I first was interested in a Keurig Platinum B70 Coffee Maker when another mom at cotilion was raving about hers. I thought, she’s crazy. But she was so enthusiastic about it that later I started thinking of how I have to wash my drip coffee maker’s filter cone and carafe every day and how it’s a waste of water. Also, I hated to measure out the grind & water so it’s never precise. I thought about the concept of a Keurig–basically measured pressurized hot water blasting through the K-Cup and dripping down into the mug. I wouldn’t have to measure out my coffee & water and, best of all, I wouldn’t have to wash the filter basket and carafe–just my mug. Plus, I can use my own coffee grind with the K-Cup adapter which was what sold my husband.
Everything I contemplated was true–except–I use my own coffee grind for normal weekdays, and NOT in the included K-Cup adapter (The ground was just too messy to clean up from the tiny K-Cup filter. I didn’t like the grinds going into the drain when I rinsed the filter.). I basically use the Keurig as a pre-measured hot water dispenser. I use my own manual coffee cone with an unbleached #2 paper cone filter, put in a scoop of grind, and put both the cone and mug under the Keurig to get a great cup of coffee. Plus, I use the premeasured water for tea bags, green tea powder, and decaf coffee. One warning, you have to refill the water chamber every other day or so if you drink 2-3 cups of hot beverage like I do. No big deal. Don’t know if it can be plumbed.
On Sunday mornings, I use a coffee K-Cup (Newman’s Bold) at the maximum setting (11 or 13 oz?) and drip it into a travel mug to take to church. Also very quick to do on rushed mornings. Usually, I am the only coffee drinker at home, now my husband is enjoying a special treat now & then. When I had a Christmas party, everyone was oohing and aawing at the Keurig–even the couple with a much fancier Dutch coffee maker.
Some special hints:
– Use only filtered water. We have a reverse osmosis system and a water softener so I have never had any problems with clogging.
– If possible, use a smaller No. 2 size coffee cone (see Melitta link below); it’ll fit better under the Keurig’s water stream. Unbleached paper filter cones are better than chemically bleached ones. The paper filter also helps to absorb the acid from the coffee. The new Melitta cones have an opening to add cream while brewing. You can also get porcelain cones but it’s heavier and prone to breakage from frequent use (hitting against sink, falling, etc).
– The kids love the apple cider K-Cups. It’s expensive (can’t buy in bulk) but it’s worth it. The reason I use my own grind is that the lowest price I can get my coffee K-Cups for is $0.33 each at Costco. To me that’s still more than what I want to spend. I know, I’m cheap. Or rather, I prefer to save money where I can and spend where I should.
– Save your coffee grinds from the paper cones and the K-Cups. When the grinds are dry, I scrap them out and use in the garden as fertilizer or dirt. Dump the grounds into the yard as often as you can, even if slightly damp they can get moldy in a container.
– Pour in your Half & Half while the coffee is still dripping so you don’t have to stir or wash a spoon (& waste water).
– Grind your coffee bean at the finest setting at Costco or Trader Joe to get the most flavor out of it, if you’re using a paper filter.
– Check the measurements of the machine to see if it will fit in your selected spot. It is quite tall and deep for a coffee maker.