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K-cups and other coffee pods, while convenient to use, are quite harmful to the environment due to the huge amount of plastic waste they produce. Each year, companies like Keurig and Nespresso sell several billions of coffee pods. That’s right- billions! Hence, our landfills keep getting bigger and bigger. 

It also doesn’t help that K-cups have a lifespan of up to 150 years. This is largely in part due to the special four-layered composite plastic used in its packaging. Unless we do something quick to keep our landfills under control, we may have to start shooting K-cup waste out into space! 

 

Reusable K-cups are an effective countermeasure to this problem. While they are also made of plastic, they don’t have to be replaced every week or so. In addition, since you won’t be using pre-packaged coffee grounds, you’ll be able to try other brands and flavours.

But which reusable K-cup should buy? Below, we’ve presented five options that we think are the best you can purchase right now. Check them out: 

Out of all the reusable K-cups we've reviewed, Keurig's My Refillable K-Cup is definitely our overall favourite. It's compatible with both the 1.0 and 2.0 Keurig Models, which means that you don't need to buy the latest Keurig just to use the My Refillable K-Cup. 

Build-quality-wise, everything seems to be sturdy. The My Refillable K-Cup is comprised of three different parts: the lid, filter basket and filter holder. The latter includes a Plus Series adapter which is included to make the K-cup compatible with Keurig's Plus series machines.

On the other hand, if you've got a Classic series, you'll need to remove this adapter and also the included pod holder.  

The K-Cup is marked with two different pour lines which indicate exactly how much coffee is needed for a regular-sized coffee mug and a travel mug. 

The only drawback is that the My Refillable K-Cup has a lot of components when compared to alternatives available in the market. If even one component is lost or damaged, the entire K-cup may not work properly. In addition, this means that maintenance is a bit of a hassle.

If you want to buy best reusable k cups, Keurig’s My Refillable K-Cups are definitely what we’d recommend. 

If you don't want to spend a lot of cash on a reusable K-cup, then the Maxware 2 might be for you. Instead of paper filters (as is standard for K-cups), the Maxware 2 uses a metallic mesh one. The benefit here is that the mesh filter neither absorbs any of the oils present in the grounds nor influences the flavour of the coffee in any way. 

The Maxware 2 works best with strong coffee. Because of how fine the mesh is, we recommend that you keep your coffee ground more coarsely than usual. This results in better taste and more strength. On the flip side, there are a few drawbacks. For starters, this reusable K-cup is compatible with only a limited amount of Keurig models. In addition, the build quality is quite flimsy and the top is leaky.

The Di Oror Maxbrew is one of the most popular and well-loved reusable K-cups available today.  There are several things that it absolutely nails, in our opinion. First of all, its mesh filter sports a honeycomb design that helps to improve the extraction process. This, in turn, means better flavour and more strength. The mesh is made of steel and so does not influence the taste of the coffee whatsoever. Plus, it’s coated with 24K gold for an extended lifespan!

When it comes to build quality, there's nothing to complain about. The Di Oror Maxbrew does not contain any DEHP, BPA or lead. In addition, it's dishwasher safe so it's very easy to clean. The only complaint that we have is that it's a bit on the expensive side. However, you do get what you pay for.

Despite being inexpensive, the iPartsPlusMore Reusable K Cups are built very well. You can use them several times a day and it'll still be in perfect condition; which is something that can't be said about most reusable K cups in the same price range. Furthermore, these K-cups are completely leak-proof, meaning you don't have to worry about coffee grounds spewing all over while you brew.  

Like the Di Oro Maxbrew, the iPartsPlusMore Reusable K Cup has a gold-steel mesh filter for pure extraction. It's also dishwasher safe, which makes cleaning a breeze.

The Froz-Cup is one of the most easy-to-use and versatile reusable K-cups you'll come across. Plus, they're quite inexpensive and the company's lifetime guarantee doesn't hurt either. To start with, Froz-Cup sports a really fine stainless steel micro-mesh filter. This mesh does not retain any oils or flavour particles extracted from the ground coffee. Hence, there is no noticeable impact on the taste. 

We particularly love Froz-Cup's 2.0's lid as it's designed to tolerate high heat. This means that you can set the brewing temperature really high without damaging the cup. Plus the entire body is constructed from sturdy material that is 100% free from BPA and lead. 

Froz-Cup is compatible with pretty much any Keurig coffee maker.

We really can't think of any noteworthy downsides in this particular K-cup. Perhaps the aesthetic could be improved to look more professional and less toy-like.

Reusable K-cups aren’t just useful to have, they’re essential if we want to reduce the amount of plastic waste we collectively produce. If you’re not sure which one to get, start by looking into our top five recommendations above. You’ll want to consider a few things while you do your research: cost, build-quality, whether it’s compatible with the coffee maker you currently have, and whether it’s made from BPA and lead-free material.