Keurig K40 vs K50: In-Depth Comparison Guide

This is our comparison guide of the Keurig K40 vs K50 coffee makers.

We’ve spent a lot of hours reviewing these coffee makers and we found out some things that you will find shocking.

Overall, they are both excellent coffee makers, they have a decent water reservoir and provide a lot of flexibility.

But, which one is better for you?

Keep reading to learn more.

Overview: Keurig K50 vs K40

In this section, we will provide you with a quick overview of Keurig K50 vs K40.

The truth about these machines is that they are exactly the same.

Yes, you did read well, they provide the same features and they have the same size and weight. The major difference between them is that you will find them at different prices.

The explanation for this is that the Keurig K50 is just the rebranded version of the Keurig K40.

Both versions are discontinued now and they were replaced by the new model called Keurig K-Classic.

However, if you don’t want to buy the upgraded version, you can still buy the Keurig K40 and K50.

They both allow you to make coffee in 3 brew sizes, 6oz, 8oz, and 10oz. Also, they provide a very decent water tank capacity of 48oz.

They are extremely easy to use and clean and their technology is very simple and functional, so it will last years.

If you want to know in-detail information about all of these features, move forward to the next section.

Here’s an introductory video of the K-Classic (that works perfectly for the K40 and K50):

Comparison Table

Specifications	Keurig K40	Keurig K50
Brew Sizes	6oz, 8oz, 10oz	6oz, 8oz, 10oz
Water Tank Capacity	48oz	48oz
Removable Water Reservoir	✔️	✔️
Charcoal Filter Compatibility	✔️	✔️
Product Dimensions	13.3” (17.6” when open) H x 10.1” W x 13.2” D	13.3” (17.6” when open) H x 10.1” W x 13.2” D
Weight	12.0lbs	12.0lbs
Colors	Black	Black
Strength Controls	❌	❌
Descale Light	✔️	✔️
Add Water Light	✔️	✔️
Heating Light	✔️	✔️
Auto Off Light	✔️	✔️
Auto Off	✔️	✔️
Hot Water On Demand	✔️	✔️

Reviewing the Keurig K40 vs K50

In this section, we will review completely the K40 vs K50. From water reservoirs to technology and features.

Brew Size

They come with the ability of brewing 3 sizes of coffee:

• 6oz
• 8oz
• 10oz

This gives you a lot of flexibility because you can choose the size you want every single time. Other coffee makers don’t have as many brew sizes as these ones.

Water Tank

They have a removable reservoir with a max capacity of 48oz. Which allows you to brew 8 cups of 6oz, 7 cups of 8oz, and 4 cups of 10oz.

As you can see, this tank gives you the ability to make a lot of cups of coffee before refilling the tank again.

A nice addition of these Keurig coffee makers is that they allow you to add charcoal filters to their water tank so you can have better-tasting cups of coffee if the water from your place is not good.

Click here to buy charcoal filters for your Keurig coffee maker.

Ease of Use

Between the Keurig k50 vs k40, which one is easier to use?

They both are extremely easy to use, they have 5 buttons, 3 buttons for selecting your brew size, the power button and a button to activate or deactivate the auto off feature (We are going to talk more about this feature later).

If you want to make a cup of coffee with these coffee makers follow these steps:

1. Fill the water tank
2. Place your mug on the drip tray
3. Press the power button and wait around 4 minutes until the machine has finished the Heating Period (You will know that the machine is ready to brew because the Heating Light has turned off)
4. Open the lid, insert your K-Cup and close the lid
5. Press your preferred brew size button

Once your coffee cup is ready, you can do three things:

• Open the lid, remove the used K-Cup  and turn off the machine manually
• Open the lid, remove the used K-Cup, add another one and start brewing another cup of coffee
• (If you have the auto off feature activated) Wait until the machine turns off itself automatically

As you can see, the process is very simple for both the K40 and K50.

Here’s a short video on how to use both machines. In this video, the machine is already warmed up.

Technology and Additional Features

Both the Keurig K40 and K50 are discontinued, however, their technology is simple and functional, which allows you to keep using them year after year without any kind of problem.

Apart from the buttons mentioned before, the machine comes with some “Lights” that will help you to use this machine better.

• Add Water: This light indicates when to add water to the reservoir
• Descale: This light will turn off after several months of using the coffee maker, and it indicates when the machine needs descaling
• Heating: This light indicates that the machine is heating, once it is off, the coffee maker is ready to start brewing
• Auto Off: This light indicates that the Auto Off feature is activated
• Power: This light indicates when the machine is on or off.

If you want to know more about how to use these coffee makers, you can check their official user manuals below.

• Keurig K40 User Manual
• Keurig K50 User Manual

Auto Off

Both machines come with an Auto Off feature. As you saw before, you can activate and deactivate this feature manually.

If the feature is enabled, the machine will turn off automatically after 2 hours of non-use.

Compatible Coffee Capsules

These machines are compatible with any K-Cups brand. Since K-Cups are extremely flexible, you can brew coffee, tea, hot cocoa, specialty, and iced beverages.

You will never get bored when using K-Cups.

If you are worried about the waste that K-Cups can produce, you can just buy reusable K-Cups, they are very convenient and very environmentally friendly. This is our preferred method.

Size and Weight

The Keurig K40 and K50 are very compact, and they fit in almost any kitchen. Here’s a quick comparison of the size and weight of the Keurig K40 vs K50.

Keurig K40 Size and Weight

• Height: 13.3″ (17.6″ when open)
• Width: 9.8″
• Depth: 13.0″
• Weight: 12.0lbs

Keurig K50 Size and Weight

• Height: 13.3” (17.6″ when open)
• Width: 9.8″
• Depth: 13.0″
• Weight: 12.0lbs

As you can see, they have exactly the same size and weight.

Cleaning and Maintenance

In this section of our comparison of the Keurig K40 vs K50 coffee makers, we are going to tell you how to clean them thoroughly.

Cleaning External Parts

You need to clean the exterior of these coffee makers from time to time, you can use a damp non-abrasive cloth and some soap for this purpose.

Remember to never immerse them into any liquid.

You also have to clean the drip tray, just slide the drip tray toward you, remove any liquids inside and clean it with a damp non-abrasive cloth and some soap.

Cleaning Internal Parts

The K-Cup holder assembly needs to be cleaned from time to time too. To do this just open the lid and remove the K-Cup holder.

You can disassemble the whole K-Cup holder, which is composed of the funnel and the exit needle.

You can wash all of these parts in the dishwasher using low-temperature cycles.

Cleaning the Water Reservoir

You can remove the water reservoir and the water reservoir lid and clean them with a damp non-abrasive cloth and some soap.

Pretty easy isn’t it? However, there are a couple of things that you should keep in mind that are extremely important.

• Do not put the water reservoir and the water reservoir lid into the dishwasher
• Do not dry the inside of the water reservoir with a cloth since lint may remain inside, this will ultimately harm the system of these machines

Descaling

You should descale your machine when the descaling light is on, however, you should still descale your machine every 3-6 months to prevent malfunctions and continue to make high-quality beverages.

If you want to know how to descale your Keurig, follow the steps in the following video:

This video is originally made for the Keurig K-Classic, but it works perfectly for the K40 and K50.

Alternatives

These are some alternatives to the Keurig K40 and K50.

1. Keurig K-Classic

The Keurig K-Classic is the upgraded version of the K40 and K50. It has a compact design, and an upgraded brewing system and it is very easy to brew coffee with it.

2. Keurig K-Compact

The Keurig K-Compact is a very affordable coffee maker with all the features you need to brew a cup of coffee in the morning easily.

As its name suggests, it is compact and allows you to prepare coffee in 3 sizes.

3. Keurig K-Mini

The Keurig K-Mini is a very convenient coffee maker, it is perfect for small spaces and stands out as a single-cup coffee maker.

This Keurig is perfect if you want to bring your coffee maker with you everywhere.

There’s a more advanced model called the K-Mini Plus. If you want to learn more, check out our article on the differences between K-Mini vs K-Mini Plus.

The Bottom Line: Keurig K40 vs K50

We’ve reached the end of our Keurig K40 vs K50 review.

These coffee makers have no major differences among them and they are perfect for making a very basic cup of coffee in the morning.

They provide a lot of flexibility since they allow you to brew in 3 sizes and you can use any K-Cup brand on them.

If you are someone who is on a budget and you want a reliable coffee maker that can produce an average cup of coffee, these machines are worth the price.

Since they are practically the same machine, just buy the one that is cheaper or you can buy the upgraded model, the Keurig K-Classic (Our recommendation).