Skip to main content

Instant Pod vs. Keurig K-Classic

Keurig’s K-Classic and Instant Pod machines are two options to get your day started with a quick cup of coffee, but which will add that special moment to your morning? While both the K-Classic and the Instant Pod were designed to give you a dose of caffeine, each machine offers a different set of features and compatibility with varying coffee pods. From brewing sizes to special features, here’s a look at what each device has to offer so that you can decide which is the perfect upgrade for your kitchen or office.

Recommended Videos

Already have a Keurig, but it isn’t working correctly? Check out our guide on how to clean a Keurig machine — it might just need a bit of help.

Coffee compatibility

Instant Pod Capsules
Instant

In America, Keurig can be credited with starting the pod-based coffee brewing boom, and the K-Classic sticks to its roots. You can begin brewing K-Cup pods with a K-Classic — those short, cylindrical coffee pods you have probably seen in every business conference room, hotel lobby, and car dealership. K-Cups offer various coffee brewing options from brands such as Dunkin Donuts, Green Mountain, and Starbucks. K-Cup pods also offer tea from Twinings and hot chocolate from Swiss Miss.

In comparison, the Instant Pod machine also takes K-Cups but then adds on the ability to use Nespresso capsules for more variety. If you aren’t in the mood for a cup of tea or coffee, you can pop in a Nespresso capsule for a few espresso shots. If you’re feeling fancy, you can whip up a Cafe Misto or froth up some milk to create a latte or cappuccino. Just note that the frothing will require a separate device, as the Instant Pod doesn’t include a built-in steaming wand or milk frothing unit.

While both the Instant Pod and Keurig K-Classic can handle K-Cup pods, only the Instant Pod can accept Nespresso capsules, giving an edge over the current champion.

Winner: Instant Pod

Cup sizes

Keurig

How big of a cup of coffee do you want — are you brewing enough for a quick afternoon pick-me-up or a large morning travel mug? Both the Instant Pod and Keurig K-Classic allow you to pick various cup sizes to best suit your needs. Keeping it simple, the K-Classic allows for three sizes: 6 ounces, 8 ounces, and 10 ounces.

The Instant Pod also offers three sizes for K-Cup pods, but wants to keep you a bit more caffeinated with 8-ounce, 10-ounce, and 12-ounce options. When it comes to the Nespresso capsules, you gain another three sizes for espresso, including 2-ounce, 4-ounce, and 6-ounce — about the equivalent of one, two, and three shots.

Again, the Instant Pod edges out here due to its versatile cup sizes that help to accompany both coffee and espresso. We think coffee fans will also love the extra-large 12-ounce size offered with the Pod machine.

Winner: Instant Pod

Water reservoir

Instant Pod Reservoir
Instant

It would be quite a time-consuming process if you needed to fill up either coffee maker with water every time you wished to use it; thus, both Keurig and Instant have included built-in water reservoirs. The Keurig K-Classic consists of a 48-ounce reservoir, while the Instant Pod offers an even larger 68-ounce reservoir. Both machines feature reservoirs that can be removed for easy filling and cleaning, so you’re not stuck moving the entire machine.

The Instant Pod’s larger water reservoir is a benefit indeed, allowing you to brew over a dozen cups of coffee (4 ounces per cup) without needing to refill the tank, a slight increase over the K-Classic’s nine cups.

Winner: Instant Pod

Features

Instant Pod Waste Bin
Instant

These coffee machines are quite basic models, with neither featuring standout features, beyond pod and capsule compatibility. However, we do like one extra part of the Instant Pod. If you find yourself always forgetting to remove Nespresso capsules after brewing, the Instant Pod features a nifty used capsule container that stores the tiny pods to later discard. Both the K-Classic and Instant Pod feature auto-shutoff timers to give you peace of mind and save you some electricity money if you forget to shut the unit off.

We will give the K-Classic one point for personality, though, as you can purchase it in either black or Rhubarb (red). The Instant Pod follows Henry Ford’s famous mantra of the past decade — you can have it in any color, as long as it is black.

Winner: Instant Pod

Winner overall: Instant Pod

Instant Pot Instant Pod 2-in-1 Single Brew Coffee and Espresso Maker

The Instant Pod took this battle by storm, winning every category thanks to its larger reservoir capacity, ability to brew both coffee and espresso pods, and choice of large brewing cup sizes. While the K-Classic remains a solid choice, the Instant Pod can’t help but cast a shadow over it. Of course, the K-Classic isn’t Keurig’s only in-house option, so be sure to check out our guide on the best Keurig coffee makers available currently.

Michael Archambault
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Michael Archambault is a technology writer and digital marketer located in Long Island, New York. For the past decade…
30 early Black Friday deals for 2024: TVs, laptops, headphones
Digital Trends Best Black Friday Amazon Deals

Update 11/11/24: We’re officially on our way to Black Friday, and our coverage spans everything currently available at a discount. Check back regularly, as we’ll be adding to all of the best early Black Friday deals below as more and more deals pop up.

Black Friday may not officially be here yet, but early Black Friday deals have arrived, and they’re all worth shopping. We’re seeing plenty of great early Black Friday TV deals, early Black Friday laptop deals, early Black Friday smartwatch deals, and much, much more. Below we’re giving it all a home, and rounding up all of the best early Black Friday deals available right now. Scroll down through the aisle and don’t hesitate to make a purchase, as we’ve already seen pricing change several times and have even seen some deals disappear entirely.
SAMSUNG Galaxy SmartTag2 -- $21 $30 29% off

Read more
Early Black Friday chest freezer deals: up to 40% off today
The Insignia 7-cubic feet chest freezer placed in a garage.

Update 11/11/24: With so many great chest freezers on the market, it's probably no surprise that we're seeing a lot of early great Black Friday deals roll around. To that end, we've gone out and added a couple of new deals that we like, as well as updated all the current deals to their latest prices. Either way, be sure to check back as we update this article regularly!

While Black Friday officially starts on November 29, retailers are getting started early this year. That means great early Black Friday deals, including on things like chest freezers. Here, we search high and low for the best deals on chest freezers to hit the market. That means we're looking at sources like Walmart's, Amazon's, and Best Buy's early Black Friday deals among others to get you the best deals possible. Whether you're wanting to store ice cream, meat, or a party's worth of frozen pizza, these are the best chest freezers for you.
Hisense 5 cu. ft. Garage Ready Chest Freezer — $165 $189 13% off

Read more
Best cordless drill early Black Friday deals: DeWalt and more
A DeWalt drill being used.

Update 11/11/24: We know that having good home tools is important -- and how expensive they can get -- which is why we're excited to see a lot of great early Black Friday deals on cordless drills. With this update, we've added a couple of new drills that we found, as well as updated all the previous pricing on deals so you're getting the latest information. We should also mention that it's worth checking back as we update this list regularly with new and better deals.

If you're buying anything this Black Friday, there's a big chance you might want a drill/driver to go with it. A drill/driver is one part drill, one part (screw)driver, and it can help out in many situations. For example, say you take part in one of these early Black Friday TV deals, you very well might want to wall mount it. Then, say you grab an easy coffee maker from Keurig's early Black Friday deals. An extra side table in your study would sure go nice with that and a drill/driver could very well make the table's construction much easier.
Really, with so so many of your early Black Friday purchases, there might be a chance to pick up a cordless drill or driver and get to work. As such, we've compiled a list of the best cordless drill deals throughout Black Friday deals that are available now, so you can get a head start on prepping for the savings that are to come. You might also want to check out these early Black Friday power tool deals for a few more options, too.

Read more