# Should I get a Keurig? If not, recommend me a coffee maker! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 8, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963 "2011-10-08T01:17:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/1 "2011-10-08T01:17:59Z")
Ever since I saw a Keurig machine at Staples I’ve wanted one. My wife doesn’t drink coffee, but drinks tea and hot chocolate, so she could use it also. Right now, I use one of those mug-top baskets. It used to be ok, but now that I’m in school its a pain in the ass - I want something that I can set, go take a shower, and come back to a hot cup of coffee. Make another one for the road, and I’m set. The practical side says ‘buy the $10 drip machine. Save money.’ I can get 80 k-cups at Costco for $35, which is pretty good I think. I want something that is a) easy to use and b) makes good coffee (I realize this is extremely subjective) and c) is easy to clean. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/2 "2011-10-08T01:19:53Z")
Since the answers will be opinions, let’s move this from General Questions to IMHO. **samclem** , Moderator ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/3 "2011-10-08T01:36:28Z")
I have one and like it a lot. The coffee is expensive, but I also got a cup with it that allows me to use any ground coffee. I say go for it. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/4 "2011-10-08T01:38:52Z")
Hamilton Beach Ensemble 12-Cup Coffeemaker, Red 43253R (I bought this one in 2009) or Hamilton Beach 12 Cup Chrome Coffee Maker 44559 best coffee maker I’ve ever owned. Canadians make really good coffee makers. 😉 [http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=UC2&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=hamilton+beach+coffee+43253&gs\_upl=104732l108115l0l108538l6l6l0l0l0l0l255l1242l0.3.3l6l0&bav=on.2,or.r\_gc.r\_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1031&bih=666&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=4101030221540429021&sa=X&ei=eamPTs27EsODsgLFyL2WAQ&ved=0CEkQ8wIwAg](http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=UC2&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=hamilton+beach+coffee+43253&gs_upl=104732l108115l0l108538l6l6l0l0l0l0l255l1242l0.3.3l6l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1031&bih=666&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=4101030221540429021&sa=X&ei=eamPTs27EsODsgLFyL2WAQ&ved=0CEkQ8wIwAg) ---
**Author:** ![Shoujin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoujin/32/3884_2.png) [@Shoujin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoujin)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/5 "2011-10-08T01:40:18Z")
Wife and I got the platinum one at Costco. Came w/ coffee adapter cup and 60 cups. Seems like you can get additional cups at Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, and elsewhere. Got hot apple cider cups at BB&B. Liking it so far 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/6 "2011-10-08T01:42:03Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Since the answers will be opinions, let’s move this from General Questions to IMHO. > > **samclem** , Moderator :smack: Thanks. In fact, I thought I put this in CS. Apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/7 "2011-10-08T01:56:09Z")
> [@Shoujo](#): > > Got hot apple cider cups at BB&B. Does the cider ever taste like coffee? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/8 "2011-10-08T01:58:47Z")
If you get a $10 drip machine, you only have to make the coffee once in the morning. If you get the Keurig, you have to do it twice to get two mugs. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/9 "2011-10-08T02:14:04Z")
I know someone who has a Flavia and swears by it. The problem is that while the little Keurig cups are everywhere, I believe you have to buy the packets direct from Flavia. That might not be a problem, but it could work out to be more expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/10 "2011-10-08T02:24:36Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > If you get a $10 drip machine, you only have to make the coffee once in the morning. If you get the Keurig, you have to do it twice to get two mugs. We used to do that (my husband is **Shoujin** , see above), but got sick of the old drip machines after a couple decades of using different models. It’s super-fast to get a cup out of the machine this way, so the time to make another cup is nearly negligible. **Fear Itself** , we just bought the cider tonight, but the machine pretty much just punches a couple holes in each K-cup (top and bottom) and shoots water through it, so there aren’t many places for coffee to accumulate. I don’t think it’ll be a problem. We’ve had one at my workplace - a business-sized model, which hooks up to a 5-gallon water cooler jug for a reservoir - for a while now, and I’ve been happy with the system. I just keep forgetting to pull the used K-cup out of the machine at home, since the work machine automatically dumps the used cup into a collection bin when the next person opens the machine. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/11 "2011-10-08T02:35:16Z")
I have the cheap little red one, and I love it. With the caveat that if I could go back in time, I would get the one with the adjustable cup sizes. The eeny teeny coffee that mine makes usually means I make two coffees any given morning. It also doubles as a quick kettle if you just want to toss plain water in it and leave a teabag in the cup. I also have an espresso machine for those days when I’m just dying for a shot or a latte, but 9 times out of 10 it’s the Keurig, and it’s fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![antonio107](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ea924/32.png) [@antonio107](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antonio107)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/12 "2011-10-08T02:37:12Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Does the cider ever taste like coffee? The only one that (occasionally) gunks up the machine is the hot chocolate, which is remedied by just running plain water through it, or picking it out by hand. Not that there’s anything wrong with a bit of a mocha kick to my coffee, anyhow! ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/13 "2011-10-08T02:49:48Z")
We had one at work, hated it. I reccomend Chemex,but thats just me. ---
**Author:** ![FoundWaldo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@FoundWaldo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoundWaldo)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/14 "2011-10-08T05:53:59Z")
I also had them at work at one time. I drank Keurig coffee almost every day for two years straight. The quality greatly depended on which cup you used. Some of them were terrible, some were decent. I never found any that I thought approached the quality of a “proper” cup of coffee (e.g. made via French press, Aeropress or good espresso). However, the convenience was great, and I think it was a reasonable compromise for the circumstances. At home I always just French press or Aeropress my own coffee (I only drink it at home on the weekends), but I’ve considered getting one for when we have guests over. It’s nice that each cup can be a different type. So I guess I’d say if convenience is more important than quality, it’s a good way to go. The quality is quite acceptable (if you pick the right cups), and the convenience is excellent. ---
**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/15 "2011-10-08T07:26:11Z")
Mom bought a Keurig for Christmas. It’s best for those who only need a cup of cofffee occasionally and don’t use a whole pot of drip coffee. I live in a house of 3 and only need cups of coffee at intervals. So my mother makes fresh coffee when she get up and then I can make my cup of coffee hours later without having to waste a pot of cofffee that’s gotten bitter from sitting out for several hours. The cups of coffee are an ok price, but you can get a reusable filter for the K-cup. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/16 "2011-10-08T11:30:33Z")
Wife wanted one for years so I got her one for her bday last year. It went back to the store a week later. Th coffee tasted fine but the cups it made were so small she ended up running it twice just to fill up her mug every time she made coffee and she doesn’t drink massive amounts of the stuff. Way cheaper and more efficient for her to just program the timer on our old cheap one so that it makes a pot of coffee before she wakes up and just dump the excess each morning. ---
**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/17 "2011-10-08T12:40:57Z")
> [@FoundWaldo](#): > > I never found any that I thought approached the quality of a “proper” cup of coffee (e.g. made via French press, Aeropress or good espresso). My husband had one for work, but he didn’t even think the quality was on par with “normal” drip coffee. After trying a bunch of different cups, he eventually gave up and got an electric kettle, grinder, and french press for work. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/18 "2011-10-08T13:34:26Z")
I have one and I seriously think it’s the best money I’ve ever spent. The wide variety of flavors, the convenience, only having one cup of coffee when all you want is one… totally worth it. HOWEVER, as others have said upthread, the quality of the coffee varies greatly. Stay the hell away from Donut Shot coffee™ - quite possibly the worst coffee I’ve ever had in my mouth. Also, I highly recommend buying the little adapter gizmo that allows you to put in your own ground coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/19 "2011-10-08T14:07:07Z")
I had one years ago that worked just fine. You can buy an adapter that will allow you to use your own grind, rather than those pre-packaged cups that may be past their shelf life. I just saw where Consumer Guide rated the [Senseo](http://www.amazon.com/Senseo-SL7832-55-Supreme-Machine/dp/B001QTVS6O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318082788&sr=8-1) as the best of the single cup brewers. ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963/20 "2011-10-08T14:10:02Z")
I got one for Christmas last year, and I enjoy it for my own use, but I find it really useful for entertaining. We have guests for a meal maybe an average of 1 1/2 times a week (not counting the times my mom or sister joins us for dinner, which happens maybe three times a week). I like being able to offer a cup of coffee after dinner, and the variety I can offer. Somebody wants decaf, but somebody else wants regular? No problem. Third person prefers a cup of tea? Also no problem. Yeah, it’s maybe not the best cup of coffee ever made, but honestly, the drip coffee my husband makes isn’t either. And for me, especially when entertaining, the flexibility available far outweighs any quality issues I’ve had. If I find a brand of K cup that’s not good (Donut Shop, like someone posted above, is not so great) I don’t buy it anymore. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-keurig-if-not-recommend-me-a-coffee-maker/598963.md?page=2)