Keurig's coffee makers are famously inexpensive, which means you have to be picky over which ones you choose. The most convenient, versatile model in their offering is the Keurig K-Supreme SMART Coffee Maker. It's one of their more elaborate models and it's worth the upgrade too.
After testing the Keurig K-Supreme SMART, our experts knew it was deserving of a spot in our buying guide for the best Keurig coffee makers. The high-end model provides five strength settings, six temperature options, and four drink sizes. It can even brew iced drinks, using special settings to maximize taste.
Our expert put the smart functions, hot chocolate pods, and all the coffee functions to the test to find out whether this is one of the best single-serve coffee makers on the market. We're on the fence for that one, but if you want a Keurig, look no further than here.
Product specifications
Who would it suit?
After using the K-Supreme Smart for several weeks, I think it’s best suited for busy households. Its large water tank and quick brewing abilities are perfect when you’re in a rush, as it will almost always have your drink ready in less than 2 minutes. It also gives you a lot of customization options, which helps cater to people with different preferences.
However, this machine might not be the best choice for anyone who’s not tech-savvy. In my experience, it doesn’t work properly unless it’s hooked up to Wi-Fi, so you need to know your way around a smartphone to make the most of its abilities.
What's it like to use?
The K-Supreme Smart Coffee Maker arrived packaged in molded cardboard and wrapped in a styrofoam-type bag for protection. There was minimal plastic in the packaging, and most of the materials were able to be recycled, which I appreciated.
One of the cool things I noticed right away about the machine is that you can set up its water tank in two different orientations. It can be placed beside the main brewer, forming an L-shaped unit, or behind it for a straight, narrow orientation. You can alternate between them by changing the direction of the water tube on the bottom of the machine, which I found was quite easy to do.
The only other thing I had to do to set up the machine was install the filter into the water tank. The little fabric cartridges needed to be rinsed before being inserted into the machine, but it was a quick and easy process. Once that was done, I filled up the large 66-ounce water tank and was ready to start brewing.
Making hot drinks
I used the K-Supreme Smart Coffee Maker a few times before I synced it up to the Keurig app, and I had quite a bit of trouble with it. When I inserted a K-cup, the digital screen just kept showing me “Please Wait,” and I had to open and shut the lid a few times before it registered that there was a pod in the machine. Thankfully, these problems went away after I set up the unit’s smart features, but it’s worth noting that the coffee maker may not work properly without a Wi-Fi connection.
Once the machine was connected to my home’s Wi-Fi via the Keurig app, it worked much more smoothly. All I had to do was pop a K-cup into the top, and the BrewID feature would automatically identify the drink and select its recommended settings. (You can always change them if desired.) From there, it was just a matter of selecting the drink size—6, 8, 10, or 12 ounces—and pressing the large K button to start brewing. This Keurig brews very quickly, and my drinks always come out very hot.
Throughout the course of testing, I used the K-Supreme to make a few different types of coffee, as well as hot chocolate, hot apple cider, and chai lattes. They all tasted great, and I loved that the water reservoir holds enough to make several drinks before needing a refill.
Making iced coffee
In addition to all sorts of hot drinks, the K-Supreme Smart also has a special setting for brewing iced drinks. I tested it out using the Green Mountain Pumpkin Spice Brew-Over-Ice K-Cups, and the machine automatically selected the brew-over-ice setting once it registered the pod. It instructs you not to brew into a glass cup, so I used a metal travel tumbler filled with ice instead. I selected the 12-ounce drink setting and let the machine do its thing.
It took longer than expected for the Keurig to brew my iced coffee, but it was worth the wait. When it was finished brewing, the coffee was room temperature with just a few pieces of ice remaining, so I topped it off with a little more ice before adding cream and sugar. I was really impressed with the beverage’s rich, spicy taste, and it didn’t seem watered down at all.
Using the smart features
One of the main features of this Keurig is that it connects to the brand’s app. Once I had created an account in the app, it walked me through the process of pairing the machine with my phone. It only took a few minutes, and I didn’t have any issues getting the unit synced up to my Wi-Fi network.
In truth, I didn’t find the app to be very useful. It has a section for “Café Creation” drinks, but most of them are extremely simple—they just highlight different K-cups that you can buy. There’s also a whole shopping section where you can order Keurig products.
The app offers a few brewer features, allowing you to turn on high-altitude brewing, create favorite brew settings, or schedule a brew in advance. This might be handy if you want to wake up to a fresh cup of coffee, but in all honesty, it’s just as fast to pop in a K-cup and hit brew.
Cleaning and storage
The beauty of pod-style coffee makers is that there’s very little cleaning and maintenance required, and the K-Supreme Smart is no exception. On a daily basis, all I ever needed to do was throw away my used K-cups, and I ended up refilling the water tank about twice a week.
To keep your Keurig working well, the brand does recommend changing the filter and descaling the machine every three months. Replacement filter cartridges are fairly inexpensive, and you can descale the machine using the brand’s descaling solution or with just plain white vinegar. Either way, the upkeep is significantly easier than with most drip coffee machines.
How does it rate online?
The K-Supreme Smart currently has a 4.3-star rating from around 300 reviewers on the Keurig website. Among positive reviews, many people like that the machine is notably smaller than other Keurig models and offers a wide range of customization options. The Brew ID feature is another aspect that many users enjoy.
However, one of the most common complaints is that the machine sometimes struggles to connect to Wi-Fi, which can impact its operation. Lots of people questioned the 'SMART' label in and of itself. They didn't think that the machine was particularly technologically advanced, nor did they find these features useful. So, if you're into your technological coffee makers, it might be worth giving this one a miss.
Several people also note that the machine needs to be descaled quite frequently, with the indicator going on several times per month.
How does it compare to other Keurigs?
For the sake of comparison, I tested the K-Supreme Smart alongside the K-Mini Plus, which is one of the brand’s smallest and most affordable machines. Where the K-Supreme Smart offers all the bells and whistles — including brew customization, K-cup recognition, and smart connectivity — the K-Mini Plus is extremely basic. It only has two brew settings, normal and strong, and its water reservoir only holds enough for one drink at a time. This inexpensive model is likely useful for dorm rooms or occasional coffee drinkers, but the K-Supreme Smart is definitely a better fit for households that make multiple drinks per day.
If you've got some extra room in your coffee maker budget, it's worth looking outside of the Keurig brand. Nespresso makes some more premium coffee makers out there for only a little more money. For example, for $5, you can invest in the Nespresso Vertuo Next. This is the best single-serve coffee maker of all time. It makes coffee that rivals fresh, espresso machine brews, it's slick, smart, and durable too. If I had to choose between the two, I'd get the Nespresso every time.
Should you buy it?
If you’re in the market for a new single-serve coffee machine, the Keurig K-Supreme Smart Coffee Maker is a worthwhile splurge. This high-tech model gives you more control over your drinks, allowing you to adjust everything from the water temperature to the drink size. It can even make tasty iced drinks.
However, this Keurig is best for fairly tech-savvy people, as you will need to connect it to Wi-Fi to use it to its full capacity. Without an internet connection, the unit struggles to work properly, and even with one, the app isn't particularly helpful.
How We Test
Before we recommend a coffee maker, we take it to our test kitchen or try it in our homes. It varies by machine, but we make as much coffee as we possibly can in every machine. We try espresso, Americanos, and cappucinos, and where relevant teas. We also try these coffees and hot drinks with milk alternatives for vegans and lactose-intolerant readers.
We also unbox, clean, and store every machine so we can understand what it is to actually live with these machines. We base our feedback on a range of criteria: the coffee needs to taste good, the machine should be ergonomic and easy to use, and we love innovation. All the detail is on our dedicated how we test coffee machines' page.
