KEURIG? What's all the hype?

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We currently have the Juan Valdez pod machine attached (which I think is similar to the Melitta one), but we are thinking of upgrading. The Keurig has many varieties of coffee available, and also offers the refillable k-cup to use one's own coffee. We are considering buying a Keurig, but I am curious - do you need to clean it after each use?

With our current machine, after brewing, we remove the pod and then brew plain water through to rinse out the pod holder, spout, etc. I run the removable parts though the dishwasher once in a while, but not after every use.

joe_in_philly++12-3-2010-14-09-16.jpg
 
No the Keurig does not have to be cleaned after every use.

I have the Keurig mini brewer (B30 I think) at work. I've had it just over a year and yesterday it decided to not work. It heated up the water and then just shut off. I thought maybe the pin spout was plugged so I cleaned it with a paper clip but it still won't work. Any ideas?

How does the Tassimo compare to Keurig? better/worse?

Gary
 
brewing and boiling temps

I have a Cuisinart drip machine at home (not the one with the chrome in front and black sides that everyone seems to have; I have a simpler all white machine) that has a "1-4 cups" button on it. As I understand from the manual, pushing the 1-4 cups button produces water at a hotter temperature, the reason being that brewing only a few cups means a much shorter cycle, and if the button isn't activated, you get water coming out that's not hot enough to brew the small amount of coffee in the filter. It also takes a extra minute or two to start brewing, since the start temperature is hotter.

Using the regular (1-4 button inactivated) cycle supposedly starts with cooler water to wet the grounds, then the water gets hotter as the cycle progresses. I suppose that someone making a small amount who felt the product was too bitter with 1-4 activated has the option of not using it, so as to use cooler water.

At work, we have a Tefal Vitesse electric water kettle. It has an adjustable thermostat, and we keep it on the low end (about 180) for making hot water for tea. We get the "first boil" but it shuts down before we reach second or third boil. The model has a fully heated steel bottom rather than just a coil, so that more hot metal contacts the water. The result is that it boils in about half the time of my Bodum Ibis kettle at home. I think the Tefal is 1800W vs 1500W for Bodum. The Bodum has only a coil at the bottom of the kettle (it is however a great space saver with its elliptical base).
 
Cuisinart

Does anyone have this Cuisinart Cup at a Time brewer? It has been discontinued but BEST BUY has it refurb for 55.00. This looks like a great alternative to Keurig but wish it allowed you to use paper filters.

 
The value of Keurig and other such gadgets is frankly lost on me. For years, I just used a small filter assembly that sat on top of a cup for my single cup needs. It worked well, it lasted and lasted with no heating elements to break, and it used coffee cheaper than the pod stuff. A pod system would be easier to clean, I guess, but it's not so easy that it's worth the extra expense to me.

I guess I can see a Keurig as a general purpose coffee maker for work environments, although--again--if it's my dollar that's needed to buy the coffee, I'd go with a simple, easily stowed brewing system, or Thermos brought from home.
 
Keurig

I love the Keurig machine. I never thought that I would ever get away from a delicious cup of perked coffee, but once I started to use a Keurig, I was impressed. You get a fresh piping hot cup of coffee in less that 30 seconds every time. My home brewer is four years old, and is somewhat loud. The machines made today though, have a redesigned pump, and is quiet. You get the convenience of choice of coffee per cup, decaf, light, medium, or dark, roasts, or flavored. You don't have to brew a whole pot of coffee, so there is no waste, and you don't have to drink the whole pot in less than half an hour before it starts to get bitter, burned, or Rancid. I am employed by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and we also own Keurig. We roast and package some of the finest coffee you can buy. There are so many varieties and flavors of coffee that there has to be something to please the pallet of everyone. Just have to take the time to find your favorite. I suggest purchasing an assortment box of k-cups so you can compare tastes to your liking. Some are very robust and bold, and others prefer lighter blends. Once you find your preference, then you know what you will want to purchase in the future. If the cost of k-cups is the issue, then there is a reusable k-cup basket that you use whatever coffee you wish to use. If you purchase your coffee at the dollar store, that's up to you. Just put a spoonful or so of your own coffee into the basket, and load into the Keurig brewer. Once done, dump the grounds into the trash, or compost, or rinse down the drain, and it is ready to reuse. The brewer also brews tea, hot chocolate, cider, or just a cup of hot water if you want to have an instant soup or whatever. I think it is quite a remarkable system.

 
Keurig Appeal

The reason I want one is that I need a single cup of coffee in the morning to get me going during the week. No time to brew a pot and even less chance it will get consumed. Now the weekend is a different story of course.

We had a demo machine in our office at work for a week. It was amazing compared to the standard crap we are provided. Alas, the company didn't want to pay for it. Too bad. They could have put a coin-op in and sold it for 50c a cup.

Malcolm
 
Since my mini brewer (model B30) quit last week and I've had no success in getting it working even after going through the descaling process, I decided to get another machine. I opted for a Tassimo this time around - the B65 model. It is quick, quiet and easy to use. It has the LCD display that gives step by step directions. I have found that the T-discs are less expensive than the k-cups (at least around here). It works out to about $0.50 per cup whereas the Keurig was anywhere from $0.65 and up. There don't seem to be nearly as many varieties however.

Gary
 
I've recently cup down on my coffee consumption. I drink a large (12 oz) mug in the morning and that's it. My Cuisinart drip machine has a 2-4 cup setting (heats water to higher temp before pumping water over grounds). I use the mug to measure the water, so I add only enough water to fill the mug, and there is thus no waste. Very occasionally I will make more than this, and store the excess in a preheated commuter thermos for use later in the day. The machine has a glass rather than a thermal carafe, so I either have to drink the coffee right away or place in a thermos.

When the current machine gives out, I think I'd either choose between a drip machine with thermal carafe (as long as it has a 2-4 cup switch) or a Keurig and use fill-it-yourself K-cups.

Question for those who know: what's the largest amount of coffee you can make at one time with a Keurig? Can you make enough for a large mug or commuter mug?
 
For PassatDoc

The Keurig machine I have is the B60, and is or was the most common, or middle brewer. It's a nice looking machine with a blue backlight, timer, clock. It can be programmed to come on and off at a certain time of the day. This way you are not wasting energy. It takes less than a minute to heat up the water for a cup of coffee, so if you don't use the timer, and just turn it on as needed, you have less than a minute waiting time. It has three brew settings. 5.25 oz 7.25 oz and 9.25 oz. The next step up machine is called the Keurig Platinum, and has more features, and two extra brew sizes. 3.25 oz if you want a smaller or stronger coffee, and is recommended for the iced tea k-cups to allow for more ice, and the large 11.25 oz setting for the travel mugs of coffee or just a larger cup. Also available now are larger k-cups which fit both machines, and give you a stronger or larger brew. Well use for the larger setting without loosing any umph.
 
The problem of only needing one cup in the morning, and winding up tossing most of the coffee in the pot later, was a reason why I went for the Keurig.

It has also helped me cut down on my coffee consumption. I was getting a bit jittery trying to keep up with the Grind 'n Brew. Which I still have, but haven't fired it up for months now.

It's nice to know there are larger K-cups available for the larger sized the Platinum can do. I've tried the largest size with regular ("Bold") K-cups and the brew is too weak. If I had any complaint about the Keurig, that would be it. So I just use the default setting and that's fine. One cannot have the excellent convenience of a machine like the Keurig and be able to break the rules of conservation of mass ;-).
 
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