Keurig K-Elite Single Serve Coffee Maker

I purchased this Keurig K-Elite coffeemaker after our old Keurig Elite coffeemaker gave up the ghost after over 15 years of usage. This newer model is similar in design but clearly manufactured with cheaper, less durable materials. The plastic housing feels thin, and the touchpad controls have a very cheap feel to them. It’s immediately apparent this coffeemaker will not hold up well at all with any rough use. The features I like with this machine are the included water filter (the product description mentions nothing about it, but this model does come with the Keurig tall water filter) and the strong brew option. The water filter is easier to remove and replace than our old one. This one is simply pressed down onto its mount in the water chamber, and the top of it has a ridge making it easy to pull it out when needed. When you select strong brew, the water drips more slowly through the pod allowing more time to extract flavor during the brewing process. Also, the water tank is much easier to remove and replace as it simply slides straight up to remove and straight down to replace. I like the on/off power button location on the top of the coffeemaker rather than hidden in the back like our old unit. Like our old unit, this model can be programmed to turn itself on at a set time and turn off automatically after a couple of hours. The features I dislike, aside from the obvious cheaper construction, are the touchpad controls which feel very flimsy and not likely to hold up well over time, and the clumsy design of the water chamber. The plastic water chamber is clear only on its side, so unless your coffeemaker is sitting sideways on the counter it’s not easy to tell how much water remains in it. Also, to refill it, you have to remove the entire lid rather than lift up a hatch cover. The Keurig K-Elite retails for $189. I bought mine on sale for about half that price, and I’m not confident I got my money’s worth. Right now, it works just fine, but the large number of reviews reporting product failure both in and shortly out of warranty are concerning. Given its cheap construction, I can understand why that might happen. I’m hoping mine will hold up for at least a few years with careful usage. If you can buy this model at a big discount, it may be worth the risk. But I do not recommend paying anything close to retail price for this coffeemaker.