My home has just about every coffee maker you can imagine (e.g., espresso machine, French press, drip, etc.) and our Keurig still gets the most mileage of all. Monday morning, I get up the earliest and don’t want to spin the grinder or steam milk and wake everyone up. I just want to turn on the coffee maker, insert pod, cup, and have coffee in a few minutes. I also don’t like to brew a whole pot that ends up going to waste if nobody else drinks it. So, the blessings of Keurig are many, and I think it fits a special niche in our home. So, when our years-old Keurig 2.0 (the one with the LCD screen and horseshoe tank) finally died (handle finally broke), it was off to Sam’s Club for a new one.
What Keurig does really, really well:
A. It’s the cruise control of coffee machines—just easy and simple.
B. You get a LOT of choice on coffee, both Keurig-blessed and off-market.
C. There are always pretty good deals on pods super cheap through most big box retailers like Sam’s, especially around the holidays.
D. The filler pod (you fill it with your own coffee) is dishwasher safe.
What Keurig doesn’t do well:
A. Replacement parts. If your machine dies, it’s dead. There’s no replacing the boiler or the tank, it’s basically done.
B. Cleaning can be a chore, especially on then older machines.
C. Recycling pods can be a chore if you don’t have a system in place.
Review:
The bundle is a great deal through Sam’s, no complaints there.
There’s a lot to love about this bundle…
A. Huge water tank that can be re-positioned on either side. Someone at Keurig gets it.
B. A heck of a lot quieter than the previous model we had but slower brew. Heats up a lot faster, as well.
C. Stronger coffee, no doubt. The five prongs really do infuse the pods better.
D. The bundle came with a new filler pod (e.g., you put your own grounds in it) and it’s a good size.
E. Easy to fill. The tank has a handle on it so no more using the water pitcher to fill it.
F. I hate LCD screens on coffee makers so I’m glad they got rid of it. The big, clicky buttons are just gravy for me.
Takeaways: It *will not work* with older Keurig single-pin “fill with your own coffee” pods, the pins will not let it go through. Works perfectly with Keurig-blessed pods but my beloved San Francisco pods (the ones with paper lids) don’t work in this machine, the paper doesn’t puncture as well. If you have non-traditional Keurig pods, the needles may not puncture as well as the single big one, and you’ll get a watered-down coffee. I learned the hard way.
Advice (esp. for new Keurig users):
- Descale your machine, regularly. Your machine will last for *years* if you descale it regularly and consistently. The descaling solution made by Keurig works fine. I’ve always used regular household white vinegar (cheap at Sam’s Club) and do all my coffee machines at the same time. I can’t emphasize how many times I’ve heard our friends and family who have these machines complain a few weeks after buying them tha tit doesn’t brew the same. “Did you descale it?” Nope. If you have ridiculously hard water, you’re going to be doing it every 3-5 weeks.
- Use filtered water. Don’t use water straight from the tap unless you have the charcoal filter already in the tank. Replace the filter regularly. I use a tap filter and the Keurig filters, works fine for our hard water, and the coffee comes out great.
- Pod recycling. The pods are recyclable. It’s not ideal but not hard.
- Don’t leave used pods in it. Seriously, you’ll get a “funk” in your pod tray from old coffee. Take out old pods after you use them.
- Run a rinse brew (8oz) when you’re dealing with flavored coffees and non-coffee stuff, once before and one after you brew it. No joke, if someone runs a hot chocolate through it and not a rinse brew afterwards (without the pod), you’ll get a flavor transfer.
- Find the coffees you like in bulk. The machine will brew just about anything and everything, including ground coffee in a filler pod (you fill it with your own coffee).