Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Totally Buzzed GBE2 #37 (Topic: Write a review)

 
I love coffee. (I love doughnuts too....but that's a whole other blog.)

I mean, I really love coffee.  I'm a caffeine addict to the core and, like many people, I just don't feel right until I've had that first cup of the day. 

I don't love it as much as my sister does.  SHE lives across the street from a popular local convenience store and has admitted that quite often she will run across the street and buy a cup...while she's waiting for her own pot to brew!  I'm not quite that addicted....or impatient (I love you sis!  Don't hit me!)


I'm the only truly serious coffee drinker in my house, but I only drink a cup (maybe two) out of a pot.  I'm not sure if anyone else feels this way (or if I'm just nutty) but I feel that making a smaller portion of coffee results in coffee that just isn't as tasty as when you prepare the full pot.  Everyday...sometimes several times a day...I would make a full pot of coffee in order to drink one cup.

In the summer, I save the excess and leave it in the fridge for iced coffee.  But in the cooler months, I am quite wasteful.

I thought I had a solution to this problem....get a Keurig!!  One cup at a time.  No wasted coffee.  I figured in the long run, it might even save me money.  I was planning to buy one with my income tax refund, but Jeff surprised me and bought me one as a graduation present.

(Goodbye old friend...you'll barely be missed)


I have to say....I love almost everything about my Keurig. 

I have the 'elite' model...which comes with a reservoir that holds extra water.  That way you don't have to fill the machine each time you want to use it.  It takes maybe a minute for the water to heat up and there is an automatic shut off that turns the heater off two hours after the last time you used it.  At the press of a button, you get a fresh, hot cup of coffee. There are about a bajillion brands of coffee, tea, and hot cocoa that are formulated for the Keurig.  I have not tried many of them because they can be pricey and I didn't want to spend money on something that I might not enjoy. 

But it's not all sunshine and butterflies with my new Keurig. First off, my plan of saving money backfired.  This machine is so easy that I find myself making coffee all the time!  Before, I was drinking a couple of cups a day...but now I find myself making cup after cup--and those K-cups are not cheap!! 

Another thing I'm not fond of is all the waste from packaging.  I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the most environmentally conscious person around but, even in my normal state of enviro-ignorance, I can see that throwing away all those little plastic cups is incredibly wasteful.  I read on the Keurig website that they are working on that particular issue.  It would be nice if they came up with a solution.

All in all, I'm really pleased with my Keurig.  It's a pretty convenient way to get my daily caffeine fix....even if I find myself buzzing more these days.

Maybe my sister should get one...it could save her from some early morning treks across the street.

16 comments:

  1. I've had my Keurig for a little over a year now. When ours was new, we both drank coffee like the stuff was about to be banned, but after a while, we went back to pretty much our previous amount. That said, it's still a little pricey, though Costco and Sam's Club both sell mega-boxes of K-cups for a considerably lower per cup pricetag than the grocery store.

    I wish I wasn't a freak on caffeine because there are so many cool flavors to choose from, but not a bunch in decaf. My favorite is the Donut House one--holy crapanoly, that's one fabulous cup of coffee!

    Oh, and don't waste your money on their hot chocolate. I got a free box and ewww, nasty. First of all, the ingredients are enough to keep me away. Partially hydrogenated some crap. A saucepan, milk, cocoa, sugar, and vanilla and two quick minutes and you can have a really nice cup of hot cocoa...or just a mug of decent chocolate milk zapped in the microwave for a minute. Both are far better than the hot chocolate K-cups.

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  2. Thanks for the heads up on the hot chocolate.  I'm not much of a cocoa fan, myself.  The kids have been bugging me to buy it...but they just want to play with the new toy :-)  And, I figure that considering a box of tea bags cost less than two bucks...I'm never really going to *need* to buy k-cups for those.  I haven't hit up BJ's (We don't have Sam's Club anymore...and Costco hasn't hit our neck of the woods yet...but same idea) for any bulk coffee yet but it's definitely on the agenda.

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  3. I'm not much of a coffee drinker but this little gadget seems like a good thing. I always hated the fact  that the final cup out of a pot was 'roasted' to the point of bitterness,, and this would stop that problem dead! Good review :o)

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  4. That is a problem too.  Or...if you happen to drink your coffee really slowly and by the time you get to the next cup it's burnt and off-tasting.  The Keurig really does help with that.

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  5. I don't drink coffee... I can't seem to get past the smell of it.  However--this would make a great gift for someone.  SO glad to read your review!! Cheers, Jenn

    Http://www.wine-n-chat.com

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  6. My hubby just bought himself a Nespresso machine - sort of like the Keurig, but fewer options, and I am loving it too!  It has cut down our Starbucks visits significantly, so while the pods are pricey overall our monthly coffee cost is pretty similar.

    That said, the one thing he really misses as opposed to a cup of coffee is the smell! Does the Keurig smell good as it brews?? I hadn't noticed until he said it, but he's totally right.

    By the way, your sister is hilarious. Going to buy a cup while waiting for the pot to brew ... too funny.

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  7. Ohhh I love the smell of coffee!  I hated coffee when I was younger.  It wasn't until about ten years ago when I worked in a doughnut shop that I started to really enjoy it.  Coffee was free...soda was half price...that pretty much determined how I was getting my caffeine fix.  I think it would make a great gift for a special coffee lover :-)

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  8. You can still smell the Keurig as it brews...but it's such a short brewing time that you don't get that "house full of freshly brewing coffee" aroma. 

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  9. oh dang........now i want a cup...have you tried the CHAI LATTE? yellow box.....dang.......soooooooooo good..like having pumpkin pie in liquid form, i top it with forthed milk sprinkled with cinnamon

    https://drchoneydew.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/harmonic-fusion-you-can-eat/

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  10. I haven't tried any chai products made for the Keurig, yet.  I LOVE chai and still have some from my last purchase.  I'll have to look into that :)

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  11. I joined the Cafe club and have my K cups fed exed monthly. It's a bit cheaper AND I also use the cup they make that has a tiny little filter in it and use my other ground coffee with that. It's great coffee!  There is nothing about my Keurig that I don't like. I recently learned that the cups should be removed as soon as you finish making the cup. As the coffee cools the grounds swell and will plug your needles more quickly and you can have problems with the water not being able to fill your cup. The excess water runs back into your pot through that white plastic tube in your reservoir. If you want to re-use a cup, just set it on a spoon rest and line up the holes when you are ready for cup #2 from the same K cup.  Not for me because I like very rich and dark roast coffee, but my mom and my husband do this all the time.  Whatever your tastes are!

    Great review, but personally, I think the cost is decent for the quality of freshly brewed day and night coffee with zero waste.

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  12. We have one at work, and I love it for "the other stuff" the coco and chai tea specifically. I do understand about the waste thing, though. Good news though, they have found a fungus that eats it! So that might just work out for you. :p 
    http://www.pcworld.com/article/249216/yale_discovers_a_fungus_that_eats_plastic.html 

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  13. I was wondering about the filter-thingy they sell that used your own ground coffee...it seemed a little pricey at the time but maybe I'll pick it up.  I have almost a whole can of coffee that I bought pre-keurig.  I don't think I'd like reusing the grounds.  I have a coworker that does that with a conventional coffee maker and...well...just yuck.

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  14. That was an interesting article...thanks for the link!  I am definitely going to try to chai...right after I finish the conventional chai that I still have.  I love love love chai :-)

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  15. Don Smith (Wilf Woodhouse)February 5, 2012 at 8:00 PM

    We bought one just two weeks ago and love it. Have to admit that I fought buying one or months and finally caved. I'm glad I did. As far as drinking more than you used to, take heart, I read an article recently that two Chinese scientists have foun that four cups a day reduces the risk of Type 2 Diabetes by 50%

    Have you tried the Green Mountain Dark Magic? It's great stuff!

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  16. I haven't tried the Green Mountain yet.  I'm boring....just some Folgers and Dunkin Donuts brand stuff.  All in all, I'm really happy that I have it.

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