I’d wager most American coffee-drinkers have sampled a Keurig brew. If you don’t already own one of the single-serve coffee makers, perhaps your aunt shared a cup during the holidays, or there’s one in the office break room. Intuitive to use, easy to maintain and long-lasting, the appliance offers terrific practicality. Simply pop in a pre-bought coffee pod, hit a button and watch a cup pour out.
Courtesy of The Milk Pod, such easy extraction now extends to dairy, too. Compatible with Keurig brewers, these single-serve capsules produce rich-textured milk with a single push. Impressively, the pods are shelf-stable for 15 months and don’t even require refrigeration. Currently available in three classic coffee flavors — plain, vanilla and caramel—they’re made with milk powder and natural ingredients. Rather than just hot milk, the dairy’s composition turns out frothy, yielding a latte-like consistency. It’s an intriguing addition to Keurig’s already expansive pod selection.
Coffee and milk, all at the press of a button
Milk Pods load in just like normal pods.Nikita Ephanov/CNET
Unlike a milk frother or steam wand, the pods require minimal instruction. They insert right into the K-Cup slot, no adjustment necessary. The Milk Pods entail no specialized setup; I was already sampling the dairy only minutes after opening the box.
As I brewed with Milk Pods one morning after the next, the initial ease continued. It’s recommended to brew the milk before the coffee, both to a six-ounce size, so the two liquids fit into a standard mug. As long as I didn’t accidentally press the wrong volume (my Keurig offers 6-, 8- and 10-ounce settings), I couldn’t make any mistakes.
Read more: I Brewed 50 K-Cups. These Are the 5 Best
Really, the only slight annoyance with the setup is the constant need to refill the water. My Keurig has a 30-ounce water tank, which means I need to top it up at half capacity. During only the second round of coffee, the brewer pinged me to take the reservoir to the sink, an upkeep that didn’t take much effort. Functionality-wise, the pods are remarkably easy. Pouring cold dairy out of the fridge is the easiest milk-integration technique. It’s hard to imagine a more consumer-friendly system.
Convenience is cool and all, but how do the pods taste?
Milk comes out hot and frothy, ready to be mixed with coffee.Nikita Ephanov/CNET
From dozens of seasonal K-Cups to various brand partnerships, Keurig capsules number in the hundreds. I sampled the Milk Pods with a generic brand of K-Cup from a local grocery store. Filled with dark-roasted coffee, the capsule brewed into a strong, lightly bitter-tasting brew – exactly the kind of flavor profile I’d dilute with milk. My chosen K-Cup wasn’t espresso-style, so the consistency resembled drip coffee.
Still, all three Milk Pods added a pleasant thickness to my Keurig coffee. The plain capsule lent the coffee a neutral creaminess, reminiscent of a latte, but nevertheless distinguishable from standard milk. The mouthfeel and taste reminded me of creamer, albeit with a more natural dairy character. Unlike the satisfying micro-bubbles in freshly steamed dairy, I picked up a smidge of powdery solids on my tongue. The cup wasn’t disappointing, but I still prefer the frothiness of fresh milk.
After you run a milk pod through the system, you simply load your coffee of choice.Nikita Ephanov/CNET
The bolder character of the flavored pods made the dehydrated downside less noticeable. I preferred the caramel of the two, which offered a complex nutty bitterness that paired well with my coffee. Sweet yet not saccharine, the pod reminded me of a well-made caramel candy. The vanilla capsule overpowered my coffee more, yielding a strong vanilla-syrup-like flavor. I could see this pod pairing better with other K-Cups, perhaps elevated even further in an iced latte. Overall, I found the Milk Pods pretty impressive for a shelf-stable product, but not quite cafe-quality.
In favor of shelf stability
Comparing the Milk Pods with fresh dairy reveals some differences, but you also have to consider convenience. The year-long durability, combined with no need for refrigeration, makes the pod worth stocking, even if it’s not a daily option.
Over several weeks of trialing the capsules, I left town and came back. The Milk Pods meant I didn’t need to worry about a carton left spoiling in the fridge. Plus, the morning after I returned, I didn’t need a bleary-eyed shopping run for my morning latte, either. I’d be happy to come across Milk Pods in a setting like an Airbnb or hotel. Given the self-contained ease of use, the pods align well with Keurig’s ecosystem. I could also see myself brewing the milk into a K-Cup of black tea or hot chocolate, making it a versatile Keurig option.
Milk Pods cost a dollar each, roughly the same as a coffee K-Cup. Nikita Ephanov/CNET
Thinking about cost
Consumed day to day, coffee costs add up. A hot latte from a cafe averages well over $5, and even home-brewing can dent the grocery budget. A K-Cup capsule and a Milk Pod cost $1 each, for an affordable $2 drink. Especially since you can buy a Keurig K-Mini machine for as little as $50, switching to this setup can save you money on coffee out in under a month. Plus, a Keurig requires minimal expertise, so you won’t need to learn how to make coffee.
Still, with a bit more effort, you can find better-priced coffee and milk options. On average, a gallon of milk retails for $4.30, with 21 six-ounce servings of dairy — that’s just over 20 cents per cup. You will need to steam the milk yourself. Handily, though, Keurig sells a $9.50 frother for the task. Fresh milk takes more effort — but to my taste, the flavor and texture are better. Not to mention, warming fresh dairy yourself lets you try out alternative milks as well as milks with varied fat compositions. Want a touch of sweetness in your cup? You can always grab a bottle of syrup and mix in a pump or two.
I wouldn’t switch to Keurig brewers specifically for this milk product, but Milk Pods are a convenient option and may be worth buying if you already use a Keurig. They’d also be handy to have on hand when you’ve run out of milk but are too bleary-eyed to make a morning run to the market.