Proctor Silex Single Serve Coffee Maker- Compatible with K-Cup Pods or Grounds

My wife and I drink a lot of coffee, starting with a pot of drip coffee in the morning followed by individual cups throughout the day. We now have 4 different K-Cup machines and I decided that comparing them would be a great way to review all 4. The photo below shows them in order of overall size: 1. Proctor Silex 49969, 2. Mr. Coffee SC100, 3. Kuerig K10, and 4. Kuerig K40. All 4 machines were broken in properly and cleaned prior to this comparison test. Each was filled with tap water, matching coffee cups were used, and the same 4 K-Cups (Gevalia Columbian) were used in each machine. Gevalia Columbian isn’t my favorite (by far!) but we had a box to use up so I wanted to see if they tasted better or worse in any of the units. Besides all having an auto shut-off, the main constant in these coffee makers was the taste. All produced a VERY similar cup of coffee, not surprising since all they do is run hot water through the same brand of K-Cup. However, the following observations of each unit may help in your purchase decision: 1. Kuerig K40 Price $104.99 Weight 13 lbs Cord length 37″ Dimensions 13″h X 9″w X !2.2″d Cord 37″ Avg rating 4.4 stars (1482 reviews) This is the grand-daddy of the bunch and we have used it for about 3 years. It’s still working perfectly! It’s a bulky unit and at 13 lbs. also the heaviest. You will notice by looking at the picture (your far right) that I left the top up to show that it needs 18″ of height clearance in order to open and close it. This machine has the advantage of holding 48 oz. of water in the tank, allowing you to brew 5-6 cups before having to refill it. You can also choose among three different cup sizes/coffee strengths to meet your preference. The last consideration is that it has a 37″ cord, a distinct advantage in where it can be placed. This unit has been replaced with the K55. Based upon its durability and flexibility, you might want to seek out this older model. 2. Kuerig K10 Price $77.98 Weight 8 lbs Cord length 36″ Dimensions 11″h X 8″w X 11″d Avg rating 4.1 stars (778 reviews) We bought this unit about a year ago for our guest room. It has had no hiccups and is completely dependable and very easy to use. At 8.8 lbs. it is the second heaviest and the height when the top is open extends from 11″ to 13″. This machine only holds enough water to make one cup at a time and no clean-up is necessary. However, be careful to only put in the amount of water that your coffee cup will hold because this machine will process it all and it will overflow if too much water is added.. This is a well-built unit that is simple to use and is the second most expensive. 3. Mr. Coffee SC100 Price $59.99 Weight 4 lbs. Cord length 24″ Dimensions 13″h X 5″w X 10″d Avg rating 4.4 stars (20 reviews) This machine is a joint effort between Mr. Coffee and Kuerig, employing the Kuerig brewing system. Like the two prior Kuerig coffeemakers the SC100 can be adjusted to fill large to-go cups in addition to normal sized cups. It has a very simple and clean design and has the second smallest footprint. The shorter 24″ cord might affect your placement decision but no extra height clearance is needed since the top doesn’t have to be raised in order to use this machine. In the picture below it is the third unit from your right. It may be the best looking unit with its stainless steel trim. We have only owned it for a short period of time but it appears durable and is very simple to use with no clean-up required. 4. Proctor Silex 49969 Price $29.99 Weight 3lbs. Cord length 25″ Dimensions 13″h X 5.6″w X 9.5″d Avg rating 4.2 stars (12 reviews) This Proctor Silex machine (at the far left in the photo below) is the cheapest unit by far ($30.00) , weighs the least, and has the smallest footprint. Considering that the top of this unit doesn’t have to be raised to operate it, it will fit just about anywhere the 25″ cord will reach. It does have a water capacity of 14oz., auto shut-off, and can also be adjusted to fill large to-go cups. However this unit has more moving pieces and it’s quite a bit more difficult to master. The other three machines clean up by just throwing the used K-Cups away but this one can involve more effort to get it ready for the next brewing. So what is my take on this comparison? If you can find one of the old Kuerig K40 machines at $80.00 or so, pick it up. It is durable, consistent, simple to use, has flexibility as far as coffee strength and cup size, holds 48 oz. of water, and only has to be descaled once in a blue moon. You’ll know when it needs it by the taste. I can’t think of any advantages that the three newer models offer that would put them in contention although the Mr. Coffee SC100 (developed with Kuerig) would be a close runner-up because of the $59.99 price point and the small footprint. Feel free to email me or add a comment if you have any questions.