Chic on a Shoestring Decorating: An Unbiased Keurig Review, why we returned our Keurig


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An Unbiased Keurig Review, why we returned our Keurig

Ooooh, this is one of those super exciting blog posts that leaves you wondering... why would she take back a coffeemaker as awesome as the Keurig?!? ;)

Ok, maybe not.

BUT, when I asked for opinions about switching to a Keurig on my Facebook page when our coffeemaker died (RIP Mr. Coffee) I got such a big response.  I thought it might be useful information to those in search of a good cup of joe who are considering a Keurig.  I was not paid by anyone to do this review and did not receive any free products.




My very "scientific survey" (not) on FB found that just over half of the responders were "pro" Keurig touting it's convenience and overall awesomeness.  Others said "Don't do it!" warning of weak coffee and pricey k-cups.  While others were undecided with answers like "I would get one but I drink too much coffee", kind of a yes/no answer.

Anywhooo, I busted out my 30% off coupon for Kohls and got the Keurig Elite.  Not the fanciest model but one that would serve our purposes (or so I hoped).

The Keurig was on sale and with an additional 30% off it was still a whopping $90 after tax.  Some of you may be rolling your eyes at me thinking $90 is a lot for a coffeemaker.  But, I don't call myself Chic on a Shoestring for nothing... I like a good deal.  Plus, my Mr.Coffee maker with a digital timer, auto off, and some fancy stainless steel accents only put me back $29.98 at Wal-Mart 5 years ago.  And it really brewed a good cup of coffee.  So, to me, $90 is a bit steep even if a good price for a Keurig.

Despite the price I was happy to try the Keurig for the sheer convenience.  On school days I am always scrambling to get myself and the boys ready and out the door on time for school.  Sometimes I don't have time to make a pot of coffee.  I could set the coffeemaker up at night to brew in the morning like any reasonable and normal person would do but that would be too easy.  I just don't do it.  I don't know why.  I don't like to make my coffee at night and set the timer.  It's a weird problem I can't seem to overcome.  But whatever, there are worse problems to have.

When I don't have time to brew my own in the morning I could always hit a Starbucks or another coffee place.  But honestly, I don't want to take the time out of my 2 very precious hours of alone time while my little guy is at pre-school to wait in line at Starbucks for overpriced coffee.  (they are painfully slooooow and always crowded)

Besides, I don't even like it all that much.  I like their super-fattening salted caramel mocha that costs $4 bucks and change for a small tall.  Plus, they don't even have it right now because it's not "in season".  I have to settle for a measly caramel mocha.  How is salted caramel ever not "in season"?!  Seriously Starbucks, stupidest thing I ever heard.  And I digress...

So, the amazing Keurig would allow me to brew almost as I'm walking out the door.  So fast, super convenient.  Just what I need on school days.  Great timing now that it's summer break.

Another plus for the Keurig is less waste.  To brew myself a cup of coffee on Mr.Coffee I had to make almost half a pot.  If I made less the filter wouldn't stand up during the brewing process because there wasn't enough coffee in it to keep it upright.  The filter would collapse and I'd end up with grounds in my coffee,  probably because I'm so vain.  (that was a terrible reference to an old, annoying Carly Simon song which was popular before I was born and every time I ever heard it it would get stuck in my head and drive me crazy.)  So, I'd waste almost half a pot every day because I only drink one mug. Very wasteful!

Anyway, this Keurig Elite I bought made 3 cups sizes, small 6oz., medium 8oz., and large 10oz.  I should have done my homework on the sizes of our mugs at home because I completely underestimated them.  

I drink one "little" travel mug size of coffee a day. I found out it's 8 ounces so it actually works well with the Keurig.  Mr. Chic usually gets his coffee at work but on the weekends he likes a lot of coffee.  He has this awesome oversize mug he likes to use.

Let's just say he is not exactly a "cat lover" so this was a funny Christmas present from my mom to him.  Cat lovers, please take no offense.  What you can't see is that this mug is 5 inches tall and 4 inches across. Pretty darn big for a coffee mug.

Anyway, 10 ounces of coffee doesn't even fill this mug up half way.  So, he needs to use two k-cups per mug.  We tried to run the same k-cup through twice but it was totally weak and watery yucky-ness.  Mr. Chic likes 2 cups on the weekend mornings, usually he only drinks half of the second one (what a waste!) but he wants to make the big cup just in case. So we're looking at up to 8 k-cups for him per weekend.  We like Dunkin Donuts coffee so that's about $7 per weekend for him alone, add me to make it about $8.50 in K-cups.  Sheesh.  Almost a whole box of Dunkin Donuts K-cups per weekend!

Might as well go buy the fancy stuff at Starbucks or some Dunkin for that price.  I bought the little refillable k-cups for us to use so we wouldn't be burning through the k-cups so quick.  He thought this was annoying but understood my reasoning. But, the bad thing about the reusable k-cups is that it takes away from the convenience factor which is why I wanted the Keurig in the first place.

Another downside to the Keurig is the plastic taste that happens when it's new.  If you brew a bold coffee in your Keurig you may not have ever noticed a plastic taste but if you google "Keurig coffee tastes like plastic" you'll find it all over the place because it's a common problem.

When you brew a strong, bold coffee you don't notice it  because the bold coffee masks the flavor.  If you brew a lighter blend, which I like, you can totally taste the plastic "flavor".  This is not uncommon for new products made of plastic.  This happened with our fridge ice maker/water dispenser when it was brand new.  Eventually the taste goes away but it takes a while and it's darn annoying and icky while it lasts.

The problem seems to come from the plastic water container.  I tried soaking the water container in vinegar and some other suggestions I found online but nothing worked.  The product has to "off-gas" and unfortunately it does it into your coffee.  (I'm not saying the water container actually puts fumes into your coffee and "poisons" it, but you can taste it somehow)  Even when I put fresh water in the Keurig and used it immediately it still tasted of plastic.  I could live with this issue knowing that it would eventually go away but we had other problems.

The Final Straw

Our Keurig malfunctioned like crazy in the short 2 weeks we had it.  If I tried to run more than one cup of coffee in a row the second cup would not produce the proper amount of coffee, or it wouldn't run at all and I'd have to unplug the machine and plug it in again to essentially "reboot" it.  If you google this it also is a common problem for Keurig but usually in older machines.  There is a warranty which can help in some circumstances.

On my Keurig there were several times where it would brew just a tiny bit of coffee.  Sometimes this could be from the whole poker (that pokes the k-cup) having grounds on it and needing to be wiped off.  This solved my problem only once.  There was something else going wrong deep inside my Keurig.

Keurig also lost a bit of convenience factor for me because the water had to heat when you turned it on in the morning and there was no auto-off.  If I forgot to turn it on first thing in the morning it wouldn't speed up my process too much since I'd still have to wait for the water to heat up.  Do people leave their Keurig on 24/7?  That always makes me a bit nervous, I'll get the one that randomly catches on fire at 2 am and burns down my house.  I want that sucker off while I'm sleeping.  An auto on would be super convenient but again, not an option on this one. :(  If I would've shelled out an extra $50 bucks or so I could've gotten a timer and more cup sizes.  But, a larger cup = weaker coffee.

Keurig gets rave reviews for customer service so I'm sure if I would've called them they would've happily replaced my Keurig.  But, I honestly never had one good cup of coffee out of that thing.  They all tasted like plastic and if I tried to do the largest size cup the coffee was weak.  For me to say coffee was weak is crazy because I prefer lighter blends.  I had such high hopes for the Keurig and was completely let down.  So, after all the trouble we had we decided to go a different route.

Keurig Elite Pros

  1. Convenient
  2. Fast brewing
  3. Different flavor options everyday if you want
  4. Other uses for on demand how water (oatmeal, tea, etc.)
  5. Reusable K-cup option for money savings
  6. Good customer service
  7. Auto timer on more expensive models
  8. Trendy


Keurig Cons

  1. Expensive machine
  2. Expensive K-cups
  3. Weak coffee, especially in larger cups
  4. Plastic taste from new machines (for who knows how long)
  5. Lack of larger cup size options (on this machine)
  6. No auto-off or on option or timer (on this machine)
  7. Random malfunctioning
  8. Reusable K-cups take away from convenience factor
  9. Trendy (yes, trendy made both lists as it is a pro to some people and a con to others) 

We ended up getting this:


We paid around $80 bucks at Amazon and now it's down to $59, not a bad price for a 2 in 1 coffeemaker.  It has been the best of both worlds for us.  I use the single cup side during the week which has been convenient and fast (why I wanted a Keurig).  The single side has a built-in filter for regular coffee grounds or takes pods which I haven't tried yet.  We use the regular coffee maker side on the weekend so Mr. Chic can drink as much as he wants.  It has a timer, no plastic taste, no malfunctions, no k-cups, and makes great coffee.  Most importantly, it works well for me and Mr. Chic.

I know many people who love the Keurig so I am not bashing it by any means. Just giving my opinion from my experience.   If you are on the fence this Hamilton Beach coffeemaker is the best of both world.  I hope it helps someone with their extremely important and life-altering decision of what kind of coffee maker they should buy. ;)

Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links but I was NOT paid or given a free product to review or use this product.  All opinions are mine.  See my full disclosure under "Advertising & Disclosure" above.

57 comments :

  1. I agree with you! We returned ours as well. However, we do program our coffee the night before to wake up to the smell of fresh coffee :) Angela @ HickoryTrail

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    1. Only on the weekends for me because Mr. Chic makes it. :) Thanks for stopping by, come back soon! :)

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    2. Loved your review on the Keurig! I have thought about getting one, off and on, for awhile now, but thought the K-cups a ridiculous price! I ended up just getting a cheap B&D at Walmart (it's actually not a bad maker for $14, with a timer, auto off/on, etc! (Like you, I just don't set the auto...too much to think about...lol. But occasionally, I will set up the coffee and water the night before, then just push the on button while I'm doing other things, so it's ready when I am.) I had occasion to try out the Keurig recently...the dentist's office has one. I found it very convenient, too. I decided that if I did get one, I'd HAVE to get the "forever" filter. I love a dark, rich coffee (Foldger's Black Silk). But after reading your troubles, I decided that I won't get one. It would be just my luck to get one that never worked properly (happened 3 times when I was looking for a bread maker. Zoji makes the best bread makers, btw!). But 2 of my daughters really want to get a Keurig! I was intrigued, tho, by the last comment, about the Keurig Rivo the person got for free.
      BTW, I really LOVED your hubby's cat mug! Where did your MIL get that??? It's perfect!

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    3. This is a late reply but the cat mug was found by my mom (hubby's MIL) at TJ Maxx!

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    4. My wife just bought the 2.0 550 style.
      I wish she would have researched or just asked me.
      Starbucks is like drinking racing fuel for formula cars.
      It makes my hair stand on end.
      This coffee maker won't fill a regular sized coffee mug, and it tastes bad to me.
      However she is still fighting not wanting to admit she has made a $150.00 mistake.

      The personal pods that you put your own coffee can be defeated by using a spent pod and taping it to the reusable pod top. Thats on the 2.0 that actually reads the pod to be sure you are using Keurig pods.

      I do wish she would send it back.

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  3. Have never bought one...and now likely won't:) Thanks for the enlightening review:)

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    1. Thanks for your comment. I just say buyer beware on the Keurig, it does have some downsides that nobody talks about! :) Come back soon!

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    2. Hi.Really helpful!! I didn't see if you mentioned if the coffee is hot - or stays hot for very long. A friend gave me one and it seems it could be hotter and doesn't stay hot at all. Thx JD

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  4. I love mine! but I live alone and have no gigantic I love cats mug to fill LOL plus I've been trying to cut back on my caffeine so it's ideal.

    I never experienced the plastic taste and I always buy Melitta coffee for it because the coffee comes in a foil pouch that keeps it super fresh. I hated the K cups - they tasted funny no matter what brand or flavour I tried. Maybe that's the plastic taste you're referring to?

    Glad you gave your opinion. I took a long time before buying one because it is such an expensive machine.

    Cheers!

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    1. Thanks for the comment! I'm glad the Keurig is working for you. If I was single (no I heart cats mug) and could get rid of the plastic taste I probably would have one too. :) Come back soon!

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  5. We have a Keurig and it has a timer on it so that you can set it to brew at a specific time every day. Mr.Chaos sets his so that it brews right before he leaves the house so all he does is grab it and go. Also, we don't spend money on the K-cups. We have the "my K-cup" mess cup that allows you to use your own coffee, and we are frugal and use Folgers. That's what Mr. Chaos likes. (I don't drink coffee). We would not have one if we had to buy the Kcups all the time. I think its called "my K-cup" but its a filter that allows you to use any kind of coffee and I believe it sells for roughly $10-$13 bucks. Ours came with it and a ton of K-cups as a special on QVC. We love ours because its so easy to keep clean, you don't have to brew an entire pot, AND I can use it for hot chocolate and tea since I don't drink coffee.

    I highly recommend getting the "my K-cup" so you can brew any coffee you want to and don't have to use the K-cups all the time.

    Jennifer @ Decorated Chaos

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    1. Thanks for your comment. We were too cheap to splurge on the Keurig model with a timer, I guess it doesn't matter because we took it back anyway. We got a refillable K-cup but it felt like it kind of takes the convenience factor out of it. I'm glad it works for you! Come back and see me soon.

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  6. Wow. Couldn't be further from my experience!! That's too bad.
    What I am not sure I understand here is the wait time for the water to get hot.
    Mine comes on at 5:30a so by the time I get downstairs there is no waiting. however I use it during the day and by the time I grab a mug, whip my 1/2 and 1/2 with my whipper it is ready to go.
    I did have an issue once and the customer service sent me a part at no charge in 2 days.

    So sorry your experience was so different.

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    1. Thanks for your comment. I'm so glad you had better luck with your Keurig than I did. My Keurig did not have a timer so unless you leave it on 24/7 you had to wait for it to heat up which slowed down the whole process. Come back soon! :)

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  7. I loved this review! We considered getting one, but after hearing from 3 friends who had similar problems with theirs, we decided on the Zojirushi coffee maker from Amazon. (funny name, huh?) Anyway, it works great and doesn't use those K-cups, just regular ground coffee. My hubby was very picky about the features of the coffee maker: it had to have a stainless carafe, had to have a cone shaped filter, etc. (I think the cone shape helps it not to collapse when not totally filled with coffee, but I may be wrong.) :) I totally understand about the expense of the K-cups. I just could not see spending that much every week either. Thanks for sharing your experience! Have a wonderful week!

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    1. Thanks for your sweet comment about my Keurig review. They are definitely not for everyone. I added the coffeemaker we got to my original post, it has a single serve and regular pot. We really like it and no K-cups! Come back soon! :)

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  8. I have never wanted one. ever. I see my friends have them with the spin things on their kitchen counters and they look awful. And Dunkin Donuts coffee is the one brand I can think of that gives me a splitting headache! I'm happy with my coffee maker even if I have to throw out 1/2 pot each day... and the plastic smell/taste is not normal. Maybe normal for that machine but not normal in nature. Sounds totally unhealthy... but by all means convenient for some.

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    1. Thanks for your comment! The Keurig is not for me and we got a new coffeemaker that we really like, thank goodness! Come back soon!

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  9. i am SOO glad to see this post. we've had two, and quite honestly, they stink. nothing comes out, even on the smallest selection. I feel like it wastes the whole kcup with a few dribbles. ugh!

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  10. Thanks for your comment. The Keurigs are so weird, they either work or they don't work at all. I'm really happy with our new coffeemaker, thank goodness! I went for 2 whole weeks without a good cup of coffee... how did I ever survive?! ;) Please come back soon!

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  11. Great review! I always found the coffee too weak. I use 1/4 cup coffee from Costco, the cheapest they have and about 14 oz water, makes a perfect huge mug of coffee for me! If you use the cone filters, they don't collapse, but I just use the cheap ones. Have a good day! Cindy @ sunsetcoasting.blogspot.com

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  12. My words exactly, GREAT REVIEW! We are retired and drink a whole pot in the am and never during the day and evening. Brewing a whole pot is no problem for us. We never wanted one because of the expense, since we are on fixed income. Didn't know about these other problems so I was really glad to learn this. The new Hamilton Beach does pique my interest tho. That might be good when my family is here as they often like a cup at odd times.
    Thanks for the info, I trust your judgement!
    xo Ginger

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  13. If you are looking for quality K-cups at affordable prices, I would recommend CoffeeForLess.com!

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  14. I have been thinking about getting a Keurig for a long time. I finally got one for Christmas…I decided to make my cup of coffee (morning after Christmas) and bam…it doesn't work! We have been troubleshooting all morning. I tried to contact Keurig to no avail. It's going back TODAY!!! I will be looking at an alternative to Keurig. My gut was right. Sorry kids, but the thought was nice.

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  15. I don't have. Problem with Coffee taste from the Keurig. I love it when it works. Unfortunately it rarely works!!!! Sent it back to Keurig 4 times and every one of them hasn't lasted more than a couple months. My parents had the same problem and brought a different Keurig machine that so far works well but uses a different type of cup and doesn't use K Cups and well I now have boxes and boxes and boxes of k cups and no machine to use them in and don't want to spend another $100 on a machine I have to keep replacing until the warranty runs out in a year! And seems all brands of these k cup machines have this issue. Some day this country will quit having China make our products!

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  16. We just got one yesterday, tried 6 coffees this morning five K-Cup and one My-K-Cup filled with the coffee I usually used with my old brewer. Only one tasted.... something... but I can't call that coffee taste. Even the "my-K-Cup" try was a waste. I bought the Platinum and I'm returning it on monday. Now I need a good one for tomorow morning.

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  17. I'm soooo glad I just saw this. Our coffee maker finally died today and I was looking for a new one. I saw the Hamilton Beach one on Target's website and a few top coffee maker searches and then decided to look for K-Cups just to see!! This was perfect!! Made my decision easy to hit Target this afternoon! Thanks!
    Rae

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  18. We bought the K65 model with auto on and off for heating the water so no waiting at any time. It cost us $95.00 at BED BATH AND BEYOND because the normal price of $149 was discounted $30 snd then discounted another 20 percent. Keurig makes a big cup of coffee and I had to buy some large ceramic cups to hold the 10.5 ounces snd creamer. It is the absolute best cup of coffee with no plastic taste. We got s free water filter with our Keurig but use filtered water from the frig also so the water is filtered twice. We love this Keurig but maybe it is because we purchased an upgraded machine to begin with.

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    1. We got the same exact Keurig as you & love it. After returning one of the faulty, new 2.0 ripoff versions that the Kcup must have the white Keurig ring in order to work with 2.0 models. Keurig owns all coffee brands/flavors in this new Kcup that does not work with previous models. There are a fraction of choices for 2.0 models & 250+ choices with 2013 & earlier models. My KCup does not work with 2.0 model. Keurig has you by the hair if you buy one. Only their new Kcups work, they're more expensive & fewer choices. The model I wanted was on sale & out of stock so that's how I got my K65 discounted down to $90. Can't beat that! Funny we both got ours at such a discount! It was $149.95. Has timer but I set timer for 6AM, water heats & when we get to kitchen, we stick our Kcup in & brew a 6, 8 or 10 oz cup. I drink a very dark roast so I put my Polka Dotted Mega Mug under it, push the 10oz button, let it brew, cock the lid & brew the 6oz.(one Kcup). It's still stout & I have room for cream & flavor. Ours automatically comes on @ 6AM & goes off @ 10PM. Some people leave theirs on 24/7. Not me. It has a brewing temp w/ a max temp of 192°. HOT! Our 12 yr old makes hot chocolate with Kcups CAREFULLY! You cannot use My Kcup with hot choc w/mini marshmallows. Lol Marshmallows clog filter & hot choc can't drain through. Buy a jar of marshmallow creme to add a plop afterwards. Yum! It has the filter in the water tank & I also use a Brita Filter pitcher for drinking water. I also use the Brita filtered water in Keurig. There's no "max level" for water hardness in WY! I've heard of people having trouble after rescaling machine. Use distilled or filtered & it won't happen. Plus coffee tastes so much better made w/filtered water.

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  19. I was given my first machine as a gift. Love the coffee. Love the fact I can have my flavor and my husband can have his. first machine worked a few years. Ok I did not clean it very often. bought a new one have not had it a year. clean it every month like clock work. now it will not work. I AM DONE WITH KEURIG.

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  20. My husband and I only drink about one cup of coffee for each of us per week or so, so we really only use about one box of k-cups per month. It's better for us because the coffee doesn't go stale so quickly. We use a Mr. Coffee branded k-cup machine, which is better than the actual Keurig brand machine and much cheaper! It's also good for hot water on demand when I drink a cup of herbal tea in the evening. We always have a variety box of coffee k-cups we get on Keurig's website so when we have guests over a few times per month, there's something for them to choose from. So yes, the Keurig thing is a great idea but before you buy, consider up all the pros and cons for you (and your family if applicable), and weigh the options before you buy a Keurig.

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  21. I'm soooo glad I just saw this. Our coffee maker finally died today and I was looking for a new one
    Phuket villa

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  22. Wife bought a k65 last week, I wasn't thrilled (a bit pricey) but she got me to give it a try, and damn, it makes a good cup of coffee! Perhaps it's the model, or perhaps it's because I prefer a medium to dark roast, but I've never noticed a plastic taste, nor has my wife, a woman who drinks her coffee dishwater weak with sugar, where I drink it black, never tried creamer and hated sugar, personally. Maybe hers is polluted by additives that cover the taste, I dunno.

    So far this is my favorite coffee maker. I liked the Starbucks house blend medium roast very much, but I'd like to get a my-k-cup see how better coffee fares in the machine.

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  23. I agree that Your post is really inspiring, I am really impressed with this post and want to put same point in my Phuket villas website, beause it's very helpful for traveller.

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  24. I love my Keurig so much that I bought one for the office as well..yummers

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  25. Kate when you wrote this it was like you were reading my mind. I tried with the regular Keurig and I said ok Shannon stop being so cheap just buy a good one. Well right before I bought the Keurig Platinum my mother in law (my dear sweet mom in law) went ahead and surprised me with one after I had her first grandchild! Well the first cup I made was pretty good, but it went ALLLLLL down hill after that. The coffee came out weak, watery, burnt, not hot enough, you name it I had a problem with it. The only good thing about the Keurig was the fact that they honor there warranty!! Well I want to work out these issues because it is always nice to have a spare. I threw out the old and they sent me a new one. I got it today. Again the first cup was good and back to getting burnt tasting coffee. BUT I signed up on a website to get a free Keurig Rivo (this is an espresso maker with a frother add on that will make cappuccinos, lattes, americanas, super-fattening salted caramel mocha and more lol). When I got it home I fell IN LOVE!!! The espresso tastes like I am truly in Italy having a cup there! But I am not a fan of cappuccinos and lattes I am a plain girl and I like my coffee. Well not after having their cappuccino and latte. Not only are there ways to make it taste like regular coffee but I would be JUST FINE drinking a few cups of latte and capps every morning! The taste is like no other. I been to big and small coffee shops. NOTHING and I mean NOTHING compares to this machine. PLUS I have spending money on myself when I have two kids and a newborn! I feel guilty! So not having to buy a cappuccino or coffee somewhere makes it all worth while. The coffee is about $13 a box around there. But once you register ANY brewer you are qualified to get 10% off and as you buy more the percent off will be higher and higher!! I personally am up to 30% off because I can't get enough of this coffee. On an average day I like to drink 2 cups of coffee and usually don't finish the last one. Well my addiction started and with a fury! I drink 4-5 cups of cappuccino or latte a day!! I could drink more but then I would have to buy double the coffee I do and I do not want to feel guilty!! LOL. Now whenever I have a glass of coffee it means nothing and does nothing for me. It just doesn't do it for me any more. If you want an amazing tasting, never yucky, will wake you up (ESPECIALLY MOM'S) everytime, honest to goodness cup of coffee (well cappuccino or latte or espresso or even make it to taste like coffee in two easy steps!!) then get the rivo. I will put all the money in my bank account on it that you will ADORE the machine and FREAK OUT over the delicious coffee!!! I will never go back to anything else again!!!

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  26. Loved your review on the Keurig! I have thought about getting one, off and on, for awhile now, but thought the K-cups a ridiculous price! I ended up just getting a cheap B&D at Walmart (it's actually not a bad maker for $14, with a timer, auto off/on, etc! (Like you, I just don't set the auto...too much to think about...lol. But occasionally, I will set up the coffee and water the night before, then just push the on button while I'm doing other things, so it's ready when I am.) I had occasion to try out the Keurig recently...the dentist's office has one. I found it very convenient, too. I decided that if I did get one, I'd HAVE to get the "forever" filter. I love a dark, rich coffee (Foldger's Black Silk). But after reading your troubles, I decided that I won't get one. It would be just my luck to get one that never worked properly (happened 3 times when I was looking for a bread maker. Zoji makes the best bread makers, btw!). But 2 of my daughters really want to get a Keurig! I was intrigued, tho, by the last comment, about the Keurig Rivo the person got for free. BTW, I really LOVED your hubby's cat mug! Where did your MIL get that??? It's perfect!

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  27. I had asked for a Keurig for Christmas last year, but then changed my mind. Then asked for & received a French Press and again changed my mind. I decided against the Keurig because the cost of pods and returned the FP because of the process of having to heat the water first. I started rethinking the Keurig because I only drink one cup in the morning and a friend recently posted on FB that she got a Keurig and loves it. Most of her FB friends "Like" it as well. Soooo, I was looking at the models and searching for reviews and came across yours. Along with being entertained by your review I've come away with deciding against the Keurig. I'm going to check out the Hamilton Beach. Thanks!

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  28. Well I have to say, my keurig is my baby :) I have my kids who are my babies, and I have my two boxer dogs that are my babies....my hubby is my baby .... Then I have my keurig....my coffee baby. My dad Bought me one three years ago. I burnt it up. I drink a lot of coffee and I never turned it off. Apparently your supposed to turn it off when not in use....because it keeps the water hot. And it will eventually burn out. Which I think three years constantly on...about 3 cups a day....I personally think it did well :)

    So I bought a new one...with a few more features. I love my keurig. My hubby says I drink too much coffee, which is true... But I also drink large mugs of coffee and I have always run a k cup through twice. Once on the largest setting then again on the smallest setting. Everyone gives me a hard time about that, but I honestly found with a medium roast blend...it tastes fine. Its my "perfect portion" lol.

    I do have a severe coffee addiction. I admit it. K cups are pricey. Although the hubby picks about my coffee obsession, I'm a stay at home mom, and I'm not one to spend money on myself often. So he likes I have one thing for myself I really enjoy (he doesn't drink coffee) so he supports the addiction. (Hehe)

    I really do love my keurig. It is the more expensive coffee choice. I totally agree. I don't love that aspect. But I absolutely think it makes the best coffee ever. Even when I go to restaurants , I never think the coffee tastes as good as my keurig baby. I have recently bought the "my k cup" to use my own coffee to cut down on the cost, but I can't say I love it. The taste is perfectly fine...but I think its messy and a pain. I like popping a k cup in there and being done lol...but for the sake of money....I do use the "my k cup" from time to time. Or when money is tight.

    So that's my take :) PS. My favorite k cup is dunkin donuts. However they can only be bought at the actual dunkin donuts shop. So that's when the actual "my k cup" comes in handy. You can buy the bags of ground dunkin donuts coffee in grocery stores :)

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  29. Yeah, I've kind of been on the fence about getting a Keurig but you pretty much made my decision for me. I sometimes like to have a single cup of decaf coffee after dinner so I have been eyballing the Flex Brew that you showed. I'm not into replacing something that works just fine though, so next time I need to purchase a coffee maker I will definitely be getting that one! Thanks for the review!

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  30. Hi,
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  31. I have the next model up Keurig, which has the programmable timer, which is nice. My beef is that it doesn't heat the water hot enough. It's supposed to have a top end of 192 degrees (F), but ours tested at 167 degree when set at the hottest level. I was able to return it for a replacement, but the second one is almost exactly the same. I shouldn't have to heat my tea in a microwave after brewing it in the Keurig!! I don't want to go through the bother of returning a second one, so I'm just stewing with this one. By the way, I have one of the cheapy Keurigs at school (that you fill a single cups worth), and I love it, because it's much hotter.

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  32. I'm actually really surprised to read about "customer service" being a "PLUS" on your list!! Wow! I could not have had a more different experience. My call today was answered by a woman who was not only unhelpful, but rude. I was told that because my warranty had expired, I should "throw the machine out, like I would do with any other household appliance". I was appalled. Protesting, I said "I would not "throw out" ANY of my appliances! I would try to FIX them!" But because it is not under warranty, and they have no outside vendors (like Sears) that they endorse, their solution is to toss this EXPENSIVE ITEM in the trash. I said that this seemed absurd in an age where people are trying to be conscientious about the environment. I mean- there is not even a way to recycle this poor thing that I once loved so much? It just goes in the rubbish? "Yes". I asked if everything she was telling me was reflective of "official corporate policy" and was told firmly that it was. But the real kicker was when she reassured me that it was my lucky day! Keurig was apparently willing to offer me a discount of nearly $20 off my purchase of the same machine again. I was speechless. Apparently uncomfortable with my silence, she said "well, don't worry- you don't have to make a decision about it today". Whew! What a *relief*. (Rolling my eyes). So BUY AT YOUR OWN RISK, friends. Admittedly, this is the only time I've ever called them- but in this case, once was enough. The funny thing is that, in spite of the ridiculous cost of the K-cups, I was just talking to my co-workers yesterday about how sad I was over my Keurig breaking! I said: "I've gotta get this guy fixed because I just love him so much!" And today, when I made that phone call, it didn't even dawn on me to be pessimistic. I was sure that this machine would BE fixable- until she reassured me that it WAS NOT. And therefore must be DESTROYED. Whoa, lady. The real point here is that even if I DID need to buy a new one, it would have been SO EASY to keep me as a customer if that call had just been handled differently. In fact, if I had continued to believe that Keurig was a decent company, I might have actually considered investing in a BETTER model than the one I currently have. In the span of 5 minutes, they've lost a customer for life. And I will re-tell this story every chance I get. Co-workers, friends, family: they will all have THIS in the back of their minds before they consider buying a Keurig. I hope it was worth it.

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  33. We have had our Keurig Platinum for at least 2 years and have been very happy with it. It's programmable which is nice. My husband thinks it doesn't heat his coffee up enough, but it works just fine for me!

    The Daily Coffee Bean

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  34. I just found your review and I really appreciate it! Dunkin' Donuts is my favorite coffee and hubby doesn't drink coffee, yet. I do make coffee for visiting family and friends.
    Great review! Have a great weekend!
    Marie

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  35. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  36. I love my Keurig that I purchased at All Best Coffee Makers. I never experienced the plastic taste instead it gives me a great taste of coffee every day. It makes the best coffee ever. Even though here is the wait time for the water to get hot but still the taste was so perfect. I can’t say any bad things about my Keurig.

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  37. My Keurig died less that 18 months. Only used it sporadically. Company offered to send out a replacement for 75.00. ( their costs) after much research it seemed the same defect was why others were going out. My cousin bought 2 and both lasted less than a few months. I've decided to buy the one cup Hamilton Beach. It's on sale for 39.99.. Keurig has gotten too big and given the competition out there, I hope they improve their products. Since mine Keurig died last year I have been using my small percolator. It has sufficed and has been a great coffee maker. Bought it over 12 yrs ago. If only the Keurig would have lasted that long.

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  38. Our machine just stopped working, lasted us more than a year. If only I read the reviews first before buying it... I will never buy another Keurig.

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  39. My husband wants one, I do not. My big issue with it, is that it lessens the quality of coffees you can use. There are thousands of other types of beans out there, other than Arabica. Arabica is what is served at McD's, and the base espresso bean used at Starbucks, for most of its drinks. Starbucks uses this cheap bean, and 'over roasts' it to cover up the bland taste it generally has. Hence the bitter, burned taste. The pods, regardless of rhe brand, are Arabicas. I don't want to be stuck drinking the Kia of coffees for years to come. If he buys a Keurig, I'll continue to use a cone filter, and do a pour over. It's easy, and fairly quick.

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  40. My husband wants one, I do not. My big issue with it, is that it lessens the quality of coffees you can use. There are thousands of other types of beans out there, other than Arabica. Arabica is what is served at McD's, and the base espresso bean used at Starbucks, for most of its drinks. Starbucks uses this cheap bean, and 'over roasts' it to cover up the bland taste it generally has. Hence the bitter, burned taste. The pods, regardless of rhe brand, are Arabicas. I don't want to be stuck drinking the Kia of coffees for years to come. If he buys a Keurig, I'll continue to use a cone filter, and do a pour over. It's easy, and fairly quick.

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  41. Here's our thoughts on Keurig as a company - useless and uncaring and arrogant.

    We bought nearly 700 K-cups to send to some of our troops stationed overseas for Christmas. A large box arrived in about 3 days from Keurig with nothing to say anything was missing or backordered. We took it to USPS and sent it on - Merry Christmas troops!!!

    Then, 3-4 days later a second box from Keurig. Turns out the first box wasn't the full order. So we now have further postage to send this next box. When we rang Keurig (HORRIBLE hold music aside) all the staff were interested in doing was justifying their inadequacies and saying that they'd delivered within their guaranteed 8 day timeframe so they'd done their job. ZERO customer service or care.

    Goodbye Keurig - we won't be gicing you any more money.

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  42. I absolutely love my Keurig though I haven't owned it long. Let me give you a tip to help with the plastic taste. Run a water only brew on initial first use and after every third or 4th drink brew.

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  43. I have a small "5 cup" coffee machine at home but at work we have a keurig that I use every so often. I definitely find it annoying that you have to turn it on and wait it for it to heat up before you can select your size and put in the pod. Seems it would make more sense that when you select your size it would just start brewing whenever it gets hot.

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  44. To me the Keurig is just a fancy way to heat a measured amount of water and pour it through a capsule of instant coffee - very convenient and very expensive. In my humble opinion McDonald's makes the best coffee; but they can't do milk - its either white powder or cream. So I get black and add milk to taste at either home or office.

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