Why Are So Many Buying the K-Select?
This is really several looks at the Keurig K-Select Coffee Maker according to what might determine the decision to buy one. This coffee maker has been among the best sellers for approximately 5 years.
Yet not everyone buys it for exactly the same reason. Some are upgrading from an earlier Keurig K-Cup model, some are buying it to give as a gift, some are buying it because they are switching to a K-Cup coffee maker from a regular one, etc.
Below is a video I like that explains the features and benefits of the K-Select.
First I’ll be looking at the K-Select from the point of view of “Why not the K-Select?”
In the second section, I’ll be covering the basics such as overall value, top benefits of owning the K-Select, and overall quality.
Finally, I will be looking into why the K-Select can be an ideal gift.
Why Not the K-Select?
To me, time is money. If you share a similar perspective (and the K-Select is within your budget), then the task of looking into buying this Keurig model becomes quite simple.
After a quick glance at the information that’s available on the internet, I feel pretty confident that I would be happy to purchase one. This Keurig is pretty much in the middle of the range of Keurig K-cup coffee makers, so it offers quite a bit more than the most basic model. It also has a very high customer satisfaction rate.
No product is perfect in every sense. So I’m just checking the information available to ensure that I don’t find anything alarming, and preferably not even discouraging. There appears to be an issue with leaking that affects a small percentage of these (and Keurig has confirmed that this has only affected a small percentage of the manufacturing lots).
There’s an additional main issue, which is regarding the quality of the materials compared to earlier models. Again, this to me is not an issue (at least, not as it relates to this particular buying decision). I will address that in the next section.
A More Detailed Look Into the K-Select
OVERALL VALUE
Compared to its predecessor (the K-Classic), I don’t perceive that I’m necessarily getting more for less. There are relative benefits to each (they pretty much “cancel each other out” in my opinion), and the prices are pretty similar.
Compared to similar K-cup coffee makers from other brands (like Cuisinart SS-10, for example), the conclusion is similar to the one above. Within a certain range, prices will vary throughout the year (this also applies to the comparison above). Prices can also vary depending on the chosen color.
For someone who isn’t inclined toward a particular comparable model, a particular comparable brand, or to a particular color then the best value is going to be determined by whatever option has the lowest price tag.
When compared to base models like the K-Mini and K-Express, the price premium seems reasonable considering the additional benefits.
Beyond that, I believe that the comparisons are difficult because more expensive K-cup machines go beyond making regular coffee and offer a variety of additional benefits.
The K-Select is a solid “middle of the pack” option. For someone who is going to be sticking to just regular coffee (no lattes and other fancier concoctions, for example) and prefers the Keurig brand, there really is no need to look beyond the K-Select.
OVERALL QUALITY
Looking at the information available on the internet, all 3 of the mentioned options (K-select, K-classic, and Cuisinart SS-10) have similar customer satisfaction rates.
Yet If we do the similar comparisons to the ones in the section above assessing overall value (K-select compared to K-Classic, K-select compared to Cuisinart SS-10) based on the finer details, here things vary enough to note that the K-select is not perceived by all to be on the same level as the others.
I was careful to use the word perceived because I was not able to identify a worrisome aspect of quality such as durability (by this I mean how many years on average a coffee makers lasts before having to be replaced). Some of those who had K-classics previously felt that the K-select didn’t seem as sturdy. Some who had either of the Keurigs and switched to the Cuisinart SS-10 felt that the SS-10 did some things better like brewing at a more desirable / consistent temperature.
I mention these things more to be thorough than out of concern. For those who want to be very certain that the K-select is going to be the right choice in terms of perceived quality, it’s worth devoting more time and effort to obtain additional information. That might involve reading some detailed customer remarks across several sites or independent reviews such as those from consumer reports.
What to Consider When Planning to Buy the K-Select for a Gift
SINGLE CUP BREWERS
Keurig K-Cup Coffee Machines are more popular than ever. Statistics for 2020 show that single cup brewer users are approaching 30% of the total coffee market, no longer far behind the top method of preparation (those who prefer drip coffee makers currently account for 40% of the market).
K-cup brewing machines were initially released for use in offices, and ever since the first ones later came out for home use they have continued to gain popularity. Projections that are looking out as far as 2025 see the trend continuing.
Those who have shifted their workplace to their homes due to the COVID pandemic have contributed to the popularity of Keurigs like the K-Select.
KEURIG
Keurig is the pioneer in the single cup brewer industry. As such, it enjoys wide brand recognition. It has built a very loyal base. Many who own models released prior to the K-select have chosen to upgrade to this newer model
WHY I RECOMMEND THE K-SELECT AS A GIFT
To summarize all of the things mentioned above, It’s the best-selling model from the pioneer in the single cup brewer industry. All the trends point to increasing popularity of single cup brewers among coffee drinkers, so more and more whoever doesn’t have one is at least going to be considering getting one.
In my opinion, few would be disappointed to get one of these as a gift. One parting thought: black is by far the most popular color. From what I have seen of the available numbers, my rough estimate is that this color sells at least twice as much all of the other colors combined. Unless a potential recipient has shared a preference for another color, the black K-Select is about as close to a gift that will loved by all as possible.