Keurig 2.0 Coffeemakers

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whirlcool

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Saw this on television this morning.

The newly released Keurig 2.0 coffeemakers will not accept any other K-cups other than authentic Keurig pods. There is a camera in the head unit and it looks for the Keurig logo. If it doesn't "see" it, it won't brew. But then it will also punch a hole in the non-Keurig pod rendering it unreturnable. A few coffeeshops in Houston said a bunch of customers have been returning unused, hole punched pods. At this time they are taking them in for returns.

Keurig says this modification was made because their patent on the pods ran out and there are a lot of competitors out there wanting a piece of their pie.

There are still older Keurig pots in the retail channel that don't have this modification. If you were thinking about buying a Keurig pot, now is the time to do it.

The newscaster said the Cuisinart Pod Coffeemaker was a good replacement for the Keurig machine. The Cuisinart don't check for what brand of pod you are using.

Will this backfire in Keurig's face? [this post was last edited: 12/3/2014-15:14]
 
Will this backfire in Keurig's face?

Maybe, although there are enough K-cup converts out there and most people really don't pay attention anyhow, so maybe not.

When I first heard of this I chuckled. Mind you that you couldn't pay me to have a Keurig machine today. I have two failed brewers that maybe did 50 cups of cold weak coffee between them. I full well admit to being a coffee snob, my coworkers chuckle how I grind coffee every morning at work, wondering why I bother...

I asked the sales lady at Macy's about this the other week and her line was "Keurig had too many problems with 2nd party pods malfunctioning, making Keurig look bad". Funny out of the cups of coffee I had brewed with my Keurigs, the aftermarket pods with the filter bag bottom always made the best cup of coffee. Perhaps the malfunction was making the Keurig K-cups look bad ;)

I was in the grocery store recently and there was a 2nd party pod for sale and the packaging didn't mention the word Keurig nor did it say K-cup. It did have a clear profile of a K-cup pictured on the box though. I wondered if they did this so as to not imply it would work in a Keurig brewer since it would likely fail in this new breed of equipment.

My hunch is that this may well be a short lived ploy by Keurig, but the American consumer may not pay attention enough to press them on it.
 
I'm currently playing with two different pod machines. I found both at thrift stores.. A Krups/Delonghi which uses the Nescafe Dolce Gusto pods and a Senseo machine. Interestingly Consumer Reports rated the Delonghi machines which take the NEscafe Dolce Gusto pods the highest however they're hard to find in stores any more so I've ordered on line.. have to say it's great coffee albeit a bit pricey.. The Keurigs didn't even make the grade really. I've had the Senseo machine for awhile and finally found "pods" for it at the local Dutch Market and it makes great coffee as well.. and even better.. they're very inexpensive. 36 for $10. They're exactly like round teabags.. no plastic whatsoever. The other thing with Keurigs is that they can't make espresso which the Dolce Gusto machines can although I think Keurig has just brought out another new machine that can.
 
Keurig just sent me a 2.0 machine to replace my B70 Platinum brewer that was only 3 months old and would not always pump the water. Before it arrived I discovered on-line that non Keurig approved k-cups would not work and there were a lot of people pissed off with Keurig. HOWEVER there is also a very simple work around I found on youtube which I am using. Just cut the top off of an approved k-cup and place it on top of the non-approved k-cup. This fools the machine and works just fine.

Gary

PS. See the attached thread for more discussion on 2.0 brewers.

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?56939
 
I have both a K75 Platinum (which is now at the office) and the new 2.0 at home. The 2.0 makes a better cup (using the 'Strong' option) than the older model and it preheats water for the first cup noticeably faster. However...the inability of the 2.0 to use non-Keurig-sanctioned brands is a huge bone of contention for many Keurig fans. It also maxes out at a 10-oz. brew, where the K75 had an 11.5-oz. setting. Grind-your-own fans cannot use the "My K-Cup" reusable pod.

None of these changes are a deal-breaker for me. I have a 'My K-Cup' for the K75 and don't use it, as that negates the convenience factor. I like Starbucks' French, Verona, and Pike Place Market roasts well enough not to miss my go-to bean, the French Roast from Bull Run Roasting Co. (located in Minneapolis). If you prefer Caribou, their Mahogany K-Cup is a great choice. There are now over 300 choices of Keurig-sanctioned K-Cups (coffee, tea, specialty beverages), and I've found the dozen-or-so varieties that fill the bill for me.

The 2.0 allows the brewing of a 28-oz. carafe, but there are only 10 choices of brews at this point. I haven't tried this feature, as it's more fun for everyone to pick and brew their own K-cup. The K75 has become quite popular at work, with co-workers dropping in around 10:00 a.m., mugs in hand.

You can still purchase a K45 model (it's even on Keurig's website) that does not require the use of Keurig-sanctioned K-cups. It also allows the use of a My K-Cup.

Both the K75 and 2.0 have worked flawlessly---so far---and I'm fully aware that Keurig's machines garner a litany of user reviews complaining of a short life. There are several other brands that sell K-cup brewers if you prefer to steer clear of Keurig.

Having said all that, the Keurig does not produce as nuanced a cup as does freshly-ground high quality beans in the Technivorm Moccamaster (which now lives with friends who think it's putzy to work with, but don't deny the quality of the brew) but a well-chosen, fresh K-cup made with fresh, filtered water is certainly well above average. I realize I'm trading nuance for convenience and variety.
[this post was last edited: 12/3/2014-19:23]
 
We're coffee snobs. We like to by our coffee locally from an onsite roaster. Then we grind our own beans. We are hopelessly addicted to vacuum coffee. We use fresh spring water for our coffeemaking. There is nothing as smooth as a cup of freshly brewed vacuum coffee made with spring water in the morning. I think the chlorine in regular water ruins the taste of coffee.

So for us, using a Kuerig machine would be like making coffee with one of those automated coffe dispenser vending machines which dispense coffee into a paper cup.
But we do know a number of people who are not retired who love the convenience of the K-Cup brewing process. They said it simplifies life.
 
My mother bought one of those shortlived V-Cup Keurigs last year and the pump died on it so they're sending one of the new 2.0 machines that only lets you use the Keurig K-Cups. I think their experimenting on customers like this is poppycock but at least they seem to do a good job standing behind their products.

I'll stick to my trusty commercial Bunn brewer and Baratza burr grinder thank you very much. I hate anything but fresh ground coffee anyway.
 
I had similar problems with my Platinum Keurig. So I parked it two years ago. Will wait until I hear unqualified cheers for the 2.0 version before I bite on that one.

 

Personally I think Keurig is a bit of a rip-off. Mediocre weak coffee at best when it works. I did sample a Nespresso brew at a store last year. It was excellent. But the machines are also pricey and I'm sure the pods are through the roof as well.

 

Meanwhile if I really want home espresso, I have a couple of machines that can do it just fine, for far less cost. And the Cuisinart Thermal Burr Grind 'N Brew makes a great pot. Hell, a manual Melitta filter setup over a single cup is less bother than a Keurig.

 
 
The faux-Euro name on an American product doubtless made in China tells you all you need to know. If the price alone weren't enough.

I can make a perfectly scrumptious cup from a $12 drip automatic (preheating is key) but about a year ago over a span of one weekend I decided it wasn't worth the bother and quit coffee altogether, after an 8-cup habit when I was working in the late 90s. Never missed it.
 
I like the convenience of single cups but I have to say I'm a little bit bothered by all the plastic waste from the k cups and dolce gusto type pods. That's where this Senseo machine shines with its teabag type capsules, no plastic. I think the Braun Tassimo is the same.. I haven't actually seen the Tassimo pods
 
You may have seen "Ned" in some of my Pics...

Personally KEURIG is drastically over-rated! The $12 K-Cups... The unreliabilty... The flavor of what you last brewed, sometimes imparting its flavor on what you next brew... And you sometimes want more than one cup, and maybe a flavor that just tastes like COFFEE!

I'm sticking w/ my 8-+-Year-Old MISTER COFFEE ("actually you can call me "Ned!"), thank you... --It (He?) still WORKS!

-- Dave
 
Keuirg update: McDonald's "McCafe" coffee has appeared on store shelves in K-Cup form. Found French Roast and Medium Roast versions at a Hy-Vee grocery store. Picked up a box of French Roast and it's actually pretty good, though I still prefer Starbucks or Caribou.

Coming soon: Campbell's Soups. There's a K-cup to brew the broth and a stir-in packet with noodles/veg/whatever. Would imagine it is of the same quality as the little microwaveable bowls of soup. (In other words, sodium for days.)

Nature Valley has released a K-Cup oatmeal. Again, there's a K-cup to brew the flavored water and a stir-in packet with oats, nuts, and fruit.

Am enjoying my Keurig 2.0. It has a 'Strong' setting, which makes for a richer cup than the K75 was able to muster. There's also a dedicated cycle for specialty drinks like hot cocoa, as well as a hot water-dispensing button. It'll be interesting to see if it rates any higher than the K75. Consumer Reports is currently testing the 2.0.

Have been purchasing nearly all K-cups from Keurig's website. Gotta chuckle at the user reviews: Each and every beverage has reviews that range from "..my favorite K-cup! Excellent!" to "...this is the worst crap ever. Don't buy it!"[this post was last edited: 12/22/2014-05:39]

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<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">I have the Keurig 2.0 as well and I am much happier with it once I learned the trick of using the K-Cups without the Keuring logo on the top.  I gave away quite a few packs of coffee because of the little OOPS!! in the display before I learned of this trick.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">I don't use this as my primary coffeemaker but it's nice to have it when I want just one cup of something later in the day.  I'm not a big flavored coffee fan either so my favorite so far is the Dunkin' Donuts coffee regular roast. </span>
 
Ralph-- My old K75 is now at the office, so non-sanctioned K-cups are being used up there. I really like the 2.0. a lot. We'll see if they last longer than the previous models. I'm not a huge fan of flavored coffee either, but have found I like Green Mountain's Hazelnut. There's a pecan version I might try, too.

The Hot Apple Cider is excellent with a plain creamer (and a bit of caramel syrup if you have it) added. Also find myself having a hot cocoa (Swiss Miss K-cup) now and then.

Dunkin Donuts' coffees are shown at the Keurig website, but listed as "Not In Stock." From what's said in the user reviews, this seems to be a permanent situation, as DD apparently chooses to sell its K-cups only in its own stores. You can find it on amazon.com, but the price is very high. DD has pretty much abandoned Minnesota.
 

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