Keurig K-Select vs K-Classic

This is our in-depth comparison guide between the K-Select vs K-Classic Keurig coffee makers.

After many hours of research, testing, and talking to people who have already bought these machines, we have managed to create the best comparative guide, so that you know which of these two options is the best for you.

Want a quick answer? The K-Select is the best choice.

Keep reading to learn why.

Overview: K-Classic vs K-Select

This comparison guide between the K-Classic vs K-Select coffee makers is pretty long, that’s why we want to provide you with a quick summary.

The K-Select comes with 4 brew sizes (6, 8, 10, and 12oz), it has a large removable 52oz water reservoir, is very easy to use, and it has some extra features like High Altitude Settings, Auto Off, and a strong mode.

On the other hand, the K-Classic has only 3 brew sizes (6, 10, and 12oz), a removable 48oz water reservoir, and it comes with a few features like Auto Off, and several indicator lights.

Overall, the K-Select is better than the K-Classic due to its additional features. It simply offers better value for money.

Introductory video of the Keurig K-Select:

Introductory video of the Keurig K-Classic:

Comparison Table

Specifications	Keurig K-Select	Keurig K-Classic
Brew Sizes	6oz, 8oz, 10oz, 12oz	6oz, 8oz, 10oz
Water Tank Capacity	52oz	48oz
Removable Water Reservoir	✔️	✔️
Charcoal Filter Compatibility	✔️	✔️
Product Dimensions	12.5” (17” when open) H x 9.2” W x 11.6” D	13.3” (17.6” when open) H x 10.1” W x 13.2” D
Weight	7.3lbs	10.6lbs
Colors	Matte Black, Matte Navy, Matte White, Oasis, Sandstone, Vintage Red	Black, Rhubarb
Strength Controls	✔️	❌
Descale Light	✔️	✔️
Add Water Light	✔️	✔️
Heating Light	❌	✔️
Auto Off Light	✔️	✔️
Auto Off	✔️	✔️
High Altitude Settings	✔️	❌
Hot Water On Demand	✔️	✔️

Key Features: K-Select vs K-Classic

The K-Select and the K-Classic come with a bunch of interesting features that make brewing coffee a very nice experience. We’ll talk about their water tanks, brew sizes, and more.

Brew Sizes

Brew sizes of the K-Select:

• 6oz
• 8oz
• 10oz
• 12oz

Brew sizes of the K-Classic:

• 6oz
• 10oz
• 12oz

The K-Select has an additional brew size compared to the K-Classic.

Having several brew sizes to choose from gives you more flexibility so you can experiment more with flavors and sizes. That’s why the K-Select is the winner here.

Water Reservoir

When comparing the Keurig K-Select vs K-Classic we found a couple of key differences that should be mentioned.

The first one is that the K-Select comes with a large removable 52oz water reservoir, while the K-Classic has a 48oz reservoir.

This means that the K-Select can brew more cups of coffee before having to refill the water reservoir again.

Note that the tanks on both machines are compatible with Keurig’ charcoal water filters, which is great if your house water is not so good.

A major disadvantage of both machines is that according to many reviews, their water reservoirs are pretty uncomfortable to grab. In fact, many people like to just not remove the reservoir and fill it with a water jar.

A nice addition is that both water reservoirs come with a “Max” line so you know immediately when they’ve reached their full capacity.

Since the K-Select has a bigger water reservoir, it is the better option.

Ease of Use

Now, in terms of ease of use, they pretty much work exactly the same.

Fill the water reservoir, turn on the machine, wait until it has finished warming up, add a K-Cup, and select a brew size. Easy isn’t it?

In terms of interface, they have almost exactly the same layout, the K-Select has just 6 buttons (4 for selecting brew sizes, a power button, and a button for activating or deactivating the strong mode).

On the other hand, the K-Classic has just 5 buttons (3 for selecting brew sizes, a power button, and a button for activating or deactivating the Auto-Off feature).

You can notice that the K-Select doesn’t have a button for activating or deactivating the Auto-Off feature (we are going to talk about this feature later), but in fact, it is very easy to do.

You just have to press the strong and the 10oz. Large Mug buttons for 3 seconds (while the machine is turned off but connected to a power source) until the green Auto Off light will turn off.

After that, you can power the machine on and it will have the Auto Off feature deactivated.

To turn this feature on again you just have to repeat this process.

Both coffee makers come with several indicator lights that add even more convenience to their daily use.

The K-Classic comes with the following lights:

• Add water
• Descale
• Heating
• Auto Off
• Power

The K-Select comes with the following lights:

• Add water
• Descale
• Auto Off

Here’s a quick video on how to use the Keurig K-Select (the machine is already warmed up). This is the exact same process you should follow with the Keurig K-Classic.

If you want more information about how to use these coffee makers check the user their user guides.

• K-Select User Guide
• K-Classic User Guide

So, since both machines are really easy to use, and both come with a lot of convenient features we consider them tied in this aspect.

Brew Quality and Performance

Let’s talk about the differences in brew quality and performance between the Keurig K-Select vs K-Classic.

Speed

Both take between 3 to 4 minutes to heat up for the first time. In addition, both take about the same amount of time to brew, taking about 40 seconds to brew an 8-ounce cup of coffee.

If you activate the strong mode on the K-Select, it will take about 10 seconds longer.

Temperature

The coffee brewed by these machines reaches a temperature of 160°F – 170°F. No major difference between them in terms of temperature.

This temperature should be enough for most people since it is pretty hot.

Flavor

These coffee machines use K-Cups, and it is necessary to make something clear about K-Cups.

Their flavor is not for everyone. Before saying that the coffee made by these machines is good or bad you should decide if you like K-Cups or not.

Now, the coffee from both machines tastes practically the same, however, if you want the coffee to be better take into account the following tips.

For a more intense flavor, you have to use the 6oz size, and if you decide to choose the K-Select, you will have the strong mode available which increases the intensity of the coffee even more (it takes a little longer to brew).

Now that you know this, you should know that the larger the size of the coffee, the more watery it will be.

Which Coffee Maker Brews the Best Coffee?

So, as these machines prepare coffee at almost the same time, produce the same temperature and the taste is very similar, we can conclude that neither machine makes better or worse coffee, it all depends on how the machine is used.

However, despite all this, the K-Select has a great advantage. This coffee maker allows you to brew even more intense coffee if the strong mode is enabled. For this reason, it is a little better than the K-Classic.

Capsule Compatibility

Both machines are compatible with Keurig and non-Keurig K-Cups as well as reusable K-Cup compatible coffee filters.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Performing cleaning and maintenance on both machines is pretty much the same process. Just follow these tips.

• Clean the exterior from time to time using a damp, soapy non-abrasive cloth
• Empty and clean the drip tray occasionally
• Clean the water reservoir in a dishwasher or hand wash, and then rinse it after cleaning to remove remains of cleaning solutions
• Remove and clean the K-Cup holder and its parts
• Descale the brewer every 3-6 months (when the descaling light turns on)
• Run a cleaning cycle if you only want to get hot water from your coffee maker, this will help to eliminate coffee residues

Keep in mind that the water reservoir and drip tray can be washed in the dishwasher (top rack only), which makes the cleaning process even easier.

Check this video to learn how to clean your Keurig:

Check this video to learn how to descale your Keurig:

Design, Dimensions, and Weight

Let’s talk about the differences between the Keurig K-Classic vs K-Select in terms of design, dimensions, and weight.

Dimensions and Weight

These are the dimensions and weight of the Keurig K-Select:

• Height: 12.5” (17” when open)
• Width: 9.2”
• Depth: 11.6”
• Weight: 7.3lbs

These are the dimensions and weight of the Keurig K-Classic:

• Height: 13.3” (17.6” when open)
• Width: 10.1”
• Depth: 13.2”
• Weight: 10.6lbs

What about the length of their power cords?

The K-Select’s power cord is approximately 30 inches, while the K-Classic’s is approximately 32 inches.

Design and Colors

Both machines are really similar in terms of design, they both look very sophisticated.

They are made of plastic, and in general, they have a good quality feeling, but since they are cheap machines, they are not the most sturdy.

The K-Select comes in the following colors:

• Matte Black
• Matte Navy
• Matte White
• Oasis
• Sandstone
• Vintage Red

The K-Classic comes in the following colors:

• Black
• Rhubarb

Which Coffee Maker Has the Best Design?

We consider the K-Select to be the better model in terms of design because it is smaller, so it can fit into a wider variety of countertops.

It also has a wider variety of colors to choose from.

Additional Features

In this section, we are going to compare the extra features of the Keurig K-Classic vs K-Select.

Removable Drip Tray

The drip tray on both machines is removable, which will allow you to fit a 7” travel mug. Pretty convenient.

Hot Water on Demand

If you want to make tea or hot chocolate with these machines, you can simply start a brew cycle without inserting any capsules and you will get only hot water.

Auto Off

Both machines come with the Auto Off feature. This function is very simple but very convenient.

Basically, when the auto Auto Off feature is activated, the machine will turn off 2 hours after the last brew. 

On the other hand, if you do not have this feature activated, the machine will be on until you manually turn it off.

This feature is great for saving energy.

High Altitude Brewing

The High Altitude Brewing function allows the machine to adjust the water boiling temperature appropriately for higher altitudes (+5,000 feet), which will result in better coffee.

This function is only available for the K-Select.

Here is a quick video on how to enable the High Altitude Brewing mode on the Keurig K-Select:

Which Has the Best Additional Features?

The only difference between them in terms of additional features is that the K-Select has the High Altitude Brewing mode available. Otherwise, they have exactly the same additional functions.

Pros and Cons: K-Classic vs K-Select

Let’s quickly compare the advantages and advantages between the Keurig K-Select vs K-Classic.

Keurig K-Select Pros and Cons

These are some pros and cons of the Keurig K-Select.

Pros

• Large 52oz water reservoir
• 4 brew sizes to choose from
• Strong mode
• High Altitude Settings
• Affordable

Cons

• Short power cord
• Feels fragile

Keurig K-Classic Pros and Cons

These are some pros and cons of the Keurig K-Classic.

Pros

• Several convenient indicator lights
• Button to enable or disable Auto Off
• Affordable

Cons

• Taller than the K-Select
• Only 3 brew sizes
• Short power cord
• Feels fragile
• No strong mode
• No High Altitude Settings

Alternatives

Here are some alternatives to K-Select and K-Classic.

Keurig K-Elite

The Keurig K-Elite is a simple but powerful coffee maker, it has everything the K-Classic and K-Select have, plus a few additional features.

It comes with 5 brew sizes, 4oz, 6oz, 8oz, 10oz, and 12oz. It also has a large 75 removable water reservoir.

Its controls are extremely easy to understand and in addition to its 5 brew sizes it allows you to have an iced coffee mode, a strong mode, hot water on demand, and you can even make temperature adjustments.

This coffee maker is ideal for those who liked the K-Select but want something more sophisticated.

Keurig K-Mini Plus

The Keurig K-Mini Plus is a simple single-serve coffee maker ideal for those who like to take their coffee maker to the office or on the road.

As we said, it is single serve, so it will brew whatever you put in its 12oz removable water reservoir.

It’s extremely slim and has a modern design, plus it has a pod storage, cord storage, it is compatible with travel mugs, and even a strong brew button to make your coffee more flavorful.

Want to learn more? Check our article on the differences between the K-Mini vs K-Mini Plus coffee makers.

Conclusion: Keurig K-Select vs K-Classic

Overall, the Keurig K-Select is better than the K-Classic. It has more features and it is even smaller.

So, because of those reasons we strongly recommend you to choose the K-Select despite it can be a few dollars more expensive than the K-Classic.

The only reason to choose the K-Classic over the K-Select is because it is on sale and you don’t really need the extra features that the K-Select has.