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K-cups Pros and Cons
Do you know what a Kcup is? Maybe you do, maybe you don’t, but by the time you finish reading this, you will know more about K-cups than most people do! Kcups are the ammunition for the Keurig single serve coffee brewer. The concept and design were birthed by Green Mountain Coffee in Vermont. These brewers pump out one cup of coffee 
at a time, and they do it by way of a unique brewing cup, known as the Kcup. Each Kcup holds a single serving of coffee grounds, and a filter that is nestled inside of a cocoon of plastic and tinfoil. The Kcup is placed inside of the brewer and when the brewer lid is closed, a metal spout pierces the foil lid of the kcup. Hot water is then injected into the K cup and out comes the coffee. Seems like an ingenious concept.
The Keurig brewers are enjoying a huge wave of popularity, with the estimated total sale of Kcups to be in excess of 5 billion units this year! But is the Kcup the right choice for your daily brew? Here are some pros and cons to help you decide…
Pros 🙂
- Convenience – The K cup offers single serve coffee in a flash. What could be easier than inserting a pre-measured Kcup capsule and shutting the lid?
- Cleanup – Simply remove the spent Kcup and dispose of it into the trash.
- Prep time – No beans to grind, coffee to measure, or pre-brewing mess to clean.
- Precise measure – This is where %80 of coffee drinkers go wrong. Many folks use far less coffee than they should when brewing. The Keurig brewing method eliminates this problem.
Cons 🙁
- Quality of Coffee – While the coffee in a Kcup is superior to other mass produced grocery store ground coffees, it is less than fresh. K cups are airtight and fresh roasted coffee emits CO2 for 2 weeks after the roasting process. If the coffee in the Kcup was fresh, they would explode. The aging process of coffee is expedited when it is ground. Whole bean coffee can last for weeks, while ground coffee will only remain fresh for minutes.
- Control – There is no arguing the convenience of the Keurig brewer, but with convenience comes the loss of control. You cannot alter the grind, water temperature, dosage, or steep time with the Keurig.
- Cost – Kcup coffees cost about
$1.50$.80 per serving. That is equivalent to paying$55$30 per pound! For that price you could enjoy some of the most exotic coffees the world has to offer for less than the mass produced Kcups.
- Waste – Kcups are largely made of non-recyclable plastic. While developed by a company that prides itself on their ‘Green’ image, this isn’t a ‘green’ method of coffee brewing…unless you are talking ‘greenbacks’.
So there you have it. The pros and cons of the Keurig brewing system as I see it. I do not enjoy the Keurig brewing system, but I can see its attraction. It does provide a simple way to make one cup at a time, and does produce a better cup than what the majority of coffee drinkers presently subject themselves to. The bottom line is that you must choose for yourself what you want in your daily cup. For many the Keurig is the answer, but much better can be had if you are willing to take a few extra minutes. I recently posted a poll that inquired “I like Kcups because…” The results were about what I expected. With 108 unique responses this is how it played out… I like Kcups because…
- I don’t like Kcups (44%, 48 Votes)
- WTH is a Kcup? (28%, 30 Votes)
- Convenience (19%, 20 Votes)
- Taste (9%, 5 Votes)
A whopping 5 people answered “taste”, that says it all. The purpose of this post is not by any means to ridicule or demean those who love the convenience of this brewer. If the cost and quality are acceptable to you, then more power to you, BUT if you are looking to experience a truly exceptional cup of coffee…for less money than the Keurig / Kcup setup offer…check out my posts on these better options for single serve coffee enjoyment!
What are your thoughts? Do you have something to add? Did I miss something? Add your comments below and you could capture a prize of free coffee for your time! I’m eager to hear what you have to think 🙂
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