We Asked A Pro Barista To Blind Rank The Most Popular K-Cups

Millions of people start their mornings with a K-Cup. Professional baristas… not so much.

So we decided to see what would happen if one of Southern California’s most respected coffee professionals sat down to taste the same single-serve pods lining grocery store shelves across America.

Truman Severson, founder of Hopper & Burr, blind tasted and ranked nine of the most popular K-Cups you can buy today. Without knowing which brand was in each cup, he judged every coffee on aroma, balance, body, and overall drinkability to find out which pods are actually worth brewing—and which ones are better left on the shelf.

The results included a few surprises, some familiar favorites, and at least one ranking that coffee drinkers will probably argue about.