Keurig is a popular single-serve coffee maker brand that is known for its convenient pod-based brewing system. While Keurig is best known for its wide variety of coffee options, the company does offer some non-coffee pod options as well, including chai tea lattes.
What is chai tea?
Chai tea is a spiced tea drink that originated in India. It is traditionally made with black tea, milk, and a blend of spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. This combination of flavors gives chai its signature spicy, robust, and warming taste.
Chai lattes are an adaptation of chai tea made by steeping chai tea concentrate or spices in hot milk. This results in a creamy, sweet, and aromatic beverage that has become popular at coffee shops and cafes, especially during the fall and winter months.
Does Keurig offer chai tea latte pods?
Yes, Keurig does make chai tea latte pods that are compatible with their single-serve brewers. Here are some of the chai tea latte pod options available from Keurig:
- Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Chai Latte K-Cup Pods
- TIMOTHY’S World Coffee Chai Latte K-Cup Pods
- Celestial Seasonings Chai Latte K-Cup Pods
- Bigelow Benefits Refresh Turmeric Chili Matcha Green Tea
These pods contain concentrated chai tea or a chai tea blend that can be brewed over milk in a Keurig machine to create an easy chai latte. The pods come in a variety of chai flavors and spice blends to suit different tastes.
How to Make a Chai Latte with Keurig
Making a chai latte with a Keurig machine is a quick and simple process:
- Fill a mug with milk, any variety like regular dairy milk, almond milk, oat milk, etc. Fill the mug about 3/4 full to leave room for the chai concentrate.
- Insert a chai tea latte K-cup pod into the Keurig brewer.
- Brew the pod and be sure to use the mug with milk as the cup.
- Stir the chai concentrate and milk together until well-combined.
- Customize your latte with toppings like whipped cream, cinnamon, sugar, or vanilla.
- Enjoy your freshly brewed chai latte!
The milk provides the creamy base while the chai pod infuses rich spiced tea flavor, doing all the work of steeping and concentrate-making for you. It’s a fast and easy way to create the taste of a chai latte at home.
Pros and Cons of Keurig Chai Tea Latte Pods
Here are some of the key pros and cons to consider with Keurig’s chai tea latte K-cup pods:
Pros:
- Convenient and fast preparation – Just pop in a pod and brew over milk.
- Consistent flavor – Pods contain measured amounts of chai tea for reliable taste.
- Variety – Can choose different chai flavors and spice levels.
- Simple cleanup – No need to wash any equipment like infusers.
- Customizable – Can adjust amount of milk, sweetness, and toppings.
Cons:
- Upfront cost of buying a Keurig machine if you don’t already own one.
- Recurring cost of buying pods.
- Limited control over brewing process.
- Pods produce plastic waste.
- May not taste exactly like chai from a coffee shop.
Other Ways to Make Chai Tea Lattes
While Keurig does offer a simple way to make chai lattes at home, there are some other preparation methods to consider:
- Stovetop chai concentrate – Simmer chai tea bags and spices in water, then strain and mix with hot milk.
- Spice blends – Mix your own homemade chai spice blend into hot milk.
- Concentrate bottles – Purchase ready-to-use chai concentrate to mix with milk.
- Tea bags – Steep chai tea bags in hot milk to infuse flavor.
- Iced chai – Brew chai over ice or use cold milk for iced lattes.
The stovetop and homemade spice methods will provide the most control over flavor. But Keurig pods offer unbeatable speed and ease for hot chai lattes at the press of a button.
Conclusion
Yes, Keurig does make chai tea latte K-cup pods that provide a fast, easy way to enjoy chai lattes at home. Simply fill a mug with hot milk, pop in a chai pod, brew, and customize to your taste. While not quite the same as a professionally crafted chai latte, Keurig chai pods provide convenience, consistency, and customization in an easy-to-use format. So if you love chai lattes, owning a Keurig brewer opens up the possibility of making customized chai drinks any time the craving strikes right from your own kitchen.
