# Keurig goes DRM. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 4, 2014, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820 "2014-03-04T12:58:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/41 "2014-03-05T03:07:23Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#): > > Once again, though, making good drip coffee in anything less than about a half pot is difficult. Almost all the coffee I drink is made in these – [Amazon.com: Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper, Size 02, White: Coffee Pots: Home & Kitchen](http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000P4D5HG) – which make exactly one cup. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/42 "2014-03-05T03:21:11Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Almost all the coffee I drink is made in these – [Amazon.com: Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper, Size 02, White: Coffee Pots: Home & Kitchen](http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000P4D5HG) – which make exactly one cup. I haven’t used one of those in about a decade, but my recollection is that if you brew it slowly and carefully you wind up with something that is very tasty, but doesn’t really taste like regular old drip coffee. In _my_ opinion that’s not a bad thing, but the Keurig isn’t aimed at coffee snobs, it’s aimed at people who just want a pretty basic drip coffee taste. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/43 "2014-03-05T03:26:40Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Almost all the coffee I drink is made in these – [Amazon.com: Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper, Size 02, White: Coffee Pots: Home & Kitchen](http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000P4D5HG) – which make exactly one cup. But for those you need boiling/hot water. That’s hard to come by in the office. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/44 "2014-03-05T04:17:06Z")
The alternative to my Keurig is not a pot of drip coffee. The alternative is a $2.50 cup of Starbucks on the way to work. The Keyrig gives me a cup of coffee in twenty second with zero work and only the cup to clean. Nothing else does that. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/45 "2014-03-05T13:09:17Z")
> [@Lasciel](#): > > This was beautiful. Thank you. I’d just finished doing my performance evaluations for 2013, and I had a lot of meaningless accolades left over. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/46 "2014-03-05T16:34:31Z")
[QUOTE=Human Action] Upon further research, it [turns out](http://www.quick-cupcoffee.com/does-keurig-license-their-patented-k-cup-technology-to-other-manufacturers) Keurig licenses their tech to Cuisinart, Mr. Coffee, and Breville. [/qUOTE] And even more sly, Keurig is a wholly owned subsidiary of Green Mountain Coffee. It’s all one big near-monopolistic company. They do plan on changing the name to Keurig Green Mountain, pending shareholder approval later this month, so the connection will be more obvious. Unsurprisingly, some of the competing pod brands are suing Green Mountain over their new anticompetitive business model. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/47 "2014-03-05T17:45:53Z")
Vote with your wallet. There are single-cup coffeemakers that don’t have a proprietary cartridge system. I highly recommend mine, the [Cafe Uno](http://www.amazon.com/Cafe-Uno-One-Coffee-Maker/dp/B000Q94C90/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394041382&sr=8-1&keywords=cafe+uno+one+cup) from Amazon. Cost for the machine was less than $15, and it turns water + regular coffee grounds into delicious coffee. I drink two cups a day and keep it right at my desk in the office. The cup it comes with is garbage, but you can use any regular old coffee cup. My only complaint is the power cord, which is \*very \*short. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/48 "2014-03-05T18:31:06Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > Vote with your wallet. There are single-cup coffeemakers that don’t have a proprietary cartridge system. Too bad they’re, you know, the wrong brand. Can’t possibly be any good. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/49 "2014-03-05T18:35:41Z")
The Keurig fits the needs of my family perfectly. The three of us still at home all drink coffee, but different types at different times of day. My wife prefers flavored coffees while I prefer a dark, robust brew taken black. Both the females like hot teas and hot chocolate. The wife drinks hers primarily in the morning, my daughter at mid day and I prefer a cup after supper. Even if we all wanted a cup at the same time, it would still be a different drink for each of us. I am a bit of a coffee snob. I use the reusable, mesh cup substitute (4 for $10, lasts for years) and high quality coffee (organic, fair trade, fresh ground). It makes a good cup o’ joe. That said, if Keurig goes proprietary on the cups, when the current machine needs replacing I will go with another brand. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/50 "2014-03-05T18:41:33Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > The Keurig fits the needs of my family perfectly. The three of us still at home all drink coffee, but different types at different times of day. My wife prefers flavored coffees while I prefer a dark, robust brew taken black. Both the females like hot teas and hot chocolate. The wife drinks hers primarily in the morning, my daughter at mid day and I prefer a cup after supper. Even if we all wanted a cup at the same time, it would still be a different drink for each of us. Coffee is one thing; I will concede the argument that it’s difficult to brew one good cup at a time. (But then, I’d also reject the idea that “good” and “flavored” can be combined in the same sentence about coffee.) However… making one cup of tea or one mug of hot chocolate is trivial even in the least-equipped kitchen. Justifying a K-machine for these purposes, and likely paying far more for those bitty convenience cups than you do for your premium java, takes the argument over the edge into ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2014, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/51 "2014-03-05T19:24:24Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > And even more sly, Keurig is a wholly owned subsidiary of Green Mountain Coffee. It’s all one big near-monopolistic company. > > They do plan on changing the name to Keurig Green Mountain, pending shareholder approval later this month, so the connection will be more obvious. > > Unsurprisingly, some of the competing pod brands are suing Green Mountain over their new anticompetitive business model. You think it’s bad now, wait until the GMCR partnership with Coke takes effect. The Keurig Cold system will be likely be released in late 2014 or 2015. It will dispense cold beverages “including carbonated drinks, enhanced waters, juice drinks, sports drinks and teas,” the companies said in a joint statement. You can bet Pepsi pods won’t fit in a Coke machine. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/52 "2014-03-06T16:22:28Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Coffee is one thing; I will concede the argument that it’s difficult to brew one good cup at a time. (But then, I’d also reject the idea that “good” and “flavored” can be combined in the same sentence about coffee.) Preach it, brother! I tell my wife that she doesn’t like coffee, she likes the _idea_ of coffee. > [@](#): > > However… making one cup of tea or one mug of hot chocolate is trivial even in the least-equipped kitchen. Justifying a K-machine for these purposes, and likely paying far more for those bitty convenience cups than you do for your premium java, takes the argument over the edge into ridiculous. However, if the dang thing is sitting there anyway, full of hot water, then using it for any purpose requiring a cup of hot water seems not so ridiculous at all. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/53 "2014-03-06T16:36:41Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Coffee is one thing; I will concede the argument that it’s difficult to brew one good cup at a time. (But then, I’d also reject the idea that “good” and “flavored” can be combined in the same sentence about coffee.) > > However… making one cup of tea or one mug of hot chocolate is trivial even in the least-equipped kitchen. Justifying a K-machine for these purposes, and likely paying far more for those bitty convenience cups than you do for your premium java, takes the argument over the edge into ridiculous. Making these things is not hard, but if you have six people for a dinner party and one wants coffee, one wants decaf, one wants tea and three want hot chocolate, suddenly you are making two pots of coffee, two kettle loads of water, finding and opening various boxes or packages, messing with spoons and wet tea bags and empty chocolate packets, and trying to time drinks that all need different amounts of time to produce. Or you gesture to the machine and say “go ahead and pick out what you like.” ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/54 "2014-03-06T17:26:35Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Making these things is not hard, but if you have six people for a dinner party and one wants coffee, one wants decaf, one wants tea and three want hot chocolate, suddenly you are making two pots of coffee, two kettle loads of water, finding and opening various boxes or packages, messing with spoons and wet tea bags and empty chocolate packets, and trying to time drinks that all need different amounts of time to produce. But of course. My Latin is too weak to form up “Convenience cannot be disputed” but the scholars here are welcome to tackle the exercise. Not that I agree in the slightest. Most marketed “convenience” is bushwah. > [@](#): > > Or you gesture to the machine and say “go ahead and pick out what you like.” No, I tinkle the little bell and tell Carson what the guests would like. Now THAT’S convenience. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/55 "2014-03-06T19:40:34Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > No, I tinkle the little bell and tell Carson what the guests would like. Now THAT’S convenience. Keurig machines. A poor man’s Carson. ---
**Author:** ![Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hershele_Ostropoler)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/56 "2014-03-07T03:28:36Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > I use the reusable, mesh cup substitute (4 for $10, lasts for years) and high quality coffee (organic, fair trade, fresh ground). That’s what I do. It’s faster at making a single cup than the French press (and easier to clean), and doesn’t have the problem of my old drip machine, which produced an excellent cup of coffee-colored warm water. When people say the Keurig doesn’t make good coffee, I can never tell if they mean the machine or the pods. A lot of criticism appears to be of the Keurig-branded pods rather than the entire system, but the critics either don’t bother specifying or don’t know to. > [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > However, if the dang thing is sitting there anyway, full of hot water, then using it for any purpose requiring a cup of hot water seems not so ridiculous at all. 🆒 I wouldn’t have gotten a Keurig to make tea, but I’m happy to use it for that. (Cocoa needs milk, though.) ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/57 "2014-03-07T19:10:34Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > But everything else about them is off - ridiculously expensive for people who drink one cup of coffee, limited selection for those who like coffee, second-rate results for those who _like_ coffee… Well, results./taste is variable. Not being a coffee geek, it’s plenty good enough for me. But limited selection? Really? [Here’s the list of just the K-Cups that are sold direct through Keurig.com.](http://www.keurig.com/shop/k-cups/all-k-cups) 241 total varieties. If we just limit ourselves to coffee, we lose a lot,f but still standing strong at 170. And that’s just the ones sold from [Keurig.com](http://Keurig.com). Amazon, grocery stores, etc… all have varieties and brands not sold direct. That being said, I still don’t like their idea of implementing “DRM” on new “approved” pods. It’s interesting that Keurig/Green Mountain Coffee has multiple “single pod” brewing systems (K-Cup, Vue, Rivo, and the upcoming Bolt,) yet I’ve never heard anyone talk about anything other than K-Cups. I imagine they’d prefer more people use Vue and Rivo, since (I’m guessing,( they still have the patents on them so there’s NO chance you can buy packs that aren’t officially licensed by them. ---
**Author:** ![Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hershele_Ostropoler)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/58 "2014-03-07T19:22:39Z")
If I use the French press I have more than 170 varieties to choose from. And I can taste the difference, an I don’t think I’m a coffee geek either. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/59 "2014-03-07T19:23:54Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > But limited selection? Really? […]241 total varieties. If we just limit ourselves to coffee, we lose a lot,f but still standing strong at 170. 170 variations on pre-ground coffee isn’t what I’d call much of a selection. But you’ve hit the nail on the head: K-coffee is “good enough” for many drinkers. I just wonder how many would continue considering it good enough if they fully analyzed the cost against other factors. Paying $1 a cup for meh coffee adds up, both ways. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820/60 "2014-03-07T19:36:24Z")
I am sure the vast majority of users know it’s more expensive per cup. Buying bulk and doing more work is cheaper in everything. “Why are these suckers buying pre-made cakes?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/keurig-goes-drm/682820.md?page=4)