Keurig K-Mini vs. K-Slim: Which Should You Buy?

Two "Compact" Keurigs, Compact in Different Ways

The real difference between a K-Mini and a K-Slim is how you add water. The K-Mini is filled for each cup, 6 to 12 oz at a time. The K-Slim has a reservoir you fill to a MAX line and brew from cup after cup. Most of the other differences in Keurig's two guides follow from that: lights, cup sizes, Auto Off and how you descale.

Keurig's guides don't print dimensions, weights or the K-Slim's reservoir capacity, so this page doesn't either. It compares what the two Use & Care Guides say about using and looking after each machine. The K-Mini Plus is covered too: it's the K-Mini with a STRONG button, pod storage and a removable reservoir.

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The Differences at a Glance

Both guides give a limited one-year warranty, both say the brewer is "not user serviceable" beyond cleaning, and both say don't use distilled water.

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K-Mini: One Cup at a Time

The K-Mini makes exactly what you pour in. You fill it each time, between the MIN (6 oz) and MAX (12 oz) marks, and it heats and brews that water.

What the guide shows in its favour:

• You only add what you're about to brew, and the 90-second Auto Off switches it off almost as soon as you've finished.
• Any size from 6 to 12 oz, set by how much you pour, not by a button.
• Cord storage at the back, and the drip tray comes out for a travel mug.
• K-Mini Plus: a STRONG button, storage for 9 pods and a reservoir you can lift out to fill and clean.

Where it asks more of you:

• You fill it for every cup. If more than one person drinks coffee, that's a refill every time.
• About 2 minutes of heating per brew. The brew indicator pulses while it heats.
• No reminder to descale. There's no DESCALE light, so you keep to the 3-6 month schedule yourself, and it's the 45-minute version.

Problems with it: K-Mini won't brew, K-Mini won't turn on and K-Mini leaking.

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K-Slim: Fill Once, Brew Several

The K-Slim keeps a reservoir on the brewer. You fill it to MAX, lock it in, and brew until ADD WATER comes on.

What the guide shows in its favour:

• Several cups per fill. It needs at least 6 oz in the reservoir to brew.
• Lights that tell you things. ADD WATER when it's low, DESCALE when it's due.
• A quick descale. Hold 8oz + 12oz for 3 seconds with the brewer off, and it's done in 15-20 minutes.
• High Altitude mode for use above 5,000 feet.

Where it asks more of you:

• Only three sizes (8, 10, 12 oz) and no strength or temperature control.
• The reservoir must lock. Keurig's setup step says to make sure "the lock tabs engage with the brewer".

Problems with it: K-Slim not working, K-Slim leaking and K-Slim not heating.

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What They Share

• Two needles, same cleaning. An entrance needle under the lid with two holes, and an exit needle in the pod holder. Clear both with a straightened paper clip, then run two water-only brews.
• Same pod holder. Push it up from underneath to remove it, and snap it back using the two front ribs.
• An 8 oz drip tray on both.
• Same troubleshooting stop: if it's still brewing partial cups after two descales, contact Customer Service.
• Same storage rules: empty the water before storing or moving it, keep it frost-free, and after freezing temperatures let it warm up for at least 2 hours.

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Which Should You Buy?

• Choose the K-Mini (or Mini Plus) if you brew one cup at a time, want a size anywhere from 6 to 12 oz, and like a brewer that holds no water between uses. Take the Plus if you want STRONG or pod storage.
• Choose the K-Slim if you brew more than one cup a day, want ADD WATER and DESCALE reminders, or want the quicker Descale Mode.
• Neither if you want temperature control. Of the Keurig guides we've read, only the K-Supreme Plus, K-Supreme SMART, K-Café SMART and K-Elite have one.

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FAQ

Does the K-Mini have a water reservoir?

It has a small reservoir you fill for each cup, between the 6 oz MIN and 12 oz MAX marks. It doesn't hold water for several brews. On the K-Mini Plus the reservoir lifts out for filling and cleaning.

How big is the K-Slim's water reservoir?

Keurig's K-Slim guide doesn't print a capacity. It gives a MAX fill line and says the brewer needs at least 6 oz in the reservoir to brew.

Which is quicker to descale?

The K-Slim. Its Descale Mode (8oz + 12oz held for 3 seconds with the brewer off) takes 15-20 minutes. The K-Mini has no Descale Mode: a third of a bottle of solution, a 30-minute soak and three rinses take about 45 minutes.

Why does my K-Mini keep turning off?

Auto Off switches it off 90 seconds after the last brew, and the guide describes no way to change that. Press power to turn it back on. The K-Slim waits 5 minutes.

Do the K-Mini and K-Slim use MultiStream?

Neither guide mentions MultiStream. Both describe an entrance needle with two holes and a single exit needle.

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Related Keurig Guides

• Keurig K-Slim vs K-Express
• Keurig K-Mini won't brew
• Keurig K-Slim not working
• Keurig descale light won't turn off

Sources: Keurig K-Mini Use & Care Guide; Keurig K-Mini Plus Use & Care Guide; Keurig K-Slim Use & Care Guide.