Keurig K55 Review – Here’s What We Think
The Keurig K55 is one of the simplest models that Keurig has released in the last few years. It doesn’t boast an LED touchscreen, or a temperature control setting, or even a clock for that matter. That raises an important question: why would someone be interested in buying one? And why does this Keurig K55 Review exist?
Other than the fact that it doesn’t cost a fortune to get one. But we’re here to tell you that just because the K55 doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles other units offer, doesn’t mean that it’s not worth getting, or that it won’t produce you an excellent cup of coffee.
The K55 costs around half of the price that most other Keurigs come at, and for this reason, it is a great investment as an affordable single-serve coffee maker. To help you understand why we chose this coffee maker in particular, we’re going to do a full review of what this simplistic coffee maker has to offer, the good and the bad.
Table of Contents
Keurig K55 Review: Features and Design
If you’re tired of having metallic-looking machines all over your countertop, you’ll be glad to hear that the K55 comes in either black or rhubarb. And the only stainless steel components that this coffee maker has are internal ones.
The hood of the machine is, of course, made out of plastic, similar to any entry-level coffee maker out there. At the top right side of the machine, you’ll find the control panel which consists of 5 buttons (for Power, Auto-Off, and selectors for 3 cup sizes) and 5 light indicators. The indicators are easy to read, the top one, for example, is “Add Water,” and it notifies you when the water level in the tank is low. This can be one of the main reasons why the brew fails to start.
Next up is the “Descale” indicator, which lights up whenever there is a need for descaling the machine (duh). We recommend that you do this every 3 to 6 months, and the indicator is a very helpful reminder of the fact that you have to do it soon. There is also the “Heating” indicator, which only lights up when the unit is heating up and preparing to brew if it isn’t doing so, then the light shouldn’t be on.
Then comes the “Auto-off” indicator with features its button, which we recommend you keep on at all times. In case you forget to turn off the K55, it’ll automatically turn off if not used for more than 2 hours. This helps preserve the machine and also retains a bit of energy. Lastly, we have the “Power” button, which is quite self-explanatory. The Keurig K55’s panel is not the simplest one out there, but it’ll do the job just fine, and it’s pretty easy to learn and memorize each button and indicator.
Keurig K55 Review: Performance and Functionality
The K55 runs at 1500 watts, standard 110/120 volts, at 60 Hz. These numbers are the standard in the United States, so if you happen to be living in Europe, we recommend that you get a transformer.
Additionally, the unit brews K-Cup cups at around 193° F, Vue and K-carafe pods, on the other hand, are brewed at 197° F. Both temperatures are in the ideal range of heat needed for extracting the perfect cup of coffee. As we’ve mentioned before, the K55 gives supports 3 different cup sizes, 6oz, 8oz, and 10oz.
However, unlike most other Keurigs, the K55 doesn’t have a carafe option. But you can still use any brand of K-Cups, including the refillable ones, giving you the ability to taste the variety of different coffees that are available. One thing is to keep in mind though, is the fact that the Keurig K55 doesn’t support K-Mugs, and K-Carafe pods.
The heating up process of the machine takes about 5 minutes, but the brewing process itself is quite quick, about 30 seconds for 6oz kind of fast. What’s great about this machine, is that once you heat up for the first cup, anything extra after it will only take 15 seconds.
Keurig K55 Review: Water Tank
The Keurig K55 has a reservoir that holds 48 ounces of water, which might not seem as much but is great because most single-serve coffee brewers in this price range usually rock smaller tanks. The entirely of the reservoir is made out of BPA plastic, and it is super easy to remove it, allowing you to fill up it and put it back rather quickly.
How to Set Up the Keurig K55
If our Keurig K55 Review ha convinced you to get this bad boy, the first item that you take out of the box should but the Use & Care Guide, which is a small textbook full of all the different instructions about how you properly set up your machine, etc. And even though the entire list that’s found there can be done in no more than a few minutes, we recommend that you do the following things in the following order:
- Soak the charcoal filter in some water for a couple of minutes (5 minutes at least)
- Rinse the stainless steel mesh
- Thoroughly wash the holders of the filter
- Set the replacement date dial to 2 or 3 months, whatever you find the ideal for you.
Now you might be wondering why the focus on cleaning something that just came out of the manufacturing plant? Well, this is a universal rule with all coffee makers from all the different brands, the first thing that should be done is to do some cleaning and maintenance on the machine, even if it’s new.
How to Clean and Descale the Keurig K55
Cleaning the exterior of the K55 is super easy; it only takes about 20 seconds or so to do so with a wet piece of cloth. And you’ll be surprised how little coffee sticks to the plastic exterior of the unit. The harder part of cleaning is that of the interior, but luckily enough for you, this can be done only twice or thrice a year. But it should be done or else the machine will most likely fail to function, or the quality of the coffee itself will deteriorate.
Instead of deconstructing the unit, we recommend that you clean up the stainless steel mesh first, then do some descaling.
Every coffee maker on the market, no matter how good or expensive it is, is bound to get some calcium deposits over time, also known as scale. Cleaning it by hand is no easy task, but luckily for you, most Keurigs, the K55 included, come with automated functions that help you with this operation, all you have to do is the following:
- Fill up the water tank with 10oz of white vinegar or any other descaling solution, both of which are available at any store
- Place some a water-holding pitcher on the drop tray (a carafe for example) and make sure it comes with enough capacity.
- Press the brew button and wait for a minute or two. Get rid of the descaling solution once it’s dispensed.
- Repeat this process again
- Let the coffee maker cool off for 30 minutes or so.
- Finally, add water and let it run, then dispense it. Repeat these 3 or 4 times, and that’s it.
5 Common Problems with the Keurig K55
While you shouldn’t expect to face problems with the K55, as is the case with any coffee machine out there, things can go wrong. We’ve picked what we think are the five most common problems that you might face while using the K55, and how to deal with them. Yes, our Keurig K55 Review does have it all!
Power Button Doesn’t Work/K55 Won’t Turn On
Through research and personal experience, we’ve deduced that this problem is quite frequent, but there are several different troubleshoots for it. Firstly, you should make sure that the unit is plugged in (no offense, we do this ourselves too). If it’s plugged in and ready, try pressing the power button and holding on it, which should light up the display eventually. You should also make sure that the water reservoir of the K55 is properly attached since most cases of the K55 failing to power down are due to the misalignment of the reservoir’s magnetic contacts. If you still face the problem after trying all these different tips, then you should probably just contact Keurig’s customer support.
The K55 Fails to Brew a Full Cup
Usually, there are two reasons that might cause this to happen:
- The Coffee maker needs descaling
- The needs that puncture the pods might be clogged up
You can fix both problems by simply descaling your machine (mentioned above) and removing the needles and thoroughly washing them.
Coffee Grounds in the Cup
One common cause of this unit is that it has a pod that’s not glued properly, which causes the machine to fail to puncture it properly. There is also the issue of clogged needles, which can easily be fixed as we’ve mentioned above.
The K55 Keeps Pumping Water Non-stop
The most common cause of this issue is scaling, which you can quickly deal with. Clogged needles can cause this too.
The Unit Makes a Lot of Noise
Keurig coffee makers are not known to be the quietest, even when they’re brand new. But as is the case with most of the issues dealt with above, a dirty machine or clogged coffee grounds might cause the machine to make more noise than usual, and also damage the lifespan of it in the long run. One way to avoid this from happening is to stay away from mineral water and use filtered water instead.
Keurig K55: Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve collected several frequently asked questions that you might have after going over our Keurig K55 Review in hopes of giving you more info about this awesome coffee maker and how to take care of it.
How many sizes of coffee can I brew with the Keurig K55?
The Keurig K55 offers you 3 sizes, 6oz, 8oz, and 10oz, and while these sizes aren’t that fancy in comparison to other coffee makers, they’ll do the job just fine.
How often should I descale my coffee maker?
In the case of the Keurig K55, and most coffee makers in general, we recommend that you clean it every 3 to 4 months. It usually takes less than an hour to do this, and you only have to do it 3 or 4 times a year, so try not to skip it. And you should always keep in mind that although some sites say that the descaling process is automatic, it is in actuality an operation that requires manual input.
Does the Keurig K55 Support K-Mug and K-Carafe pods?
Unfortunately, no, the Keurig K55 doesn’t support either. But it supports any type of K-Cup pods out there though, giving you the flexibility and choice that are somewhat similar those of a machine that supports all kinds of pods.
Can you adjust the temperature of the water with the Keurig K55?
No, you can’t, but this lovely coffee maker will get you the optimal temperature for brewing coffee in no time.
How often do I need to change the filter?
It is recommended that you change it every 2 months or so, and fortunately for you, the Keurig K55 does feature a warning light that’ll notify you when the time has come to do so. We recommend that you have at least one aside instead of waiting for the light to come on to go out and buy one. Filters are generally not expensive, and changing them constantly keeps your coffee as tasty as ever.
Why is my Keurig K55 not brewing after I press the Brew button?
Don’t bother to press the button if the lights aren’t blinking. The machine detects that you have added a pod, and the lights should turn on, if they don’t, then you’ve probably done something wrong, so just double-check everything.
Is the Keurig K55 dual-voltage?
No, it isn’t. Otherwise, we would’ve mentioned it above in the Keurig K55 Review. This machine runs on 110/120 volts, so it doesn’t work with a 220-volt supply. Thus, you should consider investing in a converter to plug it into one.
Does the Keurig K55 come with a storage drawer?
No, it doesn’t, as we’ve shown above in our Keurig K55 Review. This is a pretty simple machine in comparison to many in the market.
Does the K55 have programmable presets?
As far as we know, no, there isn’t. But you can always purchase a third-party drawer for your K-Cup pods.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you’ve enjoyed our detailed Keurig K55 Review. An entry-level coffee maker that’s simple and extremely affordable, and will make you some of the best cups of coffee you will ever taste. Aside from the common issues that we’ve dealt with above, this machine is a great piece that you should probably have in your kitchen.
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