Keurig coffeemakers - Worth the $$$$?

I'm not a coffee drinker, but my wife drinks it pretty regularly, typically from some chain place on her way to work that charges $4 a cup.

I've been thinking of springing for a good quality single-cup brewing system to give her as a Christmas present, and am curious if anyone has experience with the Keurig line. The one I'm eyeing on Amazon ...

http://www.amazon.com/Keurig-B60-Special-Single-Cup-Home-Brewing/dp/B000AQSMPO/ref=pd_sim_sbs_gro_1

The reviews are mostly positive, but there are some negative ones sprinkled in there. Anyone have a Keurig? Is it worth $150?

 

I have one. I like it. It's convenient. No mess. Lots of choices.

Seems a bit pricey at $150 but maybe that's what they are going for. Got mine as a present last year.

The individual coffees aren't cheap either -- about 50 cents a piece.

But it's quick, trouble-free coffee in the morning.

 

I'm assuming that's one of those pod machines. The problem with the pods is you are limited in what coffee you can drink by what pods you can buy that fit the machine.

I have a more standard coffee maker by Cuisinart. I use a burr grinder by Bodum. I've had both for several years. The grinder is great because it allows you to buy whole beans which make a better, richer-tasting cup. I've had that grinder since about 2003 and it's still going strong. The coffee maker is a little bit newer, maybe 07 or so. Works great.

 

Try a French press. You'll save a gazillion dollars and get better coffee.

 

Love my Keurig. Key is into invest the $17 in the My Keurig cup, so you can fill it with your own ground coffee rather than plunking down $12 for a box of 18 K-Cups.

 

You are not limited.
My wife's also has a thingy that allows you to use regular coffee.

She uses it several times a day and loves it.

The coffee packets? ... About once a month she gets a $10 coupon from JC Pennys. She use the coupon to buy the coffee packets, which cost $10 a box.

 

$20 at BB and Beyond

Just put the coffee you want in there, and press the Keurig.

Kuerig pros...
They use less coffee. You will be amazed how much you were wasting with the other machines.
It's fast.
Uses less energy.
Tastes pretty darn good.

Keurig cons...
Makes a small cup of coffee. If you like the monster mug, like me, I rerun the process 2-3 times to get my big boy mug.
Can be loud.
Will not give you the smoking hot cup of coffee a percolator or press will give you but hotter than a hotplate coffee maker.

 

I love my press, but it does take longer to make a cup and is more of a clean up than the Keurig.

 

But makes more than a single cup at a time.

Also, less expensive buy-in; less expensive over time; greener; better coffee.

 

True. That is why I restart my Keurig with the same coffee to fil my mug.

The press will use two to three times more coffee to make my same sized cup. It will use more energy because I need to boil the water, and my wife tends to break the glass inserts which adds to my cost.

But the press makes a better tasting cup.

My mom, a coffee junkie, uses something like this...

 

I did not know about the little "my cup" adapter. That's interesting. The girl at BB&B who was doing the demo the other day did the Keurig machine a great disservice. I actually asked about the limited selection of pods and she made no mention whatsoever of "my cup" adapters.

Not that I would have bought it because I see no reason to buy another machine until the current one keels over. I was there for the free sample...

 

Or be like my friend who swears by his chemex. Wish I had time to make my coffee like that in the morning.