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Keurig K-Slim Review

For anyone who values the convenience of a coffee maker over the brew quality
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Keurig K-Slim Review
Credit: Keurig
Price:  $130 List
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Manufacturer:   Keurig
By Liz Nelson ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Apr 29, 2022
55
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Brew Quality - 35% 3.8
  • User Friendliness - 30% 6.7
  • Ease of Cleaning - 20% 6.9
  • Consistency - 15% 5.3

Our Verdict

If you are looking for a compact pod-style coffee maker, the Keurig K-Slim stands out among others in our Keurig coffee maker review. Despite its small dimensions, it has a large water reservoir and is compatible with all brands of K-Cups. You can also brew any ground coffee of your choosing by purchasing a reusable K-Cup filter. If you are looking for ultimate convenience over taste, the K-Slim may be the best coffee maker for your needs. However, our testing shows that this brewer does not produce quality coffee. In fact, coffee brewed on this machine tends to taste weak and watered down.
REASONS TO BUY
Small footprint
Easy interface
Easy cleaning
REASONS TO AVOID
Poor brew quality
Brewer cannot adjust to cup size

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Keurig K-Slim is a compact brewer great for small spaces but does not brew quality coffee. However, if you are looking for the convenience of a pod machine and favor more flavorful brews — you should look towards our other pod-style brewers. Although this model values simplicity, it certainly lacks in quality compared to higher-end pod-style brewers. We recommend searching elsewhere if you're looking for quality and convenience.

Performance Comparison


keurig k-slim
Credit: Laura Casner

Brew Quality


The Keurig K-Slim performed very poorly in our review for brew quality. The Slim simply lacks the water distribution and brew features necessary to brew a good cup of coffee. The K-Slim does not reach industry standards for the precise brewing temperatures needed to extract coffee properly. Even worse, the water distribution capability of this machine makes it the worst in our review. There is no option for pre-infusion with the K-Slim. This coffee maker quickly injects the K-Cup with water, resulting in under-extracted and watery-tasting coffee. Although there are settings for brewing 8, 10, and 12oz coffees, the weak brew-strength only increases with cup size.

keurig k-slim - coffee from this brewer is under-extracted and watery. the k-slim...
Coffee from this brewer is under-extracted and watery. The K-Slim does not have the water distribution necessary for properly extracted coffee.
Credit: Laura Casner

User Friendliness


The Slim brewer performed above average for the user-friendliness metric. This pod brewer is not programmable, but with the simplicity of pod brewing, extra steps in the brewing process are streamlined. The interface is fairly intuitive and features separate buttons for cleaning and descaling and options for single cup adjustments for 8, 10, and 12oz cups. The brew volume indicator allows you to choose the right cup size, eliminating the worry about overflowing. The K-Slim also has an indicator for low water levels, which is helpful because the water tank is not visible from the front. The tank is removable and can be filled all the way, not just to the desired brew amount.

keurig k-slim - the keurig k-slim has a removable water tank  for easy filling.
The Keurig K-Slim has a removable water tank for easy filling.
Credit: Laura Casner

Ease of Cleaning


The simplicity of pod-style brewing tends to make for easy cleaning. This single-cup coffee maker delivers coffee right into your cup, eliminating the need to clean a carafe. There is not much daily cleaning required with the K-Slim. However, long-term care is needed to eliminate buildup from hard water. This brewer has the fastest descaling cycle over any other brewer in this review. The K-Slim features a descale button that automatically runs the 15-20 cleaning cycle.

keurig k-slim - pod brewing eliminates the mess of coffee grounds inside the brewer.
Pod brewing eliminates the mess of coffee grounds inside the brewer.
Credit: Laura Casner

Consistency


To test the consistency of this brewer, we made five back-to-back pots of coffee. Our team analyzed the water distribution patterns and measured the brew temperatures of each batch, looking for temperature stability. When brewing back-to-back cups of coffee, we measured that water temperature varies by 2.5 degrees between cups. The K-Slim is the only brewer in our review that performed perfectly for average brew time. This brewer was extremely consistent in brewing coffee in just over 1.5 minutes from the first cup to the fifth.

keurig k-slim - the k-slim consistently brews a cup of coffee in 1.5 minutes.
The K-Slim consistently brews a cup of coffee in 1.5 minutes.
Credit: Laura Casner

Value


Relative to its price, the K-Slim does not come close to producing the coffee quality we expect. The K-Slim brews watery-tasting coffee that does justify the investment into pod-styling brewing. If you are looking for the convenience of pods, we recommend other pod-style coffee makers in our review.

Conclusion


The Keurig K-Slim stands out if you are looking for a compact pod-style coffee maker. However, although it's built for convenience, we cannot justify this purchase due to its inability to brew good-tasting coffee. Coffee brewed with the K-Slim tends to come out watery regardless of adjusting for cup size.

Liz Nelson