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How to save on K-Cup coffee by buying boxes of 50 K-Cups at a time.

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

A box of 50 Keurig K-Cups.

Up here in Montreal, Canada, I usually pay $15.75 for a box of 24 K-Cups. That comes to about 67 cents per cup of coffee brewed.

But just this morning I was doing some shopping at Costco and found boxes of 50 K-Cups selling for just $24.95. That reduces the price per cup brewed to just 50 cents. Quite a saving.

That said, this is the first time I have come across this kind of pricing. But if you have a Costco or similar warehouse store close by, it may well be worth checking them out.

The Costco near us has always sold plenty of coffee, but the K-Cups didn’t appear until they decided to stock the Keurig B60 brewer. The B60 isn’t the latest in the Keurig line, nor does it have the most bells and whistles. But it seems to be the model most often stocked by offline retailers.

Good luck with the hunt for K-Cups in boxes of 50. If you find them any place other than Costco, leave a comment and let us know.

Tags: B60, K-Cup, k-cups, keurig
Posted in K-Cup Coffees, Keurig Brewers, One Cup Coffee Makers | No Comments »

How to use the My K-Cup reusable coffee filter with a Keurig brewer.

Monday, September 28th, 2009

When you purchased your Keurig brewer it probably came with a few K-Cups. After that, you found a store locally that sold boxes of K-Cups, or you ordered them online.

But there is an alternative. Instead of always using K-Cups, you can use the My K-Cup reusable coffee filter.

As you can see from the video, the My K-Cup unit comprises both the holder and a K-Cup sized filter with a fine screen.

Why would you bother?

There are three reasons.

1. It’s handy to have a My K-Cup unit on hand for those times when you unexpectedly run out of K-Cups. There is nothing more frustrating that having a Keurig brewer and not being able to use it.

2. The My K-Cup filter enables you to use any coffee you like. While there are plenty of coffees already available in K-Cups, not EVERY coffee can be found in this format. With the My K-Cup you can buy any coffee you like, grind the beans and still use your Keurig brewer.

3. When you buy coffee by the bag and then use it in your My K-Cup, you will save on the price of the coffee you brew. It’s a matter of only a few pennies per cup, but if you drink a lot of coffee, by the end of a few months the saving could be significant.

Whichever the reason that matters most to you, there is no harm in at least having the My K-Cup filter tucked away in a drawer somewhere. You can keep it to one side and take it out only when you need it.

Buy the My K-Cup Coffee Filter here…

Learn about the Keurig K-Cup brewers here…

Tags: coffee, K-Cup, keurig, one cup
Posted in K-Cup Coffees, Keurig Brewers, One Cup Coffee Makers | No Comments »

Nespresso Essenza Automatic Single-Serve Espresso Machine with Nespresso Aeroccino Milk Frother.

Sunday, September 27th, 2009

Nespresso Essenza with Milk Frother

Why am I writing about a one cup espresso machine on a website usually focused on one cup coffee machines? Because the lines between the two are becoming seriously blurred.

For instance, the line of Tassimo brewers makes regular coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, as well as cappuccinos and lattes. It is both a coffee maker and an espresso drink maker.

I’m writing about the Nespresso in particular because of its quality. Unlike many one cup beverage makers, it doesn’t feel like it was made by a toy manufacturer. If you find the Nespresso Essenza on display in a store, get your hands on it, move the lever on top, and you’ll immediately feel just how solid the construction is.

Maybe it’s just me, but I really appreciate modern kitchen appliances that feel they will last for years, and not break within the first few weeks of use. Nice and solid.

Back to the Nespresso. As with all Nespresso machines, the Essenza uses sealed, proprietary coffee capsules. You simply lift the lever at the top of the machine, drop in the capsule, lower the lever and then press the brew button. Once you are done, the used capsule is ejected into an empties container as soon as you lift the lever again.

When you buy both the Essenza and the Nespresso Aeroccino Milk Frother, you’re ready to make some great lattes and cappuccinos.

Consider the Nespresso if you really enjoy good espresso and espresso drinks. And also if you appreciate good design and solid construction.

What do people think about this machine? Have a look at the buyer feedback on sites like Amazon and you’ll see that almost everyone is delighted with their purchase. In fact, I don’t think I have seen quite so much positive feedback for any other brewer or espresso machine.

This won’t be for you if your primary interest is in making regular coffees. But if you like espresso based drinks, then this is a great choice. Clean, simple and mess-free.

Find the Nespresso Essenza Automatic Single-Serve Espresso Machine with Nespresso Aeroccino Milk Frother for a good price at Amazon.com.

Tags: coffee, espresso, nespresso, tassimo
Posted in Espresso machines, One Cup Coffee Makers | No Comments »

Make a terrific espresso or Americano coffee with the AeroPress.

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

Not every one cup coffee maker is either sophisticated or expensive. You can make a fabulous espresso or coffee with the AeroPress.

Here is how I used mine recently. My girlfriend and I took her daughter to Disney World for a week. Before we left, I was suspicious about the quality of coffee we might find at the hotel. I wasn’t even sure if the rooms had coffee makers. (They didn’t.)

In one of our cases I packed my custom coffee-lovers survival kit. It comprised the AeroPress with filters, plus a tin of ground coffee, and a small electric kettle. The sugar and milk I pocketed from the Disney cafeteria. (Sorry about that.)

Each morning I would boil the kettle and add enough ground coffee to the AeroPress for a double espresso. I would then divide the finished espresso between two coffee mugs and then fill to the top of the mug with hot water. When you do that, it’s called an Americano. Then cream and sugar to taste.

After depending on it for a week, I can tell you that the AeroPress does a great job. Really good coffee. And lifesaver when you are traveling.

Watch the video to find out how it works.

You can buy the AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker at Amazon

Tags: aeropress, coffee, one cup
Posted in Espresso machines, One Cup Coffee Makers | No Comments »

Why Keurig is winning the one cup coffee maker wars.

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

Keurig K-Cup Brewers

A year ago it was a tough call as to which of the one cup coffee formats would come out on top.

Now the picture is a little clearer. Keurig’s K-Cup coffee makers are flying off the shelves.

This isn’t just a story of success for Keurig. The coffee pod format took a big blow in April when the Senseo line-up of brewers was withdrawn due to some safety concerns. I wrote about this in an earlier post.

Senseo was leading the charge for the coffee pod format and plenty of other manufacturers were happily creating their own pod brewers. And a ton of roasters were offering their coffees in the pod format. With Senseo out on the sidelines, at least for now, a lot of the momentum for coffee pod brewers has been lost.

So how about the other proprietary one cup coffee formats, like the Tassimo with its T-Discs, the Nespresso with its coffee Capsules, and others?

These formats and brewers are fine, but they lose out to the Keurig brewers in some important ways.

First, they don’t offer as broad a range of different coffees.

Second, they don’t have an equivalent of Keurig’s My K-Cup, which allows you to use your own, loose coffee with the Keurig brewers.

Third, the brewers, and the T-Discs and capsules cost more.

Fourth, the Keurig brewers are better built. They are totally solid compared to the flimsy feel of the Tassimo brewers in particular. (That said, the Nespresso brewers are very nicely made, but you have to pay a lot more for them.)

Keurig has achieved excellent penetration with some outstanding brewers and coffees. Even when Senseo comes back, it may be too late for the coffee pod format to catch up.

Keurig brewer reviews:

The Breville BKC600XL

Tags: coffee, k-cups, keurig, nespresso, one cup, senseo, tassimo
Posted in Coffee Pod Brewers, K-Cup Coffees, Keurig Brewers, One Cup Coffee Makers | No Comments »