The 13 Best K-Cups of 2023

To have delicious coffee (or tea) at the touch of a button, here are the best K-Cups.

For many households, mornings begin the moment a K-Cup is popped into the coffee maker. The simplicity and convenience have made pod-based brewing devices one of the most popular coffee products of the 21st century. Countless brands manufacture K-Cup coffee today, from well-known names like Starbucks and Folgers to small boutique roasters. We researched a wide array of top options to help you on your way to the best cup.

The Original Donut Shop K-Cups earn our best overall spot because they have a bold flavor but are easy to drink and appeal to all manner of coffee lovers. They’re also easy to find and are reasonably priced, offering a lot of bang for the buck. For a budget-friendly option, try the Victor Allen Coffee Pods , which come in several different flavors that can be purchased in bulk.

What to Look for

Best Overall

The Original Donut Shop Coffee Regular K-Cup Pods

4.7

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What We Like

• Strong yet easy-to-drink flavor

• Multiple box sizes available

• Easy to find in stores

What We Don’t Like

• Flavor isn’t especially unique

The Original Donut Shop has long been a go-to K-Cup for coffee lovers, known for its tasty blend of chocolatey and nutty. This medium roast is the type of coffee you can drink every day, cup after cup, and never tire of. The Original Donut Shop brand is owned by Keurig and makes several other varieties worth checking out—including a dark roast, a decaf roast, and even a coconut mocha blend—but regular is our favorite. It’s easy to find at a number of big-name retailers, both in-store and online. Boxes are sold in counts starting at 12 pods and working all the way up to 100.

Price at time of publish: $18 for 32 pods

Roast: Medium | Count: 12, 18, 32, 48, 72, 96, 100 pods | Available In: K-Cups

What Our Editors Say

“Every time I use my Keurig, I reach for one of these. I may have originally purchased a box because the packaging is so nostalgic, but the end result has proven bright, smooth, and flavorful time after time.” — Taylor Rock, Associate Editor

Best Budget

Victor Allen Coffee Single Serve Coffee Pods

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What We Like

• Affordable

• Bulk options available

• Brand offers unique flavors and blends

What We Don’t Like

• Caffeine content varies

To ensure value for your money when purchasing K-Cups, check the price per pod instead of the flat cost of a box. This will help you distinguish the true bargain brands. While prices vary depending on the retailer, Victor Allen’s Coffee is generally an excellent budget pick. The brand manufactures dozens of varieties, from familiar flavors like this French roast to more adventurous picks like peppermint bark and white chocolate caramel. And since buying in bulk is another tried-and-true method for saving money, customers will be pleased to know that Victor Allen’s sells many of its coffees in cost-effective 200-count boxes.

Price at time of publish: $21 for 42 pods

Roast: Dark | Count: 42, 80, and 200 pods | Available In: K-Cups

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Best Dark Roast

Peet’s Coffee Major Dickason’s Blend K-Cup Pods

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What We Like

• Multiple box sizes available

• Will please fans of whole-bean version

What We Don’t Like

• Slightly pricier than other K-Cups

Many are already familiar with this delicious dark roast. After all, Peet’s is one of the most trusted brands in the coffee world, and Major Dickason’s is perhaps its most popular blend. It has long been available as a whole-bean coffee, but luckily it’s available in K-Cup form, too. The combination of chocolate and smoky notes is precisely what dark-roast drinkers adore. While the Major Dickason’s blend is on the pricier side for K-Cups, it can be purchased in a variety of sizes, including a cost-effective 96-count box. Peet’s also makes other dark roast coffees, like its French roast and single-origin Sumatra.

Price at time of publish: $24 for 32 pods

Roast: Dark | Count: 10, 16, 22, 24, 32, 40, 60, 66, and 70 pods | Available In: Whole bean, ground, and K-Cup

Best Flavored

SF Bay Coffee French Vanilla OneCUP Coffee Pods

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What We Like

• Sweet yet balanced flavor

• Compostable pods

• Brand offers many other flavored pods

What We Don’t Like

• Flavor only sold in one box size

The coffee world is teeming with different flavors, from sweet to smoky. The right one for you comes down to personal preference, of course, but you can’t go wrong with SF Bay Coffee’s French vanilla blend. Categorized as a medium-light roast, this coffee will delight the palate with tasting notes of toasted almond, cocoa, and sweet vanilla bean. Customers say the coffee is extremely aromatic, which makes the flavors feel even more alive. French vanilla is a widely popular flavored coffee because it’s so palatable, especially compared to more niche options like pumpkin spice latte or caramel. 

As an added bonus, SF Bay Coffee manufactures its pods from plant-based materials, which makes them entirely compostable. This may occasionally lead to grounds spilling inside your machine, but the majority of users say the pods work great and taste even better.

Price at time of publish: $44 for 80 pods

Roast: Medium-light | Count: 80 pods | Available In: Whole bean and pod

Best Variety Pack

Crazy Cups Custom Variety Pack

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What We Like

• Great gift option

• Helps customers figure out preferences

• Includes many popular brands

What We Don’t Like

• Slightly pricier than average

One advantage K-Cups have over whole bean coffee is that they can be purchased in variety packs. This is a terrific way to sample an array of flavors and brands, especially for coffee newbies trying to figure out what they like best. Crazy Cups sells many different variety packs, each with its own specific focus. This 40-count custom variety pack features 20 different brands, including Starbucks, Harry & David, Perk City, and more. The flavors range from bold French and Italian roasts to sweet dessert-like treats, like The Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Roll. The variety pack is also available in an 80-count version with even more brands and flavors. With so much great coffee out there, why drink the same kind every day?

Price at time of publish: $28 for 40 pods

Roast: Includes light, medium, and dark | Count: 20, 30, 40, and 50 pods | Available In: K-Cups

Best Light Roast

Caribou Coffee Daybreak Morning Blend K-Cup Pods

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What We Like

• Easy to drink in the morning

• Naturally sweet undertones

What We Don’t Like

• In-store availability varies by region

Thanks to its smooth and gentle flavor, light roast coffee is a wonderful way to get your day started. That’s why Caribou Coffee’s Daybreak Morning Blend is so aptly named. It’s bright, fruity, and has subtle undertones of sweet caramel to wake you up right. Those who drink darker coffee may worry that light roasts don’t offer enough flavor, but that’s not the case here. With beans sourced from the Americas and East Africa, the daybreak morning blend packs a hearty punch into each sip. You can find boxes that contain anywhere from 12 to 96 K-Cups. Caribou is a Minnesota-born brand with brick-and-mortar locations in 19 states. The company also sells its Daybreak Morning Blend in whole bean and ground coffee varieties.

Price at time of publish: $14 for 24 pods

Roast: Light | Count: 12, 24, 72, 96 pods | Available In: Whole bean, ground, and K-Cup

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Best Decaf

Newman’s Own Organics Special Decaf K-Cups

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What We Like

• Decaffeinated via water process

• Smooth and easy to drink

What We Don’t Like

• Flavor isn’t especially unique

Unfortunately, the decaffeination process saps coffee beans of flavor. This has forced decaf drinkers to tolerate weak coffee all too often. But the highly-rated Newman’s Own special decaf blend packs in flavor while keeping out the jitters. Many reviewers praise the coffee’s balanced taste and easiness to drink, which are hallmarks of a solid medium roast. 

Newman’s Own is known for selling everything from popcorn to salad dressing, but the company has carved out its place in the coffee game with a select line of K-Cups, including a caffeinated version of this same coffee. Newman’s Own Special Decaf Blend is also available in ground coffee form for those who have an alternative home-brewing device.

Price at time of publish: $56 for 96 pods

Roast: Medium | Count: 12, 24, 72, and 96 pods | Available In: Ground and K-Cup

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Best Espresso

Café Bustelo Espresso-Syle Dark Roast Coffee K-Cup Pods

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What We Like

• Bold and a little smoky

• Multiple box sizes available

• Can use for regular or concentrated coffee

What We Don’t Like

• May taste too roasted for some people

Even though Keurig coffee makers can’t brew genuine espresso, many machines have a setting for bold coffee or coffee concentrate. This feature can mean a few different things, says Patrick Cotter, the Content Marketing Specialist for Seattle Coffee Gear. “Some machines might use less water for bold coffee,” he says, “some might brew at a different temperature, and some might pump at a lower pressure to increase extraction time.”

This espresso substitute tastes great on its own, and it can also be used to make lattes and cappuccinos as long as you have a milk frother at your disposal. The best K-Cup for bold, espresso-like coffee comes from a trusted century-old name: Café Bustelo. The brand’s espresso-style dark roast has glowing online reviews, with customers praising everything from the coffee’s richness and body to its value for money. Just look for Café Bustelo’s signature yellow cans and boxes when you’re in the grocery store.

Price at time of publish: $46 for 96 pods

Roast: Dark | Count: 12, 24, 32, 48, 80, 96 and 128 pods | Available In: Ground and K-Cup

Best Iced Coffee

Java House Cold Brew Liquid Coffee Pods

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What We Like

• Unique and versatile

• True cold-brewed coffee

• Pairs well with milk

What We Don’t Like

• Expensive

Every season is iced-coffee season, especially with these two-in-one pods from Java House. Instead of using coffee grounds, they contain liquid coffee concentrate. So when you want a refreshing treat, simply peel off the lid, pour over ice, and add water for instant cold brew. When you’re in the mood for hot coffee, pop them into your machine like a normal K-Cup. The pods are available in several flavors, including Colombian, Sumatran, and vanilla macadamia nut. Since they don’t require hot water or electricity, you can even take them traveling, camping, and hiking. They cost more than normal K-Cups, but the added price is worth it for these wondrous dual-capable gems.

Price at time of publish: $44 for 36 pods

Roast: Medium | Count: 6, 12, 36 or 48 pods | Available In: Pod and cold brew

Best Single Origin

Atlas Coffee Club Ethiopia Single Origin K-Cups

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What We Like

• Multiple single-origin options

• Contains more coffee than average pods

• Strong, intricate flavor

What We Don’t Like

• Only available online

Atlas Coffee Club has a line of K-Cups that span the globe, offering single-origin options from eight different countries. We received a few samples to try firsthand and particularly recommend the brand’s Ethiopia Single Origin K-Cups. It’s a light roast brimming with complex flavors, like undertones of fruit and citrus, which elevate the traditional roasted taste of pod-based coffee.

The term “single origin” has a broad definition in the coffee world. It can indicate that the beans come from the same country, same general region, or same farm. Generally, the more localized the area, the better the coffee. Atlas Coffee Club sources the beans for these K-Cups from the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia, which is one of the most popular and abundant areas for coffee in the world. While the amount of coffee grounds in a K-Cup varies widely by roaster, Atlas Coffee Club packs 11 grams of coffee into each pod, more than the average figure of 9 grams.

Boxes are available in counts of 24, 48, and 72 pods. If the Ethiopia variety doesn’t suit your taste, the brand offers darker single-origin roasts as well.

Price at time of publish: $30 for 24 pods

Roast: Light | Count: 24, 48, or 72 pods | Available In: Pod

Best Hot Chocolate

Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa K-Cup Pods

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What We Like

• Rich texture, sweet flavor

• Brand offers other hot chocolate flavors

• Multiple box sizes available

What We Don’t Like

• Contains dairy

Few things in life are cozier than a blanket, a fire, and a mug of hot chocolate. Many K-Cups offer this simple luxury, but the best among them comes, naturally, from Swiss Miss. These K-Cups capture the brand’s signature creaminess and sweet chocolatey flavor—all whipped up in seconds with your Keurig. You can find pods in three flavors: Milk Chocolate, Peppermint, and Reduced Calorie. Some customers mention that the powder inside the K-Cups can clump at times, leading to slight inconsistencies in the hot chocolate, but the vast majority give it positive reviews.

Price at time of publish: $19 for 28 pods

Count: 10, 22, 28, 44, 66, and 88 pods | Available In: K-Cup and powdered mix

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Best Tea

Bigelow Tea Company English Breakfast K-Cup Pods

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What We Like

• Bold and malty

• Multiple box sizes available

• Only ingredient is black tea

What We Don’t Like

• More expensive than tea bags

While Keurigs are primarily associated with coffee, many K-Cups are specifically made for tea. It’s a nice convenience when you’re in a rush or don’t feel like waiting for the kettle to boil. Bigelow Tea Company’s English breakfast is a terrific all-around option. It’s a robust black tea that has enough flavor to drink with or without milk and sugar. Plus, the moderate caffeine content

Price at time of publish: $40 for 72 pods

Count: 12, 18, 24, 48, 72, and 96 pods | Available In: K-Cup and tea bag

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Best Green Tea

Twinings of London Green Tea K-Cup Pods

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What We Like

• Smooth and aromatic

• Multiple box sizes available

• Only ingredient is green tea

What We Don’t Like

• More expensive than tea bags

While black tea is the most popular variety, many prefer green tea for its gentler and sweeter taste. Green tea leaves are also a popular ingredient in everything from cakes to ice cream to smoothies. This green tea from Twinings of London is deliciously light, earthy, and smooth, and several reviewers also comment on the tea’s strong aroma. Twinings offers these K-Cups in counts ranging from 12 to 96 pods. The British brand sells a number of its teas in K-Cup form, including a decaf green tea for those who want to avoid the jitters.

Price at time of publish: $18 for 24 pods

Count: 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 pods | Available In: K-Cup and tea bag