K-cups are convenient for making coffee because they don’t require any filters or grinding of beans. Plus, they come in a wide range of flavors and roasts, so they’re fantastic for offices or families with different tastes.
If you’re a fan of light roast coffee, there are quite a few delicious K-cups to choose from. To help you find your best option, we’ve tested all of the best K-cup brands and put together this list of our five favorites. For each brand, we’ve written an in-depth review, comparing flavors, value, and quality. If you still have questions, stick around for our buying tips.
Comparison of Our Favorite Products
| Image | Product | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Top Pick
 |
 |
Caribou Coffee ‘Daybreak Morning Blend’ |
|
|
 |
 |
Starbucks Veranda Blend Blonde Roast |
|
|
 |
 |
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Breakfast Blend |
|
|
 |
Victor Allen Morning Blend |
|
||
 |
Laughing Man Ethiopia Sidama |
|
The 5 Best Light Roast K-Cups – Reviews 2024
1. Caribou Coffee ‘Daybreak Morning Blend’ Light Roast K-Cups – Top Pick
The Caribou Coffee ‘Daybreak Morning Blend’ Light Roast K-Cups are intended for use with Keurig K-cup brewers. There are 24 pods in each case.
The Daybreak Morning Blend is a light fruity blend with a hint of a nutty taste at the end. It has an excellent taste and isn’t too overpowering, but the flavors could be slightly stronger. If you love light roast coffee, this is a great option, though the flavor is quite mild.
All in all, we think these are the best light roast K-Cups available this year.
- Light fruity blend with slightly nutty finish
- 24 pods
- For Keurig K-cup brewers
- Mild flavor
2. Starbucks Veranda Blend Blonde Roast K-Cup Pods – The Runner-Up
The Starbucks Veranda Blend Blonde Roast K-Cup Pods are made to use in Keurig Single Cup Brewing Systems. It’s the lightest roast that Starbucks offers. It’s flavorful, yet not overpowering as other roasts can be.
Though this coffee has good flavor when you’re drinking it, we found some of the pods have a slightly bitter taste. The quality of the coffee isn’t quite what we would expect from Starbucks.
- Lightest roast
- Flavorful without being overly bold
- For Keurig Single Cup Brewing Systems
- Some pods have bitter taste
- Not the quality you expect from Starbucks
3. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Breakfast Blend (Light-Roast)
The Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Breakfast Blend has a rich, citrusy taste that will satisfy your taste buds and get your day started on the right foot. It’s also Kosher-certified by the Orthodox Union.
This coffee comes in a case containing 96 pods, so it’ll last you a little while. The pods will work in any K-cup compatible coffeemakers.
We’ve had several boxes of this coffee, and the last batch we got wasn’t as strong as the others. There were more defective cups, too. We aren’t sure if Green Mountain has changed its brew or quality control standards, or if this was just a fluke. It seems that many others are having these issues, too.
The coffee has a rich taste, but the brewed cups can be somewhat weak. We also noticed that this coffee leaves a bitter aftertaste after you have finished your cup.
- Rich, citrusy taste
- 96-count case
- Works in all K-cup compatible machines
- Kosher-certified
- Defective cups
- Weaker flavors
- Bitter aftertaste
4. Victor Allen Morning Blend Keurig K-Cups
The Victor Allen Morning Blend Keurig K-Cups come in a pack of 80 pods containing a variety of flavors. They’re made from 100% Arabica coffee beans and are Kosher-certified by the Orthodox Union. They’re also GMO-free and gluten-free.
This coffee has a good, light flavor, but it isn’t full-bodied and doesn’t hold up well to cream and sugar.
When we were brewing these pods, a couple came open, allowing grounds to get into our coffee, but it wasn’t a high enough percentage to keep us from purchasing them again. When reading reviews from others, some have had 50% or more of the pods open, while others had no problems at all.
- 80-pod variety pack
- 100% Arabica coffee beans
- Kosher certified
- Not a full-bodied taste
- Weak flavoring
- Some poorly-constructed pods
5. Laughing Man Ethiopia Sidama Single-Serve K-Cups
The beans that make the Laughing Man Ethiopia Sidama Single-Serve K-Cups have been cultivated on small farms for centuries by farmers who know their coffee beans. The coffee has bright citrus flavors of bergamot and lime and a beautiful floral aroma.
This coffee has great flavor, but it’s weaker than other light brews. If you like your coffee black without a robust flavor, this may be for you. If you put cream in your coffee, though, you’ll want a stronger blend. This one is easily overpowered by cream.
The foil seal on the top of the pods doesn’t stay sealed very well. It sometimes comes loose and allows grounds to get into the coffee. This brand of K-cups is more expensive than others, so we would expect them to work without leaking grounds.
- Floral aroma
- Citrus notes
- Beans cultivated on small farms
- Doesn’t have a full flavor
- Coffee gets overpowered when using cream
- Foil seals come loose
- Expensive
Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best Light Roast K-Cups
Light roast K-cups are a great option if you like mild, complex flavors. So which of our top picks will be your new favorite? Keep reading for our quick buying tips.
Quality
To find the highest-quality K-cups, look for well-constructed cups with tight-fitting foil lids. As for the coffee, you’ll want to look for 100% Arabica beans with interesting nutty or citrusy flavors. Lightly roasting coffee highlights the flavors of the beans, so it’s especially important to find high-quality, fresh coffee beans.
RELATED READ: What are the best light roast coffee beans?
Value
Are you looking to stock up, or would you rather start with a small sample? K-cups come in a variety of box sizes, from 24 pods up to 96. You may pay less per pod if you choose a bulk box, but you don’t want to end up with dozens of pods in a flavor you don’t like. You may want to start with a smaller box and stock up once you find your favorite flavor. The good news is that because K-cups are vacuum-sealed, they don’t go stale as quickly as regular ground coffee.
Some Keurig deals:
Conclusion
K-cups are available in almost every possible flavor and roast level you could ever want. That’s what makes them varied, fun, and convenient. If you love light roast coffee, you’ve got plenty of great options. It’s trial and error to find your favorite one, but once you find it, you’re sure to start the day out right.
Here’s a quick recap of our favorite light roast K-cups. Our top pick is the Caribou Coffee ‘Daybreak Morning Blend’ Light Roast K-Cups, and the runner-up is Starbucks’ Veranda Blend Blonde Roast K Cup Pods. Our third recommendation is the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Breakfast Blend (Light-Roast). We hope these detailed reviews and buying tips help you quickly find a great light roast K-cup brand.
SEE ALSO: 10 Best Light Roast Coffee Brands
