Do You Prefer Convenience Or Price
Ultimately, the most significant benefit of owning a Keurig is the convenience of brewing a hot cup of coffee from a pre-measured pod in seconds. Suppose this is an essential feature for you. In that case, this is the most costly part of owning a Keurig coffee machine or even a K-Cup compatible machine. You can normally find a budget Keurig coffee machine deal for a great price.
Keurig: When it comes to K-Cup prices, based on prices on Amazon, K-Cups can range anywhere from 40 cents per pod for budget coffee to $1.24 per pod for the fancy stuff. On average most cups fall in the 60-cent-per-pod range. If youre a heavy coffee drinker and drink 3-4 cups of coffee a day, thats $657 to $876 on K-cups per year.
Coffee Maker: If we look at ground coffee, a 12-ounce bag of coffee based on 3-4 cups a day should last around 10-14 days. That means 24 bags of coffee a year. The prices of a 12-ounce bag can vary widely depending on the blend and origin. Using an average price of $12 per bag, thats around $288 annually on coffee. Comparatively to K-Cups, thats a pretty hefty savings.
Will Keurig Be On Sale On Black Friday
Small kitchen appliances always see deep discounts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and this includes Keurig models. In fact, the Biggest Shopping Day of the Year is one of the best times of the year to purchase a Keurig for yourself or for someone you love.
During the 2020 holiday season, we saw several enticing Keurig Black Friday sales. For example, you could get a Keurig K-Select single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker for less than $70 .
When & Why The K
The K-Elite has been around for a lot longer than the K-Supreme but for many people it will still be a better made unit and preferred because of the style mostly. For the most part the K-Elite does all of the things the K-Supreme and K-Supreme Plus does but packaged in a different body.
I personally prefer the K-Supreme because the K-Elite brews too fast for my tastes but the K-Elite is highly customizable making it a great option for people who like the older design. Aside from styling differences there are a few functional aspects of these machines that set them apart and many people feel like the build quality of the K-Elite is higher. To learn more make sure to see the following article where Ive compared the K-Elite to the K-Select and the K-Elite to the K-Supreme series of brewers.
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Coffee Maker Cyber Monday Deals Still On: Keurig Nespresso And More
Select is editorially independent. Our editors selected these deals and items because we think you will enjoy them at these prices. If you purchase something through our links, we may earn a commission. Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time.
Some of the best ongoing Cyber Monday deals have the Select staff pouring a few more coffees than normal. Retailers from to Walmart have dropped prices on coffee machines, offering steep Cyber Monday discounts, some new and some a continuation of those offered during Black Friday. To help you knock out your holiday shopping list, weve compiled sales and deals from top retailers to recommend which sales to take advantage of, keeping in mind Select reader interest and using price trackers like Honey and CamelCamelCamel to ensure youll get noteworthy savings.
Bad For The Environment
Keurigs reliance on single-use plastic coffee pods produces enormous amounts of waste, though as of the end of 2020, all Keurig pods are recyclable. To do so, you first have to peel off the aluminum lid , then dump the grounds and recycle the cup with other plastics. For office use, Keurig has its K-cycle mail-back program. You fill a bin with used pods and mail them back to Keurig using a prepaid shipping label, where Keurig will recycle them.
The process itself is easy enough, and recycling pods is an improvement over them ending up in a landfill. But, plastic is much more expensive to recycle than other materials and, frustratingly, putting the K-cups into the recycling is no guarantee theyll actually be recycled. A recent NPR and PBS Frontline investigation found that less than 10% of plastic in the US recycling pipeline has been recycled. So, even though recyclable pods are better than non-recyclable pods, theyre still not great for the environment.
There are more environmentally-friendly options for single-serve, convenient brewing that dont require plastics at all, like Nespresso with all-aluminum pods, pour overs with recyclable paper filters, and French presses with no disposable byproducts .
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Tip : If You Brew Something Sticky Rinse Afterward
The Keurig coffee maker can be used for more than just coffee. If you decide to brew hot chocolate or any other sugary drink with it, it is a good idea to rinse the machine. You can do this easily by running another brew through the machine after brewing your hot chocolate. This time without a K-cup. This rinses out the K-cup holder and the funnel, keeping it nice and clean.
Keurig K155 Office Pro Coffee Maker
The K155 is a next-level coffee machine when it comes to office use. However, if you are a serious coffee fan, this commercial coffee brewer is an essential machine for home as well.
Features
Some of the main advantages of this Keurig K155 are its great capacity and continuous brewing time. Moreover, the machine also sports a large 90-ounce water reservoir, which takes about 3 minutes to heat the water. The minute the temperature of the water reaches 193F, youll know that the coffee machine is ready to brew. The K155 offers the capacity to yield 14 cups of hot coffee that too in just 60 or fewer seconds.
Since there can be no connection to a water line, you have to refill the tank whenever needed. However, it wont be a hassle since the reservoir is detachable and features a quick-drain option as well.
This coffee brewer also features an LCD touchscreen control panel, which lets you select your preferred temperature settings, brew strength, and cup sizes.
Last but not least, there is an additional function of descaling that allows you to keep the coffee brewer clean and maintained.
Pros
- Water reservoir requires daily cleaning
- May be a little messy while brewing the K-Pods
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Thermal Or Glass Carafe
When considering other factors while buying a coffee maker, many people ignore one crucial factor- the carafe. Because sometimes your coffee sits in the carafe for many hours. Thats why its essential to know how a carafe can affect your coffee. There are two types of carafes glass and thermal. Both have their own pros and cons.
Thermal carafe: It is a double-walled container and typically made of stainless steel or aluminum. Due to this, they are also durable. A thermal carafe keeps coffee hot for a longer period and keeps the coffees flavor and aroma. But thermal coffee makers are a bit heavier and pricier.
Glass carafe: These carafes are made of glass, and also they are considered the traditional ones. Also, glass carafes are fragile and can not keep coffee hot for a long time. Also, coffee can burn in it when sitting for a longer time on a hot plate. But the good thing about glass carafes is that they are less expensive.
Now that you know the difference between them, it depends on you which one better suits your needs.
You Can Still Shop These 53 Extended Cyber Monday Deals Now
Hallelujah, the Keurig Black Friday deals have arrived.
Keurigs are the coffee machines I place on a pedestal . These babies are one of the most affordable options you can buy, the most practical and, with a selection of K-cups, how could you not want one?
This Black Friday, has countless models on sale and even more available at Target, Best Buy and Bed Bath & Beyond.
If youre not yet sold on buying a Keurig this holiday season, lets just put it into four words: great for small spaces. Not only are they great quality coffee machines, but they come in a variety of sizes to fit in whatever space youre working with.
Ahead, find the best Keurig deals we spotted this Black Friday 2021. Before we get into those, heres a list of some of the best K-cups worth purchasing along with your new machine:
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The Drawbacks To Keurig Machines And Why We Dont Recommend Them
Keurig machines offer instant gratification, but at a cost. Beyond their deserved infamy for environmental destructionwhich well discuss laterall Keurig machines make bad coffee. They also take up as much space on your countertop as a drip coffee maker, despite making one cup at a time instead of a whole pot. And they require more maintenance than you think. Heres a rundown of all the downsides we found to owning a Keurig machine.
The Krazy Coupon Lady
Keurig
Keurig deals and sales are frequent. If youre shopping for a Keurig coffee maker, make us your first stop to save 50% on the Keurig machine of your choice. Brush up your smart shopping skills with these top tips for saving on Keurigs. Best place to buy a Keurig? We like Kohls for Keurig deals and coupons because of the low prices after Kohls cash. Target also has great Keurig gift card sales plus Cartwheel savings! Just bought a new Keurig? Check out our coffee coupons and deals!
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When Your Keurig Stops Brewing Coffee
This one seems obvious. When a coffee maker stops making coffee, it is broken. You could try and have it repaired. I applaud that. Repairing an otherwise perfectly good machine is a great way to reduce waste and help protect the environment.
But getting your coffee maker repaired might not be the most economically efficient option. Keurig coffee makers are not easily fixed. As with many consumption goods today, the Keurig is designed to be built as efficiently as possible. They were not necessarily built to last a lifetime. Im not saying these are bad machines. Because they are not. They are excellent for what they are. Repairability just isnt the most important thing when the Keurig coffee makers are designed.
How To Care For And Maintain A Keurig Coffee Maker
Find out how to clean your Keurig to ensure fresh brews and a seamless process every time.
- If you’re using a reusable coffee filter, be sure to use coarsely ground coffee and fill the mesh basket only to the bottom of the brown band .
- If you find grounds in your coffee or you’re getting a smaller cup of coffee than the size you selected, one of the needles may be clogged or need cleaning. Before cleaning the needles, unplug the machine. To unclog the exit needle, you need to remove and disassemble the pod holder and then use a paper clip to clear away any debris. Lift the head and use the paper clip to clean the entrance needle. We suggest that you watch this helpful video on the Keurig website before beginning the procedure.
- Every three to six months, or when you notice that brewing has slowed down, we recommend descaling your Keurig. Begin by filling the reservoir with 10 ounces of white vinegar . Start the brew cycle without a K-Cup in place and let the machine run as usual, being sure to use a mug to catch the liquid. Repeat this process a second time with vinegar and then a third time with 10 ounces of fresh water.
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Why Use The Keurig K
With a 52 oz. removable water reservoir, this Keurig coffee maker allows you to brew up to five cups of java before having to refill it. The removable drip tray holds accidental spills for quick cleanups and can accommodate travel mugs with a height of up to 7.4″. This machine also allows you to easily view the water levels before making your brew. It has Quiet Brew Technology that minimizes noise and is made with finger-tip resistant materials for a clean appearance.
Why You Should Trust Us
As a junior staff writer for Wirecutter who cares about coffee, Ive reviewed Nespresso machines and French presses. I spent more than 20 hours researching different Keurig machines and testing three. Four of us tested coffee made with more than two dozen flavors of pods, as well as a pre-ground bag from Keurig Green Mountain and a new bag from Stumptown that we ground with a Baratza Virtuoso, our upgrade grinder pick. I also interviewed Steve Alexander, president of the Association of Plastic Recyclers.
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Tip : Use Distilled Water
Especially when you live in an area with hard water , you might want to use distilled water for brewing coffee with your Keurig. Hard water can leave mineral and calcium deposits on the heating elements in the machine and might clog the tubing. Also, calcium and other mineral deposits on the heating elements reduces their efficiency. The heating coils have to work harder to heat the water, which could eventually lead to a breakdown.
Keurig Coffee Makers And The Environment
Until recently, K-Cups were not recyclable and wound up in landfills. New recyclable K-Cups made of polypropylene have been developed and have been rolled out across the US through 2019 and 2020. Keurig promised that by the end of 2020, all K-Cups will be recyclable, however there hasn’t been an update on this initiative since then. That means you may have to double check you are buying a recyclable K-Cup pod. To identify recyclable pods, look for a symbol on the package if you’re buying them at a store, or on the listing on Keurig.com if you’re shopping online.
Although the pods are recyclable, they are not compostable. And they’re only recyclable if you take the time to peel off the lid, toss or compost the coffee grounds inside and then rinse out the pods before throwing them in your recycling bin. There is also a concern that because they are so small, the K-Cups may be filtered out at recovery facilities and still wind up in landfills.
You can purchase a so-called My K-Cup Reusable Filter that you can use with your own ground coffee and then wash and reuse. Although it solves some of the problems associated with the pods, it does reduce the convenience of brewing with a Keurig, especially if you have many people using the machine throughout the day.
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What Should You Do To Increase The Lifespan Of Your Keurig Coffee Maker
A brand new coffee maker is squeaky clean. And to keep it that way is the best way to ensure it stays in working order for years and years. But that also means that you dont get to enjoy a nice cup of coffee from it. A coffee machine that is used will become dirty. That is a fact.
It is also a fact that if you never clean your coffee maker, it will eventually break down. The build-up of coffee residue and limescale due to the water running through the machine are the leading causes of gunk related breakdowns.
So, the key to keeping your Keurig coffee maker in working order is to clean it periodically.
Time for some Keurig coffee maker maintenance tips.
Tip : Descale Your Keurig Once A Month
The avoid the build-up of limescale/calcium deposits in the machine, it is good practice to descale your machine once a month. Especially when you live in an area with hard, mineral-rich water. If you live in an area with particularly soft water, you can descale once every two months. Descale regularly keeps your machine in top shape.
As said, descaling can be done with pure white vinegar. Specialized descaling solutions are widely available, but these can be quite expensive. The best value descaling solution is undiluted white vinegar. It works great and is dirt cheap.
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The Best Keurig Machine
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Weve updated the environmental impact of using a Keurig machine now that Keurig pods are recyclable .
We hate to break it to you, but after more than 20 hours spent researching and testing Keurig machines, we dont recommend them for anyone. Keurig machines brew expensive coffee that we didnt find particularly strong or tasty. And they often break within warranty, all while taking a toll on the environment. A Keurig also doesnt save you much time, shaving just a few minutes off other single-cup brewing setups. If you absolutely must get one, the Keurig K-Classic was the best model we tried. But you dont really need a Keurig machine.
We understand why Keurig appeals to so many people: Its easy to use and lets you choose from a huge variety of blends and flavors every time you make a cup of coffee. But a Nespresso machine offers a similar experience with better-tasting coffee and a smaller environmental impact. And other methods of brewing coffee, such as a pour-over, French press, or regular old coffee maker, cost less and taste much better than either Keurig or Nespresso, for just a bit more effort. With so many options available, we recommend you buy literally any other setup before you buy a Keurig.