Why is Keurig coming out with a new format (Vue)

[ponyo]

What is the best machine <1k?

Durability and ease of maintanance would be the biggest factors for me. I also don't like to be insulted by 1 or 2 purposely pathetic and weak parts to perpetually nickel and dime the consumer.

Best machine for < $1k? No idea. I've been using this for 3-4 years now.
http://www.amazon.com/Gaggia-90500-Titanium-Automatic-Espresso/dp/B0007XXHD2

I paid $800 or so from Costco online. I bought it from Costco because I knew if I didn't like the unit or had any problem, Costco would take care of it. Current Costco selection

Now I couldn't imagine living without one of these machines and I consider it essential kitchen equipment like I would a stove, fridge, or microwaves. If mine ever break, I'm buying another machine pronto. It's so worth it.

 

[davmat787]

Nothing beats a $20 french (actually invented in WWII Italy) press and boiling water. No electricity or trash required, the grinds make great fertilizer too.

You could drink a ton of Jamaican Blue Mountain of Civet from the money saved from a $1000 brewer, and I bet the press will taste better.

 

[Skel]

I remember reading that Keurig were having issues with the lack of ability to recycle it&#8217;s K-cups. This is prob another reason they&#8217;ve moved on to this new system. On the linked page there&#8217;s a thing about it&#8217;s recyclability.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

The k-cup patent is expiring.

The original one is, in September. But that is only one of many Keurig patents. Most of the others have later filing dates, which means they will still be in force for a while.

 

[Rumpltzer]

With the expiration of whatever patent, other players will jump into the market.

Starbucks has already announced that it will be launching its own single-serve machine later this year: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/08/us-starbucks-idUSBRE8271B620120308

 

[Zenmervolt]

This. It is convenient for me to get up and get to work in the morning. Later in the day, I use a french press so that I drink coffee more for the enjoyment than the caffeine (which is always a bonus). Its convenient in the morning when my brain doesn't want to think about coffee anymore than "see button, push button, coffee.".

For an added bonus, get a mykcup attachment. You can make your own k-cup which is cheap, and less cleanup/prep than a french press.

Maybe I'm just too old fashioned (at the ripe old age of 29) but I just prefer to make an entire pot of coffee in the morning and put it into a thermos. It stays piping hot all day (12-14 hours) and IMO it's more convenient because I don't need to keep running to a single-serve machine every time I want a cuppa.

Then again, I brew Folgers, so I'm not exactly the coffee connoisseur to whom Keurig is marketing in the first place.

ZV

 

[allenk09]

I never see the point in the Keurig scam. They've invented a way to make each of your cups of coffee the same price as buying it from Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. They're scamming you at home. Around $1 per cup that makes like one half assed coffee, christ that's stupid. My mom has one of the machines and she has to go buy the little K Cups all the time for like $15 because there's 4 people that drink a cup of coffee or MORE per day in the house. Could you imagine how much cheaper it would be to go to Sams club or something and get a big thing of ground Coffee and just make a pot or two of that per day?

Most coffee machines have timers on them. Brew a pot before you wake up, have that shit ready before you go to work.

Eventually they'll just stop the old K Cups so you have to buy their new shitty overpriced product.

 

[nageov3t]

I never see the point in the Keurig scam. They've invented a way to make each of your cups of coffee the same price as buying it from Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. They're scamming you at home. Around $1 per cup that makes like one half assed coffee, christ that's stupid. My mom has one of the machines and she has to go buy the little K Cups all the time for like $15 because there's 4 people that drink a cup of coffee or MORE per day in the house. Could you imagine how much cheaper it would be to go to Sams club or something and get a big thing of ground Coffee and just make a pot or two of that per day?

Most coffee machines have timers on them. Brew a pot before you wake up, have that shit ready before you go to work.

Eventually they'll just stop the old K Cups so you have to buy their new shitty overpriced product.

it's about $.60/cup, as opposed to $3 at Dunkin Donuts or $5 at Starbucks.

if you live in a household with 4 coffee drinkers who all drink multiple cups every day... yeah, a Keurig is probably not the option for you.

but they're perfect for someone like me who only drinks 2-3 cups/week (at home, at least; I only drink coffee at home on my days off). when I owned a traditional coffee maker, the beans tended to go stale faster than I could use them.

 

[ponyo]

it's about $.60/cup, as opposed to $3 at Dunkin Donuts or $5 at Starbucks.

Coffee is not $3 at DD or $5 at Starbucks. You're comparing plain coffee from your Keurig to espresso at the retail shop. Your Keurig isn't making you espresso so why are you using espresso prices? Small coffee at both DD and Starbucks is well under $2.

 

[vi edit]

Coffee is not $3 at DD or $5 at Starbucks. You're comparing plain coffee from your Keurig to espresso at the retail shop. Your Keurig isn't making you espresso so why are you using espresso prices? Small coffee at both DD and Starbucks is well under $2.

And it's still about $.60 a cup for a lot of k-cups.
http://www.amazon.com/Coffee-People-...1555310&amp;sr=8-1

And I don't have to take an extra 15 minutes to go out of the way to hit a drive through/counter for it.

It's not as cheap as brewing your own from beans, but it's still less than a 1/3rd of the price of hitting DD or Starbucks.

 

[OverVolt]

The paper filter incorporated in the cup was screwing with their ability to be recycled, the eco conscious hippie type who use these things to begin with were peeve'd off all those K-cups were going into landfills.

Wouldn't be surprised if they change how it filters the coffee.

 

[nageov3t]

Coffee is not $3 at DD or $5 at Starbucks. You're comparing plain coffee from your Keurig to espresso at the retail shop. Your Keurig isn't making you espresso so why are you using espresso prices? Small coffee at both DD and Starbucks is well under $2.

prices aren't standardized nationwide.

here, it's about $2.xx +tax for a medium coffee at DD (the prices are even different between the Dunkin Donuts down the block from my house versus the DD across the street from my office)

just guessing about Starbucks, I haven't purchased coffee at one in about a decade.

 

[ponyo]

And it's still about $.60 a cup for a lot of k-cups.
http://www.amazon.com/Coffee-People-...1555310&sr=8-1

And I don't have to take an extra 15 minutes to go out of the way to hit a drive through/counter for it.

It's not as cheap as brewing your own from beans, but it's still less than a 1/3rd of the price of hitting DD or Starbucks.

I totally agree with you about the cost and the convenience factor. I used to hit DD or Starbucks almost every morning for my morning coffee and breakfast fix and that added 15 minutes to my commute. That's why I bought my automatic espresso machine so I could save time and money. It's just pet peeve of mine about people claiming Starbucks coffee is $5. The only place in the US I've seen $5 coffee is room service menu at Ritz and Four Seasons hotel.

 

[lokiju]

As I'm sure everyones said, their patent on the k-cup is up this year so a bunch of other companies are going to start making versions of it that they don't get a cut of. This is their attempt at keeping the boatloads of money flowing.

 

[OverVolt]

It was $1.99 for a large coffee from Sbux last year probably something like $2.11 now. Their coffee is always toward the back of the menu farthest from the door. Has the most actual caffeine to boot. Tastes burnt like always though.

 

[ponyo]

prices aren't standardized nationwide.

here, it's about $2.xx +tax for a medium coffee at DD (the prices are even different between the Dunkin Donuts down the block from my house versus the DD across the street from my office)

just guessing about Starbucks, I haven't purchased coffee at one in about a decade.

Size of medium coffee at DD is at least twice as large as a cup from k-cup. So $1.20 vs $2 would be fair comparison.

 

[Saint Nick]

Yeah can't see any value in a K-Cup. I just use a coffee maker at my work and it makes me tons of good enough coffee!

 

[MovingTarget]

Maybe I'm just too old fashioned (at the ripe old age of 29) but I just prefer to make an entire pot of coffee in the morning and put it into a thermos. It stays piping hot all day (12-14 hours) and IMO it's more convenient because I don't need to keep running to a single-serve machine every time I want a cuppa.

Then again, I brew Folgers, so I'm not exactly the coffee connoisseur to whom Keurig is marketing in the first place.

ZV

Good point. I use one of those when I'm traveling. Perhaps you should consider a French Press to complement your thermos. Even if you are brewing Folgers, you will get better tasting coffee than you would with an automatic drip machine or a percolator. Its cheaper to use one too as you don't have to buy the filters...

 

[jiggahertz]

Size of medium coffee at DD is at least twice as large as a cup from k-cup. So $1.20 vs $2 would be fair comparison.

A 24 oz coffee from DD is $2.56 here. Depending on the strength you brew, you'd need 4-6 kcups to make a 24 oz coffee. So at $0.60 per kcup it would cost $2.40-$3.20 compared to $2.56 at DD, plus you need to reload the machine 4-6 times.

 

[vi edit]

A 24 oz coffee from DD is $2.56 here. Depending on the strength you brew, you'd need 4-6 kcups to make a 24 oz coffee. So at $0.60 per kcup it would cost $2.40-$3.20 compared to $2.56 at DD, plus you need to reload the machine 4-6 times.

I only want a small cup (12oz) of coffee in the morning anyway. It's enough to wake me up and have with breakfast. So by my count, instead of spending on $2+ on 24 ounces, I'm still saving $1.40 by only drinking what I really need.

Same argument of cans vs. bottles of pop. Sure there's a lot more in a bottle for only a little bit more. But I only want a cans worth. So I'm saving money only buying what I need.

 

[charrison]

I throw a Salada tea bag in a 6-8 oz. mug and let the hot water fill the mug. Sugar and a little half-and-half to taste. I'm not picky but after trying loose teas (jasmine, tins of English Breakfast or whatever) the tea bags were the most convenient.

My wife likes to throw the tea bag in the K-cup filtration attachment but I don't think the tea steeps for as long as it should. My kid will enjoy a chamomile tea with honey so we have disagreements there.

Take a used kcup remove the lid, clean it and trim the lip off with scissors. Then slid it in so that mesh filter will sit inside the kcup. This makes a stronger cup of coffee!

 

[Joseph F]

LOL @ All you lazy motherfuckers who don't bother with grinding their beans to make a proper morning coffee.
Then again, it must take an extra whole 30 seconds to do so, so I guess I understand.

 

[charrison]

As I'm sure everyones said, their patent on the k-cup is up this year so a bunch of other companies are going to start making versions of it that they don't get a cut of. This is their attempt at keeping the boatloads of money flowing.

I am not sure this is going to work. I think the new machine will be a victim of their own kcup.

 

[dainthomas]

Then again, I brew Folgers, so I'm not exactly the coffee connoisseur to whom Keurig is marketing in the first place.

ZV

Using the words "Keurig" and "coffee connoisseur" in the same sentence made me lol.

 

[MovingTarget]

Using the words "Keurig" and "coffee connoisseur" in the same sentence made me lol.

Coffee connoisseurs are lazy people too. :sneaky: