Keurig Single Serve Gourmet Coffee & Tea Brewing System Review
I'd never heard of K-cups when I ran into the
Keurig B66 in Costco. At [...]with 90 K-cups,
I figured it was worth a try. As a bit of a coffee snob
(longtime "Peetnik" who finds Starbucks a little too weak)
I'd avoided systems like
Senseo because I figured that they wouldn't brew
coffee as strong as I like it. And that WAS my experience
with the Keurig, too: The sample K-cups were okay,
but--unless brewed on the tiny 5.25 oz setting--
far too weak for my taste. Again, let me stress,
MY personal taste is for coffee stronger than probably
95% of Americans, so take that into account.
Cons: Even after trying the K-cups recommended by
others who say they prefer strong coffee
(Emeril's "Big Easy Bold," Coffee People's "Donut Shop Coffee,"
"Black Tiger" & "Wake Up", Timothy's "Midnight Magic"
& "Rainforest Espresso," and so on, I'm still having
trouble finding a stiff cup of Joe brewed at 7.25 oz.
Also, they haven't developed an environmentally friendly
K-cup yet. Damn! And it's pricey, by home coffee maker standards.
Pros: Clean-up...there really is none! This format is the
fastest, easiest, most trouble-free way to get a quick cup
of decent coffee. I'm in Bachelor Heaven! I brew whenever
I feel like it--'cause it's so easy--and never waste excess coffee.
I will never resort to instant, so this is a wonderful compromise:
It ain't french press coffee, folks, but it's pretty good and ridiculously easy.
Two or more folks can enjoy entirely different coffees at virtually
the same time.
Also, this package does include a device for using your own
coffee: after continuing to audition K-cups, I may eventually
resort to stuffing it with some quality Peet's coffee, here and there.
Also, there's a ton of different types of coffee, cocoa and tea for
this available at decent prices on Amazon
(some people consider ~44 cents a serving expensive, but I'm used to
paying for quality coffee--and not pushing for that many cups out of a pound
--so K-cups at ~$[...] for 48 cups (no tax or shipping) seems modest to ME.
From what I'm told, the B60 is the closest model for comparison...
both have 3 sizes (5.25 oz, 7.25 oz & 9.25 oz). I've heard another
Keurig model offers a 11.25 oz option, but given that I'm having
trouble finding something strong enough at 7.25, 11.25 seems laughable.
I'm using Brita water, for what it's worth, and have only had the
machine for about a month, so I can't yet speak to its durability.
It vibrates a bit and makes a little noise. Neither bothered me,
but I can see that if one person was up, making coffee, a light
sleeper in a nearby room might notice the sound.
Here's a tip: A company called Kenoza[...]
offers single cup purchases. I know the 90 cups that mine came with
sound like a lot, but I immediately realized I needed the strongest
options, so went to Kenoza and got 2 or 3 samples (at 46 cents each)
of many of the strongest ("Extra Bold" is the K-cup jargon)...coffees;
far better than blindly buying 48 cups of something you may hate!
So, in summary, at [...] with 90 K-cups I think it's a freakin'
bargain. Obviously, the more you have to pay, the less spectacular
the deal. Drinkable coffee--no one's going to mistake it for Peet's
in a french press--but it's better than instant and some regular drip
coffee makers. If you like a variety of coffees, and don't care if
it's strong, run, don't walk, to the Keurig...and the lack of clean-up
is AWESOME!
Keurig Single Serve Gourmet Coffee & Tea Brewing System Feature
- The gourmet Keurig Ultra B66 single serve coffee system offers easy one-touch brewing with two brewing sizes, an advanced programmable LCD control center, 24-hour digital clock and removable drip tray. Includes a bonus pack of 72 K-Cups variety pack plus one My K-Cup reuseable filters.
- Each K-Cup is sealed air-tight for freshness and is available in over 150 varieties of name brand gourmet coffee and teas to meet the most demanding taste profiles. All coffees available are 100% Arabaca beans.
- Includes Variety Bonus Pack: 18 K-Cup Variety Pack
- Color: Silver/Black
- Programmable LCD control center w/ blue backlight
Keurig Single Serve Gourmet Coffee & Tea Brewing System Overview
The gourmet Keurig® Ultra B66 single serve coffee system offers easy one-touch brewing with two brewing sizes, an advanced programmable LCD control center, 24-hour digital clock and removable drip tray. Includes a bonus pack of 72 K-Cups® variety pack plus one My K-Cup reuseable filters. Each K-Cup is sealed air-tight for freshness and is available in over 150 varieties of name brand gourmet coffee and teas to meet the most demanding taste profiles. All coffees available are 100% Arabaca beans. Includes Variety Bonus Pack: 18 K-Cup Variety Pack Additional K-Cup bonus pack includes:18-pack: Green Mountain Nantucket Blend18-pack: Tully's French Roast18-pack: Caribou Blend18-pack:Newman's Own Organic My K-cup Reuseable Coffee Filter: allows you to use your own ground coffeeFeatures: Color: Silver/Black Patented microprocessor controlled technology Removable 48oz. Water Reservoir w/ blue light Programmable LCD control center w/ blue backlight 24-hour digital clock Programmable on/off 1-touch brewing:3 sizes5.25 oz. brew7.25 oz. brew9.25 oz. brew Chrome handle Removable Drip Tray Power: 1500 watts Voltage: 120VAC/60HZ UL / c-UL approved for household use only Includes: My K-cup Reuseable Coffee Filter: allows you to use your own ground coffee, 18 K-Cup variety pack + 72 K-Cup bonus pack (90 total K-Cups included) Dimensions: 13"H x 10"W x 13.25"D Weight: 12 lbs. empty; 15 lbs. full 1 year limited warranty Made in China
Keurig Single Serve Gourmet Coffee & Tea Brewing System Specifications
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jan 11, 2010 01:55:11
No more wasted coffee. Quick and Easy! - Mr. Fixit - Franklin,Tennesse
I bought this on a recommendation from my Daughter. It is one of the best purchases I have ever made. My wife and I simply love it. We each have a cup of different flavored coffee every morning without having to make a whole pot and wasting half of it and forcing the other person to drink the same as you. The individual cups are a little more costly but worth it. The ease of changing from coffee to tea to hot chocolate is great. If I decide as I did tonight at about 9 PM that I would like a cup of coffee, I plop in a K cup and a few seconds later I'm enjoying a cup of my favorite java. I would highly recommend this to anyone that is a coffee drinker, especially if you enjoy the different flavored or blended coffees.
Very fast and easy to use... - Tina Rodriguez - Los Angeles, CA, USA
I absolutely love it! Within a minute you have a hot fresh cup of coffee...we also bought the reusable filter for loose leaf tea and that works very well.
I have no complaints...quick, easy and convenient. I used to buy the refills at Bed Bath Beyond...now my grocery store sells them!
We use this 2-3 times per day.
Best Coffee System / Package Available - Nicholas Andrew Soler - Chicagoland, IL
I recently asked for a cup of joe at a friend's house and they showed me their Keurig B60. They let me pick my own flavor and showed me how easy it was to make a cup of coffee with it. I was amazed at how fast this gourmet coffee was ready and how little there was to do for clean up. When I got home I researched it.
The only differences between the B60 and B66 is the color of the machine and quantity of sample K-Cups. The B60 is almost all black with a chrome handle while this B66 has a black body, silver top and chrome handle. The B60 gives you the standard 18 pack K-Cup sample, while the B66 gives you an additional 4 18-packs of samples AND a reusable "My K-Cup". The My K-Cup is a reusable filter you can put your own coffee in if you really want to (kind of defeats the purpose).
After using both the B60 and B66 I can tell you they both work EXACTLY the same. Any review you see for B60 has the same features, benefits, and shortfalls as the B66.
I'm the only coffee drinker in my house so it became a big pain to measure out beans, grind them, empty them from the grinder into the coffee maker, add the water, then wait for the coffee. Plus when you're done you have to discard the used filter / grounds and any left over coffee and clean the carafe and maybe the drip mechanism as well.
THE KEURIG IS ALMOST 100% MAINTENANCE / CLEANING FREE. It has a 48 oz water reservoir so you don't need to refill daily. The cleanup is just taking the used K-Cup and throwing it out. There's no grinding of beans or cleaning necessary and I don't have to spend 1/2 an hour to make 2 cups of coffee.
Some other nice benefits are that it also makes tea, hot cocoa and plain ole hot water (for Ramen or other uses). It also has a cool blue LED and blue lit water tank. The auto-on and off features help you save time and money. The 90 K-Cups the B66 gives you should last a long time and help you decide which blend of coffee(s) you prefer most. The water reservoir is also dishwasher safe.
The cons are few and far between. It is noisy when it starts and finishes making a cup of coffee. The water intake makes a loud vibrating noise when it pumps water in or out of the internal reservoir. This doesn't bother me, my wife, or my infant son. The strength of the 9.25 oz versus the 5.25 ounce cup is diminished. It's just the amount of water being used on the same amount of grounds. So if you want a regular 9.25 oz coffee you should probably use a strong K-Cup. Refill K-Cups are somewhat expensive, but it's WAY less then a gourmet coffee shop. If you look around and use coupons it's a great way to save.
I've had the coffee maker for 3 days now and I couldn't be prouder of my purchase. I look forward to my daily coffee finally!
One last note, if you're going through a carafe or more of coffee a day, you may want to think about whether or not it's a cost savings or worth the time savings for you. But for me, this is the best product I've come across in a while.
