Keurig K55 Coffee Maker Unboxing & Review
I. Unboxing The Keurig K55
Do you want Starbucks-style coffee without needing to leave home?
If so, you’re in for a real treat today.
Here at Fourth Estate, we’ve just taken delivery of our new Keurig K55. We’ve been putting it through its paces so we can serve you up with a really thorough guide to this awesome coffee maker.
As well as giving you all the information you need to know if this coffee machine makes sense for you, we’ve got a treasure trove of pictures and videos to bring things to life for you.
We’ll walk you through, unboxing the box, preparing it for use and then pressing it into action.
We chose this combination bundle which includes 40 assorted K-Cups shipped under separate cover.
The main box for the Keurig K55
Variety sampler pack with 40 assorted K-Cup pods (shipped separately)
For a small premium, you can buy the K55 in bright red instead of the black model we chose. Both colorways come with the option of a Keurig Dash at extra cost. This Wi-Fi-enabled gadget orders your new K-Cups at the push of a button but we didn’t see fit to pay extra for this.
Alongside an honest appraisal of where the K55 stands and fall, we’ll also give you a thorough grounding on how to get the very best from this coffee maker.
The Keurig is not expensive although the K-Cups are not particularly cheap. The thing is, you should consider the price of these set against a comparable cup of coffee in one of the chains. In that context, our product actually represents superb overall value for money.
OK…Without further ado, we’ll move on to unboxing our new pride and joy so you can see exactly what to expect from the award-winning Coffee Maker.
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Main box of K55 containing coffee machine, 4 pack of coffee (3 coffee + 01 chocolate), 3 pack of Lipton water filter and water filter handle
If you opt for the same combo deal we did, you’ll get 2 boxes under separate cover.
In the main package, you’ll get the streamlined Keurig K55 coffee machine along with a couple of bonuses…
There’s a water filter handle as well as 2 filters to get you started without running to the store. Just as descaling is crucial, properly filtering the water allows you to enjoy coffee from your machine at its very best.
In the K-Cup Variety Pack, you’ll get a quartet of beverages to whet your whistle:
Box with 4 pack of K-Cup pods included in main package
The 4 free K-Cups pods so you can get straight down to business
- Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Breakfast Blend
- The Original Donut Shop Regular, Medium Roast
- Newman's Own Organics Special Blend Medium Roast Coffee
- Swiss Miss Keurig K-cups Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa
Right there, you’ve got something to kickstart your morning, help you relax into your afternoon then wind down toward bed with a delicious hot chocolate.
If you’re a Lipton fan, there’s also a surprise bonus inside the main package. You’ll get a trio of iced teas ideal for a summer’s afternoon. This is a small touch but one we weren’t expecting.
Lipton K-Cup pod box (3 Lipton iced tea K-Cup pods as a surprise bonus)
Clearly, though, 4 drinks won’t last long! For this reason, we opted for the bundle that includes a variety pack of 40 single serve K-Cup pods. In addition to the 3 coffee manufacturers above being represented, you’ll also get pods from Caribou Coffee and Tully’s. These extra K-Cups come in a broad spread of brands, flavors and roast strengths so there really is something for all the family.
If you want to save some money by investing in a real bumper pack of K-Cups, you can pay a little more for this awesome pack of 96.
Your 7 free drinks, water filters and water filter handle (all included in main package
Read More: 30 Best K-Cup Coffee Pods
The contents of the main package with Keurig K55, water filter starter kit and 7 free K-Cup pods
Attachments and the machine sitting proudly on our table
The Keurig itself comes securely packaged. With everything nicely padded and protected, you’ll have no worries at all about any kind of damage in transit.
Seriously adhesive tape makes certain the brewer itself doesn’t end up coming apart in the box.
The Keurig K55 viewed from above
The clear instructions provided will walk you through operation. At a glance, you’ll see some ergonomic buttons on the right-hand side of your Keurig…
The Power button is at the bottom followed by an Auto Off feature you can easily activate with a single push. Heating and Descaling along with an Add Water button complete the core functionality.
Machine is securely taped together to prevent damage in transit
Below these are 3 brew size buttons translating to the following sizes:
- 6oz
- 8oz
- 10oz
Lifting the handle to look inside the K55
Close-up of where you insert your K-Cup pod
Pulling up on the lid, you can expose the removable K-Cup pod holder.
The substantial 48oz water reservoir sits to the left. This also slips out for ease of filling and cleaning. This is where you pop the water filter provided.
Front and center is the cup holder. This traps all surplus water and you can again pull it out for cleaning purposes. It comes apart into 2 pieces to make your life even easier when you’re wiping away excess coffee.
So…
Now you’ve got a solid overview of what comes in the box of your Keurig K55 Classic, it’s time to get down to action and start brewing!
Read More: Best Single Serve Coffee Maker
II. Start Brewing The Best Coffee With Your Keurig K55
Once you’ve got everything out of the box and ready to roll, it’s time to get that coffee on the go.
1. Electric Power
The Keurig runs on standard 110 or 120 volts at 60 Hz. If your power supply is 220 volts, you’ll need to invest in a transformer so bear this in mind to avoid disappointment and unexpected expense.
2. Setting Up The Water Filter Starter Kit
First up, you’ll need to set up the water filter starter kit.
This is straightforward but requires a little preparation.
- Presoak the charcoal water filter for up to 5 minutes before inserting it into the water filter holder
- Rinse the stainless steel mesh for 1 minute. This is found under the lower filter holder. Just let it sit under running water
- Wash both the lower filter holder and the upper filter holder to remove any potential dirt from transit
- Insert the water filter into the water filter holder
- Set the replacement date dial for 2 months. This takes all the guesswork out of maintenance and is a nice touch
- Put the fully assembled water filter holder into its slot in the water reservoir and you’ve got your starter kit ready to go
Inserting the water filter into the handle and Set the replacement date dial for 2 months
K55 Water reservoir
Max line and 2 lids for water reservoir
Water filter handle inside the water reservoir
It’s a good idea to run a brewer’s rinse before getting down to business. This flushes the system through for best results.
Taking the time to perform this dry run is well worthwhile. Don’t try to save 5 minutes by skipping this.
Here are the simple steps you need to follow to get this done:
- 1. Fill the water reservoir using either bottled water or filtered water according to preference
- 2. Put on the lid and pop the reservoir back on your brewer
- 3. Place a large mug on the drip tray then hit Power
- 4. The water will take 4 to 5 minutes to warm up. The red heating light will become illuminated until it’s hot enough to pour
- 5. At this stage, the 3 blue lights come on
- 6. Lift and lower handle but this time do not put in a K-Cup pod
- 7. Press the small mug button and the water will come out ending your first brewer’s rinse
3. 5 Steps To Brewing Coffee With Your Keurig K55
Although you might be desperate for a coffee by now, repeating the brewer’s rinse is a smart move. This will ensure that you get that golden cup of coffee from your Keurig without any taint at all.
When heating time is over, the 3 brew buttons will light up but they will not yet blink
Inserting your K-Cup pod to start brewing your coffee
Press the 06oz Brew button
- 1. Making sure your Keurig is still powered up, place your favorite coffee mug in the drip once again
- 2. Remove the water reservoir and ensure it’s topped up to the Max line
- 3. Hit the Power button. The red heating light will now illuminate. Keurig states that it takes 4 ½ minutes to heat the water fully. Many users report this is actually done in far less time, from as quickly as 3 minutes. Be patient once again and sit it out. You’ll soon have a coffee on the go! You’ll see only 2 of the main buttons activated during the heating time
- 4. Lift and lower the handle. When the 3 brew buttons blink, it’s time to start brewing your coffee. Do not insert a K-Cup pod yet. It’s time to perform one final brewer’s rinse. Press the small mug button and the water will come out once more into your mug. Remember here that you must lift and lower the handle each time you want to brew up some hot water. If you don’t do this, the 3 brew buttons will not blink ready for you to press
- 5. Now it’s time to brew your first real cup of coffee! Empty the water from your mug and replace it on the drip tray. Lift the handle and pop in your K-Cup pod. We’ll look at the mechanics of that in more detail shortly. Lower the handle and select your brew size (6oz, 8oz or 10oz) then wait for a piping hot coffee, sit back and relax!
III. How To Brew Coffee Properly With The Keurig K55 Coffee Maker
As you can see above, brewing coffee properly with your new Keurig K55 is very straightforward. Indeed, this simplicity is one of the key selling points of these single serve coffee makers.
You won’t be overwhelmed with menu options like you’ll see on more expensive and intricate coffee makers. It really is as simple as pushing a few buttons and letting the machine do all the work.
The first step to getting the best coffee for your personal taste is to focus on the K-Cup pod or freshly ground coffee you most enjoy. If you are worried about the cost here, try comparing it to visiting the coffee shop for a latte and it suddenly starts to seem like rather good value. Get the coffee right and that’s half the job done.
Using bottled water or at least filtered water will also make a slight but important difference when it comes to the quality of the coffee in your cup.
Sharp holder that pierces your K-Cup pod
The K-Cup pod once it’s been pierced
Another view of the piercing tool
Small hole in K-Cup pod
Remember: do not remove the foil lid on the K-Cup pod. When you pop this pod into your machine, there’s a metal piercing holder above that punches a hole in the top of the pod. Hot water then enters the hole and disperses over the coffee. There’s another piercing holder beneath which makes a smaller hole in the bottom of the K-Cup pod. This allows the water to follow the paper filter and then make its way into your cup.
As long as you follow the simple instructions we’ve laid out above and use a coffee you really savor, brewing the perfect golden cup of your coffee with your Keurig K55 is an absolute breeze.
IV. Keurig K55 Review
1. Things We Liked
Rather than a lengthy text review, we’re going to break down the key benefits of the Keurig K55 next in an easily digestible manner.
Since this coffee maker is at its core a very simple unit, we’ll focus on exactly why we think it makes such great value for money and where the Keurig excels…
- Brews Multiple Cup Sizes With K-Cup pods: Not everyone wants their coffee in the same sized mug. With the Keurig K55, you can enjoy a smaller 6oz drink, a medium 8oz coffee or ramp things up for a large 10oz mug. Simply pop in your K-Cup pod, choose your mug size using one of the 3 buttons and customize to taste. The 6oz brew size delivers the strongest coffee
- Not Limited To K-Cup Pods: Since the K55 is one of the classic 1.0 series, there’s no barcode scanner meaning you can use any type of K-Cup pod fuss-free. It doesn’t matter whether they’re Keurig-branded or not. If you prefer using freshly ground coffee instead, you can invest in a reusable filter
- Rapid Brewing Time: Speed is of the essence with the K55. When you first turn the machine on, it will take up to 4 minutes to heat the water. Reheating the water after this point takes just 15 seconds. Brew time for the coffee is no more than 30 seconds. So, in the worst scenario, you’ll have fresh coffee within 5 minutes in the morning. Your second cup and onwards will be in the cup within 1 minute. You can’t ask for much more than that
- Auto Shut-Off Functionality: Your machine will automatically power down after 2 hours to save your power bill.
- Water Filter: Properly filtered water makes an already good coffee great. Whether you choose to use bottled or filtered water, this additional filtration is a superb touch for a cheaper coffee machine and extremely welcome
- Removable Drip Tray: Cleaning coffee machines can be a real chore. Removable parts make a tedious job a little easier. Since the drip tray is where all the splatter and excess coffee accumulates, being able to slip this out makes light work of cleaning duties and keeps maintenance to a minimum. This tray is also generously sized with a clearance of 7 inches. This allows you to use your favorite travel mug and enjoy coffee on the go
- Large, Removable Water Reservoir: With a 48-oz capacity, the water reservoir gives you ample liquid for a succession of delicious coffees before needing to refill. You should comfortably get 5 standard cups from a single refill. As with the water filter, this comes out easily so you don’t need to mess around topping it up under cramped conditions. If you plan to use bottled water, you can simply lift the lid of the reservoir and fill it that way if you prefer
- Easy To Clean: There’s no hassle when it comes to cleaning your Keurig. Every couple of weeks, remove the K-Cup holder, drip tray and water reservoir. Use a toothbrush to clean away all coffee grounds and any other debris that’s built up. Wipe down with a damp cloth. Using a very mild detergent, wash all the removable parts by hand. Dry with a cloth. That’s the extent of your regular maintenance so it’s only a few minutes work and well worthwhile to keep your Keurig at its best
- Descaling: To fight back against the build-up of minerals, descaling is an important element of ongoing maintenance. We will outline just below how you can take care of descaling your Keurig K55 the easy way
- Design: Design is highly subjective but we’d have to say that the K55 looks great on the countertop. The stripped-down simplicity means whether you have a minimalist kitchen or a more traditional one, this coffee machine doesn’t just do its job admirably but looks the part too
2. Things We Disliked
Now it’s time for a frank and honest appraisal of the Keurig K55’s drawbacks. After all, nobody wants to read product reviews that hide all the negatives only to result in a nasty surprise later down the line.
- Lengthy Delay With Auto Shut-Off: The Keurig K55 shuts off automatically after 2 hours. While this is a valuable safety feature and one that can slash your power consumption, the delay is not to everyone’s taste. Indeed, some users initially thought the feature was not working at all. There’s no need to override this by manually switching your machine off unless you really want to. Be patient and it will do the job of its own acc