Espresso is one of the most popular coffee beverages worldwide. Keurig is an incredibly popular brewer among lots of coffee lovers, so it is no surprise that many people wonder: can Keurig make espresso?
The reality is that you can only make something that’s close to an espresso using a Keurig. Proper espresso requires a lot of pressure that Keurigs are not capable of delivering.
But if what you’re looking for is a strong coffee that has the kick of an espresso, the Keurig can deliver just fine.
So let’s see how to make espresso with a Keurig coffee maker.
Whick Keurig Coffee Maker Makes Espresso?
The best Keurig coffee maker for actually making an espresso is the Keurig K-Cafe. The Keurig K-Cafe is the upgraded version of the Keurig Rivo. The Keurig Rivo was the first Keurig to have a milk frother built-in.
The K-Cafe takes K-Cups and produces a very concentrated coffee shot that resembles espresso in taste. It won’t have the crema and thickness of espresso, but it’s very strong.
You can then froth milk to make delicious lattes and cappuccinos.
How to Make Espresso with a Keurig
What you’ll need to make espresso with Keurig coffee makers
- Strong K-Cups, preferably espresso strength or dark roast
- Water
- A Keurig coffee machine(any is fine)
- A small cup
Step 1: Choose a K-Cup
When making espresso in a Keurig, you want to mimic as much of the process of brewing a cup of espresso with proper espresso machines. Espresso is made with dark roast or medium-dark roast coffee to extract the most flavor our of the finely ground coffee.
There are a lot of espresso K-Cups that produce a really nice and intense cup of coffee.
You can also opt for any dark roast K cup.
Step 2: Choose with the smallest size
Shots of espresso are usually 2 ounces and brewed under high pressure with a 1:2 ratio. The smallest cup of coffee a Keurig can brew is 6 ounces. Some Keurig machines also have a “Strong” button which you can use.
Unfortunately, you can’t hack the brew size by just adding 4 ounces of coffee as Keurigs keep the minimum amount of water hot and ready to go inside the machine.
Step 3: Start the brew
Place a cup below the brew head and press the 6 ounce(or smallest) brew button. If your Keurig machine has a Strong button, press that too.
The Keurig will pull hot water and push it through the pod into the cup below.
Step 4: Divide the coffee into espresso cups
You’ve already figured out the rich flavor of espresso by using dark roast pods, but now it’s time to complete the espresso experience by pouring the brewed coffee into into small espresso cups.
Step 5: Froth some milk(optional)
If you want a cafe style beverage like a latte or cappuccino, you can use a french press, a handheld milk frother, or even a mason jar to froth some milk.
Add some warm milk to a french press and place the plunger on top. Plunge up and down about 5o to 60 times until it has double in volume. Add to your shot of coffee and enjoy!
If you’re using a mason jar, add milk to the jar, warm it up without the lid, then place the lid on and shake very rapidly until you’ve incorporated a lot of air.
How proper espresso is made
If you want to get proper, true espresso, you’ll need to get an espresso machine. Espresso machines take finely ground coffee beans and force water at high pressure through a compacted puck of coffee.
Espresso needs at least 8 bars of pressure, which you cannot make with a drip coffee maker or even an Aeropress.
Espresso is one of the most finicky coffee brewing methods, but once you get the hang of it, it may become your favorite coffee.
Related: Strongest K Cups
Conclusion
Keurig coffee machines are single serve machines that take large coffee pods and brew larger amounts of water, but with a little bit of tweaking here and there, you should be able to make a really nice cup of strong coffee that resembles an espresso.