Should I Buy a Single Cup Brewer?

[kam]

We are trying to decide if we should purchase a Single Cup Coffee Brewer. I said I would never do this, but DH and I thought this might be nice to grab a quick cup on work mornings.

We are looking at the Keurigs, but I guess my question could apply to all...

1. Do you like it?

2. Brewing different sizes...since you are using the same size (amount of) coffee, if I were to buy a machine with cup sizes from 6-12 oz, wouldn't that make the 6 oz cup strong and the 12 oz really weak?

3. If I wanted to fill my travel mug (13 oz) would I be better off brewing 2-6 oz cups or 1-12 oz??

4. If I get the filter where I can put my own coffee in, can I change the amount of coffee, hence determining how strong the coffee is regardless of my cup size?

Geez. I guess those are my basic questions.

 

[susanr613]

Those are good questions! I had a Senseo and now have a Tassimo. The Senseo is good for different size cups, as a pod brews I think 4-6 ounces at a time. You can also make your own pods with the coffee you prefer. I no longer havd the Senseo because I forced the pod holder mechanism and broke it. Also, I found that if I didn't close it just so, it would leak. Finally, the coffee was never really hot.

I love my Tassimo. It heats up fast, takes all of 90 seconds from cold water to a cup of steaming hot coffee, and you can play with it to get stronger/weaker less/more. I like the variety of drinks, from several different brands of coffee, including Starbucks, to tea to hot chocolate. When I have people over, I can serve them exactly what they want without making a whole pot. The main drawback is cost. You cannot make your own pods, so you're stuck ordering theirs forever. I am on the direct delivery system with Tassimo so I'm hoping to save money there.

I have no experience with Keurig.

IMO I think the Tassimo coffee tastes better, is hotter, and the machine is sturdier.

I also think that unless you drink a pot of coffee everyday, a single-cup machine is great.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[Teresa Lynn]

My son at college and i each have the Krups Home Cafe
Bought them at Lowe's when they came out a few years ago Love them
I have a friend with Tassimo and she complains about the cost

 

[LeslieSGI]

We have Keurig at work; everyone buys their own pods and we share the machine. Some observations:

- you can make your own pods.
- making them is kind of a pain
- Everyone can have a different beverage.
- Once the water heats up, a cup of coffee is ready FAST.
- we have been using ours for more than 2 years and it is still going strong
- you can buy pods over the internet (coffee giant, coffee cow, etc. cheaper than at a store and the selection is better)
- still pricey IMHO
- register for the Keurig Green Mountain House Party and you might get one free!
- yes, the amount of water may be different but the pod is the same basic amount of coffee so using more water does make weaker coffee.
- water has to reheat after every cup so if you want to make 2 pods in one cup takes longer and it takes 2 pods to fill a travel mug​

​

 

[kam]

We have Keurig at work; everyone buys their own pods and we share the machine. Some observations:

- you can make your own pods.
- making them is kind of a pain
- Everyone can have a different beverage.
- Once the water heats up, a cup of coffee is ready FAST.
- we have been using ours for more than 2 years and it is still going strong
- you can buy pods over the internet (coffee giant, coffee cow, etc. cheaper than at a store and the selection is better)
- still pricey IMHO
- register for the Keurig Green Mountain House Party and you might get one free!
- yes, the amount of water may be different but the pod is the same basic amount of coffee so using more water does make weaker coffee.
- water has to reheat after every cup so if you want to make 2 pods in one cup takes longer and it takes 2 pods to fill a travel mug​

​

Thank you for clarifying that it takes 2 pods to fill a travel mug. We are choosing between 2 machines, one only goes up to 10 oz, the more expensive one goes up to 12 oz. I didn't want to spend more on the 12oz option if I probably won't use it anyway.

Also, we are probably going to make our own k-cups (Green Mtn doesn't offer our fave in k-cups). Can the amount of coffee be varied if I create my own k-cup??

Thanks!

 

[vwpamperedchef]

I have a keurig and I love it!! I personally do not use two pods for a travel mug. Mine has the three choices on it, small cup, regular cup and travel mug. One pod makes enough for a travel mug.

I have the insert for Kcups to use my own personal coffee and to be honest THAT thing is a pain...I'd rather use the kcups.

You can get Kcups at amazon.com and we love Coffee | Gourmet Coffee | Coffee Beans which is awesome. I do buy a lot from greenmountain.com

I don't think its pricy as someone said, go to Bed Bath and Beyond, bring your 20% off coupon...and there you have it. Should it break or your unhappy with it, you can return i to BBB with your receipt.

I think is soooooooooo worth it. PM me if you have other questions.

 

[LeslieSGI]

Not really; it is the same basic size as the package pods. According to the directions for it, maximum coffee you can out in it is 2.7 tablespoons.​

 

[Jessamary]

For a second there, I thought we were talking Milwaukee baseball and what they wear under their pants...

 

[BettieC]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Keurig!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The choices are endless!!!

With the travel mug, it depends on your taste for coffee, and which k-cup you are using! I LOVE a strong coffee, but find that if I use some brands like there's one called sumutra or something like that. I can use the third cup option, and it tastes GREAT. Other ones I have to use the middle one.

There are also a kazillion places online to get k-cups....lol. Believe it or not, I just got some online at vitacost.

 

[kam]

I have a keurig and I love it!! I personally do not use two pods for a travel mug. Mine has the three choices on it, small cup, regular cup and travel mug. One pod makes enough for a travel mug.

I have the insert for Kcups to use my own personal coffee and to be honest THAT thing is a pain...I'd rather use the kcups.

You can get Kcups at amazon.com and we love Coffee | Gourmet Coffee | Coffee Beans which is awesome. I do buy a lot from greenmountain.com

I don't think its pricy as someone said, go to Bed Bath and Beyond, bring your 20% off coupon...and there you have it. Should it break or your unhappy with it, you can return i to BBB with your receipt.

I think is soooooooooo worth it. PM me if you have other questions.

Can I ask if you have the B60 or B70??? Those are the two I am deciding between and it sounds like you might have the B60....

 

[vwpamperedchef]

Yup, its the B60. I didn''t even know, I had to look! LOL

My MIL got it for me for Christmas two years ago. I love it. Esp since DH likes plain coffee...I like variety of flavors. We still use drip coffee pot too....

Currently I am enjoying Golden French Toast coffee from Green Mountain.com and since I am a frequent buyer I get a discount. So worth it....if you sign up, please use me as a referral. You can PM me for my info

 

[kam]

Yup, its the B60. I didn''t even know, I had to look! LOL

My MIL got it for me for Christmas two years ago. I love it. Esp since DH likes plain coffee...I like variety of flavors. We still use drip coffee pot too....

Currently I am enjoying Golden French Toast coffee from Green Mountain.com and since I am a frequent buyer I get a discount. So worth it....if you sign up, please use me as a referral. You can PM me for my info

I am already a member of the cafe express (we get all our coffee from Grn Mtn already).

We are still planning on using the coffee pot on weekends - since we go through the entire 12-cups. But we would love to grab a quick cup in the morning during the week (and it's not worth brewing a whole pot).

I just looked and saw the French Toast flavor and it sounds YUM! DH hates flavored coffee - but I like it - so it will be nice to have what we want!

OK, now I just have to make the final decision and actually order it!

 

[scottcooks]

We just got a Keurig at work and it's amazing - middle school teacher's lounge. Each teacher buys their own coffee from the supplier - the machine is free to us.

I found you can use a single pod for multiple cups - I like my drip coffee a little lighter than standard, and it lasts longer this way.

 

[Kathy's_Kitchen]

I have the B60 as well and I LOVE it! I'm the only coffee drinker in the house so it is perfect for me. My twin sister gave it to me for Christmas 'cuz she loves me . I normally use the insert thing for my own coffee because it is cheaper but the K-cups are extremely convenient. I enjoy a hot cup of Lipton's Summer Peach tea on cold days and can use the insert for that as well. Plus my nine year old DD has it down for making pods of hot cocoa for herself, little sis, and a bunch of neighborhood kids !

 

[kam]

Thanks to all the POSITIVE comments - I am actually going to order this thing.

But, DH (and a little wine) convinced me to get the B70 (it will brew up to 12oz) insteas of the B60. He is not as big of a coffee drinker (I always ask DH if he wants a little coffee with his creamer) so, I think even if the 12 oz is a little weak, he will still be happy with it!

Thanks to everyone for the help.

 

[vwpamperedchef]

You're welcome, enjoy it!!

And I think the French Toast Coffee is only available til March 1, its a winter flavor, so ORDER IT SOON...

 

[chefannie]

I love my B70! Could not go one day without it! Good choice.

 

[kam]

UPDATE! OK, I broke down and got the Keurig B70.

It is AWESOME! I can't believe I waited so long to order one of these things! Thanks for everyone giving positive reviews - thus pushing me over the fence.

It was so nice to come down this morning and have a quick cup of coffee while getting ready for work. AND what is nice is that DH and I are going to be able drink different coffees! I really feel spoiled having this.

Thanks again!