Getting your daily coffee fix is easy when you're the proud owner of a Keurig. It's cheaper than daily Starbucks runs, and much, much quicker than waiting in line for a cup (read: or three). In the name of finding the best flavored K-cup on the market, I took it upon myself to try all eight flavors of Starbucks K-Cups—in one night. Here are my extremely caffeinated opinions and rankings from the worst K-cup to the best.
8. Mocha
As much as I love chocolate and I love Starbucks mochas, this K-cup was overall incredibly disappointing. It tasted artificial and didn't have nearly as much chocolate flavoring as I would have liked. If you're looking for a mocha, I suggest you splurge and go to a Starbucks for the real deal.
Rating: 1.5/10
7. Caramel
This drink smells good but barely tastes like caramel. It was somehow more of a bitter drink. I would not recommend this K-cup unless you happen to like caramel-scented coffee with bitter undertones. Avoid this K-cup unless you don't have any alternatives.
Rating: 4/10
6. Vanilla
This drink wasn't too bad and smelled like a vanilla-scented candle. The coffee had hints of vanilla flavoring, but overall failed to take the edge off the bitterness of the coffee for me. If you prefer sweeter coffee with strong vanilla flavors, I would recommend opting out of this K-cup.
Rating: 5/10
5. Crème Brûlée
This K-cup made a good, solid cup of coffee. It tastes slightly artificial, but would be a good choice for those of you looking to squeeze in a cup of coffee before class. The sweet and light flavor makes it go down easily, and I would definitely recommend substituting your daily Starbucks run with this option.
Rating: 5.5/10
4. Hazelnut
This set of K-cups tastes strongly like hazelnut right off the bat, and has no bad aftertaste. It's a definite winner for those of you who love hazelnut flavoring in your coffee. It got a bit of a lower ranking since hazelnut isn't my thing, but this was a great K-cup overall as it was true to its name.
Rating: 6/10
3. Toffeenut
This coffee was the first flavor that I tried, and it wasn't bad at all. It was only slightly more bitter than I was expecting, and the flavoring wasn't overpowering. Overall, this was a pleasant cup of coffee that I would happily drink daily—aka three times a day. I'd recommend this as a neutral addition to your K-cup stash.
Rating: 6.5/10
2. Cinnamon Dolce
I'll start of with a disclaimer that I don't love cinnamon. Even in small quantities, cinnamon makes my mouth dry—like cinnamon challenge dry. Despite this, I actually loved this K-cup. It has the perfect flavoring and the right balance between the bitterness of the coffee with the sweetness of the cinnamon. It was still perhaps a little too cinnamon-heavy, which is why it's second on this list and not first. I highly recommend this K-cup.
Rating: 8/10
1. Toasted Graham
If you like hints of cinnamon (see above re: too much cinnamon) and sweeter coffee, than this is the K-cup for you. It's light, not too bitter, and the flavoring tastes real rather than artificial. It was also the last cup I tasted, and after eight half-cups of coffee I was done with coffee. This cup was worth every sip.
Rating: 8.5/10
If you're looking for a solid K-cup for all of your caffeine needs, you definitely can't go wrong with most of Starbucks' flavored cups. Just stay away from mocha unless you're passing by an actual Starbs, and enjoy your caffeine kick.