one cup to the next. For instance, my mom and I have brewed cups of coffee one right after the other (different flavors) and neither of us have noticed the other flavor in our respective cups. I've only brewed one cup of apple cider with this and haven't noticed the previous coffee flavor in the apple cider or the apple cider in my next cup of coffee. In this brewer, you can use all kinds of coffee flavors from flavored to medium and dark roasts to hot chocolate to apple cider. I typically choose the small mug (7.25 ounces) setting since I like the flavor. It isn't too strong or too watered-down for me but others may prefer other settings.Programmable Auto Off Timer: You can set the brewer to turn off two hours after the last cup of coffee has brewed (included in the instructions). I just turn the Keurig on and off as I need it but it's nice to have that option.Noise: Some people have stated that this brewer is noisy. I've found it's the noisiest when it's taking water from the reservoir and it sounds like a loud hum. It's not too loud when it's brewing the cup of coffee. I occasionally get up earlier than my husband and kids and brew a cup of coffee and no one has woken up (I'd say there is about 30 feet between the kitchen and bedrooms with the doors closed). When we have guests and they brew coffee before I wake up, I can't hear it at all.This Keurig is made in China and mine had a packaging date of August 2016, a month before I purchased it. I've been using it for two months and haven't had any problems with it at all. It measures about 12 inches deep (from front to back), nine inches wide (side to side) and 13 1/2 inches tall. I've had several family members use it and my parents and in-laws have found it fairly simple to use after I show them how to brew the coffee since we all have different models. Ever since I started drinking coffee, I've had better success with staying more alert and awake to take care of my twins and buying this Keurig has been well-worth every penny we spent on it! I have no regrets buying it and have been having a lot of fun finding different flavors to try. As with all of my reviews and especially any appliances and electronics reviews, I will periodically update this review, add in any new information I discover and adjust my thoughts and star rating, if needed. If you, or someone you know, is interested in a Keurig, I highly recommend this one. It's a great model that is nice on your wallet and will brew a great cup of coffee as often as you'd like!***Update 04/25/2017 - I've had this Keurig now for almost eight months and it's still working great for us! I typically brew four cups of coffee a day now to keep up with my kids and I've had no trouble with using this Keurig. When we have guests and are switching pods a lot, I never notice a strange taste at all (since we all like different flavors). I clean out the drip tray and wipe the whole machine down at least once a week to keep it looking nice. We only use bottled water in it so I've never had to use the filter. When we go away for a few days, I always wipe everything down and empty the water reservoir so it can air out and dry. I still highly recommend this Keurig if you want a good single-cup brewer that isn't incredibly expensive!There are numerous detailed reviews of the Keurig K55 and other models on Amazon and I see no reason to repeat or refute other reviewers' opinions, so I'll limit my review to my impressions based on one week's use and experimentation with various coffees and other beverages that my wife and I have tried and enjoyed.I don't consider myself to be a "coffee snob" but I drink a lot of coffee and insist on a good. fresh cup of coffee, properly brewed to my personal taste. For more than 20 years, I've used Saeco super automatic espresso/coffee machines such as this one:https://smile.amazon.com/Saeco-Philips-Intelia-Espresso-Machine/dp/B019771XIE/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1481465394&sr=1-1&keywords=saeco+super+automatic+espresso+machine&refinements=p_89%3ASaeco ranging in cost from about $600 to $2,500 depending on the model. These super automatic machines allow you to load whole bean coffee of your choice into a hopper and at the push of a button, it grinds the beans, loads them into the brew unit, dispenses the coffee, then dumps the used grounds and is ready to brew another cup at the touch of a button. They are completely adjustable so you can brew your coffee as strong as you like, from espresso to fairly weak American-style coffee. They also have a steamer which allows you to make cappuccino and other coffee beverages. I love these machines and they make great coffee, but they have disadvantages. First, because you have to load the whole beans in the hopper, it isn't easy to change to a different coffee if other family members drink decaf, for example, or prefer lighter or darker roasts. Also, they only brew coffees, no other beverages. Lastly, they are complicated and require quite a bit of maintenance.Enter the Keurig K55, which is their least expensive basic model but does everything I expect. I purchased it for my wife who likes to drink my lighter coffee as well as various teas, hot chocolate, cider, etc. My thought was to let her use the Keurig and to continue making my coffee in my Saeco but I've found that the Keurig makes very good coffee and suspect that my Saeco will be retired because the Keurig is so much more convenient to use and maintain and I'm completely satisfied with the coffee I'm brewing in it, perhaps not quite as "great" as that I make in my Saeco more than satisfactory, and far superior to the coffee I buy in restaurants, donut shops and convenience stores.I won't recommend particular k-cup coffee brands because there are so many of them and everyone has different preferences. One of the main advantages to the Keurig is that there are so many choices available, with three brew strength/ water level settings, as well as a great variety of other hot beverages such as black and herbal teas, hot chocolates, ciders, and more.You can also buy reusable k-cup holders and any ground coffee you like. This may save a little money and also allows you to choose your favorite coffee even if it isn't available in K-cups. I ordered a set of these reusable k-cups and have tried them with several ground coffees, comparing them to the prefilled k-cup versions of the same coffees. The k-cup ones are as good or better than the ones I've loaded myself using the reusable k-cups and are SO MUCH easier and more convenient to use. They're a little more expensive but still reasonably priced, particularly if you buy them in bulk from Amazon, Sam's Club, etc., or find them on sale at your local supermarket. On average, I'm paying less around 40 cents a pod for mine. Other k-cup beverages such as teas and hot chocolate tend to be less expensive than the premium coffees I buy.The real advantages to the Keurig are convenience, ease of use and the variety of coffees and beverages you can make with it, including iced teas and other iced beverages. My wife and I can share a single machine and make our own preferred beverages quickly and easily. After she makes a flavored beverage, I simply run a shot of hot water through the machine to remove any off-taste before brewing my coffee.Although I won't recommend specific brands due to personal tastes, I will mention that I prefer well-balanced, slightly acidic medium to medium dark roasts. I don't like breakfast blends or other light roasts, nor do I like really dark roasts such as those typical of some coffee shops such as Starbucks, although I have tried some of the dark roasts from Starbucks k-cups and others and they are fine, just not to my taste. I usually use the medium water level (7.25 oz) setting. Depending on the coffee I'm using, this usually gives me a rich, well-balanced, fairly strong cup of coffee. For some lighter roast coffees I prefer the low (5.25 oz) setting. My wife doesn't like strong coffee and usually uses the high (7.25 oz) setting. Teas, ciders and hot chocolate usually taste better with the high water level setting.If you are considering giving the Keurig a try, I recommend that you consider buying one of the many sampler k-cup packs available on Amazon. Some are coffee only and others include assorted flavored coffee, cappuccino, tea, hot chocolate, cider, etc. The one I bought is this one: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KSIE39I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 . It was a good choice and my wife and I quickly discovered our favorites. We've also bought a few others to try (on sale) at my local supermarket. All were good, even though some weren't to my personal taste. Once you decide on your favorites and the brew strength you prefer, you're all set to make good, fresh coffee and other k-cup beverages easily and conveniently.I mentioned at the beginning of my review that I'm not a "coffee snob" but I do insist on good fresh coffee, brewed to my personal taste. The Keurig accomplishes this. I realize that many people ARE purists (coffee snobs, in my parlance). If so, you probably won't like the Keurig but for 95% of all coffee drinkers, the Keurig is great. I'm more than willing to give up my "perfect" cup for one that's almost as good and so much easier and more convenient to brew, not to mention all of the other beverages it will make.I can see why the Keurig has become so popular. It fully deserves the five star rating I've given it. I highly recommend it to most coffee drinkers. I'm less convinced that it's the best solution to brew tea. It's okay but I still think it's worth the effort to brew tea by steeping it (using the Keurig to dispense hot water for brewing it if you wish). However, K-cup hot tea and iced teas aren't bad and are certainly quick and easy.Bought this to replace our 10 year old Keurig that was starting to give up. Right away I noticed this one is a lot lighter than the old one but I figured it was just made of more plastic. Typical cost cutting. The controls are a little different but not hard to figure out. The reason for the 3 star review is that the amount of coffee it pours is very inconsistent. When I fill my large travel mug it sometimes takes a large and a small to fill it to the top, as expected. But somedays those settings will only fill it to 3/4. A large cup selection will sometimes only half fill a normal mug and other times almost overfill it. Maybe I got a dud - I don't know. Not real happy though.*Update: This is going back. My old 10 year old Keurig is slow but works better. This one may be a dud or just a cheap copy, but it's not worth the money.It took over five weeks to receive so when ordering, keep that in mind. Secondly, be sure to order a converter step down for US appliances (the white box shown in picture next to coffee machine) so as not to ruin the coffee maker.Secondly, the Keurig is extremely expensive (17,880 rs) in India. And on top of that, so is the voltage converter (4400 rs). So factor these things into your budget when purchasing.Disappointed in the expense because this same unit costs $55 in the US.But I love this brand, so I paid dearly for it.I really wanted to love this…I had a cup of salted caramel at a friends home and loved it..I decided to try one…loved the rhubarb red colour and it’s very simple to use..the water heats super fast…I invested in quite a variety of k-cups to try…I found all of them very weak to taste…They all smelled good…I read online I should buy stronger coffee, so I did…Still very weak…I drink my coffee black,..so a bold rich flavour is important to me…I also found it a chore to break down the pods for recycling,..and also,very messy,..I know refillable k-cups are available,..but that defeats the convenience…I read about a Keurig that you can increase the strength of the coffee…I might give that a try…Es la segunda cafetera que compro en este modelo y la tercera de la marca. Es muy buena cafetera, calienta el agua sumamente rápido, tiene tres tamaños de taza y es muy fácil de usar. Sin embargo, hay que darle mantenimiento, utilizando un poco de vinagre, para evitar que se forme sarro y se tape. En cuanto al café, el molido de americano es la mejor opción y para ello, es conveniente que utilices envases reutilizables, y si vas a usar molido para expreso, llénalas a la mitad, porque si no, saldrá muy poco. Las 4 estrellas es porque se tiene que desalar o desalinizar con mucha frecuencia, ya que si no, se tapa y ya no circula el agua.I have literally never hated a coffee maker more. I have had many coffee makers over the years, including the Nescafé pods as well and this one is just awful. It's huge and bulky, I always have large residue in my coffee so I can never finish it, the portion sizes are terrible, and if you're not the only one in the house that drinks coffee, don't bother getting this in the first place since it's single serve.It's too late to return it now so I'm stuck with what has become the bane of my existence in the mornings.