Keurig

[dmbRedGetta]

Got one of these for Christmas and man, I love this thing!

Anybody else have one?

I like bold coffee -- a nice dark roast with a good bit of caffeine. So far, Newman's Extra Bold has been my favorite. Two cups of that stuff and I'm buzzing nicely.

Any other recommendations on good strong coffees?

 

[FrFtr28]

I got one for my wife for Christmas (I don't drink coffee) and she loves it. It's perfect since she only needs to make a single cup for herself.

 

[dataz722]

My parents have one and they love it. The coffee for them is just so damn expensive.

 

[HIM_Tattoos]

A couple people in the office have them and I use it regularly, I found the Kona blend to be better the Newman Bold.

 

[dmbRedGetta]

My parents have one and they love it. The coffee for them is just so damn expensive.

Yeah, I agree with that, but it's better than a regular pot of coffee, and it's quite a lot cheaper than Starbucks and places like that. We've found that Bed, Bath, and Beyond is the cheapest place for it, especially when you use one of those 20% off coupons we get all the time.

 

[JJL]

I got one for Christmas too. It makes really good coffee. I bought the filter insert so I don't have to buy the cups all the time. I just buy my preferred brand of ground coffee or whole beans. It's a lot cheaper.

If you want bold coffee, you can't go wrong with Sumatran IMO.

 

[gregger]

YES... it's quick and easy, got one for X-mas as well. A few bold, medium-dark roast coffees you'll like are below. But that's if you use the K-cups. I'll convert to the pod insert soon enough so I can make my own coffee blends and brew some fresh ground coffee:

• Tully's Extra Bold Kona Coffee
• Emeril's Big Easy Bold
• Green Mountain Dark Magic Extra Bold

 

[dmbRedGetta]

If you want bold coffee, you can't go wrong with Sumatran IMO.

Agreed. That's already worked into my normal rotation. I love the different spice notes in it!

 

[dmbRedGetta]

• Tully's Extra Bold Kona Coffee
• Emeril's Big Easy Bold
• Green Mountain Dark Magic Extra Bold

I'm not too big on Kona. They all taste too acidic to me.

However, Emeril's was great.

Haven't tried the Dark Magic yet... I'll have to pick some of that up next time.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[mr_goodwrench]

Got SWMBO one for Christmas and I can't believe we went this long without one. I too am a fan of very bold coffee while SWMBO likes it a bit more mild, so this is perfect for us. As for the bold k-cups, you have to check out Coffee People's stuff. Their Donut Shop blend came with our machine and was pretty good but the have an XBold series that includes Jet Fuel, Black Tiger and Wake Up Call.

 

[gregger]

Got SWMBO one for Christmas and I can't believe we went this long without one. I too am a fan of very bold coffee while SWMBO likes it a bit more mild, so this is perfect for us. As for the bold k-cups, you have to check out Coffee People's stuff. Their Donut Shop blend came with our machine and was pretty good but the have an XBold series that includes Jet Fuel, Black Tiger and Wake Up Call.

Any coffee named Jet Fuel deserves a taste.

 

[mr_goodwrench]

Any coffee named Jet Fuel deserves a taste.

That is my favorite one.

 

[Bobby_M]

I got one as a gift and returned it. The cups are too expensive for how much coffee I drink. My morning fix was going to cost $3. So then people tell me to get the $20 stainless screen to put my own grind in. Ok, so tell me again why it's a better solution to the $20 drip coffee maker?

 

[gregger]

I got one as a gift and returned it. The cups are too expensive for how much coffee I drink. My morning fix was going to cost $3. So then people tell me to get the $20 stainless screen to put my own grind in. Ok, so tell me again why it's a better solution to the $20 drip coffee maker?

No need to clean as often, A LOT less waste (liquid and coffee grinds), some will filter your water before it brews. And looks better on the counter?

 

[TwoFortySX]

I bought one for the SWMBO for Valentine's Day. She loves the thing, and I will agree it has some great flavored coffee and tea k-cups. However, I drink almost an entire pot of coffee in the morning hours so its very impractical for me to use it. For her though, those little 6 ounce servings are perfect. :fro:

 

[Bobby_M]

That's weird, I don't lose any liquid when I brew coffee. What makes my coffee maker require cleaning more often? How does a Keurig require less coffee grinds? Looks better, maybe.

Granted, like twofortySX, I drink a lot of coffee, about six 6oz cups of coffee in the morning. I can see if someone is satisfied with a single 6oz "taster" before they leave the house, I get it.

 

[JJL]

I got one as a gift and returned it. The cups are too expensive for how much coffee I drink. My morning fix was going to cost $3. So then people tell me to get the $20 stainless screen to put my own grind in. Ok, so tell me again why it's a better solution to the $20 drip coffee maker?

You're not going to get as good of a cup of coffee out of a cheap drip coffee maker. If you spend the money on something like a Bunn, it's probably a wash in terms of quality. But then it's also a wash on price. The Keurig is definitely more efficient though. I have the filter, and when I buy coffee it lasts quite a bit longer than when I had a drip coffee maker. But, I agree that the cups are too expensive.

 

[Bobby_M]

I'm open to being schooled on coffee brewing for sure. I'm just not getting how a Keurig makes a more efficient cup of coffee. I use about 1 level tablespoon of ground coffee per 6oz cup and in my case, 6 of them.

Are you making a point about water temp or how the water goes through the grinds? What else?

 

[JJL]

I think the biggest difference is consistency. The water is always the correct temp. The grind is always the same (which it would be with any coffee maker). The water to ground contact time is always the same. The keurig pumps the water through the grounds. With a drip maker, the water pools in the filter and drips out.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't know all of the science behind it. I spend way more time on beer science. I just know that I get a much more consistent and clean tasting cup of coffee with the keurig than any of my old drip coffee makers. I suspect it is due to the water temp and the rate at which the water flows through the grounds.

 

[gregger]

Dang you drink a lot of coffee. These pod type coffee makers won't be the better choice for everyone. But it sure is for me and probably most others similar to me who only drink 1, maybe 2 cups a day or every few days. Since I can make a cup at a time, I don't waste much. You wouldn't believe how much coffee I've wasted by thinking I'm going to drink a certain amount. I fill up the coffee filter, put 5 cups a coffee in the thing, and end up barely finishing my first cup.

I can put my 12 ounce travel mug under there, turn it on, put my shoes on, turn the tv off, grab my mug and I'm out the door. No unused coffee sitting in the glass pot. By the way I've broken like 10 of those damn glass pot things in the sink when trying to rinse them out. Mostly when I was in college with a Jager hangover of death.

 

[JJL]

Dang you drink a lot of coffee. These pod type coffee makers won't be the better choice for everyone. But it sure is for me and probably most others similar to me who only drink 1, maybe 2 cups a day or every few days. Since I can make a cup at a time, I don't waste much. You wouldn't believe how much coffee I've wasted by thinking I'm going to drink a certain amount. I fill up the coffee filter, put 5 cups a coffee in the thing, and end up barely finishing my first cup.

I can put my 12 ounce travel mug under there, turn it on, put my shoes on, turn the tv off, grab my mug and I'm out the door. No unused coffee sitting in the glass pot. By the way I've broken like 10 of those damn glass pot things in the sink when trying to rinse them out. Mostly when I was in college with a Jager hangover of death.

Yep, I do about the same thing. I have mine programmed to heat the water right before I'm ready to brew.

 

[Bobby_M]

It's all about lifestyle apparently. I don't brew more coffee than I drink. I fill the tank with 36 ounces, let it drip, pour it into my preheated thermos and out the door I go. Yup, I drink 36 oz between when I get to work and when I eat lunch.

Pet peeve: the coffee industry redefined a "cup" to 6oz.

 

[JJL]

It's just like making beer. If it works for you, then you stick with it.

 

[jvcjbl]

I am getting one this weekend. Our Costco has the Cusinart (deluxe model) for $165 with the metal filter and 60 cups. I drink two Starbucks sized mugs a day at that is it. My drip coffee maker is ok but, it takes too much ground to get the strength I like and then I always have left overs. I am tired of every morning cleaning out the filter basket and rinsing and cleaning the pot. I only take one 12 oz cup to work and then refill once, once I am there this is the perfect option for me. I don't like the looks of the Keurig brand ones so I have been waiting for this for a while. I mean in a perfect world I'd break out my Bodum Chambord but I don't have time for French Press Coffee in the morning. I also have an Aero Press (FREAKING AMAZING!!) but again, don't have time to preheat water...etc.

 

[mr_goodwrench]

I used to think the same way as Bobby since I tend to drink a good deal of coffee. But as I said earlier, SWMBO doesn't care for the strength of coffee that I brew so I was always hearing complaints that I made it too strong. With the Keurig, we both get coffee to our own taste and more importantly, I get no more complaints from SWMBO! For me, its priceless. Besides, we save money in lots of other areas (make most of our own bread, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, etc.) so we can afford to splurge a bit where we want. For us, it works.

 

[broadbill]

We just got one and its worked out well. The coffee that comes out of them is fantastic and you can get the variety if you like that sort of thing. I usually do either a French press or the Keurig to fill up my morning travel mug. The wife gets her coffee at work. So its not like we are burning 3-4 K-cups a morning filling up our mugs.

We keep a larger coffee pot for when company comes. The pot sucked at making a partial cup (for filling my travel mug) so I'm glad to see it go. It does OK with a full batch though.

We recently bought a Solofill so we can put our own ground coffee in it. Wanted to use the My K-cup but it doesn't fit in the B-series machine that we have. Solofill does fit, but I can't get a decent cup out of it yet. The web has tons of people who do use the solofill and get good results, so maybe its the coffee I'm using (Dunkin donuts pre-ground)...experimentation will continue...

 

[wuertele]

I love my Keurig, I got mine for FREE because my dad was head engineer at Keurig for many years. I think he's probably responsible for building most of the Keurig brewers owned by HBT folks!

 

[JJL]

I am getting one this weekend. Our Costco has the Cusinart (deluxe model) for $165 with the metal filter and 60 cups. I drink two Starbucks sized mugs a day at that is it. My drip coffee maker is ok but, it takes too much ground to get the strength I like and then I always have left overs. I am tired of every morning cleaning out the filter basket and rinsing and cleaning the pot. I only take one 12 oz cup to work and then refill once, once I am there this is the perfect option for me. I don't like the looks of the Keurig brand ones so I have been waiting for this for a while. I mean in a perfect world I'd break out my Bodum Chambord but I don't have time for French Press Coffee in the morning. I also have an Aero Press (FREAKING AMAZING!!) but again, don't have time to preheat water...etc.

I've got one of those presses laying around too. You're right, they make great coffee, but it takes a year and a day.

 

[dmbRedGetta]

I tried to convince my wife to let me brew regular pots of coffee still since I drink about half a pot each morning, but she insists that we can afford for me to get my fix. I'm not going to argue. I'm satisfied with two cups of coffee, and I brew each k cup twice for the same cup, once on the middle setting and once on the small. Yeah, I like strong coffee but I'm cheap. And their settings don't fill our cups.

What I love most about the keurig is being able to make a fresh cup in the afternoon or evening in a matter of minutes.

 

[John_FL]

I am a bit surprised nobody has mentioned the tremendous amount of garbage these things must be generating. Those little plastic cups add up if you use 365 of them a year. Sure they may be recyclable (not even 100% sure the are with the foil lid), but it is sad what a small percentage of the population actually recycles. If you do go this route, at least use the re-fillable cartridge.

 

[jvcjbl]

I am a bit surprised nobody has mentioned the tremendous amount of garbage these things must be generating. Those little plastic cups add up if you use 365 of them a year. Sure they may be recyclable (not even 100% sure the are with the foil lid), but it is sad what a small percentage of the population actually recycles. If you do go this route, at least use the re-fillable cartridge.

Do a google search for Penn & Teller's Bull**** about landfills.

 

[jpc]

My company provides "free" Peet's coffee, but I can't stand it. Tastes like battery acid to me, and upsets my stomach something awful.

So... I went out and bought one for my cube. I've tried a bunch of varieties, but my favorites are the Green Mountain Sumatran Reserve, Tully's Kona blend, and the one I can never find, Green Mountain Kenya AA.

Yes, it's about $0.50 a cup, but compared to the cost of Charbucks, it's still relatively cheap.

 

[BoxofRain]

I love mine. We buy our coffee in bulk from either BJs or Costco.

 

[jvcjbl]

Went to Costco today and picked mine up... here she is. $164.99 in the store... $10 cheaper than the site.

 

[JJL]

I am a bit surprised nobody has mentioned the tremendous amount of garbage these things must be generating. Those little plastic cups add up if you use 365 of them a year. Sure they may be recyclable (not even 100% sure the are with the foil lid), but it is sad what a small percentage of the population actually recycles. If you do go this route, at least use the re-fillable cartridge.

I don't use the cups. I use the washable filter insert with regular coffee. I'm sure a lot of people do. It's a lot cheaper.

Do a google search for Penn & Teller's Bull**** about landfills.

I love this show. It's funny, educational, and has gratuitous nudity. What more could you want.

 

[Demon]

I've got two of them and gave three as gifts last Christmas. Absolutely love these coffee makers. Biggest benefit for me is that I drink several cups throughout the day, so each one is fresh made without making a whole pot and letting it sit all day. My favorite is Donut Shop by Coffee People.

 

[jvcjbl]

^^^ Donut Shop is awesome!

 

[remilard]

I am a bit surprised nobody has mentioned the tremendous amount of garbage these things must be generating. Those little plastic cups add up if you use 365 of them a year. Sure they may be recyclable (not even 100% sure the are with the foil lid), but it is sad what a small percentage of the population actually recycles. If you do go this route, at least use the re-fillable cartridge.

I'm surprised this passed the common sense filter but my wife and I produce one normal kitchen garbage can sized bag of garbage a week. Our Keurig waste makes up about 2% of that, by volume. Not really the biggest fish if I wanted to reduce the amount of garbage I produce.

I don't have any kids though so if reducing garbage and carbon output are the goal, I have a head start most people could never make up with recycling or not using k-cups or any of these other minuscule efforts that are easy to do and make you feel good.

 

[RIBeer]

SWMBO and I got each other a Keurig for Christmas. I went with the reason that it made sense, seeing that she does the flavored coffees, and I stick to decaf. Honestly, I really did it in self defense. While I love her to death, she's just one of those people who can't make coffee. I don't know why. I've seen her do it, and she does pretty much the exact same thing that I do, just hers winds up tasting like someone squeezed a lizard into the pot.

The other battle we have is her instance on using whatever travel cup she grabs first. I've complained hundreds of times that her flavored stuff doesn't wash out, and leaves my coffee tasting like crap.