Keurig K-Mate Mini review: a tiny coffee maker that delivers big, bold flavor | Tech Radar

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Keurig's K-Mini Mate is a no-frills compact coffee maker that packs a serious flavor punch

The K-Mini Mate may be small, but it sure is mighty

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The Keurig K-Mini Mate single-use coffee maker offers a compact and lightweight design that makes it perfect for smaller households or offices, kitchens with limited counter space, or dorm rooms. However, don’t let its size deceive you; this single-use coffee maker packs a punch, delivering flavorsome, bold brews in under two minutes. We just wish there was less splashback and that the 12oz water reservoir didn’t need to be refilled after each use.

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Keurig’s range of coffee makers is among the most popular available in the U. S., rivalling the likes of Nespresso and Ninja. Released in 2025, the Keurig K-Mini Mate is the brand’s smallest brewer to date, measuring just nine inches tall and four inches wide, with a modern matte design that’s available in four different colours.

While this coffee maker is the most compact in Keurig’s range, it still offers the same quality we’ve come to expect from the brand, delivering bold, flavorsome single-serve brews between 6oz and 12oz. The machine itself is effortless to use: you simply top up the water reservoir to your desired brew size, insert the K-Cup pod, and press the brew button.

We found the brewing process for a 12-oz cup took around 1 minute 40 seconds from start to finish, including heating time. Likewise, cleaning the machine requires minimal effort, with its removable parts straightforward to remove, handwash, and re-insert — there’s even a light to indicate when the brewer needs descaling.

Considering the K-Mini Mate’s $89.99 price tag, it offers exceptional value for your money, while its size makes it the perfect coffee-making companion for smaller spaces such as offices, dorm rooms, and kitchens with limited counter space.

Our only gripes with this brewer are that there is some splashback during the brewing process and some drippage afterwards, but these are more quirks to be aware of than major issues. A slightly more frustrating practical issue is that the 12oz water reservoir needs to be refilled with fresh water after each use.

However, overall, considering the quality of the K-Mini Mate’s design and performance, it offers exceptional value for its $89.99 price tag. Its size and reliability make it the perfect coffee-making companion for smaller spaces such as offices, dorm rooms, and kitchens with limited counter space.

Regular discounts drop price to between

Available at third-party retailers, including Target and Walmart

Initially available exclusively at Target for

For that price tag, you’re getting excellent value for money. While this brewer may not offer the wealth of features some of the best coffee makers do, it is considerably more affordable than other top compact coffee makers, such as the De'Longhi Dedica Duo (

If you’re after a no-frills capsule (K-Cup pod) machine that won’t break the bank, you can’t go wrong with the K-Mini Mate, though if you want a larger water reservoir and a few more features — while sticking with the Keurig brand — and don’t mind spending a bit more, it’s worth considering the K-Mini Mate Plus (

While the K-Mini Mate is technically a capsule coffee maker, it only uses K-Cup pods, Keurig’s own brand of capsules, which can be purchased directly from its website or third-party retailers like Amazon, with subscription services also available. A box of 24 pods from Keurig costs around

The variety of K-Cup brands and beverage options is pretty impressive, with pods available from Starbucks, Dunkin’, Green Mountain, Mc Donald's, and more. What’s more, at the time of writing, those who register their new machine with Keurig receive 50% off their next beverage order (valid for up to five boxes of K-Cup pods (conditions apply).

Keurig also offers optional recycling and composting service called K-Cycle, whereby you can purchase a K-Cup pod recovery bin (

Energy saver auto off function, high altitude setting, descale indicator, travel mug friendly

Energy saver auto off function, high altitude setting, descale indicator, travel mug friendly

The Keurig K-Mini mate is the brand’s smallest brewer to date, measuring just 9.1 x 3.9 x 10.9 inches (H x W x D). As such, it’s ideal for those with limited kitchen counter space or for those looking for a coffee maker for a smaller space, like a home office. The design is sleek and modern, with four matte colours available: Black, Glamping Green, Pink Sands, and Red Rocks — all of which retail for approximately the same price.

At the top of this slim coffee maker is a simple control panel, featuring a brew button (indicated by the Keurig ‘K’ logo) and a descale indicator light that turns on when your machine needs descaling. The top of the machine lifts open to reveal a removable K-Cup pod holder at the bottom and a single sharp needle at the top that punctures the K-Cup. At the front of the coffee maker, near the bottom, is a slot for the removable drip tray, which can be removed entirely to accommodate travel mugs.

At the back of the machine is a removable 12oz single-cup water reservoir, with markers for 6oz, 8oz, 10oz, and 12oz. With no specific modes for different cup sizes, before making your beverage, simply fill the water reservoir to the line corresponding to the brew size you want. However, note that the water must be refilled with fresh water after each use due to its smaller capacity.

While the K-Mini Mate isn’t dishwasher-compatible, its removable parts can be easily handwashed, and its body wiped down with a cloth. Just be careful when wiping near the needle inside the machine, as it's extremely sharp. Likewise, there’s a smaller, less noticeable needle inside the K-Cup holder that you should be extra cautious with when hand-washing

Our only grievances with the K-Mini Mate’s design (which are our only main issues with the machine overall) were some splashback during the brewing process and a little bit of drippage after the process had finished. These are more frustrating quirks than deal breakers, but they’re worth being aware of if you have children in the house.

Brewing a beverage with the Keurig K-Mate Mini is extremely straightforward. In fact, it’s one of the most accessible coffee makers we’ve ever used. The process simply requires you to fill the water reservoir to your desired capacity, open the top of the machine, insert your K-Cup pod, close the machine, and press the ‘K’ brew button. That’s it.

We conducted our testing with KPod Italian Decaffeinated pods (medium roast) and found the results impressive. Each brewed coffee was sufficiently hot, without being scalding, and packed with bold, rich flavor. 12oz coffees (the maximum size available) took around one minute and 40 seconds to brew from start to finish, including heating time, with the average sound level during operation registering between 63 and 65 decibels, about the volume of a conversation in a busy cafe, with most of that volume coming from the sound of the coffee hitting the liquid already in the cup.

During our first test, we used what we thought was a sufficiently sized mug for a 12oz coffee (judging primarily by eye), but in actuality, it was probably a 10oz, which meant the 12oz brew filled it right up to the rim. In future testing, we made sure to use a larger mug size that allowed for the brew and the addition of milk. Our advice, then, is to choose a mug that is around two ounces larger than the brew you plan to make, especially if you plan to add syrups or milk to your beverage.

This compact brewer offers excellent value for money, considering it offers a high quality of performance and design for less than $100.

This compact brewer offers excellent value for money, considering it offers a high quality of performance and design for less than $100.

Keurig's smallest coffee maker is compact, modern, and available in four colours. It's perfect for smaller spaces, but brews can splash back during operation and the machine drips a bit following use.

Keurig's smallest coffee maker is compact, modern, and available in four colours. It's perfect for smaller spaces, but brews can splash back during operation and the machine drips a bit following use.

The K-Mini Mate delivers the quality performance we'd expect from a Keurig coffee machine, delivering bold brews in under two minutes with ease.

The K-Mini Mate delivers the quality performance we'd expect from a Keurig coffee machine, delivering bold brews in under two minutes with ease.

The K-Mini Mate is a compact coffee maker, measuring 9.1 x 3.9 x 10.9 inches (H x W x D). As such, it's an ideal brewer for those with limited kitchen space or for smaller spaces, like dorm rooms or home offices.

You want a high-quality coffee maker for under $100

Finding a quality coffee maker for under

The K-Crema uses K-Cup pods, and the variety of pods available is pretty impressive. Due to Keurig’s many partnerships, beverage pods are available from brands, including Dunkin’, Lipton, Starbucks, Mc Donald’s, Tim Hortons, Twinings, and more, allowing you to enjoy coffee shop drinks from the comfort of your home — while saving some cash.

The K-Mini Mate is a no-frills single-use coffee maker. While its water reservoir offers various brew sizes and its Keurig’s K-Cup range includes a variety of beverages, the machine has no specific brewing modes and few special features. While this makes it straightforward to use, it may make it less suited to those who want extra bells and whistles, like milk frothing.

You don't want to refill the water reservoir after each use

Due to its 12oz capacity, the K-Mini Mate’s water reservoir needs to be refilled with fresh water after every brew. This could be frustrating for those who plan to use the machine to make multiple beverages in succession. If that’s you, then we recommend checking out the K-Mini mate Plus, which offers the same quality but with a larger water reservoir.

While Keurig offers a wide range of K-Cups, you may not want to be tied to using the beverage pods, or brands, that are available. If you prefer alternative third-party coffee capsules or are moving from another coffee maker brand, like Nespresso, and hope to continue using the same pods, this may not be the coffee maker for you.

If you're not sure whether the Keurig K-Mini Mate is the right coffee maker for you, here are two other options for you to consider.

This stylish capsule coffee maker brews an exceptional espresso using Lavazza's A Moda Mio capsules, which are a lot more affordable than some other brands. The downside is that they're not as easily recyclable as Nespresso capsules or K-Cups.

If you want a coffee maker that's small and easy to use, but you don't want to be tied into using a certain type of capsule, the Baristina is the machine for you. It makes using fresh beans just as easy as pods, without the waste.

An award-winning games journalist, with seven years of experience in games journalism and a degree in journalism from City University, London, Vic brings experience from IGN, Eurogamer, The Telegraph, VG247, Dot Esports and more to the Tech Radar table. You may have even heard her on the radio or speaking on a panel, as she’s previously appeared on BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio Ulster and more. Not only is Vic passionate about games, but she's appeared on both panels and podcasts to discuss mental health awareness. Make sure to follow her on Twitter for more.

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Key Takeaways

• News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets

• Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

• Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards

• Keurig's K-Mini Mate is a no-frills compact coffee maker that packs a serious flavor punch

• The K-Mini Mate may be small, but it sure is mighty