# What's the point of Keurig coffee machines? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** coffee\ **Created:** [March 4, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853 "2014-03-04T20:08:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/81 "2014-03-07T00:29:46Z")
I will say however that the Bodum is a sexy beast among kitchen devices. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/82 "2014-03-07T00:41:58Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > My office uses Flavia.☹ What’s wrong with Flavia? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/83 "2014-03-07T00:54:18Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > [Daiquiri whacker](http://www.gasblender.com/) $300!!! If you don’t mind dirty/ugly/awkward it can be done on the cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/84 "2014-03-08T02:39:51Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > Used to have a french press but found it to be a pain with having to boil water first, measure out coffee and then have to clean the stupid thing right away. > > K cup solves all those issue. I drink maybe two cups a day max at home. I had an instant-hot water dispenser installed during my kitchen remodel specifically to make it easier to make french press coffee. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2014, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/85 "2014-03-08T05:31:31Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > . . . A. Everything is relative. > II) You’d be surprised at what you can get used to. > 3 - Keep things in perspective. > [@Trinopus](#): > > Applies to something like 95% of life in general! True enough. You have learned well, Grasshopper. 😉 > [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > . . . Then I lit the match and poked it in the hole to light the C-4. . . . 10 seconds later, I wrapped the sweat towel around my hand, grabbed the handle of the cup with the boiling water in it . . . > [@Trinopus](#): > > ??? A little doughball of C-4 will boil a cup of water in ten seconds? Yikes! > > (I always admired Willie and Joe’s technique in one of Bill Mauldin’s old cartoons: they just ran the Jeep up the hill a few times, till the radiator water got hot!) More like 5 - 6 seconds, but you want to wait for the smoke to clear. It’s useful stuff to have, but that’s another story. I love Mauldin’s Willie & Joe stuff. I didn’t have access to a jeep, and my method was faster than [this.](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y37BqGHN-3A/T9QgbbF3eiI/AAAAAAAACR4/8MaxpsgHwZ8/s1600/wj270.jpg) 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/86 "2014-03-09T01:41:18Z")
Now I want a cup of java. The old fashioned way. Pour a boiling mug of water from a pot over two scoops of coffee in a filter on a screen into a bowl then back into a mug. Took 5 min. 🆒 ---
**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 9, 2014, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/87 "2014-03-09T02:23:52Z")
You can get Chemex-style makers that make a cup or two using a #2 filter. Much like Jamicat’s method but a little neater. Whether you use fresh ground or a tin of ground is up to you, but it will either be superior coffee, much cheaper, or both. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/88 "2014-03-09T03:54:57Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > You can get Chemex-style makers that make a cup or two using a #2 filter. Much like Jamicat’s method but a little neater. Whether you use fresh ground or a tin of ground is up to you, but it will either be superior coffee, much cheaper, or both. Sure, but it’s more a pain in the ass vs. a Keurig or similar, where you just pop in the pod, make sure the water’s there, and just press a button. Look, I’m not interested in Keurigs, but the appeal and convenience is pretty obvious. ---
**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 9, 2014, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/89 "2014-03-09T04:06:14Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > You can get Chemex-style makers that make a cup or two using a #2 filter. Much like Jamicat’s method but a little neater. Whether you use fresh ground or a tin of ground is up to you, but it will either be superior coffee, much cheaper, or both. Or I could use the Keurig I got for Christmas last year. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/90 "2014-03-09T07:50:45Z")
A Keurig wouldn’t do us any good. I make one whole pot of coffee every morning. I have maximum two cups. My husband will finish the rest then, depending on how his day is going (he works from home), may make himself another half pot. The cost factor would be the dealbreaker for me, tbh. Yeah, it’s nice to be able to make yourself a cup of coffee/tea/cocoa without having to put water on to boil, but it’s just as easy to put the kettle on. :shrug: ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/91 "2014-03-09T12:38:27Z")
This is a direct answer to the OP’s question: > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Not only is it good for offices, but my bank has one and so does my mechanic. That way, customers can have coffee without any staff member having to make it, plus you don’t have that pot of coffee sitting there for God knows how long. There IS a point to the existence of the Keurig. Even if you don’t want one in your home. ---
**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:** [March 9, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/92 "2014-03-09T15:49:10Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > There IS a point to the existence of the Keurig. Even if you don’t want one in your home. Yup. It’s great for certain cases. If yours doesn’t fit it, don’t get a Keurig. I kind of wish my new office had one - our main issues are a relatively small group and different start times leading to maybe one or two people getting a cup then it sitting for an hour before another person wants some, that kind of thing. My husband and I used to have a Cuisinart programmable grind-and-brew for that “omg I need coffee ASAP” morning situation. Set it to go off a couple minutes before you wake up and you’re good to go. After about a year, we started getting problems where occasionally the front-loading coffee filter drawer would pop open a little bit in the middle of the night, sending hot coffee all over the floor rather than into the carafe. Then we got a Keurig. Worked well for “omg coffee now” but even with Costco discounts (and we got the biodegradable ones as soon as they came out) the price was a little high and the selection not quite what we wanted. We love super-strong coffee. And the refillable K-cups were nice but again, you’d need about 4 pre-loaded for both of us. We now have a top-loading Mr Coffee programmable pot for mornings, and my Aeropress for single cups. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/93 "2014-03-09T16:10:26Z")
[QUOTE=hadleykeillor (banned)] I don’t have [/QUOTE] The mods can now ban you in mid-post? :eek: ---
**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 9, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/94 "2014-03-09T16:11:14Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Sure, but it’s more a pain in the ass vs. a Keurig or similar, where you just pop in the pod, make sure the water’s there, and just press a button. Look, I’m not interested in Keurigs, but the appeal and convenience is pretty obvious. I can’t argue against “appeal and convenience” except to point out the very high cost of it, especially over time. If a buck for a smallish cup of meh coffee is a worthwhile tradeoff against a better to excellent cup at one-quarter the price plus a few minutes’ effort… well, power to yez. Glad you understand that the modern world is about selling you convenience at the highest possible cost. ---
**Author:** ![jrepka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee59a6/32.png) [@jrepka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jrepka)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/95 "2014-03-09T16:43:05Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > I like my [AeroPress](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AeroPress). Single-cup dispensing, less acidic, fast. Like a mini-French press but faster and without the grounds continuing to steep in the coffee even after being pressed. This. A perfect fresh cup every time with minimal clean-up and no waste (with the exception of a 2" paper filter, which can be recovered and re-used if you want). I can see the argument for the Keurig machine in a group environment, but if you want to make a single cup at a time at home the Aeropress kicks every other system’s butt. ---
**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:** [March 9, 2014, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/96 "2014-03-09T17:21:57Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I can’t argue against “appeal and convenience” except to point out the very high cost of it, especially over time. If a buck for a smallish cup of meh coffee is a worthwhile tradeoff against a better to excellent cup at one-quarter the price plus a few minutes’ effort… well, power to yez. Glad you understand that the modern world is about selling you convenience at the highest possible cost. Some people don’t drink coffee for the flavor, but for the caffeine. When I worked my old job, I would have drunk brown caffeinated water with enough creamer/sugar in it as long as it was ready on demand. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2014, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/97 "2014-03-09T22:28:14Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I can’t argue against “appeal and convenience” except to point out the very high cost of it, especially over time. If a buck for a smallish cup of meh coffee is a worthwhile tradeoff against a better to excellent cup at one-quarter the price plus a few minutes’ effort… well, power to yez. Glad you understand that the modern world is about selling you convenience at the highest possible cost. Sure, and many times, that convenience is worth it to me, just not in this case. That said, I’ve been impressed with the quality of the Keurig coffee. It’s better than a lot of drip coffee I’ve had, and I usually just buy the cheap stuff at Aldi for my French press, so it’s better than that, too. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2014, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/98 "2014-03-10T01:50:20Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I can’t argue against “appeal and convenience” except to point out the very high cost of it, especially over time. If a buck for a smallish cup of meh coffee is a worthwhile tradeoff against a better to excellent cup at one-quarter the price plus a few minutes’ effort… well, power to yez. Glad you understand that the modern world is about selling you convenience at the highest possible cost. It doesn’t cost 1 per cup. It more like half that, sometimes less (the stuff we buy is .42). Plus, there is probably less coffee poured down the drain than when it’s made by the pot. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853/99 "2014-03-10T14:35:55Z")
I buy my daily use flavor in a box of 96 K-cups for $59 including shipping. That equals 65.1 cents per cup. That’s about a 3 month supply for me, so approximately $20 a month. So, if I cut that in half by buying filters and regular coffee, I’m, what, cutting that in half? So, instead of $20 a month, I’m spending $10 but spending 5 minutes a day cleaning up and getting the next days brew ready to go? 25 minutes a week times 4 weeks equals 100 minutes, or just over 1 1/2 hours. For a cost of $10 a month, I’ll buy back that 100 minutes, and keep my Keurig, thank you very much. :o I’m not a coffee aficionado. It is a morning wake-up/caffeine delivery method for me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-keurig-coffee-machines/682853.md?page=4)