When deciding on a single-serve pod coffee maker, there are several things you have to keep in mind:
- What coffee drinks you want to make the most? Is it espresso-based drinks? Or long (regular) coffee cups?
- Which coffee pods do you prefer? Do you want to stick to a specific brand or have multiple brand options?
Answering these questions is a great start to understand the difference between L’or Barista vs Keurig, which I’ll explain to you in details.
Here's a quick answer to your question:
- L'or Barista is a pump espresso machine that uses Nespresso OriginalLine espresso capsules. It can also make long coffee servings using Coffee pods from L'or. Keurig is a single-serve drip coffee maker that uses K-Cup pods. It makes several servings of coffee, but you can also find other beverages in the form of a k-cup like hot chocolate or tea. Keurig doesn't make Espresso, even though there are some 'espresso style' k-cup pods. It's mostly a coffee maker.
Now you have an idea of the main difference between L’or and Keurig, let’s dig into the details of this comparison.
L’or Barista vs Keurig – Top Differences
The top differences between L’or Barista and Keurig coffee makers are in:
- Coffee drinks and servings
- Pod compatibility
They are totally different coffee machines in what they can prepare, so it’s really important that you know what type of coffee you like to help you with your decision between these coffee machines.
Coffee Drink Options
L’or Barista is a Nespresso-OriginalLine compatible espresso and coffee machine. Because it’s a pump espresso machine, it can make all kinds of authentic espresso and espresso based drinks like Latte or Cappuccino (you’ll need an external milk device).
It does espresso in three servings: 1.4 oz, 2.7 oz and 3.7 oz
L’or Barista can also make regular drip-like coffee in three serving sizes: 5 oz, 8 oz and 12 oz.
So total coffee drinks you can make using L’or Barista are:
- Espresso in 3 serving sizes
- Coffee in 3 serving sizes
- Any espresso based drinks like Latte or Cappuccino, but you’ll need to get a separate milk frother since it’s not provided with the L’or Barista.
Keurig is a drip coffee machine that uses pods to make single servings of coffee. It works a lot like a traditional drip coffee machine, but without the hassle of preparing a coffee filter, adding and measuring ground coffee and all that.
The serving sizes of Keurig coffee depends on which model you pick, but let’s look at the Keurig K-Supreme as an example, since it’s one of Keurig’s newer machines and it’s quite popular.
Keurig K-Supreme can make coffee in these sizes: 6 oz, 8 oz, 10 oz and 12 oz.
Can Keurig Make Espresso, Latte or Cappuccino?
No, Keurig is not an espresso machine. There are several Espresso-style K-Cup pods or even Cappuccino or Latte K-Cup pods, but they’re not authentic espresso. These are comparable to flavored instant coffee mixes and include a lot of artificial flavors.
Coffee Pod Compatibility
L’or Barista uses two types of pods:
Espresso Pods
You can use any Nespresso OriginalLine pods that you can buy from L’or, Nespresso, Starbucks, Illy, Lavazza… pretty much any espresso pod that says ‘Nespresso Original Compatible’ on its label. When it comes to Espresso, you are not limited to L’or own pods.
These small OriginalLine espresso pods can also be used in any OriginalLine machine by Nespresso. So when it comes to espresso pods, Nespresso OriginalLine and L’or Barista can use the same pods.
Coffee Pods
To make coffee (serving sizes 5, 8 and 12 oz), L’or uses coffee pods that are exclusive to L’or. L’or has these coffee pods in several blends and intensities, and they’ll keep adding to their line of coffee pods to expand their variety.
Keurig coffee makers are compatible with K-Cup pods only. But here’s the great part:
K-Cup pods have a huge variety!
K-Cup pods are manufactured by almost every coffee company in the world:
Starbucks, Dunkin’, Maxwell House, Green Mountain, Donut Shop, McCafe… so many other brands.
You’ll also find a variety of other non-coffee beverages like tea, hot chocolate, hot apple cider and more.
K-Cup Refillable Pods
Keurig machines are also compatible with refillable pods that are available from Keurig or other 3rd party brands. You can use these refillable pods to fill your own coffee grounds instead of buying pods.
Coffee Brewing Style
As I mentioned, L’or Barista and Keurig are different types of coffee machines.
- L’or is an espresso machine that uses pump pressure to make espresso and coffee
- Keurig uses drip style to saturate the coffee pod and extract the coffee, in the same way a drip coffee maker would.
L’or Barista Brewing Technology
L’or Barista works a lot like any espresso machine would. It uses high pressure to force water through the capsule to create a shot of espresso with a nice thick crema.
But L’or also has a cool technology called Dual Capsule Recognition Technology. This technology allows it to recognize the pod you have inserted and adjust the available serving sizes:
L’or Barista has three serving buttons...
When an Espresso capsule is inserted, you can use these serving buttons as following:
Small: 1.7 oz – Medium: 2.7 oz – Large: 3.7 oz
But when you insert a large coffee capsule from L’or, these same three buttons will adjust to these serving sizes:
Small: 5 oz – Medium: 8 oz and Large – 12 oz.
All you have to do is press the button for the serving size you want to brew. Just make sure you are using the correct capsule for the coffee drink you want to brew.
Keurig Brewing Technology
Keurig coffee machines are simple and straightforward. Insert a capsule and select brew size to brew!
All Keurig K-Cup pods are coffee pods, so there’s no need to recognize or adjust anything.
Most Keurig machines have a dedicated button for each serving size. So it’s a matter of selecting a pod and a serving size, then hit brew and enjoy!
L’or Barista vs Keurig – Which Is The Right One For You?
The question here is: do you want a coffee maker that makes drip coffee using single-serve pods? Or do you want an espresso machine that can also make long coffee?
1- If you drink more coffee than espresso: Pick Keurig
2- If you drink a lot of espresso or espresso-based drinks, and enjoy longer cups of coffee: L’or Barista is a great pick.
What To Expect from Keurig
If you want coffee that tastes a lot like drip coffee, but want the convenience of using pods, you’ll like Keurig coffee machines. Drinks you can make with a Keurig machine are:
- Black coffee in several sizes and from many famous coffee brands.
- Flavored coffee.
- Hot Chocolate, tea.
- Use refillable K-Cup pods with your own coffee grounds.
Using a Keurig, you can’t make these following drinks:
- Authentic espresso or espresso drinks (latte, Cappuccino…)
Instead, you can use Latte or cappuccino style pods that make coffee drinks similar to instant mixed. These pods will contain powdered milk or sugar/artificial flavors. Espresso K-Cup pods are basically dark roasted coffee pods, they don’t make real espresso, but real strong coffee that can emulate espresso in taste.
What to Expect from L’or Coffee Machine
If you want to make real, authentic espresso shots, you’ll want to buy L’or Barista. The high pressure machine makes a true espresso shot. But what about the coffee, then?
L’or Barista will still use pump pressure to make the coffee, which makes it taste different to coffee that is made drip-style. The coffee is strong and robust, but can taste more like espresso based Americano’s than traditional drip coffee.
L’or Barista doesn’t have the same variety of pods that Keurig has. But you’re also not limited in choices, especially when it comes to espresso pods. You are limited in choices when it comes to coffee pods, which are still exclusive to L’or.
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